PCAS Minors
The Program in Computing for the Arts and Sciences (PCAS) minors are a collaboration between PCAS and many LSA departments. We offer interdisciplinary undergraduate courses focusing on the intersection of computing and the liberal arts. In Winter 2024, we will offer two minors, Computing for Scientific Discovery and Computing for Expression. The minor in Computing for Scientific Discovery is driven by the importance of computing across all domains of the natural and social sciences. The dualistic paradigm of “theory and experiment” has been the dominant framework around which science is communicated and taught; with increasing datasets and the computing power to analyze and assess them, computation has grown to become an equal member with the original pair, forming a “triad for science”. The CSD minor represents a step toward formally recognizing this modern dynamic. The Computing for Expression minor adds a computational component to student interests in creating and manipulating digital media (text, images, sounds and videos) and supplements academic interests in Communication and Media, Film Television and Media, Digital Studies and programs across the Humanities.
Computing for Expression Minor
The Computing for Expression minor adds a computational component to student interests in creating and manipulating digital media (text, images, sounds and videos) and supplements academic interests in Communication and Media, Film Television and Media, Digital Studies and programs across the Humanities.
Through introductory Studio-in-Lecture courses, students engage in live coding and group based activities with programming. In advanced courses, students connect computation to themes of expression in humanities and social sciences and explore the computational algorithms processing those media.
The intended audience for the Computing for Expression minor are students who seek to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and interest in working with computation and having a foundational understanding of digital media. Students interested in a career in video game design or digital cinematic effects would be well-served by the Computing for Expression minor.
Computing for Scientific Discovery Minor
From sensor data to big data, computing has enabled us to glimpse new patterns in masses of information. The Computing for Scientific Discovery (CSD) minor, seeks to thoughtfully coalesce our increasing powers of computing with the practices of theory and experiment. This triad of science invigorates the study and communication of science for curious students and encourages new encounters with old paradigms.
Through a primarily Python-focused curriculum, students are introduced to programming through its applications to interdependent systems. From the social sciences to the natural sciences, the Computation for Scientific Discovery minor is intended for students planning research or analysis in their undergraduate majors or beyond.
Foundational Courses help in research design, managing data collections and inference, while the Introductory Programming Course enables students to apply Python and supporting packages to assess and communicate their findings. Advanced Courses allow for a deeper-dive into application, inference, and ethical considerations of computation.
The intended audience for the CSD minor are students seeking a foundational experience in applying computing to the measurable world.
