Transition Details for Majors for the new CS Curriculum

As the CS department moves from its past curriculum to the new curriculum, care is needed in planning courses and interpreting prerequisites. This page provides general guidance. Students are encouraged to talk to the CS faculty as questions or special circumstances arise.

Advice Regarding Course Sequencing

With the rearrangement of topics in the introductory sequence, CSC 151/152/201 in the current curriculum match reasonably well with the new CSC 151/161/207 sequence. The following recommendations consider students at each stage of these sequences.

Students beginning CSC 151

New students will take CSC 151; this course has changed little from the old to new curriculum.

Students completing CSC 151 and LIN 114, Introduction to General Linguistics, also are eligible to take CSC 205, Computational Linguistics.

Students who have completed CSC 151, but not CSC 152

Current students who have completed only CSC 151 will move into the new sequence, taking CSC 161 as their next course; CSC 152 will not be offered again.

Students who have completed CSC 152, but not CSC 201

Current students who have taken CSC 152 are encouraged to take the some of the following courses.

• Fall 2008:

  • CSC 205, Computational Linguistics (prerequisite remains General Linguistics 114 and CSC 151 or 153)
  • CSC 301, Algorithms (prerequisite for Fall 2008 follows the old requirements as CSC 152 or 153 and Math 218)
  • CSC 325, Databases and Web Application Design (prerequisite reduced for Fall 2008 to CSC 152 or CSC 153)

• Spring 2009:

  • CSC 201, Memory Management, Data Representation, and Formal Methods (prerequisite CSC 152)
    Note: This will be the last offering of CSC 201, so students who have completed CSC 152 in past semesters should plan to take CSC 201 at this time.
  • CSC 302, Programming Language Concepts (after CSC 301 in the fall)

Students who have completed CSC 201

Current students who have completed the CSC 151/152/201 sequence have satisfied the prerequisites that are equivalent to CSC 151/161/207 in the new curriculum.

Adjustments in Course Prerequisites for 2008-2009

The following table clarifies prerequisites for CS courses for the transition year 2008-2009. Courses are ordered by the semester they are offered. Prerequisites marked with an asterisk (*) follow the structure of the old curriculum.

Courses Fulfilling Major Requirements for Current CS Majors

The new major provides somewhat more options than the current major. Thus, each course that counts for the current major continues to count for the new major as well. Due to scheduling, however, two additional notes are relevant.

• CSC 325 will satisfy the CSC 223/362 requirement for current CS majors
  The current CS major requires students take either CSC 223, Software Design, or CSC 362, Compilers. CSC 223 has been offered annually for several years, but in the new curriculum CSC 223 will alternative with a new course, CSC 325, Databases and Web Application Design. Although details of these courses differ, both explore issues of software development methodology, and both contain a team-based project. Since CSC 325, not CSC 223, will be offered in fall 2008-2009, current CS majors will be allowed to count either CSC 223 or CSC 325 toward the current CSC 223/362 requirement.
• CSC 352, Compilers
  The current major allows CSC 362, Compilers, to count toward the "group project" requirement rather than the "languages" requirement. Students who have taken CSC 362 should consult their CS faculty advisor on where this course will fit within their major plan.