So You Think You Want to Major in Computer Science... WONDERFUL!

If you are thinking about majoring in computer science, you should go to the Science Center and talk to a computer science professor. The requirements for a major are here. (Our entry in the College catalog is the official word on these matters, so read it, too.)

Students can start taking computer science with a number of different courses, depending on their background. 

Computer Science 111, 112, and 211 are core courses that involve programming and algorithmic thinking. COSC 111, COSC 112, and COSC 211 are taught every semester.

COSC 111 is intended for students with little or no previous programming experience.

COSC 112 is intended for students who have had programming experience either in COSC 111 or in high school. We do not assume that you have worked in a particular language, but you should know how to use (in some language):

  • basic control constructs (ifs and loops)
  • arrays
  • methods (or procedure or functions)
  • input and output

COSC 211 is an introduction to data structures and has a COSC 111 and COSC 112 as prerequisites.

COSC 171 is a core course that introduces systems. It has COSC 112 as a prerequisite.

Placement in CS is done on a case-by-case basis, so if you have a question, contact a CS professor.