About

The Department of Computer Science has been an incubator for innovative teaching and leading-edge research for more than 50 years. Guided by our core values, we pursue our mission and vision in the spirit of Virginia Tech's motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
See our Fall 2024 Factsheet for a one-page summary of the department.
Research strengths and impact
Productive faculty and students with strong tradition of transdisciplinary research
- 86 faculty members, including 67 tenured or tenure-track faculty, and 26 NSF CAREER Award winners
- Faculty expected to grow to more than 100 over the next several years
- Research strengths in a broad set of strategic areas, including:
- Computational biology and bioinformatics
- Data analytics, machine learning, NLP, and vision
- Digital education
- High-performance computing and computational science
- Human-computer interaction
- Quantum computing
- Security
- Software engineering
- Systems
- Theory and algorithms
- $16.7M in research expenditures in 22/23
- Department-affiliated research centers include: Center for Human-Computer Interaction, Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, STACK@VT, the Center for Synergistic Environments for Experimental Computing, and the Center for Community Empowering Pandemic Prediction and Prevention from Atoms to Societies (COMPASS).
- Extensive involvement with major university research institutes and initiatives, including Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, National Security Institute, and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
Undergraduate programs
Majors in computer science, data-centric computing, and secure computing
- 1,720 students (Sophomore, Junior, Senior); 19% women
- 483 Bachelor of Science degrees awarded in '23/'24
- Ranked 29th by U.S. News & World Report
Graduate programs
Programs in Blacksburg and the greater Washington, D.C. metro area offer research-focused Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees and practitioner-focused Master of Engineering degree
- 318 Ph.D., 649 master's-level students, 29% women
- 24 doctoral and 253 master's-level degrees awarded in '23/'24
- Ranked 36th by U.S. News & World Report
Additional degree programs
Our department contributes to several additional degree programs, including:
- Minors in computer science, cybersecurity, and human-computer interaction
- Bachelor of Science in computational modeling and data analytics
- Ph.D. in genetics, bioinformatics and computational biology
- Online Master of Information Technology
College of Engineering
Part of Virginia Tech's comprehensive and highly ranked College of Engineering
- The college is led by Julia Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering
- Extensive collaborations across departments in the College of Engineering and with numerous departments in other colleges
Blacksburg campus
Virginia Tech's main campus in beautiful Southwest Virginia
- Housed in 89,000 square feet, primarily in three buildings: Torgersen Hall, Data & Decision Sciences, and Gilbert Place
- Beautiful campus with arts and cultural experiences and nearby outdoor recreation opportunities
Washington, D.C. area and the Innovation Campus
Strategic location offers unique opportunities for research and partnerships
- Computer science graduate degrees offered for more than 40 years, with a facility in Arlington and at the newly-opened Innovation Campus in Alexandria.
Administrative leadership and support
Committed team leads a broad set of academic, research, and outreach activities
- Leadership group includes four associate department heads and multiple area directors and coordinators.
- Six-person IT staff supports extensive computing resources
- Five-person fiscal staff includes support for proposal preparation and management
- On-site human resources support
- Dedicated managers lead efforts in communications, corporate partnerships, and alumni relations