Computer Science Major

Requirements for the Major in Computer Science

Courses used to fulfill major requirements must normally be taken for a letter grade.

1. Introductory courses: CSCI 051 PO , CSCI 052 PO , CSCI 055 PO , CSCI 062 PO  and CSCI 081 PO 
2. Mathematics: MATH 031 PO  and MATH 060 PO 
3. Core courses: CSCI 105 PO , CSCI 131 PO  and CSCI 140 PO . Students should normally complete these courses before the fall semester of the senior year.
4. Senior Seminar: CSCI 190 PO , which includes attendance at the computer science colloquium
5. Electives: Three additional upper-division courses in computer science. Independent study and senior exercise courses are not normally considered electives. Because computer science can both inform and be informed by other disciplines, with prior permission a student may substitute an appropriate course from a related department for one of the three required electives. Examples of acceptable courses might include math classes such as cryptography and numerical analysis, and upper-division electives such as computational biology and economic game theory. The decision of whether to accept a particular course will be based primarily on a petition, sent by email to the department chair in advance of taking the class, explaining how the outside course relates to their interests in computer science. If either option b or c below is selected for the senior capstone exercise, then one semester of CSCI 191 PO  or CSCI 183 HM  may count as one of the electives.
6. Senior capstone exercise: Seniors elect one of the following options for their senior exercise:
   1. CSCI192 PO - Senior Project 
   2. CSCI191 PO - Senior Research/Thesis Computer Science , taken both semesters of the senior year
   3. CSCI 183 HM  and CSCI184 HM - Computer Science Clinic II 

Students wishing to satisfy the senior exercise using options b or c must obtain permission from the department early in the second semester of their junior year.