Home ► About Us

About Us

Consistently ranked among the top computer science programs in the nation, the Department of Computer Science (CS) at Stony Brook University has a proud history and even brighter future. Our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs have welcomed students from all around the world for decades (since 1969) and over 8,500 people happily call themselves alumni of the department. These notable alumni include John Hennessy '75 MS '77 PhD, former president of Stanford University; Jon Oringer 'BS 96, CEO and Founder of Shutterstock, Inc; and Ben Shneiderman '78 PhD, our first PhD recipient and creator of the hyperlink.

The department is the largest unit in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and is usually in the top three departments on campus in terms of size and course offerings. Our 50+ faculty and students work closely in an open, and collegial atmosphere. The department is active in many of the major research areas in computer science including artificial intelligence, visual computing, computer systems, networking, cybersecurity, data science, logic programming and deductive systems, and algorithms.

Faculty, which include ACM, IEEE, National Academy of Inventors, and Alfred P. Sloan fellows, have been recognized for their leadership and innovation in a number of these research areas. These awards include IBM Faculty, Google Faculty Research, NSF CAREER, SUNY Distinguished Professorships, and the Morningside Gold Medal of Mathematics.

Our competitive undergraduate program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. ABET courses are part of the required courses where students have an array of options including CSE (Computer Science Engineering) or ISE (Information Systems Engineering), in-demand areas of specialization, the BS/MS accelerated program, and the CS Honors Program. 

Department of Computer Science Non-Discrimination Policy

The Department of Computer Science values diversity and makes admission decisions based on individual merit. Stony Brook University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic predisposition, criminal conviction, domestic violence victim status, veteran status and/or military status and all other protected classes and groups in the administration of its policies, programs, activities, or other Stony Brook University-administered programs or employment. For additional information regarding Stony Brook University’s Policy on non-discrimination, please see: the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy  (http://www.stonybrook.edu/policy/policies.shtml?ID=105).

Conducting Research in the CS Department
As a primary participant in the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), researchers have access to this $230 Million High-Tech Center at Stony Brook which is the home to the Reality Deck and many other CS labs. Additionally, faculty and students have the ability to work with researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory (which the University co-manages), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, SUNY Korea, and many of the other campus institutes such as the Institute for Advanced Computational Science. 

Students will conduct research in one of the 18 research labs in the New Computer Science (New CS) and "Old" Computer Science buildings. CS is located at the center of the tree-lined Stony Brook campus in the beautiful village of Stony Brook, New York. Stony Brook is a residential neighborhood recently designated a StartUp NY site for new business because it is only 50 miles east of New York City.

In addition to academic advisors, a faculty member will serve as a research or dissertation advisor to all PhD students. A research advisor is invaluable throughout the research activity.  

If you are thinking of becoming part of the department either as a student or professor, reach out christineatcs.stonybrook.edu (via email )or better yet, come and see for yourself why the department is so popular by attending one of our Shutterstock Distinguished Lectures.