Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science

CS Major Roadmap | CS Major Hub Guide

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and evaluate the organization, design, and construction of hardware and software systems for computing.
2. Attain a level of mathematical ability allowing the student to formally abstract and analyze computational processes.
3. Analyze problems that require computation to answer, and design and implement appropriate problem solutions that are efficient and effective.

Requirements
The 15 courses required for the major are divided into four groups: A, B, C, and D. Students must take all courses in Group A, at least 2 courses from Group B, at least 2 courses from Group C, and a total of 15 courses from Groups A-D.

Please note: All classes counting towards the Major in Computer Science must be completed with a grade of C or higher.CS major credit will not be given for Metropolitan College courses.

Sample Program of Study | CS Major

Group A: Foundations (take all 5 and complete proficiency in Calculus 1)

  • CS 111 Introduction to Computer Science I
  • CS 112 Introduction to Computer Science II
  • CS 131 Combinatoric Structures
  • CS 210 Computer Systems
  • CS 330 Introduction to the Analysis of Algorithms
  • [Calculus 1 proficiency, equivalent of completing MA 123]

Group B: Technical Preparation (take at least 2 of 3)

  • CS 132 Geometrical Algorithms
  • CS 235 Algebraic Algorithms
  • CS 237 Probability in Computing

Group C: Essential CS Paradigms (take at least 2 of 3)

  • CS 320 Concepts of Programming Languages
  • CS 332 Elements in the Theory of Computation
  • CS 350 Fundamentals of Computing Systems
  • CS351 Distributed Systems
    • Important Note: CS351 does count towards your Group C courses. However, it will not appear in your Degree Progress on MyBU automatically. You will need to email your advisor or csadvise@bu.edu to ensure that the course counts towards your CS degree. You cannot take CS351 and CS350 to fulfill all of your Group C requirements. You must also complete CS332 or CS320 in addition to any CS350/CS351 course you take. If you take CS350 and CS351, one of the courses will count towards your Group D requirements.

Group D: Advanced Topics (take 6, totaling 15 courses overall)

  • CS Courses level 300 and above EXCEPT for 300 level courses counting toward Groups A and C (CS 320, 330, 332, and 350)

Advising

Have a general advising inquiry? Contact us at csadvise@bu.edu and we will get back to you soon.

Interested in declaring your major in CS?
Current College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) students can declare a major in Computer Science by completing this form on the CAS Advising website. Students in other BU schools or colleges should speak with their academic advisor about how to declare a CS major. Switching into CAS from another BU school or college is known as an Intra-University Transfer (IUT).

Before declaring, we strongly recommend meeting with a CS advisor to discuss your academic plan and make sure you’re selecting the right courses—especially if you’re joining the major later in your college career.