Computer Science Fields Of Study
Research Areas | Study CS In USA | CS Subjects
Latest Trends In CS
The computer science fields of study includes the study of many subjects spanning across many disciplines because computer science is inherently an interdisciplinary science .Â
The computer science study  essentially involves  both the theoretical principles and its practical implementation. The computer science fields of study also overlap on each others subject domain.
Computer Science Major Streams | Computer Science Major Stream Details |
Theoretical Computer Science | The theoretical CS deals with fundamental theoretical principles and design concepts. |
Applied Computer Science | The applied CS deals with practical real world implementation of fundamental theoretical principles and design concepts of CS for various meaningful applications. |
In this article , we will explore various computer science fields of study , research areas , latest trends in CS studies. This is a comprehensive resource for international students who wish to study computer science in the US.Â
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Table Of Contents
What Is Computer Science ?
In most simple terms , computer science is the study of computer design , architecture and the application of this knowledge in actual practice.
The computer science  is also defined as a branch of engineering science that deals with the study of computer technology , its design principles and applications of the computer system in various fields.
The computers have occupied a indispensable position in human world and we are moving towards the machine age . The applications of computer science in every spear of human activity have transformed the world around us .
The artificial intelligence field of study in computer science has evolved in some real world applications .Â
The surgeons are now operating on the patients with far more precision with the help of robotic arm. The cars are now being driven with the help of auto-pilot and on-board computer.
And therefore, computer science has emerged as a very important knowledge to gain.
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Theoretical Computer Science
Theory Of Computer Science | Details |
Algorithms | The study of algorithms involves developing efficient and effective methods for solving computational problems. |
Data Structures | Data structures are a fundamental concept in computer science that refer to the organization and storage of data in a computer program. |
Discrete Mathematics | Discrete Mathematics is a branch of mathematics that deals with discrete objects, such as integers, graphs, sets, and logical statements. It provides the mathematical foundation for many areas of computer science, including algorithms, data structures, cryptography, and theoretical computer science. |
Statistics | Statistics is a branch of mathematics that deals with the collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization of data. It provides tools and methods for making decisions based on data, and is used in a wide range of fields, including science, engineering, social sciences, business, and economics. |
Theory Of Computing | The Theory of Computing is a branch of computer science that studies the fundamental principles of computation and computational complexity. It aims to understand the power and limitations of various computational models, such as algorithms, automata, and Turing machines. |
Programming Theory Of OOP | Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that is based on the concept of objects, which are instances of classes. OOP provides a way to organize code by encapsulating data and behavior into reusable, modular units. |
Digital Electronics | Digital Electronics is an important topic in Computer Science as it forms the foundation of digital circuits and computer systems. Modern computers are made up of many digital electronic components. |
Boolean Algebra And Logic Gates | Boolean algebra and logic gates are fundamental concepts in digital electronics and computer science. Boolean algebra is a branch of algebra that deals with binary variables and binary operations, while logic gates are physical devices that implement boolean logic. |
Cryptography | The study of cryptography involves developing techniques for secure communication and data protection. |
Complexity Theory | The study of complexity theory involves analyzing the resources required to solve computational problems, such as time and space. |
What Is Computer Science ?
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Why Computer Science Is Interdisciplinary ?
The computer science is said to be an interdisciplinary science . The computer science fields of study involves combining many disciplines.
The computer science fields of study include mathematics , statistics , digital electronics , computer hardware and software , programming languages , data structures and algorithms.Â
The CS also draws knowledge from many other disciplines such as electrical engineering , data science and digital electronics.
There are many fields of study in computer science which do not fall exactly into  a particular discipline but rather into a overlapping of two or more disciplines .
And therefore , the computer science fields of study includes the study of many inter related disciplines .
The interdisciplinary nature of CS and the approach for computer science programs offered allows the students to learn by studying different disciplines and their interrelationship.
This approach also helps the students to study the conceptual connections between the theoretical principles and how its applications that are spread across different disciplines.Â
In this approach the  students are able to simultaneously apply the knowledge gained in one discipline into other disciplines  in order to enhance their learning experience.
