Major in Computer Science?

Computer Science is a wonderful major (#1 ranked major by Princeton Review, ranked top 10 by just about everyone) - there are plenty of well-paying jobs, you can work in many different fields, and the work can be very interesting. You likely will not be sure if Computer Science is the right field for you until after you have done your first 1-2 courses that require a large amount of programming. So you should begin by signing up for the first course in the CS major (CS 151, see our programs). You can also check the CS Flyer and Advice linked from our admissions page, and other information linked from our CS Careers page.

Undergraduate Programs

The requirements for the CS major, CS minor, CS teaching minoor, and certificate in applied CS (that can be earned by non-degree students) are listed in the undergraduate catalog. The major includes the following concentrations - Computing Science (more focus on theory and systems), Data Science, Information Science (more focus on applications). The programs have been updated for those starting in fall 2020 (added data science concentration, significantly adjusted the other concentrations), so you need to check either the pre-2020 or 2020 version of the programs. Once you declare the major or minor you should see the requirements in your MySAM.

CS undergraduate programs (2020- version) - CS major | CS minor | CS teaching minor | CS certificate | CS courses | CSS courses (210, 211, 331 part of CS IS concentration) | Math courses (241, 341, 131, 132)
CS undergraduate programs (pre-2020 version) - CS major | CS minor | CS certificate | CS courses | Math courses (131, 132)

Other Courses, Sequence of Courses   For advice on which other courses to take and which order to take the courses in, see the undergraduate advising page and the "CS BS" sheet in CS Course Sequences (2020-).

For a graphical overview of the required courses in the major, see CS BS Programs (2020-), CS BS Programs (pre-2020), and note the legend on the top or right of the drawing.

Related majors/minors - Computer Engineering Technology (major, minor) | Cyber & Security Studies | Information Technology (major, minor) | Management Information Systems (major, minor) | Mathematics (BS, BA, minor) | General Studies major

Graduate Programs

The requirements for the CS MS are listed in the university catalog - click the link. We offer the following concentrations - Academic, Bioinformatics, Data Science, Professional. The programs have been updated for those starting in fall 2020 (streamlined the academic concentration, added the data science concentration), so you need to check either the pre-2020 or 2020 version of the programs.

CS MS (2020- version) - CS curriculum | CS courses | MATH courses (503, 540 part of DataSci concentration) | BIO courses (581, 587, 680, 692, 699 part of BioInf concentration)
CS MS (pre-2020 version) - CS curriculum | CS courses | BIO courses (581, 587, 680, 692, 699 part of BioInf concentration)

Other Courses, Sequence of Courses   For advice on which other courses to take and which order to take the courses in, see the graduate advising page and the "CS MS" sheet in CS Course Sequences (2020-).

Concentrations The current concentrations for the CS Graduate program are Academic, Bioinformatics, Data Science, Professional. New graduate students are typically put into the Professional Concentration by default. The professional concentration is more flexible and geared towards skills and applications. Students may be suggested to switch to the academic concentration if they are one of the top students and show an interest in systems and theory. The Academic concentration is more challenging and geared towards systems, theory, and algorithms. If someone wants to do a PhD eventually or land certain types of jobs they should choose the Academic Concentration. The Bioinformatics Concentration is typically for students with a background or strong interest in Biology. The Data Science Concentration focuses on all aspects of data science.

For a graphical overview of the required courses in the major, see CS MS Program (2020-), CS MS Program (pre-2020).

Related Degrees - Biology (MS thesis, MS non-thesis, Phd micro, Phd eco, Phd phys) | Business (MBA) | ECET/IT (MS IT concentration) | Math (MA, MS)