5 credits
A data structure is a specialized layout for organizing and storing data. This is an integral part of the information technology arena; programmers work with many different types of data structures. Using fundamental programming knowledge, such as object-oriented programming (OOP), students continue their practice with OOP and have the opportunity to gain knowledge of advanced data structures, including lists, stacks, queues, hashmaps, trees, and the functions of each. They also learn how to choose data structures that are appropriate for various types of information. They engage in discussions to work through ideas and gain various perspectives on topical issues, such as OO inheritance and polymorphism, arrays, and data collections. Students gain hands-on experience as they solve complex problems by writing a program and using tools to create, compile, debug, and run interactive OO programs with data structures.