The strength and uniqueness of the PCSE department, and its degree programs, lie in its multidisciplined, yet integrated nature, and the closeness with which the faculty interact. These relationships benefit the advancement of science, CNU itself, but most of all our students.

The Physics program is oriented towards microelectronics and fits nicely in the spectrum of computer related programs offered by the department. The integrated programs complement each other, allow sharing of resources, and generate valuable collaborations. These attributes strengthen the department in ways not available to single discipline departments. As an example of the relationship that the CE program has with the physics program, several CE students have worked with professors and physics students in the development of a Content Addressable Memory Chip that was designed for use in the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility as part of the data acquisition system used for nuclear particle experiments. Beyond the introductory courses mentioned, many of our sophomore, junior, and senior level courses also have hands-on, hardware-oriented, applied components which are presented in a way that is attractive to students and provides the important practical experience needed for future development. The hardware and software used throughout the curriculum are a updated frequently to provide high quality educational tools. The practical orientation of all the programs is tied to the economic development of the local community through collaboration, consulting, and education.

The new Information Science Laboratory is designed to give the students real-world experience by interfacing strongly with the business community helping to solve their Information Science problems. The department is involved in numerous science education programs throughout the community and a nationwide experiment with an interactive classroom delivery system. Faculty have research collaborations worldwide and the department is closely connected with the government laboratories on the peninsula (TJNAF and NASA). The Physics curriculum has just been revised adding three new concentrations and making the undergraduate program fit seamlessly with the Master of Science degree program. The MS program has recently added a concentration in Computer Science to broaden the spectrum of graduate areas.