Program Overview

Overview

The Computer Science - Bachelor of Arts (BA) program at the University of Colorado Boulder is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in computer science, emphasizing the science of creating software for a variety of users. The program focuses on how computers are constructed, how they store and process data, how they are used in problem-solving, and how the quality of those solutions is assessed.

Requirements

To complete the BA in Computer Science, students must fulfill the following requirements:

• General Education: 42-48 credit hours, including lower and upper-division writing courses, Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Science, Diversity with U.S. Perspective, and Diversity with Global Perspective.
• Foundations Courses: 23 credit hours, covering Computer Science 1, Computer Science 2, Computer Systems, Algorithms, Principles of Programming Languages, and Software Development Methods and Tools.
• Core Courses: 12-15 credit hours, with options including Human Computer Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, Database Systems, Robotics, CyberSecurity, Theory of Computation, Numerical Computation, and Operating Systems.
• CSCI Upper-Division Electives: 7-10 credit hours, allowing students to choose from a range of upper-division CSCI courses or approved courses from outside CSCI.
• Required Ancillary Coursework: Including Mathematics (Calculus and Discrete Mathematics), Linear Algebra or Probability/Statistics, and Logic & Ethics.
• Additional Area of Study: At least 15 credit hours, which can be fulfilled by an approved minor, certificate, or dual degree program.

Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study

The recommended plan of study is flexible and allows students to tailor their degree to their individual needs and interests. It includes a mix of General Education, Foundations Courses, Core Courses, and CSCI Upper-Division Electives, as well as the required ancillary coursework and Additional Area of Study.

Learning Outcomes

By the completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Analyze a complex computing problem and apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
• Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
• Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
• Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
• Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.

Program Educational Objectives

Within 3-5 years after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science, graduates will be:

• Broadly educated and versatile, able to draw upon foundational knowledge and learn, adapt, and successfully bring to bear analytical and computational approaches on changing societal and technological challenges.
• Inspiring and collaborative, with strengths coming from an ability to draw on and contribute to diverse teams, expertise, and experiences.
• Driving scientific and societal advancement through technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Engaged with the University of Colorado, the state of Colorado, and technical and scientific professional communities.

Bachelor's-Accelerated Master's Degree Program(s)

The Bachelor's-Accelerated Master's (BAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period. Students can pursue a BAM in Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics, Data Science, or Network Engineering. Each program has specific admission requirements and program requirements, including prerequisite courses, GPA requirements, and application procedures. Students can take up to 12 hours of graduate coursework while in the undergraduate program, with up to 6 credits double-counted toward the bachelor's and master's degrees.