Computer Science - BS

College of Science

Department of Computer Science

About This Degree

Because almost all businesses, industries, and organizations use computers at all levels, the field of computer science is one of the fastest-growing sectors of employment for college graduates. Computer scientists understand and use algorithmic sequences and computer languages, such as Python, Java, JavaScript, or C++, to create new programs and to solve problems found in almost every sector of society.

Students learn the theoretical foundations of information and computation and understand practical techniques for their implementation and application in order to create, describe, and transform information in computer systems. Computer science is different from computer engineering in that it focuses more on the theoretical understanding of computation and programming.

For more information about Computer Science, see the Computer Science department.
Admitted and current students must meet with an advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
Please check with your advisor for the math requirement for this degree. Most students’ highest math course will be MATH 3310 .

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken at USU: 30
Credits of upper-division courses required for the major taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Required for Admission to the Pre-Professional (PPRU) Program

New first-year students:

New first-year students admitted to USU in Good Standing are eligible for admission to the Pre-Professional Program.
New first-year students with Earned Admission to USU are eligible for admission to the Pre-Professional Program with a minimum 2.5 High School GPA.

Transfer students:

Transfer students from other institutions or students transferring from other USU majors need a minimum 2.5 overall GPA and 2.5 USU GPA (if applicable) and must show completion of MATH 1210 prerequisites for admission to the Pre-Professional Program.
Transfer students who have completed pre-professional courses must have a minimum grade of C- and a minimum 2.5 GPA in the pre-professional courses for admission to the Pre-Professional Program. They must also have no more than 3 repeats total in the pre-professional courses. Pre-professional courses are listed below in the ”Computer Science Pre-Professional (PPRU) Program Courses” section.

To remain in good standing in the Pre-Professional Program, students must:

Be in good academic standing in the university and college.
Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher in the pre-professional courses.
Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and USU GPA of 2.5.
Pass all pre-professional courses with a grade of C- or better.
Have no more than 3 repeats total in the pre-professional courses. Multiple repeats of the same course are included in the total of 3 repeats.

Computer Science Pre-Professional (PPRU) Program Courses (26 credits)

All courses require a grade of C- or better. A GPA of 2.5 or higher is required in the pre-professional courses. No more than 3 repeats total are allowed in the pre-professional courses.

CS 1400 - Introduction to Computer Science–CS 1 4 credit(s)
CS 1410 - Introduction to Computer Science–CS 2 (QI) 3 credit(s)
CS 1440 - Software Engineering Fundamentals 3 credit(s)
CS 2410 - Introduction to Event Driven Programming and GUI’s 3 credit(s)
CS 2420 - Algorithms and Data Structures–CS 3 (QI) 3 credit(s)
CS 2610 - Developing Dynamic, Database-Driven, Web Applications 3 credit(s)
MATH 1210 - Calculus I (QL) 4 credit(s)
MATH 3310 - Discrete Mathematics 3 credit(s)

Required for Admission to the Professional Program

To be admitted to the professional program, students must:

Be in good academic standing in the university and the college.
Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher in the pre-professional courses.
Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and USU GPA of 2.5.
Pass all pre-professional courses with a grade of C- or better.
Have no more than 3 repeats total in the pre-professional courses. Multiple repeats of the same course are included in the total of 3 repeats.

To remain in good standing in the Professional Program and graduate, students must:

Be in good academic standing in the university and the college.
Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher in the CS major courses. This includes any class fulfilling a CS major requirement, regardless of the subject.
Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and USU GPA of 2.5.
Pass all CS major courses with a grade of C- or better. This includes any class fulfilling a CS major requirement, regardless of the subject.
- CS 1400 - Introduction to Computer Science–CS 1 4 credit(s)
- CS 1410 - Introduction to Computer Science–CS 2 (QI) 3 credit(s)
- CS 1440 - Software Engineering Fundamentals 3 credit(s)
- CS 2410 - Introduction to Event Driven Programming and GUI’s 3 credit(s)
- CS 2420 - Algorithms and Data Structures–CS 3 (QI) 3 credit(s)
- CS 2610 - Developing Dynamic, Database-Driven, Web Applications 3 credit(s)
- MATH 1210 - Calculus I (QL) 4 credit(s)
- MATH 3310 - Discrete Mathematics 3 credit(s)

Major Requirements (85-89 credits)

Students should work closely with their advisor to select their classes.

For all Computer Science majors, the following academic regulations apply, in addition to university regulations:

A grade of C- or better is required for all courses taken to fulfill a Computer Science major requirement, regardless of the subject.
The P/D+, D, F grading option may not be used in any class fulfilling a Computer Science major requirement, regardless of the subject.
To remain in good standing and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, students must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and USU GPA of 2.5, as well as a GPA of 2.5 or higher in the pre-professional courses and a GPA of 2.5 or higher in the CS major courses. The overall GPA will be computed using all USU credits, as well as transfer credits (if those transfer credits are applied to any USU requirements, including major requirements).

