UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES
103 SMITH HALL
PHONE 302/831-2712

REQUIREMENTS FOR CISC UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

BEGINNING WITH CLASS OF 1998

April 1995

I. Change of Major/Minor

To change your major to Computer Science, or to declare a minor, your course work, particularly Computer Science, Math and Physical Science courses, should suggest probable success in future Computer Science courses. You should have completed a computer science course before applying. Forms and more information on applying for a CISC major are available in the departmental office in 103 Smith Hall.

II. Introductory Programming

Skill with the C++ programming language is needed for upper level computer science courses. Students with no prior programming experience should take CISC105 (C programming) and CISC120 (C++ for C programmers). Students with programming experience, for example a high school course using Basic or Pascal, should take CISC181 (C++ programming). CISC120 is offered in Winter and Summer sessions as well as in the Fall and Spring semesters.

Wherever CISC181 is named in this document, CISC105 and CISC120 may be substituted.

III. Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree

The degree of Bachelor of Science with a major in Computer Science is designed for those students interested in a course of study emphasizing preparation for for technical careers in computer science. For this degree, a student must complete a minimum of 124 credits, including the specific requirements listed below. Also it is necessary to satisfy the general University and College of Arts and Science requirements as given in the Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies Catalog.

The following is a normal schedule intended to guide the student. Students may deviate from this schedule to meet their individual needs and abilities. Courses are normally taught in the semesters indicated.

FRESHMAN YEAR
Fall Spring
Course Credit Course Credit
CISC181 Intro Computer Science [9] 3 CISC220 Data Structures [9] 3
MATH241 Calculus A [4] 4 MATH210 Intro Discrete Mathematics 3
ENGL110 Critical Reading and Writing I 3
General Electives [2] [6] 6 General Electives [2] [4] [6] 10
TOTAL 16 TOTAL 16

SOPHOMORE YEAR
Fall Spring
Course Credit Course Credit
CISC260 Machine Organization [9] 3 CISC280 Programming Paradigms 3
CPEG210 Intro to Combinational Logic [10] 2 CPEG211 Intro to Sequential Circuits [10] 2
MATH315 Discrete Mathematics II 3 STAT205 Statistical Methods 4
Lab Science: BISC207, CHEM103, PHYS207, GEOL106 [3] 4 Lab Science: BISC208, CHEM104, PHYS208, GEOL107 [3] 4
General Electives [2] [4] [6] 4 General Electives [2] [6] 3
TOTAL 16 TOTAL 16

Concentration must be approved prior to JUNIOR FALL semester [1]

JUNIOR YEAR
Fall Spring
Course Credit Course Credit
CISC310 Logic and Programming [9] 3 CISC320 Algorithms & Advanced Prog. Tech. [9] 3
CISC360 Computer Architecture [9] 3 CISC361 Operating Systems [9] 3
ENGL312 Written Comm in Business OR
ENGL410 Technical Writing [7] [8] 		3 CSCC355 Computers, Ethics & Society [8] 3
General Electives [2] [6] 3 General Electives [2] 3
Concentration [1] [8] [9] 3 Concentration [1] [8] [9] 3
TOTAL 15 TOTAL 15

SENIOR YEAR
Fall Spring
Course Credit Course Credit
Technical Electives [5] [8] [9] 6 CISC471 Compiler Design [9] 3
Concentration [3] [8] [9] 3 Technical Electives [5] [8] [9] 3
General Electives [2] 6 Concentration [3] [8] [9] 3
General Electives [2] 6
TOTAL 15 TOTAL 15

Notes

[1] Concentration
The concentration consists of twelve credits of advanced work in a coherent group of courses related to the student's interests and goals in computer science. See the Concentration guidelines for more details including Sample concentrations and the Concentration approval form.

[2]
a. At least 6 credits of the electives are required in each of the following three groups.
Group A: Creative Arts and Humanities;
Group B: Culture and Institutions Through Time;
Group C: Humans and their Environment Requirements.
b. The remaining 24 credits are completely free electives and may be used to extend one's concentration into a minor in another field.

[3]
Both laboratory science courses must come from the same natural science.

[4]
The full calculus sequence (MATH241, MATH242, MATH243) is highly recommended to all computer science students. Students with high school calculus are encouraged to obtain advanced placement credit for MATH241 and take MATH242. Only MATH241 is explicitly required for the BS Degree in Computer Science.

[5]
The required 9 credits of technical elective must be computer and information sciences courses numbered above 300.

[6]
CISC135 may be taken as a general elective in one or more languages. A person may not take CISC135 in a language and another course which includes teaching of that language. Forbidden Combinations: CISC105 with Pascal & CISC135 - Pascal, CISC105 with C & CISC135 - C, CISC106 & CISC135 - Fortran, CISC180 & CISC135 - Lisp, CISC181 & CISC135 - C++.

[7]
A Course can be used to satisfy both a computer science departmental requirement and a university requirement. The following are examples of this.

  • ENGL312 and ENGL410 can be used to satisfy both the departmental technical writing requirement and the University requirement of a second writing course. If ENGL312 or ENGL410 is taken after completion of 62 credits, then it will count as satisfying the College's second writing course requirement. If taken before or during the earning of 62 credits, another writing course is required to graduate.

  • Certain sections of Computer, Ethics and Society, specially designated as ``writing'' sections, can be used to satisfy both the Computers, Ethics and Society requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree and the University requirement of a second writing course. Note, however, that such a section of Computers, Ethics and Society does NOT fulfill the Department's technical writing requirement.

