The goal of the new CS curriculum is to create a flexible, unified CS major that reflects the different areas of the field of computer science and its interdisciplinary nature.

The new curriculum also reflects feedback from students, faculty, and industry.

• • Unified: The CS-CS, CS-HCC, and ACT majors will be unified into a single major with a common core. All will require:
    • 8-10 upper division CS courses.
    • Calculus I, upper division Linear Algebra, upper division Statistics.
      • Including a Calculus I for Computational Sciences majors choice, currently being designed between the Math and CS departments.
    • 7 credits of natural sciences from a restricted CS approved list.
    • CS 201 (ethics) for one AUCC Arts & Humanities requirement.
  • Flexible: choices to reflect the diverse opportunities and interests in the field of computer science. Students will have the following choices:
    • Opportunity to choose a breadth of CS upper division courses, much like the CS-CS major today.
    • Option to choose a minor. Most all CSU minors will fit due to the reduction in required math and science credits, and no technical electives will be required for students who choose this option.
    • Option to choose a concentration in one of 5 areas: HCC: Human Centered Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Computing Systems, Networks and Security, Software Engineering.

No, if you are currently a CS-CS, CS-HCC, or ACT major, you are grandfathered into the old curriculum and do not have to change.

Each student’s situation and interest are unique so make sure you thoroughly review the new check sheets to determine what is best for you; however, the closer you are to graduation, the more likely you will want to stay on your current curriculum. Other common feedback we have heard from students:

• If you are committed to a minor (other than math) or a 2nd major, it most always makes sense to switch to the new curriculum
• If you are a CS-CS major and primarily have CS 3xx and CS4xx courses remaining, you may want to stay on the current curriculum.
• If you are an HCC major who is interested in more psychology courses and less CS courses, stay on the current curriculum.
• If you are an ACT major, who is more interested in the non-CS technical electives and less math, stay on your current curriculum.

Look through the curriculum comparison, checksheets, and more on this webpage. More information is also available on our Degrees webpage.

No, this curriculum is effective Fall 2020. You cannot officially change until fall.

As this is not effective until Fall 2020, DARs will not be available for this curriculum until summer or fall 2020.

The CS academic advisors will gladly answer your questions via email or meet with you. However, in your email or prior to your meeting, we will require you to read through the provided materials on the CS website, and let us know what you are thinking and why. This will give us insights into what is important to you.

Yes, but a CS advisor will need to do a substitution before you graduate.

Yes, but a CS advisor will need to do a substitution before you graduate.

No, as long as you request this at time of change of major and do so by end of Spring 2021 semester.

No, as long as you request this at time of change of major and do so by end of Spring 2021 semester.

Do I have to take Calculus II?

The new curriculum does not require Calculus II except if you choose the AI/ML concentration. Do note that if you take MATH 160 as your Calc I course, you will need MATH 161 if you select MATH 369 as your linear algebra choice rather than DSCI 369. If you optionally want to take Calculus II, it will count as a technical elective for those concentrations that allow one lower division technical elective. The current curricula that require Calculus II will still require Calculus II.

We are hoping for Fall 2020, but will know more towards the end of semester.

• • MATH 369: MATH 161 or Calculus I for Computational Sciences
  • DSCI 369: MATH 124 & MATH 126