Principles of Computer Organization and Architecture answers the question "How do computers work ?" It examines the underlying components and the basic organizing principles in the construction of computer systems. By studying the fundamental organizing principles of computer systems, we are better able to understand, design, and implement complex systems.

This course also answers the question "How do I design a computer?" It would devote considerable attention to identifying which functionality should be included in a system, to evaluating a number of options for achieving the design goals, and to explaining techniques for implementing them.

Upon successful completion of this course, the computer will no longer seem a "black box" to you. The magical incantations that we call programs will no longer simply "work"; they will have a "meaning" that is grounded in the layers of physical and virtual machinery upon which they run. More importantly, you will have encountered a number of diverse paradigms for solving problems using computer systems. This course should give you a robust framework upon which to hang new knowledge within the discipline.

This course is also about learning the skills needed to acquire this kind of knowledge. It is about careful reading of a scientific text. It is about using exercise problems to probe and develop your understanding of the material. It is about bringing material up to date and finding the leading edge of a field within the discipline. And, it is about interacting closely with others in your discipline to learn, investigate, and understand more thoroughly than might be possible through individual, lone scholarship.