Fall 2023

Introduction to Computer Science I

Listed in: Computer Science, as COSC-111

Faculty

Lillian C. Pentecost (Sections 01, 01L and 02L)
Matteo Riondato (Sections 01L, 02, 02L, 03L and 04L)

Description

This course introduces ideas and techniques that are fundamental to computer science. The course emphasizes procedural abstraction, algorithmic methods, and structured design techniques. Students will gain a working knowledge of a block-structured programming language and will use the language to solve a variety of problems illustrating ideas in computer science. A selection of other elementary topics will be presented. A laboratory section will meet once a week to give students practice with programming constructs. Two class hours and one one-hour laboratory per week.

Restricted to Amherst College students. Limited to 40 students per class (20 per lab). In the Fall, 20 seats per class are reserved for first-year students. Fall semester: Professors Pentecost and Riondato. Spring semester: Professor Riondato.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference to first-year and sophomore students.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Quantitative Reasoning.

COSC 111 - LEC

Section 01
M 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM SCCE A131
W 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM SCCE A131

Section 02
M 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM SCCE A131
W 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM SCCE A131

COSC 111 - LAB

Section 01L
F 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM SCCE A331

Section 02L
F 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM SCCE A331

Section 03L
F 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM SCCE A331

Section 04L
F 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM SCCE A331

This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.

Section(s) ISBN Title Publisher Author(s) Comment Book Store Price
01 & 02 Introduction to Programming in Java - An Interdisciplinary Approach, 2nd Ed. Addison Wesley, 2017 R. Sedgewick and K. Wayne Required Reading - This is not used for section 03 TBD

Offerings

Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023