There have been significant changes to the introductory Computer Science courses in the past two years. Unfortunately, some documents still have outdated information (such as the 2006-2007 catalog). This page is being provided to help students select the appropriate starting courses, both for general education and for a potential major in Computer Science.
You should keep in mind that Computer Science, like other science majors, is set up with the expectation that students will begin taking courses toward the major in their first year. A good rule of thumb for science majors is that close to half of the schedule during the first two years will be in the major and supporting coursework.
Satisfy your foundational competency requirements:
These competencies are especially important to satisfy early because they involve skills you will be required to use in other classes.
There are two half-semester courses that you must take during your freshman year:
Definitely take BITH 111 during your first semester. Fit AHS 101 in if there is room.
If you're considering a major in Computer Science, you should take some CS-related courses in your first year (details below). You'll then fill out your schedule with courses that satisfy general-education requirements and explore areas in which you are interested.
The foundation for the major in Computer Science includes the following mathematics and CS courses:
That may look like a lot, but the important thing is to start making progress on it. It's really only 16 hours, which is barely half of a typical first year. To get through the CS major comfortably, you'll want to complete these courses and perhaps a bit more in your first year and a half.
There are some ordering constraints, and not all courses are offered every semester:
How much CS to take depends on how strong your interest is. If you are considering CS, take at least one of CSCI 235 or CSCI 243 this year. If you are curious and want to find what computer science is about, take CSCI 231 this fall. (CSCI 231 is not required for the major, but you'll learn a lot about the field, and also satisfy two hours of your general-education science requirement.)
As you finish up the foundational courses listed above, you'll start into the next set of required courses. We're working on revisions to those, but presently the additional courses are
It is great if you can take those in your second year. They can be taken in any order. Advanced CS courses list at least one of CSCI 345, 351, or 335 as a prerequisite.
The CS major requires one additional math course, more advanced than Calculus I. Many students assume that has to be Calculus II (MATH 232), but you do have a few other choices that don't have additional prerequisites. Linear Algebra (MATH 245) is an excellent fit for many CS majors, and has been highly recommended by many students (as well as CS faculty). MATH 245 has recently been offered in fall semesters.
An ideal schedule also takes PHYS 231 in the fall of your second or third year. PHYS 231 is required for the CS majors, but it also satisfies the 4-hour lab portion of the general-education science requirement. You are supposed to complete that requirement before you take an advanced gereral-ed science course, so completing it early leaves you flexibility in choosing the courses for the remainder of the science requirement. PHYS 231 is normally available only in the fall.
For the fall of the freshman year, the priority for CS courses should be:
In the spring semester, the priority list is:
A very common pattern for the first two years would look like this:
| Freshman fall | CSCI 235, MATH 231 |
| Freshman spring | CSCI 245 |
| Sophomore fall | CSCI 243, CSCI 351 |
| Sophomore spring | CSCI 345, CSCI 335 |
Last modified: Wed Apr 2 10:38:04 CDT 2008