IMACS After-School Programs

University Computer Science

The Magic of
Computer Science Software is the nearest thing to magic that we've yet invented. It's pure 'thought stuff' — which means that it enables ingenious or gifted people to create wonderful things out of thin air. All you need to change the world is imagination, programming ability and access to a cheap PC. You don't need capital or material resources or adult permission ... That's why software is like magic: all you need is ability. And some children, for reasons that are totally and wonderfully mysterious, have an extraordinary aptitude for programming — just as some have a musical, mathematical or artistic gift.

John Naughton, Professor of the Public Understanding of Technology at the Open University, in The Observer.

The IMACS computer science program is recognized at some of the world's most prestigious universities for its extraordinary effectiveness in teaching computer science to bright, young people. IMACS introductory classes start by teaching students with Scheme, the programming language used by graduates of the some of the top universities, including MIT, Yale, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and UC Berkeley, during their freshman year. Advanced classes cover material considered difficult by many graduate schools, and yet IMACS students are able to master this material with confidence. As a result of the remarkable success of the IMACS computer science curriculum, IMACS has been privileged to have hosted visits from some of the top academic computer scientists and computer science educators in the United States.

As with other IMACS curricula, the secret to the success of the computer science curriculum is an emphasis on understanding and on logic and logical reasoning. Consequently, IMACS students as young as 6th grade cover concepts in the introductory classes that are usually not dealt with until Advanced Placement courses in high school, and progress to a significant project involving artificial intelligence. In the advanced classes, IMACS students study topics that are usually regarded as being at the upper-undergraduate and graduate school level, such as object-oriented design in C++, parsing, compiler design and virtual machines.

Course Offerings*

Course	Grade Level	Course Number
Introduction to Computer Science An introduction to computer science at the college level. Students learn to program using Scheme, the programming language used by graduates of some of the top universities, including MIT, Yale, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and UC Berkeley, during their freshman year. Students use Scheme as a vehicle for exploring topics in modern academic computer science. Based on the college-level book, The Schemer's Guide by Ferguson, Martin and Kaufman, Schemers Inc. Meets two hours per week.	6-12	CS1-4
Advanced Placement Computer Science A sequence of courses for students who have completed the CS1-4 sequence and are planning to sit for the College Board AP Computer Science exam. Having established a foundation in computer science in CS1-4, IMACS students in this course explore the syntax of C++ as well as its implementation of memory allocation and object-oriented programming. The traditional AP curriculum usually takes two years to complete, however IMACS students who have completed The Schemer's Guide are typically able to complete this course in six months or less. Meets two hours per week. Note: The IMACS Introduction to Computer Science course CS1-4 is a prerequisite.	6-12	CS5-6
Advanced Computer Science A sequence of advanced courses at the upper undergraduate and graduate school levels for IMACS students who have completed the CS1-4 sequence. These courses familiarize students with the principal themes of current academic computer science, most notably abstract data types, object-oriented design in Scheme and C++, interpreter design, parsing, compiler design, and virtual machines. Meets two hours per week. Note: The IMACS Introduction to Computer Science course CS1-4 is a prerequisite.	6-12	CS9-12

Course

Grade Level

Course Number

Introduction to Computer Science
An introduction to computer science at the college level. Students learn to program using Scheme, the programming language used by graduates of some of the top universities, including MIT, Yale, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and UC Berkeley, during their freshman year. Students use Scheme as a vehicle for exploring topics in modern academic computer science. Based on the college-level book, The Schemer's Guide by Ferguson, Martin and Kaufman, Schemers Inc. Meets two hours per week.

6-12

CS1-4

Advanced Placement Computer Science
A sequence of courses for students who have completed the CS1-4 sequence and are planning to sit for the College Board AP Computer Science exam. Having established a foundation in computer science in CS1-4, IMACS students in this course explore the syntax of C++ as well as its implementation of memory allocation and object-oriented programming. The traditional AP curriculum usually takes two years to complete, however IMACS students who have completed The Schemer's Guide are typically able to complete this course in six months or less. Meets two hours per week.

Note: The IMACS Introduction to Computer Science course CS1-4 is a prerequisite.

6-12

CS5-6

Advanced Computer Science
A sequence of advanced courses at the upper undergraduate and graduate school levels for IMACS students who have completed the CS1-4 sequence. These courses familiarize students with the principal themes of current academic computer science, most notably abstract data types, object-oriented design in Scheme and C++, interpreter design, parsing, compiler design, and virtual machines. Meets two hours per week.

Note: The IMACS Introduction to Computer Science course CS1-4 is a prerequisite.

6-12

CS9-12

*Note: Certain courses may not be available at all IMACS locations.