Computer science is that branch of science, which deals with the study, development, and maintenance of computers and computer systems. It is also a diverse field that is the superset of data science, information technology, networking, programming, web development, and a galore of other full-fledged research and interest areas.
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted the traditional way of pursuing education. As such, more and more people prefer to enroll online for distant and virtual modes of learning; if you’re also looking for a suitable computer science degree that you can complete without going out, check out these best online computer science degree programs.
Learning computer science demands developing and building a lot of skills. What could be better than a project to learn - and/or assess your ability that you’ve developed up until now in - computer science! Now, where to get the best computer science projects? Right here! But wait?
Still thinking, “why I need a computer science project to learn/assess my ability in the same?” Let’s answer that first:
Computer Science Projects - Stepping Stones For A Better, Rewarding Future
Students often tumble over the question of what benefit they will get by working and developing projects in computer science, data science, or programming.
Also, if they are also, somehow, bothered thinking why they should give their best when working on computer science projects, then don’t worry because we are going to make things clear.
Most computer science courses' curriculum focuses on developing various skills, namely web development, programming, data analysis, content management, and more, but the implementation of these skills is something that students have to take care of themselves.
By working on a computer science project, candidates can also carve an opportunity for themselves to implement and test what they have learned. They can develop multiple computer science projects during the process and add them later to their portfolio, which will eventually help them land a good job, or, maybe, champion a college major or some specialization.
So, if anyone wants their future as an IT professional to be bright, they must work on one, or more, of the most popular computer science projects listed here. Much said already! Without wasting - any more - time, let’s get started with our pick of the top 10 computer science projects.
10 Best Computer Science Projects
1. Real-Time Weather Forecasting App
Type - Application Development, Programming, Web development
Expected Time to Complete - 1 to 3 days
Level - Beginner
Objective(s)
- To develop a web-based weather application that provides real-time weather information of a location, such as
- Current temperature, and
- Chances of precipitation.
- Also, it tells if it is going to be a sunny, cloudy, or rainy day ahead.
Project Overview
If you do not have any prior experience working on computer science projects, it’s better to get going with a project idea that is simple and effective.
The development of a weather application, which provides weather data for a particular location, would be a great way to test your coding skills.
To develop a weather application, all you need is the basic knowledge of the trifecta of web development, i.e., HTML, CSS, and Javascript. For creating a proper back-end of the app server in JavaScript, you will have to get familiar with Node.js and Express technologies.
It would be best to learn how to use API calls to get weather data from another website (like weatherstack.com) and display selective data right inside your webapp.
For the weather application’s UI, you need to conjure an input text box where users can enter the name of a location for which they wish to check the weather. As soon as the user hits the search button - most likely to be adjacent to the text box, but you are free to get creative as per your liking - the weather forecast for the entered location should be displayed.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
2. Basic Hospital Management System
Type - Application Development, Database Management, Programming
Expected Time to Complete - 2 to 4 days
Level - Beginner
Objective(s)
- To develop a system that hospitals can use to digitize and manage their data, such as patient information, appointments, lab test results, patient diagnosis details, etc.
Project Overview
Developing a basic hospital management system is quite easy, even if you are a beginner. You can develop a functional hospital management system leveraging basic forms of HTML and CSS.
The developed system should get new data entries, store them, and let hospital officials and/or a system administrator(s) access and view data.
You need to design the hospital management system, so it automatically assigns a unique ID to each patient registered at the said hospital. Other than the patients, the system should also store information about the staff members, all in a local database.
When the database grows, it might become difficult for the hospital staff or the system administrator to find data related to a particular patient or staff member. So, it’ll be a good idea to add search functionality to make it easier to find specific details across hundreds - or even thousands - of stored records.
While you can use the local storage of the machine that runs the hospital management system, it is also possible to use a cloud database. Both have their distinct advantages over one another. You must figure them out on your own to make the project more challenging.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
P.S. - Want more computer science projects focusing on HTML? Try these best HTML projects.
Related Course
Computer Science 101: Master the Theory Behind Programming
3. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) System
Type - Algorithm Design, Image Processing, Optical Recognition, Programming, System Development
Expected Time to Complete - 4 to 6 days
Level - Intermediate
Objective(s)
- The optical character recognition (OCR) system should be able to process images and identify characters.
