Office & Contact Information

The Major Program

The Department of Computer Science administers two majors: Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) and Computer Science (CS). It also administers two minors: Computer Science and Computational Biology. For information on the Computer Science & Engineering curriculum and the minor in Computational Biology, see Computer Science Engineering.

The primary differences between the CSE and CS majors are the extent of hardware coverage and curricular flexibility. The CSE major develops a solid understanding of the entire machine, including hands-on experience with its hardware components. The CS major teaches some hardware, at the digital-design level, on simulators. The CSE major has fewer free electives. The CS major's more generous electives make it easier to complete a minor or double major.

Students in the CS major receive a solid grounding in the fundamentals of computer languages, operating systems, computer architecture, and the mathematical abstractions underpinning computer science. Students are prepared for both industry and postgraduate study.

Major Advisors

J. Clifford, K. Gage, P. Kumari

For information on how to speak to an advisor, see CS Undergraduate Advising.

Graduate Study

See Graduate Studies.

Before declaring a major in Computer Science, students must complete specific course requirements and meet GPA minimums. Visit the CS Advising webpage for a full list of requirements to declare the major.

The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Computer Science Bachelor of Science is 104.

¹

Chosen from ECS courses numbered 120 to 189 inclusive; ECS 193A-ECS 193B (counts as one); one approved 3–5 unit course from ECS 192 or ECS 199; ECN 122; EEC 100, EEC 171, EEC 172; LIN 127, LIN 177; STA 131A, STA 131B, STA 141B, STA 141C, STS 115; PSC 120; MAT courses numbered 100 to 189, excluding MAT 111.