The School of Computational Science at Florida State University has developed innovative, interdisciplinary graduate degree programs in Computational Science.

Vortex tubes in an anisotropic superconductor with a grain
boundary. Image courtesy of Max Gunzburger and Janet Peterson.

The SCS consists of faculty trained in application areas such as biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, and physics as well as in computer science and computational mathematics. What these faculty members have in common is an interest in developing new computational tools and algorithms that not only can be applied to solve problems in their individual scientific field, but that also can impact other fields as well. Thus, interdisciplinary research involving students, faculty, and postdoctoral associates is a hallmark of the SCS.

Visualization of magnetic flux lines in a computer simulation of the magnetic structure of a nanometer iron pillar that is undergoing magnetization reversal in an applied magnetic field. Image courtesy of S. Thompson, G. Brown, and P. Rikvold.

The new M.S. and Ph.D. programs are ideally suited for students that are interested both in developing new computational tools and in solving science and engineering problems. The coursework provides students with a broad background in the high-performance computational tools and in the scientific knowledge necessary to investigate problems arising in science and engineering. Research is mentored by interdisciplinary teams of faculty, ensuring that students are working at the leading edge of both algorithmic and scientific inquiry. As a result, students end up with the ability to not only contribute new algorithms, but to also advance science and engineering.