INTRODUCTION
Since its inception, Department of Computer Sciences has been offering courses, among others, for the award of a monolithic Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Sciences even though some subject areas were informally recognized. With the current trend and applications of computers, early specialization in subject areas appears desirable and popular. For this reason, the Department considered it mandatory sometime in 1997/98 to carry out a thorough review of its programmes so as to get into main stream of computing as taught, researched and publicized in comparative institutions all over the world.
To reflect the overall objective of providing computer education suitable for our particular environment, the Department of Computer Sciences currently concentrates on courses structured on a broad base in the first three years of the 4-year B.Sc. (Hons) Degree Programme. Candidates for the 3-Year B.Sc. (Hons) Degree Programme would enter the programme at Level 200 and are expected to have offered for credit elsewhere, courses that are significantly comparable to the Level 100 courses in the Degree Programme.
Emerging in 1973 out of what used to be the Institute of Computer Sciences, the Department now boasts of state-of-the-art facilities in computing and communication. The hardware laboratory is also sufficiently equipped to properly expose students to experimental work.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The Computer Science Department’s programme was ranked first among computer science programmes granted full accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC) during the 1999/2000 accreditation exercise throughout Nigeria.
The Department can boast of men and women who have reached the peak of their career and are well-respected in the administration of the University as well as in the Computer profession. One of our staff had been a Deputy Vice-chancellor while two have been Dean of the Faculty. Two have been members of the Council of this University. Two of our members of staff have been members of the Council of the Computer Professionals (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN) while about five members of the staff are Fellows of the Computer Association of Nigeria (now Nigerian Computer Society (NCS)). A member of staff of the Department is holding a vital post in the current National Executive Council of NCS. Presently, the posts of DVC (Management), Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of Academic Planning, the Director of Centre for Information, Technology and Systems (CITS) and the Chairman of are being held by our members.
Apart from graduating students annually in the various degrees – B.Sc., PGD, M.Sc., M.Phil/Ph.D, since the inception of the Department in 1973, the Department generates fund for the University through its Non-FTE programmes that include Extension Courses and consultancies through HRDB and UNILAG Consult. It also organizes training programmes for computer professional and postgraduate students. The International School on Methods, Tools and Techniques for Industrial Software Engineering was jointly organized with the United Nations University’s International Institute for Software Engineering (UNU/IIST) between October 28 and November 15, 2002. A memorandum of understanding is being formalized between this University and UNU.