[8]
A course cannot be used to satisfy two DEPARTMENTAL requirements. The following are several examples of two departmental requirements that cannot be satisfied with the same course.

  • A computer science course cannot be used both as a course in one's concentration and as a technical elective. The three technical electives and the four courses comprising the concentration must be different courses.

  • A course cannot be used to satisfy the technical writing requirement (ENGL312 or ENGL410) and as one of the four courses comprising one's concentration. However, if ENGL312 is used to satisfy the technical writing requirement, then ENGL410 can be used as part of a technical writing concentration, and vice versa.

[9]
While D- is a passing grade in each computer science course, note that a grade point average of 2.0 over all computer science courses is required.

[10]
CPEG202 may be taken in lieu of CPEG210/211.

IV. Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

The degree of Bachelor of Arts is designed for those students who would like to put their computer science studies in the context of a broad course of study designed to provide a liberal education. For this degree, a student must complete a minimum of 124 credits, including the specific requirements listed below. It is also necessary to satisfy the general University requirements and the College of Arts and Science requirements as given in the Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies Catalog.

The department requires that each student complete successfully 40 credit hours of course work that must include:

CISC181 Intro to Computer Science
MATH210 Intro Discrete Mathematics
MATH241 Analytic Geometry and Calculus A
MATH315 Discrete Mathematics II
CISC220 Data Structures
CISC260 Machine Organization and Microcomputers
CISC280 Programming Paradigms
In addition, at least 18 credits of computer science courses numbered above 300

The plan for the 18 upper level credits must be approved by the student's advisor prior to the junior fall semester. A form for the BA upper level plan can be obtained from the CISC Office. You are urged to consider the requirements, options, and concentrations of the BS major in designing your program. Note that College regulations require a grade of C- or better in all major courses in the BA program.

V. Honors Degree in Computer Science

In conjunction with the University Honors Program, the Department of Computer and Information Sciences offers a program of study leading to an Honors Bachelor of Arts or an Honors Bachelor of Sciences Degree with a major in computer science. In order to receive an Honors Degree in Computer Science, a student must satisfy the general university requirements for an Honors Degree, the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, and the following requirements which are consistent with the general university requirements:
  1. The candidate's University of Delaware cumulative grade point index must be at least a 3.4 at the time of registration for UNIV401.
  2. The student must earn at least 21 credits in computer science courses numbered strictly above 300, including UNIV401-402.
  3. Courses not normally taken by undergraduates, CISC 600 level courses taken instead of the corresponding 300 or 400 level courses, will count as honors courses, eg., CISC663 taken instead of CISC361.
  4. The comprehensive exam must be taken during winter session of the student's senior year.
  5. The student will be encouraged to present his/her Honors thesis at a departmental colloquium.

University Requirements for Honors Degree

  1. Your cumulative grade index must be at least 3.4 at the time of your graduation.
  2. At least sixty (60) of the total credits you have accumulated must be at the 300 level or above.
  3. You must complete at least thirty (30) credit hours of designated Honors courses and meet the following qualifications:
    • earn at least twelve (12) Honors credits in courses required by your major.
    • earn at least twelve (12) Honors credits in elective courses not required for your major.
    • earn at least six (6) Honors credits in Honors Tutorials (UNIV490-491), including three (3) Tutorial credits designated ``Humanities'' (UNIV490) and three (3) designated ``Natural/Social Sciences'' (UNIV491).
    • earn at least twelve (12) Honors credits at the 300 level or higher.
  4. You must complete six (6) credits of an Honors senior thesis (UNIV401-80/UNIV402-80).
  5. You must give an oral presentation and defense of the thesis to a committee of faculty from your major department and the University Honors Program.
  6. You must pass a comprehensive examination in your major administered by your major department.
  7. You should apply for the Honors Degree by the end of the sophomore year.

VI. Interdepartmental Major

Students whose goals and interests span more than one subject area may want to consider an Interdepartmental Major. This BA program requires a minimum of 21 credits from each of two departments with another nine credits that may be distributed in several ways. A grade of C- is required in all courses constituting the 21 credits of each area and a 2.0 average is necessary for all the 51 credits in the interdepartmental major. With the continually expanding influence of computing, many majors can be combined profitably with a computer science program. The more common areas to be combined with computer sciences include mathematics, statistics, electrical engineering, psychology, and cognitive science.

More detailed instructions for the Interdepartmental Major are available in the Dean's Office. The computer science component of an interdepartmental major must include the following courses: CISC181, CISC220, CISC260, and CISC280. The remaining required nine credits must be approved by a CISC advisor. The CISC electives should be selected to make a cohesive whole for the interdepartmental major. The student is expected to provide a justification for the entire 51 credit program and to explain how the CISC courses contribute to the educational goals of the major.

VII. Double Majors

A student to qualify under this option must complete all the requirements for two departmental majors. It is the policy of the CISC Department that a given course may satisfy the requirements of both majors simultaneously if permitted by the other department.

VIII. Minor in Computer Science

A minor in Computer Science consists of a total of fifteen or more credits including CISC181, CISC220, and CISC280. The remaining 6 credits must be at the 200 level or above and have the approval of the student's CISC advisor. Note that College regulations require a grade of C- or better in all courses counted toward a minor.

-----

CIS Home Page
CIS Undergrads