Jun 05, 2025

DRAFT 2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Computer Science, BS

This degree, offered by the Department of Computer Science , provides a solid background for a variety of careers in the computing profession. Entry level positions include jobs in programming, systems analysis, software engineering and customer support. Such positions are required by nearly every institution whether it is public or private. The program not only prepares students for graduate work in computer science, but also for advanced work in the related fields of management science and operations research.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

A grade of “C-” or better is required for courses being used to meet any requirement in any minor or major offered by the Department of Computer Science , including Major Preparation courses. The Major Preparation and Major Requirements must include at least 37 units of upper division mathematics and computer science course work, excluding CS 100W .

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3B, 4, UD 3, UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) (3 units)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures
Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Exceptions for University Graduation Requirements including exemptions and waivers, are approved for specific majors and on a case-by-case evaluation only.

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division GE: 18 (10 units may be satisfied by major coursework: Areas 5A, 5B, 5C, 2)

6 required units of American Institutions/US123 may be satisfied by selecting applicable GE courses in Areas 3B and/or 4

Upper Division GE: 6 (3 units may be satisfied by major coursework: UD Areas 3)

Physical Education: 2

GWAR / WID: 3 (Recommended: CS 100W )

Major Preparation: 27

Major Requirements: 55

University Electives: 3

Total: 120

2. Major Preparation (27 units)

MATH 30 - Calculus I 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
MATH 31 - Calculus II 4 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
MATH 42 - Discrete Mathematics 3 unit(s)
MATH 39 - Linear Algebra I 3 unit(s)
PHIL 134 - Computers, Ethics and Society 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Additional Mathematics Course (3 units)

Complete one course:

MATH 32 - Calculus III 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
MATH 142 - Introduction to Combinatorics 3 unit(s)
MATH 161A - Applied Probability and Statistics I 3 unit(s)

Approved Science Electives (8 units)

Students must complete a total of 8 units of science electives. At least six of those units must be fulfilled by the courses listed below. The remaining units may be satisfied by GE Areas B1, B2, B3 .

BIOL 30 - Principles of Biology I 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5B and 5C / Formerly Area B2 and B3)
BIOL 31 - Principles of Biology II 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5B and 5C / Formerly Area B2 and B3)
CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
GEOL 1 - General Geology 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
GEOL 4L - Earth Systems Lab 1 unit(s) (GE Area 5C / Formerly Area B3)
GEOL 7 - Earth, Time and Life 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
METR 10 - Weather and Climate 3 unit(s) (GE Area 5A / Formerly Area B1)
PHYS 50 - General Physics I: Mechanics 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
PHYS 51 - General Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)

3. Major Requirements (55 units)

Lower Division (11 units)

CS 46A - Introduction to Programming 4 unit(s) or CS 46AX - Introduction to Programming 4 unit(s)
CS 46B - Introduction to Data Structures 4 unit(s)
CS 47 - Introduction to Computer Systems 3 unit(s)

Upper Division (27 units)

CS 146 - Data Structures and Algorithms 3 unit(s)
CS 147 - Computer Architecture 3 unit(s)
CS 149 - Operating Systems 3 unit(s)
CS 151 - Object-Oriented Design 3 unit(s)
CS 152 - Programming Paradigms 3 unit(s)
CS 154 - Formal Languages and Computability 3 unit(s)
CS 160 - Software Engineering 3 unit(s)
CS 157A - Introduction to Database Management Systems 3 unit(s)
CS 166 - Information Security 3 unit(s)

Major Electives (17 units)

Required Major Elective (minimum of one course)

Complete at least one major elective from the following list of electives:

CS 116A - Introduction to Computer Graphics 3 unit(s)
CS 116B - Computer Graphics Algorithms 3 unit(s)
CS 122 - Advanced Programming with Python 3 unit(s)
CS 123A - Bioinformatics I 3 unit(s)
CS 123B - Bioinformatics II 3 unit(s)
CS 131 - Processing Big Data - Tools and Techniques 3 unit(s)
CS 133 - Introduction to Data Visualization 3 unit(s)
CS 134 - Computer Game Design and Programming 3 unit(s)
CS 136 - Introduction to Computer Vision 3 unit(s)
CS 144 - Advanced C++ Programming 3 unit(s)
CS 148 - Applied Algorithms II 1 unit(s)
CS 153 - Concepts of Compiler Design 3 unit(s)
CS 155 - Introduction to the Design and Analysis of Algorithms 3 unit(s)
CS 156 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 3 unit(s)
CS 157B - Database Management Systems II 3 unit(s)
CS 157C - NoSQL Database Systems 3 unit(s)
CS 158A - Computer Networks 3 unit(s)
CS 158B - Computer Network Management 3 unit(s)
CS 159 - Introduction to Parallel Processing 3 unit(s)
CS 161 - Software Project 3 unit(s)
CS 168 - Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies 3 unit(s)
CS 171 - Introduction to Machine Learning 3 unit(s)
CS 174 - Server-side Web Programming 3 unit(s)
CS 175 - Mobile Device Development 3 unit(s)
CS 176 - Introduction to Social Network Analysis 3 unit(s)

Additional Upper Division Electives

At most 6 units of CS 85A/C and CS 185A/C may be used.

CS 108 - Introduction to Game Studies 3 unit(s)
CS 143C - Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing 3 unit(s)
CS 143M - Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing 3 unit(s)
CS 180 - Individual Studies 1-3 unit(s) or
CS 180H - Individual Studies for Honors 3
unit(s) (may be used with prior advisor approval)
CS 185A - Advanced Practical Computing Topics 1 unit(s)
CS 185C - Advanced Practical Computing Topics 3 unit(s)
CS 190 - Internship Project 1 unit(s) or
CS 190I - Internship Project 3
unit(s) (at most 3 units may be used)

Lower Division Electives

Students must secure prior department consent to use the following courses to satisfy the major elective requirement, except for CS 48 , which does not require special consent.

CS 48 - Applied Algorithms 1 unit(s)
CS 85A - Practical Computing Topics 1 unit(s)
Only one of the following:
CS 49C - Programming in C 3 unit(s)
or
CS 49J - Programming in Java 3 unit(s)

Mathematics Electives

MATH 142 - Introduction to Combinatorics 3 unit(s)
MATH 161A - Applied Probability and Statistics I 3 unit(s)
MATH 162 - Statistics for Bioinformatics 3 unit(s)
MATH 164 - Mathematical Statistics 3 unit(s)
MATH 177 - Linear and Non-Linear Optimization 3 unit(s)
MATH 178 - Mathematical Modeling 3 unit(s)
MATH 179 - Introduction to Graph Theory 3 unit(s)
MATH 203 - Applied Mathematics, Computation, and Statistics Projects 3 unit(s) (may be used with prior advisor approval)

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