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 and computer science sequences, along with English writing
and physics, 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, 1210/1250, 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. Credits from
two-year colleges 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, 1210/1250, 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 17 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 | Introduction to Computer Science |
|
CS 2100 | Discrete Structures |
|
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.
CS 5010, 5020, and seminars may not be used as electives. No more
than one CS elective may be an independent study class.
- 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.
All students admitted as full majors are placed on probationary
status. If a student's GPA in either of the above categories is below
2.25 at the end of the first academic year during which they take
upper level CS classes, the student is dropped from the department
rolls.
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 or from being dropped
due to low GPA, 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, a
student may request an extension of a specific duration and submit a
revised schedule of completion.
Example Computer Science Degree Program
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 on which
ones are selected. This schedule assumes adequate high school
preparation in mathematics; it is not advisable to take Physics 2210
without some previous training in calculus. Note that Math 1210,
Writing, and Computer Science 2010 should all be taken during the fall
semester in order to complete the required pre-major classes during
the first year. ( 
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. ( CS 3200 has Math 2250
as a prerequisite.)
