Undergraduate Programs in Computer Science

"All parts should go together without forcing. You must remember that the parts you are reassembling were disassembled by you. Therefore, if you can't get them together again, there must be a reason. By all means, do not use a hammer." - IBM Manual, 1925

The flowchart below lists all required computer science courses numbered 200 and above with arrows indicating prerequisites. This is not intended as a list of all required courses but rather an indication of the breadth and depth of material covered as part of the Computer Science option.

Overall, all Computer Science majors must take at least 39 credit hours of computer science courses (does not include CSCI-101).

Computer Science Core

The Computer Science core consists of the following 10 courses:

• CSCI-261: Programming Concepts
• CSCI-262: Data Structures
• CSCI-306: Software Engineering
• CSCI-341: Computer Organization
• CSCI-358: Discrete Math
• CSCI-370: Field Session
• CSCI-400: Programming Languages
• CSCI-406: Algorithms
• CSCI-410: Elements of Computing Systems
• CSCI-442: Operating Systems

Computer Science Electives

In addition to the core courses listed above, students must take at least 12 credit hours of elective computer science courses. Any 300- or 400-level course with a prefix of CSCI will meet this requirement.

Free Electives

Also in addition to the core course requirements, students must also earn an additional 19 hours of free electives. Unlike the Computer Science Electives, the free elective hours are not restricted to courses within the department but rather may be use for minors or majors with other departments or simply to take classes that you find interesting.

Flowcharts

The requirements for your major may be dependent upon the year you enter Colorado School of Mines and are reflected in the corresponding bulletin. Sample flowcharts indicating a generic schedule for a Computer Science major's four year career are available. However, the information represented in the sample flowcharts are recommendations. For specific course requirements, please refer to the appropriate bulletin. The current bulletin as well as past bulletins are available through the Registrar's site.