Computer Science Required Courses (19-20 credits)

All courses require a grade of C- or better.

CS 2810 - Computer Systems Organization and Architecture 3 credit(s)
CS 3100 - Operating Systems and Concurrency 3 credit(s)
CS 3450 - Introduction to Software Engineering (CI) 4 credit(s)
CS 4700 - Programming Languages 3 credit(s) or
CS 5300 - Compiler Construction 4 credit(s)
CS 5000 - Theory of Computability 3 credit(s) or
CS 5050 - Advanced Algorithms 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3085 - Technical Communication for the Computer Science Workplace (CI) 3 credit(s)

Computer Science TEAMWORK Requirements:

Students must take at least one TEAMWORK-designated course. The course used to fulfill the TEAMWORK requirement may also be used to simultaneously fulfill another computer science major requirement.

CS 5030 - High Performance Computing 4 credit(s)
CS 5110 - MultiAgent Systems 4 credit(s)
CS 5313 - Technology Startup Software Engineering 4 credit(s)
CS 5316 - Commercial Software Engineering 4 credit(s)
CS 5410 - Game Development 4 credit(s)
CS 6030 - High Performance Computing 4 credit(s)
CS 6110 - MultiAgent Systems 4 credit(s)
CS 6313 - Technology Startup Software Engineering 4 credit(s)
CS 6316 - Commercial Software Engineering 4 credit(s)

Computer Science 3XXX/4XXX Elective Courses (6 credits)

Students must take 6 credits of CS 3XXX/4XXX courses from the following list. Additional CS 5XXX/6XXX courses may be applied here if they are not used to fulfill another CS major requirement. All courses require a grade of C- or better.

CS 3200 - Mobile Application Development 3 credit(s)
CS 3430 - Scientific Computing (DSC/QI) 3 credit(s)
CS 3460 - Modern C++ 3 credit(s)
CS 4250 - Cooperative Work Experience 1-9 credit(s) (CS majors may use no more than 3 credits of CS 4250 toward their CS major requirements.)
CS 4320 - Applied Machine Learning 3 credit(s)
CS 4460 - Introduction to Cybersecurity 3 credit(s)
CS 4610 - Modern Web Development 3 credit(s)
CS 4950 - Undergraduate Research 1-4 credit(s)

Computer Science 5XXX/6XXX Elective Courses (at least 16 credits)

Students must take at least 16 credits of CS 5XXX courses, one of which is a 4-credit course. All courses require a grade of C- or better.

