Computer Science Dept. Policy for Undergraduates

Computer Science Curriculum for Students Entering UMass Lowell
Between September 2009 and August 2011 and Taking Calculus IA+IB

Version 3.7, updated October 23, 2015
 

Student ID _______________ Name __________________________________________________ Date _______________

This is one possible course sequence for students entering UMass Lowell in or after September 2009 and taking 92.128 Calculus IA and 92.129 Calculus IB.  A possible sequence for students taking 91.131 Calculus I is shown in an alternative grid.  All students should refer to the definitions and notes on specific course categories and sequences below the grid.

Note:  Only 4 of the 8 credits earned for 92.128 Calculus IA and 92.129 Calculus IB may be applied to the
CS major, because these two coures, taken together, are equivalent to 92.131 Calculus I (4 credits).

Definitions and Notes

Computer Science Electives

• CS students must complete two courses (6 credits) of computer science electives.
• These may be any non-required courses offered by the CS Department that are not taken to fill other slots.  (That is, courses cannot be “double counted.”)

GenEd Courses

• CS students must complete six courses (18 credits) that satisfy the University General Education Requirements.
• Three of these must be approved Arts and Humanities (AH) courses and three must be approved Social Sciences (SS) courses.
• 42.220 Oral & Written Communication for Computer Science is required and counts as one of the three required AH GenEds.
• One of these courses (either AH or SS) must satisfy the CS Ethics Requirement.
• One (again either AH or SS) must satisfy the University Diversity Requirement.
• See the University General Education Program website for more detailed information.

Natural Science Electives

• CS students must complete 12 credits of natural science courses.
• These are courses offered by one of the four natural science departments in the College of Sciences:
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Physics and Applied Physics
• Courses that fulfill this requirement must be classified as required or elective courses for the majors in those departments (with some exceptions).
• Two of the 3-credit natural science courses must be taken with their companion 1-credit labs.
• The remaining 4 credits can be satisfied either by taking a third 3-credit natural science course with its companion 1-credit lab, or by taking two 3-credit natural science courses without their companion labs.
• The Computer Science faculty recommends that students always take the companion lab for any natural science course when a lab is available.
• An additional constraint is that the total number of credits applied to this requirement plus the number of credits earned in Math (92.xxx) courses must total at least 30.
• See the CS Dept. Policy on Natural Science Electives for more detailed information.

Technical Electives

• CS students must complete 6 credits of technical electives.
• These are courses offered by the College of Sciences (this is our college) or the College of Engineering.
• Courses that fulfill this requirement must be classified as required or elective courses for the majors in those departments.
• In general, 90.xxx courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

Non-Technical Elective

• CS students must complete 3 credits of a non-technical elective.
• These are courses offered by the College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, Graduate School of Education, School of Health & Environment, or College of Management that have a specific non-technical focus.

General (Free) Elective

• CS students must complete 9 credits of almost any course offered by the University.
• Courses taken to fulfill this requirement must not be below the level of any required course.
• See the CS Dept. Policy on General Electives for more detailed information.

Slots

• Courses listed in “slots” may generally be taken in any order, within the confines of specified course prerequisites.
• Faculty advisors recommend that two-course sequences (such as Chemistry I and II) be taken in successive semesters rather than taking part 1 and then waiting one or more semesters to take part 2.

Please direct questions to the CS Undergraduate Coordinator at:  ugcoord@cs.uml.edu