Computer Science
Program of Study

Program Description

The Computer Science Magnet Program is a four-year course of study for students who wish to explore computer science or computer engineering. The purpose of the program is to provide students with the opportunity to undertake a disciplined approach to the study and application of computer science. Students will develop programming and other technical skills where the application of scientific methods will yield the creation of high-quality, computer-based solutions to real problems.

The goal is to provide students a solid and rigorous background in computer science principles and requisite mathematical skills to build proficiency in the problem-solving techniques of computer science, and to provide graduates with the background and the skills necessary to continue their education in college or enter the workforce or military service. 

Students take at least one computer science course each year starting with AP Computer Science Principles.  In this course, students will learn to design and evaluate solutions and to apply computer science to solve problems through the development of algorithms and programs. 

Our sophomores dive into heavier coding concepts and projects in AP Computer Science A. Fundamental topics in this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large sets of data, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, the analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. The course emphasizes object-oriented programming and design using the Java programming language. 

Juniors tackle many of the computer science topics and skills learned in the prior two years but in new languages (C++, MySQL, and Python). Seniors are engaged in a computer science seminar where they work collaboratively on a year-long senior project and they are also enrolled in a discrete mathematics and cybersecurity course. 

The program brings in guest speakers to speak about various topics in the field of computer science. Past guests include representatives from Google, Microsoft, Merck, the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, and alumni.