Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

The Bachelor of Science Computer Science Program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and the Computer Science Program Criteria.

The Computer Science Department offers a complete four-year program of study leading to a BS degree in Computer Science. The undergraduate curriculum provides students with theoretical foundations and practical experience in both hardware and software aspects of computers. The curriculum in computer science is integrated with courses in the sciences and the humanities to offer an education that is broad, yet of sufficient depth and relevance to enhance student employment opportunities upon graduation. As a degree program within a professional school of the university, the curriculum is based on the criterion that graduates are expected to function successfully in a professional employment environment immediately upon graduation.

The Department of Computer Science has established the following Program Educational Objectives for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

Competency in Computer Science Principles

• Alumni should have the ability to find and access information relevant to an application under development.
• Alumni should have the ability to model various problem domains and convert them into software solutions.
• Alumni should have the ability to apply techniques of algorithm design and automata theory to new problem solving situations.
• Alumni should demonstrate the ability to draw upon the expertise of others and negotiate solutions to a problem as a productive technical team member.
• Alumni should demonstrate an understanding of the impact of computer problem solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.

Creativity in Applying Computer Knowledge

• Alumni should be able to generate new and innovative solutions to solve problems or meet requirements in their discipline.
• Alumni should be able to integrate global, economic, environmental, and societal considerations into their problem solutions.

Devotion to Lifelong Learning

• Alumni will be prepared to learn on their own whatever is required to stay current in their chosen profession, for example, learning new programming languages, algorithms, developmental methodologies, etc.
• Alumni should be prepared to do continual learning throughout their careers, to include such things as pursuing advanced degrees, attending short courses, reading technical or trade journals, participating in sabbaticals, etc.
• Alumni will be prepared to pursue careers in all branches of computer science including technical development, project management, and technical sales.

The Department of Computer Science has established the following Student Outcomes for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. By the time of graduation, students are expected to demonstrate:

1. Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.

2. Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.

3. Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.

4. Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.

5. Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.

6. Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science requires the following:

• A minimum of 120 credit hours with a cumulative CU GPA of 2.0. At least 45 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbers 3000 or higher).
• A grade of C or higher in CS and GDD courses applied to the major.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all CS and GDD course work.
• Completion of an Exit Interview with the Computer Science department in the final semester prior to graduation.
• The last 30 hours of the degree must be completed while registered in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at UCCS.

For details on degree requirements, please visit the Academic Catalog.

Computer Science Competency Areas (43 Credit Hours)

Core Programming:

• CS 1150 - Principles of Computer Science
• CS 1450 - Data Structures and Algorithms
• CS 2060 - Programming in C
• CS 3020 - Advanced Object Technology Using C#/.NET OR CS 3060 Object-Oriented Programming Using C++ OR CS 3080 Programming in Python

Architecture, Operating Systems, and Networking:

• CS 2080 - Programming in UNIX
• CS 2160 - Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming
• CS 4200 - Computer Architecture 1
• CS 4220 - Computer Networks
• CS 4500 - Operating Systems 1

Software Development and Engineering:

• CS 3160 - Concepts of Programming Languages
• CS 3300 - Introduction to Software Engineering
• CS 4300 - Advanced Software Engineering

Algorithms and Complexity:

• CS 4720 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms

Computing Ethics and Security:

• CS 3050 - Social and Ethical Implications of Computing
• CS 4910 - Introduction to Computer Security

Computer Science Specialty Areas (Tracks)

Students choose up to 12 credit hours from ONE of the Specialty Areas Listed below

Advanced Software Engineering:

• CS 3110 - Programming the Mobile Web
• CS 4310 - Software Requirements Analysis and Specification
• CS 4320 - Software Design
• CS 4340 - Software Maintenance
• CS 4350 - Software Project management

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning:

• CS 3820 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• CS 3840 - Computational Medicine
• CS 3850 - Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• CS 4435 - Data Mining
• CS 4440 - Big Data
• CS 4710 - Evolutionary Computation
• CS 4730 - Algorithmic Game Theory and Multiagent Systems
• CS 4820 - Artificial Intelligence
• CS 4860 - Machine Learning
• CS 4870 - Introduction to Artificial Neural Networks
• CS 4890 - Computational Linguistics

