Computer Science Bachelor of Science
The Bachelor of Science program is accredited by ABET. This document gives the degree requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science for students who elected the major in Fall 2020 or later. The “requirement term” of your major is found at the top of your Degree Progress Report on myWCU). Please see the Academic Catalog, or the below links, for previous years:
Academic Catalogs: Fall 2019 and Later | Fall 2018 – Spring 2019
Core Curriculum - 60 credits
Computer Science Requirements - 27 credits (3 each)
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CSC 141 | Computer Science I |
| CSC 142 |
Computer Science II |
| CSC 220 |
Foundations of Computer Science |
| CSC 231 | Computer Systems |
| CSC 240 |
Computer Science III |
| CSC 241 | Data Structures and Algorithms |
| CSC 301 | Computer Security |
| CSC 345 | Programming Language Concepts and Paradigms |
| CSC 402 | Software Engineering |
Communication Skills Requirements - 6 credits (3 each)
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| Business and Organizational Writing OR Technical Writing | |
| Public Speaking OR Business and Professional Speech Communication OR Transfer Credit |
Mathematics Requirements - 10 credits
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| MAT 121 | Statistics I (3) |
| MAT 151* | Introduction to Discrete Mathematics (3) |
| MAT 161 | Calculus I (4) |
| MAT 162 OR STA 200 | Calculus II (4) OR Statistics II (3) |
Courses with (*) also count towards general education credits.
Science Lab Requirements
You must take two laboratory science course intended for science majors; the current list of such courses includes:
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 110* | General Biology (3) |
| General Chemistry I (3) & Lab (1) | |
| ESS 101* | Introduction to Geology (3) |
| PHY 130* | General Physics I (4) |
| PHY 170* | Physics I (4) |
Courses with (*) also count towards general education credits.
Large Scale Systems - 3 credits
Select from one of these courses:
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CSC 416 | Design/Construction Compilers |
| CSC 417 | User Interfaces |
| CSC 418 | Modern Web Applications Using Server-Side Technologies |
| CSC 466 | Distributed and Parallel Computing |
| CSC 467 | Big Data Engineering |
| CSC 468 | Introduction to Cloud Computing |
| CSC 476 | Game Development |
| CSC 496 | Topics in Complex Large-Scale Systems |
Advanced Requirements - 18 credits
In addition to the Core Curriculum and Large Scale System requirement, a student must take 18 credits of Computer Science (CSC) electives consisting of 300-level or 400-level courses according to these stipulations:
- A minimum of 6 credits of 400-level courses is required.
- The internship course, CSC 400, can apply 3 credits towards the Advanced Requirements.
Special Entrance Requirements
Students who enter WCU as first-year computer science majors must meet the following high school criteria:
- Rank in the top two-fifths of graduating class.
- Pass Algebra I, Algebra II/Trigonometry, Geometry, and a senior year math course.
- Earn a Math SAT original score of 550 or better.
- Earn a Combined SAT original score of 1020 or better.
Advanced Placement Credit
Visit the Registrar’s website for information on how course credit for success on AP exams in computer science is awarded.
Transfer and Continuation Requirements
Students who seek to transfer to the Computer Science major from another college or from another major within WCU must first satisfy all these conditions:
- have received a grade of C- or better for both CSC141 and CSC142
- have received a grade of C- or better in at least two of the following three courses: MAT121, MAT151, MAT161
- have a GPA at least 2.5 over all CSC major courses taken, and a GPA at least 2.0 over all required MAT courses taken.
All Computer Science majors at WCU must satisfy the same requirements as stated above before being permitted to take any 300 or higher level Computer Science major courses. Exceptions to this transfer and continuation policy can be made on a case by case basis by the department chairperson.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate, a Computer Science major must earn a grade of C- or better in each course taken to fulfill the requirements listed above. Furthermore, the overall GPA must be at least 2.5 in CSC courses and at least 2.0 in MAT courses taken as requirements. This policy does not apply to courses taken as free electives.