- Also, the system needs to give users the flexibility to search and manipulate the data.
Project Overview
To accomplish this project, you need to work with an algorithm that makes image recognition possible. This algorithm will enable the processing of images and search for characters in them.
Before working on the OCR system development, you must get a clear idea of how optical recognition technology works. Make sure that you build a good understanding of all the underlying concepts beforehand.
The two most popular technologies to develop a character recognition system are Python and MATLAB. It is advisable to select that particular technology which you want to use more frequently in the future.
While planning the project development work, you may need to set some accuracy level for your OCR system to achieve at the end of the project. Remember, the more accurate your OCR system in processing and identifying the characters in an image, the better.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
4. News Feed Application
Type - Application Designing, Application Development, Programming
Expected Time to Complete - 3 to 6 days
Level - Intermediate
Objective(s)
- Development of an online news feed application that gives users access to the latest news and events.
- The application should also be capable of fetching and displaying local as well as global news.
Project Overview
Building a news feed application is a great way to boost your app development skills as a computer science student. You can either create a web-based news feed application that runs inside browsers or a dedicated mobile app for smartphone users or both; the choice is completely yours.
The biggest challenge you need to tackle while developing the news app is ensuring that the app loads in the minimal time while delivering robust performance. The app should be capable of handling multiple requests from different users at the same time without crashing.
To get the latest and trending news, you can use free news APIs offered by various providers, like Bloomberg, Guardian, and Financial Times. Just keep in mind that the freely-available news APIs offer a limited number of API calls on a daily or monthly basis.
You need to create the front-end and the back-end of the app and thus require both front-end and back-end development technologies. The app can be easily created using any popular programming language, like JavaScript, Python, Java, etc.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
5. Library Management System
Type - Database Management, Database Manipulation, Programming, System Design, System Development
Expected Time to Complete - 4 to 7 days
Level - Intermediate
Objective(s)
- The library management system should make it easier for library professionals to manage their day-to-day activities, such as
- Issuing books,
- Keeping a record of all the books issued,
- The books that are available for borrowing et cetera.
Project Overview
Developing a library management system will help you become well-versed in database management and data manipulation. The library management system intends to bring automation and eliminate traditional paperwork.
To work on this project, you need to step-up your knowledge about database management (SQL and/or NoSQL database), UI design, and back-end logic development.
The library management system should allow students to create personal accounts that they can use to view the list of available books and initiate requests for issuing the same. Also, the system needs to have separate administrator access for library officials to update the availability of books, review book issue requests, and maintain a list of defaulters.
Additionally, it can also track the fine levied on unreturned or overdue books. It is also possible to add some more advanced features to the library management system, such as issuing ebooks and sending automated SMS notifications to students regarding the due dates for returning the books.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
- A Library Management System with PHP and MySQL
- Library Management System
- Library Management System - Java
- LightLib Library Management System
6. Virtual Private Network
Type - Application Development, Data Security, Networking, Programming
Expected Time to Complete - 5 to 8 days
Level - Intermediate
Objective(s)
- The project demands creating an application that allows users to convert their public network into a private network.
- The connection to the internet established using the VPN application will be encrypted, thus ensuring data exchange between the user and the server.
Project Overview
If you are interested in computer networks and the internet, creating a virtual private network (VPN) system would be something that is going to help you boost your knowledge and skills in this particular niche of computer science.
The VPN system proposed in this project will let users add a secure extension to their public networks. But first, you should know that there are two different approaches for creating a VPN, namely IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) and SSL (Secure Socket Layer). Although both are good options, SSL is the better choice for developing a VPN.
The project will help you get familiar with various principles and technologies associated with computer networks such as authentication, public-key infrastructure (PKI), et cetera.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
7. e-Authentication System
Type - Authentication, Information Security, Programming, System Development
Expected Time to Complete - 4 to 7 days
Level - Intermediate
Objective(s)
- In this project, the aim is to develop an e-Authentication system that uses QR code and One Time Password (OTP) to assess the user's authenticity.
- The e-Authentication system can be used to add an extra layer of security for users logging into their accounts on a website or application.
Project Overview
For any website or application where users can create and log in to their accounts, it is essential to rule out the possibility of unauthorized access. To accomplish the same, you can develop an e-Authentication system that uses QR code and OTP to ensure secure user login.
