Degree Requirements for Computer Science
General Requirements for the Major or Minor
General university degree requirements stipulate that 1) at least four units of the major or three units of the minor be taken in residence at Puget Sound; 2) students earn at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken for the major or the minor; and 3) all courses taken for a major or minor must be taken for graded credit. Any exceptions to these stipulations are indicated in the major and minor degree requirements listed below.
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science offers courses cross-listed as both Mathematics and Computer Science as indicated in their course descriptions. A student majoring or minoring in both Mathematics and Computer Science may apply only one such course to both majors, to both the major and the minor, or to both minors.
The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
The department offers two options for a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science: a contract major and a standard major. The contract major emphasizes the value of planning a coherent set of courses based on goals and interests articulated by the student. The contract major also allows the flexibility of including a course from another department if the course has sufficient computer science content and relates to the student's interests. The standard major is available for those students who declare a computer science major later in their undergraduate career.
Requirements for the Contract Major in Computer Science (BS)
This degree is awarded on the basis of a course of study agreed upon by the student and a committee of faculty members. A student who intends to complete a contract major in Computer Science should select a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science as an advisor. The student and advisor form a committee that consists of one additional faculty member from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and, if a course from another department is to be part of the contract, a faculty member from that department. The student works with the committee to select a coherent set of courses (satisfying the requirements given below) that advances the student's educational goals. The contract is signed by the student, committee members, and chair of the department, and is filed in the Office of the Registrar. The student can later modify the contract with the approval of all committee members and the department chair.
Each contract course of study will meet the following requirements.
- Completion of a minimum of eight units and a maximum of 16 units with no more than 10 units in computer science.
- Completion of the sequence CSCI 161, 261, 361.
- Completion of MATH 210. MATH 290 and MATH 300 may be substituted for MATH 210, if the student earns a C or higher in both courses.
- Completion of a minimum of five upper-division units in computer science. One of these may be from a field other than computer science provided the course has sufficient computer science content.
- It is generally expected that students will take CSCI 240 and either the capstone course (CSCI 440) or an independent project (CSCI 460).
- Approval by the end of the semester in which the first upper-division course on the contract is completed. Upper-division courses completed before the contract is approved cannot be included in the contract.
Requirements for the Standard Major in Computer Science (BS)
This degree is awarded on the basis of a course of study that meets the following requirements.
- Completion of the sequence CSCI 161, 261, 240, 281.
- Completion of CSCI 291, 361, and 475.
- Completion of MATH 210. MATH 290 and MATH 300 may be substituted for MATH 210, if the student earns a C or higher in both courses.
- Completion of two upper-division CSCI electives.
- Completion of the Capstone CSCI 440.
Notes for contract and standard majors
- For the purposes of major requirements, upper-division courses in computer science are those at the 300-400 level.
- A student majoring in computer science must earn a grade point average of at least 2.00 in all upper-division major courses.
- A student majoring in computer science must complete at least three units of the required upper-division courses for the major at Puget Sound. One of these three units may be a course taken as part of a study abroad program. For contract majors, this is subject to approval in advance by the student's contract committee.
- Students majoring in computer science are encouraged to take MATH 210 in the first two years.
- In lieu of the MATH 210 requirement for the computer science major, the department will allow the following two-course substitution:
- Completion of MATH 290 with a grade of C or better, and
- Completion of a 300-level or 400-level mathematics course from List B with a grade of C or better.
Requirements for the Minor in Computer Science
- Two units to include CSCI 161, 261.
Three units from CSCI 240, 281, 291, 310, 315, 325, 335, 361, 370, 425, 431, 455, 475, 481, MATH 210. MATH 290 and MATH 300 may be substituted for MATH 210, if the student earns a C or higher in both courses.
Notes for the major and minor
Although there is no time restriction on when a course taken in the past can apply to a major or minor, students who plan to use a course taken several years ago as a prerequisite for a current course should consult the instructor to determine if they are adequately prepared.