Departmental Life

Located in NYC, one of the most diverse cities in the world, CSCU supports the diversity of our student population and supports the participation of our students in various student organizations, social events, and in their academic and professional/career development.

Student Organizations 

  • Women in Computer Science (WICS). Encourages, guides, and provides outreach to female undergraduates, graduate students and post-docs within computer science, as well as faculty and staff. Membership is open to everyone, whether a part of the computer science program or not; membership is open to anyone interested in promoting women in computer science.
wics-at-watson
Visiting Watson’s Manhattan HQ
  • Women in Science at Columbia (WISC). Facilitates networking, support, mentoring and outreach among women graduate students and post-docs within the science departments.
  • Association for Computing Machinery (CU ACM). Provides students with resources that advance computing as a science and a profession. Columbia’s chapter of ACM also enables professional development and promotes policies and research that benefit society.
  • The Application Development Initiative (ADI). Nurtures student creativity and technological aptitude by creating a community and resources for student developers of all talents and interests.
  • Engineering Graduate Student Council (EGSC). Maintains communication between administrators and graduate students. Students discuss their concerns and issues; cultivate respect, interaction, and friendship among peers; represent engineering graduate students in correlation with other student-run organizations in the university community; and maintain relations with alumni and career services to help students in their professional career development.
  • Graduate Student Advisory Council. Acts as a liaison between graduate students and administrators. Students have the ability to voice common concerns–housing, health care, study space and locations, and computer services–and sponsor academic, cultural, and social events and workshops that enhance the quality of student life.

Academic Development

  • Academic Writing Workshops for Graduate Students
  • Presentation Workshops for Graduate Students
  • Research Project Fair for Undergraduates and Masters Degree Students
  • Spring and Fall Hackathons for Current Students and Alumni of COMS W3157

hackathon-lee

Professional/Career Development

  • Professional Development Events – Previous events include: “Pursuing a Career in Academia”, “Intellectual Property and Patent Law”, “Career in the Federal Government”
  • Alumni Career Panel – Alumni from our BS, MS, and PhD programs discuss about their careers and their industry and life after Columbia
  • Resume/Interviewing Skills Workshops – Every year The Center for Career Education at Columbia provides resume and interviewing skills workshops for CSCU students held in the departmenthttp://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/
  • Industry Info Sessions – Companies that have held industry information sessions in our department include such companies as Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, Yahoo, AllienceBernstein, Facebook, Deutche Bank, BlackRock

For more information, see the Career Education website.

 

      
Social Events

  • Trips – In past semesters CSCU students have organized such trips as whitewater rafting, hiking, skiing, ice skating, bowling, comedy club night, and jazz club night
  • BBQs – Every semester, CSCU students organize a BBQ in the CS courtyard and lounge
  • Coffee Hour – Every Thursday CSCU students organize a coffee hour break in the CS lounge.  Coffee and cookies served!
  • Undergraduate Lunches – Once month during the academic year, CS undergrads are invited to have lunch with CS faculty.
  • Ice Cream Socials – Everyone loves ice cream!
  • Student organizations such as WICS, EGSC, and GSAC hosts professional and social events during the academic year

Student Awards  

CSCU recognizes the outstanding performance and exemplary service of CSCU undergraduate and graduate students to the CSCUS community every year with the following awards: http://www.cs.columbia.edu/education/phd/awards

  • Andrew P. Kosoresow Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance in TA’ing and Service
  • Paul Charles Michelman Memorial Award for Exemplary Service to the Computer Science Department
  • CS Service Award (PhD students)