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).
Research strengths and impact Productive faculty and students with strong tradition of transdisciplinary research.
89 instructional faculty members, including 67 tenured or tenure-track faculty, and 29 NSF CAREER award winners
High-performance computing and computational science
Human-computer interaction
Quantum computing
Security
Software engineering
Systems
Theory and algorithms
$15.2 million in externally-funded research expenditures in FY2025
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).
Undergraduate programs Majors in computer science, data-centric computing, and secure computing.
1,720 students (Sophomore, Junior, Senior)
527 Bachelor of Science degrees awarded in 2024-25
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 a practitioner-focused Master of Engineering degree.
332 doctoral and 486 master's-level students
31 doctoral and 434 master's-level degrees awarded in 2024-25
Ranked 35th 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 campus in scenic Southwest Virginia.
Research, teaching, and administration operations housed in 89,000 square feet across campus, primarily in three buildings: Torgersen Hall, Data and Decision Sciences, and Gilbert Place.
Scenic, walkable campus with arts and cultural experiences and nearby outdoor recreation opportunities.
Greater Washington, D.C. metro area
Strategic locations in Arlington and Alexandria offer exciting 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 Building One 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;