These are questions frequently asked about our courses. The answers to these questions will refer you to the linked documents int the navigation area on the left.

What sort of offerings do you have? Our department offers courses in Computer Science and in various flavors of Engineering. The documents at the left describe all of our courses and answer questions about them.

Do you have many introductory offerings? Yes. See the documents startEngineering.php and quickGuide.php for a guides to getting started in engineering or computer science.

Do you have advanced offerings? Yes. See the documents advtEngineering.php and secondYear.php to see these.

FAQ about Computer Science

What if I have never programmed before? See quickGuide.php. Our introductory programming course has no programming prerequisites, other than the basic academic qualifications we would expect and NCSSM student to have. It is taught from scratch and gets to a high degree of sophistication quickly.

Where should I start in Computer Science? The page quickGuide.php document will help you decide. If you have programming experience, speak with Dr. Morrison and he can help you to start in the right place.

What languages are taught? Do I need special software? Our first language is Python. In introductory programming you will do an Ubuntu Windows Install if you run windoze. Programming will be done in a Linux environment, and Python is part of the standard install. The Ubuntu Windoze Install is a free piece of software.

In the next two courses, the lingua franca is Java. You will need to install a Java Developer's kit on your machine. Again, this is a freely available piece of software.

Some advanced courses are based on C. We do our C programming in a linux environment, which comes with all you need to begin programming in C.

What about APs? See the document ap.php linked at the left for awl ewe knead two no.

Are there extracurricular Computer Science Activities? Yes. NCSSM particpates in the computing contest at the Charleston Math Meet in late February. Our students also participate in USACO and TopCoder. Some summer internships are available at IBM.

FAQ about Engineering

Is physics or calculus a prerequisite for any classes? Yes. Physics and calculus are required for the Statics class. Physics is a prerequisite for the Biomedical Instrumentation class. You can read about these classes in advEngineering.php.

Calc and physics are not required for Intro to Engineering Electrical or Mechanical. They are not required for Architecture or Engineering the Modern, or any classes described in startEngineering.php.

Are there extracurricular Engineering Activities? Yes. NCSSM has active chapters of NSBE and the The NC Technology Student Association. We also participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition; this activity is open to all interested NCSSM students. We partner with the Durham Public Schools on this activity.