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Computer Science Research Areas
The field of computer science spans across several core areas such as theoretical computer science, computer hardware systems, software systems, database systems , discrete mathematics and scientific computing.
Since the scope of computer science fields is pretty vast , the students need to be aware of the these sub-disciplines with varying levels of specialization depending on the desired application of the computer science degree.
Although in most degree courses the  specialization will come into effect  at the graduate level. However , It is important for student to know the existence various sub-disciplines within computer science.
The students can then opt for an appropriate area of specialization depending upon the personal preference and the scope of the course curriculum .
Computer Science Research Areas
Theoretical Computer Science
Applied Computer Science
Computer Science Research Areas
Applied Computer Science
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Data Structures
The efficiency of the software application also depends upon how efficiently the program data is handled and manipulated by the program . The program needs a formal structure to represent the data and the permitted operations on these data items .
The data structure is a manner in which the data ( Information ) is organized and represents the relationship amongst various data elements . The data structure also defines the set of operations allowed and that can be performed on the data elements
The most common operations allowed in a particular data structure might include data storage , data deletion , data search and data sorting .
The study of data structure helps the computer science students to develop a robust underlying structure for program to efficiently organize the program data and the set of operations designed to operate on the data .
Algorithms
Each computer program implements a specific algorithm . The Efficiency of the computer system to solve a particular problem depends upon the efficiency of the program code which directs the computer to solve that problem in a particular manner.
Before writing a computer program code , the programmer has to first decide the logic of the program and then translate this logic in to the sequence of logical steps , which implements that logic to solve the problem in a particular manner .
This procedure represented in terms of logical steps which leads to solution is referred as algorithm .
There can be many possible solution to a problem. And therefore , a programmers must logically think and explore different algorithms to find the best possible algorithm that provides the solution which is most efficient .
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Computer Hardware
The computer system consist of both software and hardware components . The study of computer hardware is an important discipline within the computer science fields of study .
The computer system hardware components include all the physical and tangible components which are either part of the computer system itself or connected to the system to perform specific task .
The internal hardware components which are mounted inside the computer cabinet include the system case , motherboard , SMPS power supply unit , RAM modules , Cooling fan , connection cables and buses , internal disk memory hard disk  , CDROM drives and the microprocessor .
The external hardware components are also referred as peripheral devices such as mouse , monitor , keyboard , printer , speaker and so on .
The computer technology is rapidly evolving due to technological inventions in both software and hardware domain .Â
 The study of hardware component and the hardware technology helps the computer science students to develop interest in this computer science fields of study.
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Computer Science Fields Of Study
Computer Software
The computer system consist of both software and hardware components . The study of computer software components is an important discipline within the computer science fields of study .
The study of software components can be split into two sub-disciplines  which includes
Application Software
The application software are developed for system users to provide an interface to perform a specific task on the computer system .
Different types of application software are developed for various applications . The general purpose software are the most commonly used application software such as MS Word .
System Software
The system software is a special type of software that helps the operating system to communicate and control various hardware components.
The system software components are developed by the system components manufacturing companies . The system software is a special software which is necessary to interact with the specific hardware components .
Both application software and system software are highly specialist major disciplines within computer science fields of study. Most computer science students generally opt for any one of these fields of study for specialization .
Computer System Architecture
The computer architecture is a specialist discipline within a computer science which defines the system features and specifications .
The system architects specify the specifications to be used for designing a computer system or a platform .
The computer architecture provides the details of the software technology and hardware components to be used to design a computer system  or  a platform in terms of technical features and the performance parameters .
The system architectural specifications may not endorse a specific brand for the components to be used . Â Â Â Â
The study of computer system Architecture is a specialization within computer science fields of study . This field helps the computer science students to develop expertise as a system architect .Â
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Discrete Mathematics
This is a general perception amongst aspirants for computer science that CS students need to be good in mathematics .
The computer science being a interdisciplinary science, the students mainly study discrete mathematics.  There are many subjects in CS which does not need study of mathematics .
The Discrete Mathematics is a branch of mathematics that deals with  discrete elements and uses algebra and arithmetic. The Discrete Mathematics extensively  being used  in the practical fields of mathematics and computer science.