CS 5000 - Theory of Computability 3 credit(s) (Can NOT be taken if used to fulfill any other CS major requirement)
CS 5030 - High Performance Computing 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 5040 - Scientific Visualization for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 5050 - Advanced Algorithms 3 credit(s) (Can NOT be taken if used to fulfill any other CS major requirement)
CS 5080 - Data Mining 3 credit(s)
CS 5110 - MultiAgent Systems 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 5140 - Human Factors in Computing 3 credit(s)
CS 5215 - Computer Networks and Security 3 credit(s)
CS 5270 - Introduction to Cloud Development 3 credit(s)
CS 5300 - Compiler Construction 4 credit(s) (Can NOT be taken if used to fulfill any other CS major requirement)
CS 5311 - Technology Startup Business Principles 1 credit(s)
CS 5312 - Modern Technology Stacks 4 credit(s)
CS 5313 - Technology Startup Software Engineering 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 5314 - Technology Startup Business Launch 1 credit(s)
CS 5315 - Computer Science Innovations 4 credit(s)
CS 5316 - Commercial Software Engineering 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 5330 - Data-Driven Programming Language Processing 3 credit(s)
CS 5400 - Computer Graphics I 4 credit(s) (Note: This class may be offered in summer once in two years.)
CS 5410 - Game Development 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 5470 - Introduction to Interactive Virtual Reality 3 credit(s)
CS 5510 - Robot Intelligence 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 5600 - Intelligent Systems 4 credit(s)
CS 5620 - AI Applications In Education 3 credit(s)
CS 5640 - Artificial Neural Networks 3 credit(s)
CS 5665 - Machine Learning for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 5680 - Computer Vision: Foundations and Applications 3 credit(s)
CS 5700 - Object-Oriented Software Development 4 credit(s) (Note: This class may be offered in summer once in two years.)
CS 5710 - Software Security 3 credit(s)
CS 5715 - Program Analysis and Its Application 3 credit(s)
CS 5750 - Computing Education Research 3 credit(s)
CS 5800 - Introduction to Database Systems 3 credit(s)
CS 5820 - Interactive Information Visualization for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 5830 - Data Science in Practice 3 credit(s)
CS 5840 - Graph Mining 3 credit(s)
CS 5850 - Introduction to Data Analysis 3 credit(s)
CS 5890 - Topics in Computer Science 1-4 credit(s)
CS 5950 - Independent Study 3 credit(s)
CS majors can take any of the following 6XXX courses in place of 5XXX courses, provided prerequisites for the dual-listed CS 5XXX course is met, or instructor permission is provided. All courses require a grade of C- or better.
CS 6030 - High Performance Computing 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 6040 - Scientific Visualization for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 6050 - Computational Geometry: Algorithms and Applications 3 credit(s)
CS 6110 - MultiAgent Systems 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK) (TEAMWORK)
CS 6140 - Human Factors in Computing 3 credit(s)
CS 6215 - Computer Networks and Security 3 credit(s)
CS 6270 - Introduction to Cloud Development 3 credit(s)
CS 6311 - Technology Startup Business Principles 1 credit(s)
CS 6312 - Modern Technology Stacks 4 credit(s)
CS 6313 - Technology Startup Software Engineering 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 6314 - Technology Startup Business Launch 1 credit(s)
CS 6315 - Computer Science Innovations 4 credit(s)
CS 6316 - Commercial Software Engineering 4 credit(s) (TEAMWORK)
CS 6330 - Data-Driven Programming Language Processing 3 credit(s)
CS 6460 - Usable Privacy and Security 3 credit(s)
CS 6470 - Introduction to Interactive Virtual Reality 3 credit(s)
CS 6600 - Intelligent Systems 4 credit(s)
CS 6615 - Natural Language Processing 3 credit(s)
CS 6620 - AI Applications In Education 3 credit(s)
CS 6630 - Fuzzy Logic and its Application 3 credit(s)
CS 6640 - Artificial Neural Networks 3 credit(s)
CS 6665 - Machine Learning for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 6675 - Advanced Data Mining 3 credit(s)
CS 6680 - Computer Vision: Foundations and Applications 3 credit(s)
CS 6710 - Software Security 3 credit(s)
CS 6715 - Program Analysis and Its Application 3 credit(s)
CS 6750 - Computing Education Research 3 credit(s)
CS 6800 - Advanced Database 3 credit(s)
CS 6820 - Interactive Information Visualization for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 6830 - Data Science in Practice 3 credit(s)
CS 6840 - Graph Mining 3 credit(s)
CS 6850 - Introduction to Data Analysis 3 credit(s)
CS 6890 - Topics in Computer Science (Topic) 1-4 credit(s)

Mathematics/Statistics Requirements (10-11 credits)

All courses require a grade of C- or better.

(Students must complete MATH 1210 - 4 credits and MATH 3310 - 3 credits which are listed above in the ”Computer Science Pre-Professional (PPRU) Program Courses” section.)

Computer Science majors must complete three MATH/STAT classes from the list below. One of these three courses must include one of the following three courses: MATH 2270 , STAT 3000 , or STAT 3080 .

MATH 1220 - Calculus II (QL) 4 credit(s)
MATH 2210 - Multivariable Calculus (QI) 3 credit(s)
MATH 2270 - Linear Algebra (QI) 3 credit(s)
MATH 2280 - Ordinary Differential Equations (QI) 3 credit(s)
MATH 4410 - Discrete Math 2 4 credit(s)
MATH 4610 - Fundamentals of Numerical Analysis 3 credit(s)
MATH 5560 - Actuarial Financial Mathematics 3 credit(s)
One of the following two courses:
STAT 3000 - Statistics for Scientists (QI) 3 credit(s)
STAT 3080 - Data Science for Scientists 3 credit(s)

Science Requirement (8-10 credits)

Every bachelor degree candidate in the College of Science must complete a year-long sequence outside of their major department. All courses require a grade of C- or better. The approved sequences are:

BIOL 1610 - Biology I 3 credit(s)
BIOL 1615 - Biology I Laboratory 1 credit(s)
BIOL 1620 - Biology II (BLS) 3 credit(s)
BIOL 1625 - Biology II Laboratory 1 credit(s)
OR
CHEM 1210 - Principles of Chemistry I 4 credit(s)
CHEM 1215 - Chemical Principles Laboratory I 1 credit(s)
CHEM 1220 - Principles of Chemistry II (BPS) 4 credit(s)
CHEM 1225 - Chemical Principles Laboratory II 1 credit(s)
OR
GEO 1110 - Physical Geology (BPS) 3 credit(s)
GEO 1115 - Physical Geology Laboratory 1 credit(s)
GEO 2200 - The Earth Through Time 3 credit(s)
GEO 2205 - Earth Through Time Laboratory 1 credit(s)
OR
PHYS 2210 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (BPS/QI) 4 credit(s)
PHYS 2215 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers Lab I 1 credit(s)
PHYS 2220 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (BPS/QI) 4 credit(s)
PHYS 2225 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers Lab II 1 credit(s)

Open Electives:

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120

Suggested Degree Map - Computer Science BS

Computer Science BS - 4 Year Degree Map