Computer Systems and Networking:

• CS 3910 - System Administration and Security
• CS 4420 - Database Systems 1
• CS 4740 - Networks, Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a connected world
• ECE 4330 - Embedded Systems Design

Cybersecurity:

• CS 2910 - Secure Mobile Cloud Computing
• CS 3910 - System Administration and Security
• CS 3920 - Introduction to Defensive Cyber Operations
• CS 4910 - Introduction to Computer Security
• CS 4915 - Defensive Cyber Operations
• CS 4920 - Introduction to Applied Cryptography
• CS 4930 - Privacy and Censorship
• CS 4940 - Ethical Hacking
• CS 4950 - Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
• CS 4980 - System Security
• CS 4985 Cybersecurity Metrics and Quantification

General Computer Sciences:

• Complete 12 credit hours of upper-division (3000+ level) CS courses. At least 6 hours must be 4000 level or higher
  • NOTE: Internships, Independent Studies, and similar courses cannot be taken for this requirement.

Mathematics (17 Credit Hours)

All courses in this section must be completed.

• MATH 1350 Calculus I
• MATH 1360 Calculus II
• CS 2020 Intro Stats for Data Analytics OR Math 3810 Intro to Probability and Statistics
• CS 2150 Discrete Structures OR MATH 2150 Discrete Mathematics
• CS 2300 Computational Linear Algebra  OR MATH 3130 Introduction to Linear Algebra

Natural Science (9-10 Credit Hours)

Complete ONE Basic Science sequence from the options below.

Physics

• PES 1110 - General Physics 1 - Calculus Based
• PES 1120 - General Physics 2
• PES 1160 - Advanced Physics Lab 1 - Calculus Based

Chemistry

• CHEM 1401 - General Chemistry 1
• CHEM 1402 - General Chemistry Laboratory 1
• CHEM 1411 - General Chemistry 2
• CHEM 1412 - General Chemistry Laboratory 2

Writing Skills (6 Credit Hours)

Complete each of the following:

• ENGL 1305 Rhetoric and Writing 1 Stretch B (Note: ENGL 1300 must be completed first) OR ENGL 1308 Rhetoric and Writing 1 with Supplemental Academic Instruction OR  ENGL 1310 Rhetoric and Writing 1
• TCID 2090 Tech Writing & Presentation
• PORT 3000 Writing Portfolio Assessment

Compass Curriculum

Complete elective courses to fulfill the following Compass Curriculum Components. Please note, some requirements may be fulfilled by other degree requirements. Please see your Degree Audit for more details

• Gateway (fulfilled with GPS 1010)
• Explore - Arts, Humanities, and Cultures
• Explore - Society, Behavior, and Health
• Explore - Physical and Natural World (fulfilled with either CHEM 1401 or PES 1110)
• Navigate
• Summit (fulfilled with CS 4300)
• Writing Intensive Course
• Inclusiveness
• Sustainability

General Electives

Complete 24 general electives hours to fulfill the total hours requirement for the degree program.  The chosen course(s) can be selected from any discipline but may not include any math course below MATH 1350.  Only 3 credit hours of CS course work numbered below CS 1150 may count toward electives.

For details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog.

Admission Criteria for Freshman Students

• Rank in the upper 30th percentile of high school graduating class
• ACT composite score of 25 or above or an SAT composite score of 1120 or above

Expected high school work is:

• English - 4 units
• Math - 4 units (at least two years of algebra, one year geometry, one year advanced math)
• Natural Science - 3 units (one year physics, one year of chemistry)
• Social Science - 2 units (government, history, economics, psychology, sociology)
• Foreign Language - 2 units (all in a single language)
• Academic Electives - 1 unit

Students that do not meet assured admission criteria can be admitted by the Engineering Committee, but are not guaranteed admission to the College of Engineering.

Transfer students

Student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 with at least 30 hours of college course work. To be admitted, the student should have a solid math and science background in college coursework. Transfer students will almost always be reviewed by the Engineering Committee to determine coursework completed at college level.

For further information, contact a Transfer Advisor.

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Additional resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships

BSCS Enrollment and Graduates for Academic Year 2017-2022. The source of the data is the Office of Institutional Research at UCCS.