Step 1) Fill out the New Student Questionnaire

Step 2) Understand the term "liberal arts" and the umw degree requirements

Step 3) Understand AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, and Cambridge Credit

Step 4) Understand Prerequisites & Vertically Building Coursework

Step 5) Consider Pre-Professional Interests

Step 6) Tips and other considerations when planning a schedule

Step 7) First-Year Seminar

Step 8) Choose Possible Courses

Step 9) Fill Out the Course Registration Request Form

Step 10) Video Guides & How to Register

Step 8) Choose Possible Courses

Computer Science

Please refer to the current University Catalog to see the course descriptions and a major description with requirements for computer science.

Computer Science offers two choices for students majoring in computer science - the traditional program and the computer information systems concentration. Each is tailor-made for a challenging and practical course of study and paves the way for a dynamic career path or graduate school.  Students interested in studying the breadth of the computer science discipline including topics: artificial intelligence, gaming, graphics, hardware, simulation, and the theoretical foundations of computing, will be attracted to the traditional computer science program.

Students who have LITTLE or NO PRIOR computer programming experience should enroll in CPSC 110.  This course partially satisfies the General Education requirement for Quantitative Reasoning and provides the programming experience necessary for further study in computer science.

Students interested in either program with prior computer programming experience should enroll in CPSC 220.  This course partially satisfies the General Education requirement for Quantitative Reasoning and provides the programming experience necessary for further study in computer science.

If a student has had prior programming experience, but is unsure about the appropriate starting point to continue his or her studies, he or she can request to take the CPSC department’s online placement test by sending email to cpscdept@umw.edu.

Course Placement Based on AP Score:

Students who earned a 3 or better on the A exam will be awarded three credits and be exempted from CPSC 110. These students should select CPSC 220 to continue their studies in computer science or the computer information systems concentration.

Students who earned a 4 or better on the AB exam will be awarded four credits and be exempted from CPSC 220. These students should select CPSC 230A and CPSC 125A to continue their studies in computer science or the computer information systems concentration.

Students who earned a 3 on the AB exam will be awarded three credits and be exempted from CPSC 110. These students should select CPSC 220 to continue their studies in computer science or the computer information systems concentration.

Students who earned a 5 or higher on the HL exam will be awarded three credits and be exempted from CPSC 110. These students should select CPSC 220 to continue their studies in computer science or the computer information systems concentration.

Students who earned a 5 or higher on the HL exam (IB Information Technology in a Global Society) earn credit for CPSC 103 but do not receive SI credit.

In all cases, placement adjustments can be made during the first week of the semester.

In addition to CPSC 110 or 220, students should take CPSC 125, Introduction to Discrete Mathematics since it is a prerequisite to CPSC 330, 350 and 414.  CPSC 125 should be taken before the junior year.  Students should also complete through MATH 122, Calculus II, prior to the junior year.

Below please find some examples of first semester schedules for a computer science major. There are many variations of a first semester schedule; the examples are just meant to help you see that there are many ways to reach the same goals.

 

Example 1:

Course (credits)	Requirement(s) Met
CPSC 110** - Intro Computer Science (3) ENGL 202D - Writing about Medicine (3) MATH 121** - Calculus I (3) SPAN 101** - Beginning Spanish (3) FSEM 100VV - The Science of a Connected Age (3)	Major Prereq., QR ALPP, WI* Major Prereq., QR FL FSEM

Example 2:

Course	Requirement(s) Met
CPSC 110** - Intro Computer Science (3) GEOG 101 - World Regional Geography (3) MATH 125A** - Intro Discrete Mathematics (3) FSEM 100VV - The Science of a Connected Age (3)	Major Prereq., QR GI Major Prereq., QR FSEM

Please note that certain sequence courses begin in the fall. Examples of this can be found in all of the sciences and some of the foreign languages. If you are unable to start at the correct place in the sequence, we recommend that you try to do so in the following fall semester.

*Please note that not all sections of a course may have the Across-the-Curriculum (ATC) attribute(s). Across-the-Curriculum designations for a course are dependent on instructor and semester. ATC designations for each course are listed in the Banner description for the semester in which you are registering.
**This particular course is in a discipline that allows students with demonstrated competence upon admission to UMW (such as AP/IB credit, dual enrollment, etc.) to begin courses at a higher level. Please read the Academic Planning Guide carefully to see if you meet the requirements. For example: students may begin at any level language course for which they feel prepared (101, 102, 201, or 202), but must then complete the rest of the sequence in order without skipping any levels.