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Degree Requirements

[Degree Plan | Study Plan | Minors for CS | Minors in CS]

[Lower Div. | Core | Mathematics | Free | Quantitative Sci. | Lab Sci. | Upper Div. | Technical]

The degree requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) degree are summarized below. These requirements summarize the descriptions in the 2010-2011 UTEP Undergraduate Catalog (download PDF, 4.73MB) and the current degree plan, 2008-2010 Computer Science Degree Plan (PDF); see Degree Plan Update for upcoming changes in the degree plan. If you use an earlier degree plan, refer to the Degree Plans section below. You may also want to refer to the Computer Science Degree Flowchart for a course precedence graph showing prerequisites.

Designated Lower Division Course Block (31)

All computer science students are required to take all of the following lower-division courses.

  1. ENGL 1311 - Expository English Composition
  2. ENGL 1312 - Research and Critical Writing
  3. PHIL 2306 - Ethics: Philosophical Perspective on Human Conduct and Values
  4. CS 1401 - Introduction to Computer Science
  5. CS 2401 - Elementary Data Structures and Algorithms
  6. CS 2302 - Data Structures
  7. EE 2369 - Digital Systems Design I
  8. EE 2169 - Digital Systems Design I Laboratory
  9. MATH 1411 - Calculus I
  10. MATH 2300 - Discrete Mathematics

Students must complete all courses in the Designated Lower Division Course Block before taking the Upper Division Requirements courses.

Core Curriculum (24)

All computer science students are required to take 24 credit hours of core curriculum courses, including the following required courses.

  1. HIST 1301 - History of the U.S. to 1865
  2. HIST 1302 - History of the U.S. Since 1865
  3. POLS 2310 - Introduction to Politics
  4. POLS 2311 - American Government and Politics

In addition, students must complete three (3) hours in each of the following categories.

  • Social and Behavioral Sciences. One of the following courses:
    1. ANTH 1301 - Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archeology
    2. ANTH 1302 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
    3. ECON 1301 - Basic Issues in Economics
    4. ECON 2303 - Principles of Economics
    5. ECON 2304 - Principles of Economics
    6. CE 2326 - Economics for Engineers and Scientists
    7. GEOG 1310 - Cultural Geography
    8. LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320 - Introduction to Linguistics
    9. PSYC 1301 - Introduction to Psychology
    10. SOCI 1301 - Introduction to Sociology
  • Visual and Performing Arts. One of the following courses:
    1. ART 1300 - Art Appreciation
    2. ARTH 1305 History of World Art I
    3. ARTH 1306 History of World Art II
    4. ARTS 3320 Whole Arts
    5. DANC 1304 Dance Appreciation
    6. MUSL 1321 Introduction to Music History
    7. MUSL 1324 Music in Western Societies
    8. MUSL 1327 Jazz to Rock
    9. THEA 1313 Introduction to Theatre
    10. FILM 1390 Introduction to the Art of the Motion Picture
  • Communications. Either of the following:
    1. COMM 1301 - Public Speaking
    2. COMM 1302 - Business and Professional Communication
  • Institutionally Designated Option. Either of the followng:
    1. UNIV 1301 - Seminar in Critical Inquiry
    2. UNIV 2350 - Interdisciplinary Technology and Society

Required Mathematics Courses (12)

All computer science students are required to take the following mathematics courses.

  1. MATH 1312 - Calculus II
  2. MATH 3323 - Matrix Algebra
  3. MATH 4329 - Numerical Analysis
  4. One of the following courses
    • MATH 4370 - Topic: Probability and Statistics
    • STAT 3320 - Probability and Statistics for Computer Scientists
    • EE 3384 - Probabilistic Methods in Engineering and Sciences

Free Electives (3)

All computer science students are required to take 3 hours of free elective courses.

Any college-level (numbered 1000 or higher) class that is not a remedial class, physical education class (sports, weight training, dance, etc.) or performing arts class (band, choir, piano, etc.) may be applied toward the degree as a Free Elective credit. Courses that may be counted toward the free elective requirements are college-level courses offered by the colleges of Liberal Arts, Business, Science, or Engineering.

Some common examples of free elective courses are language courses (Spanish, French, German, etc.), sophomore level psychology courses (abnormal psychology, life-cycle development, psychology of personality), freshman or higher level science courses (astronomy, biology, chemistry), and advanced mathematics courses (differential equations, introduction to higher mathematics). These examples are not meant to be an exclusive list, but rather are provided as examples of courses that are acceptable free electives. If in doubt, contact your advisor before signing up for a course you intend to count toward your free elective credits.

Quantitative Science Sequence (8)

All computer science students must complete a two-semester sequence in physics, biology, chemistry or geology. Acceptable sequences are:

  1. BIOL 1305, 1107, 1306, and 1108
  2. PHYS 2420 and 2421
  3. CHEM 1305, 1105, 1306, and 1106
  4. GEOL 1313, 1103, 1314, and 1104

Note that the offering department may require that the lab section be taken in the same semester as the course

Note that all computer science students must complete either PHYS 2420 or PHYS 2421 (Physics requirement).

