Computer Science, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship

Our human-centered approach to design work: gather, generate, build, and share.

Through a range of course offerings, the Computer Science, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship Department provides students with opportunities to engage in hands-on, real-world, creative problem-solving in a number of disciplines (engineering, manufacturing, robotics, computer science, and entrepreneurship). These courses prioritize work that partners with authentic audiences, both here on campus and in the Greater Hartford area.

Key Highlights

Courses focus on giving students the essential skills they need to communicate their ideas effectively to others.
Significant time in most of the courses will be spent in the Pearse Hub for Innovation (PHI), where students will engage in our human-centered approach to design work: gather, generate, build, and share.

Featured Courses

CL Computer Science

This course is a programming-intensive follow-up to Introduction to Computer Science. Students will spend most of the initial term learning how to code in Python and establishing a solid foundation in key techniques, such as iteration and data management, as well as some common higher-order programming paradigms. Along the way, students will delve deeper into the theory behind computer architecture to bolster their understanding of algorithms and data structures. By the second term, the course will circle back, and students will combine the concepts they have learned with Python libraries to build larger and more in-depth projects.

Problem Solving for the Common Good

Students will learn about and gain experience in the process of design thinking and how it can be applied to problems related to the common good and social entrepreneurship. Students will identify and design solutions for problems/challenges on campus as well as within the local community (Windsor or Hartford area). At least one of the challenges will be global or environmental in nature.

Global, Digital Cultures

Will our fascination with social media and technology lead to our downfall or will it save us? Does technology lead us to become more distrustful of one another and more attached to static definitions of identity, or does it foster better connections and more fluid conceptions of identity? To what extent are our very thoughts shaped by decisions made within the programs we interact with on a daily basis? By examining the effects that digital technology and algorithms have had on the practices and products of modern society through a variety of cultural lenses and texts, we will seek to gain a more nuanced understanding of the way the digital age is shaping the way we live, interact, and communicate. Resources guiding our investigation will include excerpts of popular films and shows such as Andrew Stanton’s WALL-E and Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror; these will be complemented by literary texts (e.g., Richard Powers’ The Overstory) and articles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of tools do you have available in the PHI?

What kinds of computer science classes are taught?

Can students work on personal projects in the PHI?

The Pearse Hub for Innovation is true to its name: a central place where students can find the tools, faculty, and resources to flesh out their ideas and bring them to life — for their classes, for their own projects outside of classroom, and for their teams, dorms, and clubs. Students can apply for PHI grants if they need additional resources to carry out their projects.