Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 University Catalog 
    
2018-2019 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Computer Science, BS


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About the Program

Purdue Computer Science is one of the country’s top-ranked programs. Faculty members are shaping the future of information technology through cutting-edge research. Students can take courses that include such topics as graphics and animation, web programming, competitive programming, cryptography and security, networks, software engineering, distributed systems, information systems, artificial intelligence, and bioinformatics.

The Purdue University Department of Computer Science has a comprehensive and exciting curriculum for its undergraduate students. The flexible curriculum offers adventurous young women and men an excellent opportunity to be involved in a dynamic discipline that will continue to grow and to contribute significantly to progress in many other disciplines and ultimately to changes in human society that are nothing short of profound. Students learn communication skills, teamwork, and problem-solving skills and acquire the necessary technical skills for positions in computing in nearly any industry.

Computer Science students begin by taking six core courses that teach them the fundamentals of computer science. Students can then select one or more tracks, which allow them to deepen their understanding in a specific area (or areas) of Computer Science. These academic tracks include:

Computer Science Website

Degree Requirements


120 Credits Required

Curriculum and Degree Requirements for College of Science


A College of Science degree is conferred when a student successfully completes all requirements in their degree program.  Students will complete coursework or approved experiential learning activities to meet the following three degree components:

  1. Major
  2. Science Core Curriculum
  3. Electives

Students may use any of the following options to meet College of Science degree requirements:

  • Purdue Coursework
  • Ap, IB, and CLEP credit.  The use of AP and IB coursework varies between College of Science degree plans.
  • Transfer Credit. Students should consult the Admissions Transfer Credit Resource page for all available transfer options.

College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of the proceeding options and thus students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their academic advisors and to regularly consult their MyPurduePlan to view the use of each option in their degree plan. 


Most College of Science degree programs contain elective credits students may use to pursue courses that relate to their interests or which support their major area of study. The elective area of a degree plan may also be used to complete minors, second majors and certificates such as the Entrepreneurial Certificate. With the exception of courses on the No Count List, any Purdue course may be used to meet the elective area of a student’s degree plan.

College of Science Core Requirements

All Students starting Purdue University Fall semester, 2007 or later are required to pursue the 2007 Science Core curriculum.

The College of Science Core Curriculum requires the completion of approved coursework and/or experiential learning opportunities in the following academic areas:

Earning Core Curricular Requirements through Experience

Students may meet selected core curriculum requirements through approved experiential learning opportunities. Interested students should contact their academic advisor for more information on this option and incorporating experiential learning into their four-year program of study. For more information on earning requirements through experience, please click here.

Computer Science Major Courses (46-50 credits)


Required CS Major Math Courses (7-8 credits)


(must have C or better to meet prerequisite for certain upper level CS courses)

Required CS Major Track Selectives - (18-21 credits)


Please see links to all track requirements above.

(must have C or better in all courses)

  • CS Track Required course - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • CS Track Required Course - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • CS Track Required/Elective course - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • CS Track Required/Elective course - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • CS Track Elective course - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • CS Track Elective course - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • CS Track Elective course (if Computational Science & Engineering track or Database & Information Systems track) - Credit Hours: 3.00

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (32-62 credits)


* Requirement may be met with a zero credit experiential learning option. See your advisor for more information.

Electives (10-42 credits)


CS 19100 - Freshman Resources Seminar and CS 19300 - Tools are required freshman seminar courses; corequisites with CS 18000 . They are not degree requirements. CS 29100 - Sophomore Development Seminar  and CS 39100 - Junior Resources Seminar  are optional but recommended.
 

University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning

For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.


 

Program Requirements


Fall 1st Year


14-16 Credits


14-16 Credits


Fall 2nd Year


15-17 Credits


Spring 2nd Year


16 Credits


Fall 3rd Year


16 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


  • CS track requirement/elective - Credit Hours: 3.00 ***
  • CS track elective/requirement - Credit Hours: 3.00 ***
  • Great Issues - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • General Education II - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
     

15 Credits


Fall 4th Year


  • CS track elective - Credit Hours: 3.00 ***
  • Lab Science I - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
  • Multidisciplinary Experience/Science, Technology and Society - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • General Education III - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
     

15-16 Credits


Spring 4th Year


  • CS track elective - Credit Hours: 3.00 ***
  • Lab Science II - Credit Hours: 3.00 - 4.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
     

15-16 Credits


Notes


2.0 Major and Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.

***All CS core courses and all track requirements, regardless of department, must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher. 

All prerequisites to CS core courses and track requirements, regardless of department, must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Enrollment in freshman seminar courses CS 19100 and CS 19300 is required with CS 18000. They are not degree requirements. CS 29100 Sophomore Resources Seminar and CS 39100 Junior Resources Seminar are optional but recommended.

Foreign Language Courses


Foreign Language proficiency requirements vary by program. 

For acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, (ancient) Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical. A Critical Course is one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

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