# About CS

**Source**: https://csadvising.seas.harvard.edu/about/
**Parent**: https://csadvising.seas.harvard.edu/firstyear/

## What is computer science?

We like to say that CS teaches you how to think more methodically and
how to solve problems more effectively. As such, its lessons are
applicable well beyond the boundaries of CS itself.

But CS is also, more generally, the study of information. How do you
represent it? With what methods (aka algorithms) can you process it?

Perhaps the most liberal answer, though, is that CS “has no exclusive
domain of its own, and that its importance comes from the problems to
which it is applied.” And therein lies the excitement. CS empowers you
with tools and ideas that can be applied to practically any domain of
interest to you, both in college and beyond.

## What is CS… Not?

Contrary to popular belief, CS is not really about programming, even
though you do learn how to program. Programming languages are tools that
Computer Scientists use or create in order to solve problems of interest
to them.

## What will I learn in Computer Science?

The Computer Science concentration has the following learning outcomes for our graduates:

- students will design and code correct solutions to problems;
- design and reason about algorithms;
- and develop and analyze the ways computation interacts with other systems.

Academic computer science extends far beyond programming (though it does include
programming). It provides students with a foundational understanding of the strengths and
limitations of information and computation. This perspective is practically important—it helps
students quickly adapt to new computational systems and approaches. It has also been
increasingly revealed as a beautiful way to understand the world.

## Why study CS at Harvard?

*“Think of your freedom of choice - of what courses to take, of how to
spend your Sunday afternoons, whatever - as a commodity that is precious
in and of itself. It’s your life, even at Harvard: enjoy it”*

- Harry Lewis, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science

At Harvard, computer science is part of a dynamic hub that links to
fields such as electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology,
and to professions such as medicine and business.

You could see the field as the “planning and building” that fosters the
sciences and engineering throughout the campus and informs our digital
society. The computer industry - in fact, every part of our society and
every type of business - needs a generation of skilled individuals who
possess a new way of thinking, a new way of approaching research, and a
new way of doing business.

That means …

- deploying digital sensors to monitor everything from earthquakes to
  heartbeats
- modeling the way the brain works or how global weather patterns
  develop
- mining the data from the Human Genome Project to tackle disease
- translating radio signals to understand the nature of distant
  planets and galaxies
- creating algorithms that automate e-commerce and make buying and
  selling online a breeze
- applying technology to solve public issues ranging from e-voting to
  privacy and security to cyber law.

## What’s different about pursuing CS in a liberal arts setting?

What our computer science faculty do, you can do. We emphasize a
hands-on, immersive approach.

- Being at Harvard provides unmatched opportunities to use the latest
  tools and technologies, such as grid computing; learn about
  cutting-edge research, from cryptography to sensor motes; and meet
  world-class thinkers and leaders.
- Entrepreneurship goes beyond theory - Harvard students have created
  world-class companies such as Microsoft, and most recently,
  undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg made facebooking part of the nation’s
  vocabulary.
- Computer science is part of a dynamic hub that links to fields such
  as electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology, and to
  professions such as medicine and business.
- If you would like a preview of some of Harvard’s offerings in
  computer science watch the [CS 50 videos](http://cs50.tv/).

## What are some good courses for those who are considering concentrating?

[Computer Science 50: Introduction to Computer
Science](http://www.cs50.net/) provides an excellent starting point.
Many non-concentrators take CS 50 as a way to learn to think logically
and use computers effectively. If you have completed CS 50 or a similar course prior to arriving at Harvard, [CS 61: Systems Programming and Machine Organization](https://cs61.seas.harvard.edu/)
is a good choice for the fall. If you have a strong background in both
math and computer science, you may also start with [CS 1210: Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science](http://cs121.boazbarak.org).

In the Spring, [CS 51: Abstraction and Design in Computation](http://cs51.io/) and [CS 20: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science](https://courses.my.harvard.edu/psp/courses/EMPLOYEE/EMPL/h/?tab=HU_CLASS_SEARCH&SearchReqJSON=%7B%22PageNumber%22%3A1%2C%22PageSize%22%3A%22%22%2C%22SortOrder%22%3A%5B%22IS_SCL_SUBJ_CAT%22%5D%2C%22Facets%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22Category%22%3A%22HU_SCL_SCHEDULED_BRACKETED_COURSES%22%2C%22SearchPropertiesInResults%22%3Atrue%2C%22FacetsInResults%22%3Atrue%2C%22SaveRecent%22%3Atrue%2C%22TopN%22%3A%22%22%2C%22SearchText%22%3A%22128073%22%2C%22DeepLink%22%3Afalse%7D) are both excellent courses for students interested in CS.

See the  and [concentration plans of studies](/concentration/courses/sample-schedule/) for more information.