The Computer Science degree can be completed in four full-time years
of study if the student is capable of completing the year-long
calculus, physics, and computer science sequences, along with English
writing, during the freshman year. Only strong training in high
school will allow a student to begin at this level.
If a student must instead take preparatory classes as a freshman, more
than four years may be required to earn a degree. In any event, it is
important to take the required pre-major classes early to allow
advancement to full major status as soon as possible.
- General Education: The General Education
requirements are described in the University of Utah General Catalog.
The requirements for Computer Science majors are more specific. (If
you are classified by the University as a semester transition student,
you can elect to satisfy the old Liberal Education requirements
instead.)
- The University writing requirement is required for Computer
Science pre-majors.
- The quantitative reasoning requirement is satisfied by Math
1210/1220 or 111/112/113, which are required for Computer Science
pre-majors.
- Students must take two intellectual explorations courses in each
of fine arts, humanities, and social sciences. (The two-course
requirement in physical and life sciences is automatically satisfied
by the pre-major requirements.) These six courses must include one
pair of courses that form an approved concentration, one upper
division course, and either one additional concentration or one
additional upper division course.
In a concentration, the second course further develops ideas or issues
introduced in the first course. A list of sample concentrations and
the General Education Program form can be obtained from the Academic
Counselor. Students must complete this form and receive approval for
their programs.
- The American Institutions requirement can be satisfied by taking
one of Economics 2740 or 274, History 1700 or 170, or Political
Science 1100 or 110.
- University graduation requirements: The University
graduation requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree are
described in the University of Utah General Catalog.
- The communication/writing requirement is satisfied by
Writing 3400 or 301, which is required for Computer Science majors.
- The quantitatively intensive course requirement is satisfied by
CS 3100 and 3810, which are required for Computer Science majors.
- The diversity requirement can be satisfied by taking a course
from the approved list as part of the intellectual explorations
requirement.
- Students must complete a minimum of 122 semester hours of course
work. At least 40 of the 122 hours must be upper division classes.
(Upper division classes are numbered 300/3000 or above. Two-year
college credits will not count toward University upper division
hours.) At least 30 of the total credit hours and 20 of the last 30
hours must be taken at the University. (For the purposes of this
requirement, one semester hour is equivalent to 1.5 quarter hours.)
- Mathematics and Science: One year of calculus (Mathematics
1210/1220 or 111/112/113) and one year of physics for scientists and
engineers (Physics 2210/2220 or 221/222/223) are required. (Contact
the relevant department for information on satisfying this requirement
with a mixture of quarter- and semester-length courses.)
Students must take three additional classes chosen from among
Chemistry 1210 or 121, Biology 1000 or 101, or any math, science, or
engineering class that has a full year of calculus as a
prerequisite. Students should take the prerequisites of computer
science electives into consideration when planning how to satisfy this
requirement. (If any of the classes taken are of quarter length, an
additional class is required.) At least two of the classes taken to
fulfill this requirement must be math classes.
- Computer Science: A minimum of 16 Computer Science classes
must be taken. The chart below gives
an example four-year degree program leading to a Bachelor's Degree in
Computer Science. The graph that follows
summarizes the prerequisites for computer science courses.
- Required. The following classes must be taken:
|
CS 1010 or 110 | Introduction to Unix |
|
CS 2010/2020 or 201/202/2030 | Introduction to Computer Science |
|
CS 3100 | Models of Computation |
|
CS 3500 | Software Practice |
|
CS 3510 | Algorithms and Data Structures |
|
CS 3810 | Computer Architecture
|
- Restricted elective. Four of the following five classes must be
taken:
|
CS 3200 | Scientific Computation |
|
CS 3520 | Programming Languages |
|
CS 3700 | Digital Design |
|
CS 5460 | Operating Systems |
|
CS 5470 | Compilers
|
- Capstone experience. One of the following two classes must be taken:
|
CS 4500 | Software Engineering Lab |
|
CS 4970 | Bachelor's Thesis
|
- Electives. Four additional Computer Science classes at the
3000 level or higher totaling at least 12 semester hours must be
taken.
- Duplication of credit. No single class may be counted toward
more than one of the requirements listed above.
- Continuing Performance: In order to remain in good
standing and to graduate, a student is required to maintain a
cumulative grade point average at the University of 2.25 or higher,
and also to maintain a grade point average of 2.25 in Computer Science
classes. Each course taken to satisfy the departmental requirements
listed above must be passed with a grade of C- or better. A student
may repeat a course at the 3000 level or above only one time. All
Computer Science classes (other than CS 1010 or 110) taken to satisfy
the requirements for a Computer Science degree must be taken for a
letter grade; they may not be taken CR/NC.
Students whose grade point average in either of these two categories
falls below 2.25 are notified that they are on probation and will be
given conditions for a return to good standing. Normally, these
conditions must be satisfied during the next two semesters, excluding
summers. Students failing to meet their probationary conditions are
dropped from department rolls. Reinstatement requires a petition to
the Computer Science Undergraduate Committee. Reinstated students
proceed under the latest graduation requirements.
Students are expected to complete all requirements for their degree
within four years of acceptance to full major status. Students not
making satisfactory progress toward their degrees may be dropped from
the department rolls and declared inactive. The determination that a
student is not making satisfactory progress is made in one of two
ways. Either (1) the student has not completed a CS course for a
period of one year, or (2) there is no reasonable way in which the
student can complete all degree requirements at the end of the
required period of time.
In order to be reinstated from inactive status, students must petition
the Computer Science Undergraduate Committee. Reinstated students
proceed under the latest graduation requirements.
If personal circumstances prevent completion of all degree
requirements within four years of acceptance as a full major in the
department, a student may request an extension of a specific duration
and submit a revised schedule of completion.
This table gives an eight-semester example program leading to a B.S. in
Computer Science. It is meant only as a guide, since the scheduling
of electives and General Education classes depends upon which ones are
selected. This schedule assumes adequate high school preparation in
college algebra and trigonometry. Note that Math 1210, Physics 2210,
and Computer Science 2010 must all be taken during the fall semester
in order to complete the required pre-major classes during the first
year. Students whose background is not adequate will need to take one
or more of Math 1050 or Math 1060. ( 
Class required of
pre-majors.)
Computer Science Prerequisites
This graph illustrates the order in which classes must be taken to
satisfy prerequisite and corequisite requirements in Computer Science.
Prerequisites are connected bottom-to-top; corequisites are connected
side-to-side. Four of the five courses contained in dashed boxes must
be taken. Where not otherwise indicated, courses are offered during
both semesters as well as the summer. This graph assumes adequate
high school preparation permitting freshman year enrollment in Math
1210/1220, Physics 2210/2220, and Computer Science 2010/2020.
