Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Computer Science is the study of the structure, function and application of computers and is central to the rapidly expanding use of information technology. Computers have traditionally been used in business, engineering and scientific applications, and now applications are found in almost all human activities from art to zoology. Computer science is both an applied and theoretical discipline, supported by the principles of science, engineering, and mathematics that has a direct and profound impact on the quality of life and society at large.
The Department of Computer Science offers three degrees: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS), Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS), and Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT). The BSCS degree is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. The Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCE) in cooperation with the Department of Electrical Engineering. The Department also offers service courses to fulfill University core curriculum requirements, and computer science courses required for degree programs in engineering, science, and mathematics. Faculty conduct research in computer science, computer science education, and interdisciplinary fields, and contribute their professional service to student advising, mentoring, professional organizations, University activities, industrial interactions, and to the community through professional expertise.
The undergraduate curricula in computer science are based on the Association for Computing Machinery and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society recommendations for curricula and reflect the goals of a liberal arts education. The graduate curricula provide advanced and specialized study in the areas of computer science and information technology. The curricula in computer science provide the student with marketable expertise to enter the computing and information technology fields, the skills and education required to adapt to the rapidly changing characteristic of the fields, and the foundation to pursue graduate study in computer science and information technology.
Note: For a PDF version of the degree requirements for this program go to the Undergraduate Programs page on the UTRGV website.
Core Curriculum Requirements – 42 Hours
Students must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements. The courses listed below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements.
Mathematics – 3 hours
Three credits hours from MATH 2413 or MATH 2487 will be applied here; the remaining one credit hour will be applied in the mathematics and engineering requirement of the support courses.
Life and Physical Science – 6 hours
Choose one pair:
Three credit hours from the lecture component of each life and physical science course will be applied towards this requirement.
Language, Philosophy, and Culture – 3 hours
Choose one:
Students must enroll in the the engineering/computer science section of PHIL 1310.
Integrative and Experiential Learning – 6 hours
Three credit hours of laboratory from the corresponding life and physical science core curriculum pair and the basic science completed in the major:
Major Requirements – 50 Hours (36 advanced)
Computer Science Core – 32 hours (18 advanced)
Required
| CSCI 1101 | Introduction to Computer Science | 1 |
| CSCI 1170 | Engineering Computer Science I Laboratory | 1 |
| | Or | |
| CSCI 1178 | Engineering Computer Science I Laboratory (Honors) | 1 |
| CSCI 1370 | Engineering Computer Science I | 3 |
| | Or | |
| CSCI 1378 | Engineering Computer Science I (Honors) | 3 |
| CSCI 2333 | Computer Organization and Assembly Language | 3 |
| CSCI 2344 | Programming in Unix/ Linux Environment | 3 |
| CSCI 2380 | Computer Science II | 3 |
| CSCI 3310 | Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science | 3 |
| CSCI 3333 | Algorithms and Data Structures | 3 |
| CSCI 3336 | Organization of Programming Languages | 3 |
| CSCI 3340 | Software Engineering I | 3 |
| CSCI 4325 | Automata, Formal Languages, and Computability | 3 |
| CSCI 4390 | Senior Project | 3 |
Computer Science Electives – 18 hours (18 advanced)
Programming Language – 3 hours (3 advanced)
Choose from:
| CSCI 3326 | Object Oriented Programming in JAVA | 3 |
| CSCI 3327 | Object Oriented Programming in Visual Basic | 3 |
| CSCI 3328 | Object-Oriented Programming In C# | 3 |
Databases, Networking, and Operating Systems – 6 hours (6 advanced)
Choose from:
Technical Electives – 9 hours (9 advanced)
Choose from:
Support Courses – 32 Hours (12 advanced)
Oral and Written Communication – 3 hours (3 advanced)
Required
Mathematics and Engineering – 15 hours (3 advanced)
Required
One credit hour from MATH 2413 or MATH 2487 completed in the Core Curriculum will be applied to the mathematics requirement in the major.
Choose one:
| STAT 3337 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| ELEE 3340 | Probability and Statistics for Electrical Engineers | 3 |
| STAT 3301 | Applied Statistics for Science, Engineering, and Medical Science | 3 |
Basic Science – 3 hours
Choose one course not completed in the General Education Core:
Three credit hours completed from the basic science course selected above will be applied towards this requirement; the one credit hour lab will be applied to the integrated and experiential learning component of the core curriculum.
Free Electives – 11 hours (6 advanced)
Complete 11 hours of free electives, of which 6 must be advanced.
Total Credit Hours: 48
Total Credit Hours: 124
Admission, Progression, and Graduation Requirements, if applicable:
Graduation requirements
- All courses in the Computer Science Core must be completed with a grade ‘C’ or better.
- All courses in section 2a-Programming Language and 2b-Databases, Networking, and Operating Systems must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better.