Welcome

Hello! This is the student's guide to everything LMU CS. Here you'll find not only useful information about courses, curricula, research opportunities, collaborations, and the requisite FAQ, but also some tips for success and belonging, and links to useful university resources.

Computer Science at LMU

Loyola Marymount University’s Computer Science programs feature modern, interdisciplinary curricula built on the principles and values of the open source culture and emphasize:

  • Computing on multiple platforms. Students work with computers running macOS, Linux, and Windows, as well as phones, tablets, robots, drones, smart TVs, IoT devices, and game consoles (Xbox, PS3, Wii, Kinect).

  • Open source software development. Students frequently work in teams and publish their work openly on repositories such as GitHub, as well as various public playgrounds.

  • Two senior year capstone projects. LMU was one of the first innovators of the undergraduate computing capstone project, valued highly by both industry and university graduate programs, and now an expected culmination of a quality curriculum in Computer Science.

  • Interdisciplinary coursework. We offer courses in such fields as biological databases, virtual worlds, scripting for animation, human contexts, and game design, several of which are team-taught. Capstone projects often involve teams of students from multiple majors, including each of the engineering disciplines, environmental science, psychology, animation, biology, and entrepreneurship, just to name a few!

  • Opportunities beyond the classroom. Many students take advantage of undergraduate research, create their own independent studies courses, and participate in student design competitions, intercollegiate programming contests, hackathons, summer programs featuring industry partnerships (including our flagship Google CSSI), and professional societies (ACM, IEEE, SWE and more). Student conference attendance is sometimes supported by the department.

Faculty interaction and attention are the rule, not the exception, both inside the classroom and through advising and research. Computer science majors benefit from the University's core curriculum, which includes courses from the humanities, arts, and communications — providing a well-rounded education differentiating our very successful graduates from those of other institutions.

Our department offers a B.S. degree in Computer Science, an undergraduate minor program in Computer Science, an M.S. degree in Computer Science, and a joint MS/MBA program leading to master's degrees in both Computer Science and Business. Our M.S. program was created in 1974 and our B.S. program in 1981. We also offer a variety of courses of general interest, including a few that are part of the University Honors Program.

Be sure to check out our curriculum, course offerings, collaborations, senior project history, and world-class laboratory facilities. You may wish to start at the frequently asked questions. You'll also find resources for navigating the department culture and how to thrive in our brave spaces set up for your success, and how to maximize your feeling of belonging in computing.

LMU is located three miles from the beach in the city of Los Angeles, and is adjacent to LAX, the aerospace hub of El Segundo, and the vibrant tech-centered community of Playa Vista.