Once a user registers or creates an account on a website/app using a set of credentials, usually the email and password, the e-Authentication System will be put into work when the same user will log into their account.
After entering the email id and password for logging in, the user will then be asked to authenticate themselves using either a QR code or an OTP.
If the user selects and proceeds with the QR authentication method, a random QR code will be generated by the e-Authentication system and sent to the user’s registered email id. On the other hand, while opting for the OTP authentication method, the user will receive an OTP code on the registered email or phone number.
The user will only be logged into their account if they complete the authentication process initiated by the e-Authentication system.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
8. Real-Time Web Search Engine
Type - AI, Machine Learning, Programming, Web Annotation
Expected Time to Complete - 6 to 10 days
Level - Master/Expert
Objective(s)
- This project requires developing a web search engine that displays a list of web resources relevant to the user's search term.
Project Overview
If you have prior experience working on smaller or entry-level computer science projects and want to move a step further, then working on developing a web search engine is a good idea.
For crafting a search engine, you need to use web annotation to allow your search engine to access web pages and other online resources. Like a typical search engine, you need to provide a text box in which users can type their queries and hit the search button or hit enter to get relevant results.
The results displayed by the search engine needs to be arranged in the form of a list. Also, you can limit the number of search items displayed on a page to 10 or 15. This way, the search engine needs to have multiple search result pages.
For search suggestions and ensuring that the most relevant results are displayed, you can use AI and machine learning. However, incorporating such advanced technologies in your search engine will make the project more complex, more time-consuming, but yes, more fascinating too.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
- RofiFtw (Rofi for the web)
- AskLawrence Search Engine & Screen
- Sociopedia Twitter Knowledge Engine
- Web Search Engine
9. Task Management Application
Type - Application Design, Application Development, Authentication, Database Management, Programming
Expected Time to Complete - 5 to 9 days
Level - Master/Expert
Objective(s)
- To develop a dedicated task management app that allows users to
- Create personal profiles,
- Log in to their accounts securely with a proper authentication process,
- Add multiple tasks within the app,
- Manage multiple task lists, and
- Mark tasks as completed.
Project Overview
This is yet another project that will test your technical knowledge and coding skills to a greater extent. The task app needs to have an intuitive interface that will make it easier for users to interact with the app and manage their tasks.
The task app must allow users to create distinct accounts and start managing their everyday tasks effectively. A user's data should only be accessible to him/her, and an authentication system needs to be in place to safeguard the account from unauthorized access or accidental login.
As for the app, the user should add individual tasks or organize multiple tasks under a single task list. Also, the user should have the flexibility to create multiple task lists and manage several tasks altogether. Once completed, users can mark a task as completed.
For successfully developing the task, you need to have the knowledge and prior experience of working with full-stack development technologies such as MEAN stack (JavaScript) and LAMP stack.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
- Pomo (Command-line application following the Pomodoro time management technique)
- Pomoday
- Task Management Application using Vue.js
- Taskman
10. Chat App
Type - Application Development, Application Designing, Multi-thread Processing, Networking, Socket Programming
Expected Time to Complete - 5 to 10 days
Level - Master/Expert
Objective(s)
- The project requires the development of a chat application that supports instant messaging.
- The chat app will allow users to create personal accounts from where they will send messages to other chat apps users.
Project Overview
The project is about developing a chat application using Python. Users can sign up to create their accounts and send instant text messages. The project largely focuses on utilizing concepts of socket programming and multi-thread processing.
The project is a little tricky to work with. You need to understand how sockets work and understand various principles related to computer networks.
You need to set up a server to handle user requests to connect and exchange messages in real-time. The chat app functionality can be extended by allowing users to exchange files along with normal text messages.
Reference Free Projects @GitHub:
Conclusion
That wraps up our list of the best 10 computer science projects. Working on these projects will allow you to successfully prepare yourself for embarking on a professional journey in the lucrative field of computer science and IT or, at the very least, to assess your abilities in the same.
What’s important is that you gain something from these, which you will definitely, if you work on these computer science projects with pure dedication. If that’s done, then that fulfills the purpose of this write-up. Best of wishes! Stay safe, keep learning, and keep growing.
Computer science is a complex, interdisciplinary field of study. In addition to programming, web development, networking, et cetera, computer science succeeding also requires good mathematical abilities. Try these best computer science mathematics tutorials to enhance the same.
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