The Department of Computer Science at Ben-Gurion University grew from the Computer Science program in the Mathematics department and was founded as an independent department in 2000. It is one of the youngest departments in Ben Gurion University and the fastest growing one. With approximately 450 new undergraduate students accepted to its diverse study programs, the Computer Science department is the largest in the university, with more than 1500 students and 45 faculty members, whose research activities span virtually all Computer Science research areas. The department prides itself with strong international reputation and world class research that are complemented by vigorous and exciting research atmosphere, state-of-the-art research labs, and a spirit of congeniality and collegiality.
The department offers degrees of Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy in various academic programs, including Computer Science, Bioinformatics, and Software Engineering (jointly with the Engineering School), as well as numerous joint interdisciplinary degrees with the Mathematics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Geology, Cognitive Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences and other departments. The department also offers several M.Sc. programs, including a general Computer Science program, Computational Biology, Cyber Security, and AI and Autonomous systems. All undergraduate and graduate programs provide a blend of solid theoretical foundations with exposure to practical aspects and broadly applicable ideas in Computer Science. As a result, our graduates are highly valued in both Industry and top universities worldwide.
Research in the department spans all Computer Science research areas, with strong research groups in Theoretical Foundations of Computer Science, AI and Intelligent systems, Cyber Security, Cryptography, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, Visual Computing, Systems, Scientific Computing, Networks, Communication and Distributed systems, and more. While basic research and teaching are the main objectives of all academic units, leading BGU's mission of developing the Negev through collaborations between Academia and the High Tech industry are another important goal undertaken by the Computer Science department. With the emergence of the Advanced Technology Park and the anticipated relocation of many elite IDF Technological units next to BGU, we anticipate a large growth in the number of collaborations between the department and the High Tech industry and in its research activities.
The Department of Computer Science is located in the Alon High-Tech Building (37), to which it moved in 2006. Due to the expected growth in faculty and research labs, the department will relocate to a new building in BGU's Northern Campus within the next few years.
