We know the best way to get to know our program is to meet the people who make our department a community! That's why we offer tailored tours for prospective students. Participants will be partnered with a current CS student to explore our building, learn about our department, and meet available faculty. You can also elect to sit in on a CS class and get a sense of our curriculum and teaching styles.
Since tours give insight into how our department functions, they are only offered Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm during the fall and spring semesters. Please give us at least a week's notice so we can prepare for your tour. If this timing doesn't work with your schedule, consider setting up a Video Chat to talk with a current CS student.
Preparing for your visit
- Submit a Tour Request at least a week in advance of your visit. Our Tour Coordinator will be in touch to finalize the details, including if you elected to sit in on a class.
- You'll receive a follow-up email from the CS Ambassador giving your tour and you can discuss any questions you have in advance of your visit. If you ever need to reach us, email us at cs-outreach@jmu.edu
- On the day of your visit, first stop by Parking Services to register for an electronic Visitor's Pass: you will need to provide your license and vehicle registration This will allow you to park in any commuter or student spot on campus. To visit our building, we recommend you park in Lot C10
What makes us unique
We're excited for you to get to know our department! Our goal is to create a collaborative and inclusive community in which you are set up for success in computer science, your career, and your life. We strive to give you the feel of a small school with the support and resources of a large one.
When you visit, we're excited for you to see our values in action:
Small Class Sizes
Our courses are capped at 30 students per class and are taught by our full-time faculty members. We particularly value high-quality, evidence-based teaching and employ innovative instructional methods in our classrooms backed by a strong history of active research in the CS Education community.
A Supportive Community
Our students have a strong sense of community. They regularly spend time after hours in our labs collaborating on projects and learning from each other, both peers in the classes and students across courses and years. We also have a large number of student organizations to explore both social and technical topics in Computer Science.
Student and Faculty Research
Our undergraduate students conduct research in collaboration with our faculty members. Any student may complete an Honors Project with a faculty member. Students are scaffolded into research projects via a weekly research seminar and meet up through which they learn about research projects currently underway in the department. These meetings also connect students with other students and faculty to find a good fit for research collaboration. External speakers are brought in monthly to provide additional inspiration and conversations around computing.
