B.S. Computer Science Roadmaps

Below Are Roadmaps for Several Types of Students

Typical Entering Freshman

Table 1 shows a typical program for an average student, beginning freshman year with calculus. Students who think they should begin with a mathematics course at a higher or lower level should consult with the Mathematics and Computer Science Student Center and/or with a Computer Science advisor.

The introductory programming class CS 1160 has no formal prerequisites; you may take it as your first CS class. However, if you have little or no computer experience, you are advised to begin with CS 1020. It will teach you how to use the computer, how to enter your homework onto the computer, how to save your files, etc. CS 1020 is not required for the C.S. major, but it contains useful material and will count toward graduation.

A student who has had one class in BASIC at a community college (or elsewhere) would probably begin with CS 1160 since it is taught in C++, which is considerably different. A student with one class in C may take CS 2360 immediately, although he/she is advised to read the first sections of a text on C++ to learn how it differs from the C language.

Table 1: Schedule for Typical Entering Freshman

Quarter	I	II	III
	Math 1304	Math 1305	Math 2304
	*****	CS 1020^a	CS 1160
	*****	*****	*****
	*****	*****	*****
Quarter	IV	V	VI
	CS 2360	CS 2430	CS 3240 ^b
	State 3601	Math 2150	Math 2101
	(or Stat 3502 or 3401)	*****	*****
	*****	*****	*****
Quarter	VII	VIII	IX
	CS 3120	CS 4560	CS Concentration
	CS 3430	CS Concentration	CS Concentration
	*****	*****	*****
	*****	*****	*****
Quarter	X	XI	XII
	CS Concentration	CS Elective	CS Elective
	CS Elective	*****	*****
	*****	*****	*****
	*****	*****	*****

*****=General education course or elective used to meet graduation requirements

Transfer Students from Community Colleges

Many students are transfer students who have completed all lower division requirements for their major at a community college. Transfer students should check their courses for equivalency with the Math/C.S. Student Center. The Center keeps lists of course equivalencies for nearby colleges; some students may need to see an advisor.

If the student has had equivalent courses for the CSUEB lower division required mathematics and computer science courses, then he/she may take a schedule as in Table 2, filling in the remaining units with General Education courses and electives.

A transfer student should note several issues. First, he/she may not transfer multiple courses in various computer languages to use toward the major. It is helpful to be proficient in more than one programming language, but one should not take additional languages for their own sake. Second, no courses in applications (WordPerfect, Lotus, etc.) are transferable. Also, note that Discrete Structures and much of the Calculus sequence are prerequisites to almost all upper division C.S. courses; if you want to complete a C.S. major without delay, you should be sure to complete these before you transfer. And finally, no community college courses are exactly equivalent to CSUEB courses, and it may be necessary to see an advisor to plan a smooth transition to CSUEB.

The sample schedule shows most quarters with two upper division computer science courses. This is only practicable if the student has the time and energy to devote to such courses, and chooses carefully so that he/she does not have two very demanding courses at the same time. Be sure to inquire which courses entail heavy workloads when choosing particular electives.

Table 2: Sample Schedule: Community College Transfer Student

Quarter	I	II	III
	CS 3120	CS 3430	CS 4560
	CS 3240	CS Concentration	CS Concentration
Quarter	IV	V	VI
	CS Concentration	CS Concentration	CS Elective
	Stat 3601 (or Stat 3401 or 3502)	CS Elective	CS Elective

Double Majors, Math and Computer Science

Students who wish to have a strong background or who are considering graduate study are encouraged to earn a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics. Many courses are common to both majors (such as the three calculus courses, linear algebra, and introductory computer science), so that the double major is possible with hours free for General Education courses and electives. Another possibility is to obtain a major in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics.

The schedule in Table 4 is written for Option B (Applied Mathematics), but it can certainly be altered to accommodate other options. The sample schedule uses 3750/4750 and 3361/4361 for the two sequences required for the math major. This is open to variation, but both Numerical Analysis and Differential Equations are particularly useful to Computer Scientists. It uses two of CS 4245, 4170, and Stat 3401 as mathematics electives. Two mathematics courses are used for two of the three Computer Science electives (one elective must have a CS prefix).

Note that Math/CS 3750 may be "double-counted" -- i.e., counted toward both the Mathematics and Computer Science majors. Other courses that may be used as electives toward both majors are Math/CS 4750, Math/CS 4245, Math/CS 4170, Stat 3401 and Stat 3502.

Table 4: Sample Program for Double Major (Math & CS)

Quarter	I	II	III
	Math 1304	Math 1305	Math 2304
		CS 1160	CS 2360
Quarter	IV	V	VI
	CS 2430	Math 2101	Math 3331
	Stat 3401	Math 3000	CS 3240
	Math 2150
Quarter	VII	VIII	IX
	Math 3300	Math 3301	Math 3121
	CS 3120	CS 3430	CS 3560 (or 4660 or 4110)
Quarter	X	XI	XII
	Math/CS 3750	Math/CS 4750	Math/CS 4170
	Math/CS 4245	Math 3361	Math 4361
	CS 4560	Math 3100	CS Elective

Evening Students

Many students at CSUEB are completing their educations while managing other responsibilities. The Department and University try to pay attention to the needs of part-time and evening students.

A part-time student will generally only take one to three courses each quarter. Computer science courses are often challenging, and should probably be combined with electives for a manageable schedule.

A sample schedule for night students is given in Table 5. Note that only the C.S. courses are shown; general education and elective courses should be chosen to complete the schedule. The department will try to maintain a rotation of evening classes that matches that shown, but check with the department office. Also, note that classes that meet at 4 PM (or later) may be counted as evening offerings

Table 5: Typical Program for Evening Student

Quarter	I	II	III
	Math 1304	Math 1305	Math 2304
	CS 1160	CS 2360	CS 2430
Quarter	IV	V	VI
	Math 2150	Math 2101	CS Conc. ^a
	Stat 3401	CS 3240
Quarter	VII	VIII	IX
	CS 3120	CS Conc.	CS 4110
	CS 3430
Quarter	X	XI	XII
	CS 4560	CS Elec.	CS Elec.
	CS 3750	CS 4750

^a Concentration courses CS 3560, 4660 and electives CS 3590, 4590, 4810, 4840, (plus other CS courses) are offered at varying times and quarters in the late afternoon and evening. Scheduling for all evening courses is tentative and may change. Consult the Department.

Restrictions in Planning Your Own Schedule

Students planning their own schedules should take careful note of course prerequisites. A graphical display of necessary prerequisites is available from the Math/C.S. Student Center and is helpful in choosing courses. Also, be sure to consult the catalog.

Students should also take note of some restrictions on when courses are offered. Lower division required courses and upper division core courses are generally offered every quarter, including summer, but certain other courses are only offered once or twice a year.