 The study of discrete mathematics helps the students of computer science to develop the logical reasoning skills  and the problem-solving capabilities.
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Statistics
The statistics is a branch of mathematics which deals with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of massive amount  of numerical data for its some meaningful application.
The data science has emerged in the recent past as one of the most important  and fastest growing discipline in the fields of computer science .
The Data science is a multi-disciplinary field which is derived from mathematics and statistics being two fundamental building blocks of data science.
Importance Of Statistics In Computer Science
The study and applications of statistics is an indispensible part of almost all the branches of science and technology including the computer science .
The statistical models are extensively used in various fields of computer science to model the complex problems .
The computers are used to solve the complex problems and also for decision making by analyzing the large volumes of data .
The knowledge of statistics becomes important for designing an algorithm to solve the complex problems.
The data science has emerged as one of the fastest growing field of study in computer science and the statistical analysis is an important element of data science .
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Data Science
The data science makes use of  scientific methods, mathematical models , processes, algorithms and systems to convert very large volumes of data into first information and then to  knowledge from both structured and unstructured data. The processed data can be used for some meaningful purpose.
The study of statistics is an integral part of data science .  The study of statistics helps the students of computer science to develop the analytical  skills  necessary to analyse the large volumes of data .
Computer Science Areas Of Study
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is another most sought after and the fastest growing discipline for specialization for the computer science student .
The technology companies are making huge investments in research and development of technology related to artificial intelligence , machine learning and deep learning .
Artificial intelligence a branch of computer science that aims to build an intelligent machines that can imitate human behavior . The Machine learning is a sub-discipline of artificial intelligence and deep learning is a sub-discipline of machine learning .
Artificial intelligence has become an essential part of every technology driven industry we can possibly think of . The research and development in  artificial intelligence is highly technical and specialized field in computer science.
The study of Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly popular amongst the students due every increasing demand of qualified AI professionals .
The technology companies are making huge investments in research and development of technology related to artificial intelligence , machine learning and deep learning .
Artificial intelligence a branch of computer science that aims to build an intelligent machines that can imitate human behavior . The machine learning is a sub-discipline of artificial intelligence and deep learning is a sub-discipline of machine learning .
Machine Learning
 Machine learning ( ML ) is the technology that provides the self learning capability to the computer system . The machine learning provides the capability to the computer system to function without the need for any explicit computer program.
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Computer Programming
The computer needs to be directed in order to execute any task on the computer system . And therefore , computer program is essential feature of every computer system.
The computer program consists of number of program statements and each of these statement performs a specific task.
The computer system understands only binary language which consists of only two numbers that is 0 and 1. However , writing a program in binary is very difficult and hence, computer programs are usually written using programming language which is human friendly.
The computer programs written in using any programming language and later on converted to machine code in binary by using a special program called compiler. This compiled code is executed by the computer.
There are many programming languages used for computer programming . Each of these programming language is best suited for developing a particular type of software application.
Some of the most popular languages include C , C++ , Java , Python , JavaScript , GO , C# ( C Sharp ) , PHP , Kotlin , MS .Net , SQL and there are many more .
The programming language is one of the most popular computer science fields of study that attracts large number of students as a career option.
The computer programmers or software developers are hired in large numbers every year and the programming community is the single largest group in computer science.
Top 10 Programming Languages 2019
What Is Computer Programming ?
Computer Science Fields Of Study
Database Management System
DBMS And RDBMS
The Database Management System ( DBMS ) is software application used to provide database functionality to any software .
Let us say if you are developing a e-commerce portal ( web application ) for a retail brand then you will need a DBMS ( Such as MySQL or Oracle Or MS SQL Server ) to store product and customer information.
The DBMS allows us to develop  a software application for creating , managing and administering the databases.Â
The DBMS also provides the necessary tools required for the design and development of databases.
The DBMS programming skills are amongst the highest paid software professionals .
The DBMS is an essential feature for most of the software projects whether you are working on an enterprise software development project or you may be developing a small website.
What Is Database Management System ?
What Is Relational Database Management System ?
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