The Computing Scholars Honors Program Celebrates its Two Years of Success
In the fall of 2013, the Computer Science department at the University of Texas at Dallas launched the Computer Science Computing Scholars (CS2) Honor Program, also known as the Computing Scholars Honor Program. Twenty-seven students joined the program that fall; some of the students have left to pursue other majors and a few have dropped out for academic reasons. The remaining 21 students will be in their 5th semester of the program this fall and three will graduate in the spring of 2016. The 2014 fall cohort of 27 enters its third semester of studies this fall.
Dr. Ivor Page is the director of the CS2 Honor Students Program and he is also one of the instructors of the program. “Our honor students are put through a rigorous program that is taught by UT Dallas’s best Computer Science professors. By the end of the program students will have earned an “intense” Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Degree.” Dr. Page and his colleagues saw the need for an honors program within the UT Dallas CS Department for exceptionally gifted students. The program provides the opportunity for accomplished undergraduates to develop and expand their knowledge in the areas most critical to success in their fields. Eligible undergraduate and graduate CS2 Honor Students are assisted in finding summer and full time internships in top computer companies and research laboratories across the country.
Admission to the CS2 Honor program is based on invitation only. The selection committee reviews nominations from parents, teachers, and others. Students with exceptional academic standing may be offered Academic Excellence Scholarships (AES) by the Office of Undergraduate Education. AES Awardees may also be offered placement in the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program, the Computing Scholars Honors Program, and the Collegium V Honors Program. These programs are all complimentary. The Computing Scholars Program Selection Committee meets each March and April to review AES Scholarship Awardees and other nominees who are about to graduate from high school with excellent grades in both math and science. Students who are invited to join the Computing Scholars Program have already successfully completed a full and challenging high school curriculum, and have achieved high scores on the SAT/ACT tests and will have graduated with a high class ranking from their respective high schools.
Students in the CS2 Honor Program are commonly referred to as “Computing Scholars.” The scholars will be challenged in every course in their major and related studies in a wider and more theoretically based curriculum than is possible in the regular BS in CS program. The curriculum is built upon of fundamental mathematical and scientific principles. The courses incorporate discussions of up-to-date research, latest innovations, and open problems into rich logical progression of firmly related topics. Computing Scholars enjoy small classes that allow course work to be challenging and flexible. The students interact through various formats with graduate students and research professors throughout their academic career. Computing scholars who are in the Fast Track program will graduate with a BS degree and a significant number of credits toward their MS degrees.
Throughout the CS2 Honor Program, students attend events such as monthly dinners or luncheons with faculty members, and talks or lectures given by Distinguished Lecturers at UT Dallas or at other locations in North Texas. In certain instances, the Computing Scholars may attend conferences and other events within the contiguous 48 states of the USA.
The UT Dallas CS department is one of the top Computer Science departments in the United States with average SAT scores of entering freshman higher than at any public university in Texas. The department is also ranked 3rd in the nation for the number of students graduating with Master’s Degrees.
For further information, or to schedule an appointment with the Program Director, please use one of the following:
US Mail:
Dr. Ivor Page,
Department of Computer Science,
MS EC 3.1
The University of Texas at Dallas,
800 W Campbell Rd.
Richardson TX 75080-3021
Phone:
973-883-2160 (Office)
972-672-3773 (Cell)
Email: ivor@utdallas.edu
Additional Links:
Admission to the University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas
The Computer Science Department at UT Dallas
The Office of Undergraduate Education
The Eugene McDermott Scholars Program
The Collegium V Scholars Program
ABOUT THE UT DALLAS COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
The UT Dallas Computer Science program is one of the largest Computer Science departments in the United States with, as of Fall 2015, over 1,600 bachelor’s-degree students, more than 1,100 master’s students, 160 PhD students, and 80 faculty members. With The University of Texas at Dallas’ unique history of starting as a graduate institution first, the CS Department is built on a legacy of valuing innovative research and providing advanced training for software engineers and computer scientists.