Computer Science
Projects and Experiences
Learning by Doing
Early on in BVU’s computer science program students are encouraged to learn by doing. We offer a variety of extra-curricular activities, along with internship opportunities and projects to turn your ideas a reality. Students can use our state-of-the-art robotics and computer architecture lab to build and create web applications, virtual reality simulations, robotics, 3D models, and more.
BVU’s computer science program is designed to prepare students to enter the rapidly expanding and ever-evolving field of computer science. Computer Science Major
Robots into Battle
Students in the BVU Robotics Club build and program their robots from the ground up! These robots battle in the sumo ring, programmed to follow commands via AI.
Stine Endowment
Access to research, internships, and expeditions
The Stine Endowment supports incredible learning opportunities for students in Buena Vista University's School of Science. The endowment grants superior access to many meaningful experiences, and amounts to $75,000 annually. This opportunity is available exclusively at BVU.
As a computer science student, the Stine Endowment provides funding for you pursue internships, research projects, presentations and science-oriented expeditions... all in addition to your financial aid award. You may find yourself limited only by your imagination!
Capture the Flag
Buena Vista University started the nation’s first purely undergraduate attack-and-defend “Capture the Flag” computer security hacking contest. During the attack-and-defend challenge, teams of students test their hacking skills by capturing sensitive data or “flags” from the servers of their competitors, while keeping their services online and functional and by ensuring their servers were secure to prevent flag theft.
Startup in Seattle
Showing work to industry contacts
Six BVU computer science majors joined two professors and a recent grad in traveling the Pacific Northwest, focused on developing a software application. Students maintained a daily blog throughout the “Startup in Seattle” experience, detailing programming challenges and successes as well as highlights from visits to firms like Microsoft, Amazon, Adobe, Nike and Google, and sites such as Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains and more.
Association for Computing Machinery
Socialize and share knowledge
BVU hosts an on-campus chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). This computer science club provides the opportunity for students to get to know each other and share knowledge about computing. The club often holds social gatherings, competitive programming contests, and seminars on cutting-edge computing topics. The ACM also works on interesting projects and hosts “internship nights” where younger students can learn about the internship experiences of their more senior counterparts in the BVU computer science program.
Student Projects
VR Training
Kelsey McConnaughy created a virtual reality training simulation for police to learn how to confront different situations. Developed using BVU's Oculus Rift virtual reality workstations, the virtual trainer analyzes the speech and tone of officers’ voice commands to manage the situation.
Stick-to-It
Stick-to-It is a mobile app created by Matthew Swanson. The app allows users to write music without picking up a pencil. Rather than memorizing rhythmical ideas, the user can pick up drumsticks, play a song, and have a computer transcribe the music automatically.
Neat
Sarah Mackey created Neat, a web application designed for college students with autism. Students can manage courses and assignments in a simple environment created with regards to the oversensitivity to sensory stimulation that is characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
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