Lab Science Elective (4)

Students must complete a three credit hour lecture and one credit hour lab in physics, biology, chemistry or geology. Acceptable courses are:

  1. PHYS 2420
  2. PHYS 2421
  3. BIOL 1305 and 1107
  4. CHEM 1305 and 1105
  5. GEOL 1313 and 1103
  6. ASTR 1307 and 1107

Credit for a course may not be applied to both the Quantitative Science Sequence and the Lab Science Elective requirements.

Note that the offering department may require that the lab section be taken in the same semester as the course.

Note that all computer science students must complete either PHYS 2420 or PHYS 2421 (Physics requirement).

Upper Division Requirements (26)

Students are required to take all of the following upper-division computer science courses:

  1. CS 3195 - Junior Professional Orientation
  2. CS 3320 - Computer Architecture II
  3. CS 3331 - Advanced Object-Oriented Programming
  4. CS 3350 - Automata, Computability, and Formal Languages
  5. CS 3360 - Design and Implementation of Programming Languages
  6. CS 3432 - Computer Architecture I
  7. CS 4310 - Software Engineering I
  8. CS 4311 - Software Engineering II
  9. CS 4375 - Theory of Operating Systems

Note that students must complete all courses in the Designated Lower Division Course Block before taking any of these courses.

Technical Electives (12)

Technical electives are intended to give students depth and/or breadth of knowledge in computer science topics of interest to the student.  Technical electives may be selected from the following upper-division computer science courses:

  1. CS 3370 - Computer Graphics
  2. CS 4316 - Computer Networks
  3. CS 4317 - Human-Computer Interaction
  4. CS 4320 - Artificial Intelligence
  5. CS 4342 - Database Management
  6. CS 4351 - Computer Security
  7. CS 4352 - Compilers and Interpreters
  8. CS 4365 - Topics in Soft Computing
  9. CS 4371 - Computer Science Problems
  10. CS 4390 - Special Topics in Computer Science

Students may not count more than six (6) credit hours of special topics and or computer science problems courses in any combination as technical elective credits. For example a student may take up to two CS 4390 courses and no CS 4371 courses, or up to two CS 4371 courses and no CS 4390 courses, or one CS 4371 and one CS 4390 course.

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Degree Plans

Summary of changes for 2008

The changes in the 2008 catalog with respect to the 2004-2006 catalog are the following:

  • Calculus III is eliminated.
  • CS2402 becomes CS2302 (although CS2402 will count as a replacement for CS2302).
  • A technical elective is eliminated (the 2008 plan has 4 tech electives instead of 5).
  • EE 2169 Digital System Design I Lab is now required and must be taken concurrently with EE2369 Digital System Design I. (Note: ECE has indicated that students who took EE2369 without the lab will be able to take the lab separately.)
  • Phil 2306 Ethics replaces the humanities core curriculum elective.
  • Free electives are reduced from 6 credit hours to 3. (This means that there is less flexibility in accepting community college transfer credits into the degree plan.)
  • Quantitative Science Sequence - Students must complete a two-semester sequence in physics, biology, chemistry or geology. (Previous degree plans required physics.)
  • Lab Science Sequence - Students must complete a three credit hour lecture and the corresponding one credit hour lab in physics, biology, chemistry or geology. Credit for a course may not be applied to this and the previous electives.
  • Physics requirement - Students must complete either PHYS 2420 or PHYS 2421 (both were required in the 2004-2006 catalog).

Differences Between Earlier Degree Plans

This table summarizes the differences between earlier degree plans, for the convenience of students deciding whether to change to a more recent degree plan.

2000-2002 Catalog 2002-2004 Catalog 2004-2006 Catalog
Lower Division
Requirements		 Phys 2410 Phys 2420a Phys 2420
Phys 2411 Phys 2421a Phys 2421
Phys 1120 Phys 3112a,x nilb
Phys 1121 Phys 3122a,x nilb
CS 2302 CS 2302 CS 2402
Core Curriculum - - -
Free Electives - - -
Quantitative Science
(one out of ...)		 Biol 1305 Biol 1305 Biol 1305, 1107 (lab)b
Chem 1305 Chem 1305 Chem 1305, 1105 (lab)b
Geol 1301 Geol 1301 Geol 1301, 1101 (lab)b
Upper Division CS 4195 CS 4195 CS 3195d
CS 3335 CS 3335 CS 4375e
CS 3330 CS 3330 CS 3331
Technical Electives
(five out of ...)		 CS 3370 CS 3370 CS 3370
CS 4316 CS 4316 CS 4316
CS 4320 CS 4320 CS 4320
CS 4342 CS 4342 CS 4342
CS 4352 CS 4352 CS 4352
CS 4365 CS 4365 CS 4365
CS 4371 CS 4371 CS 4371
CS 4390 CS 4390 CS 4390
CS 4375 CS 4375 CS 3335e


(a) Name change.
(b) Physics labs replaced by a quantitative science lab.
(c) Lab session added to Data Structures.
(d) Professional Orientation Course moved to junior year.
(e) Theory of Operating Systems replaced by Systems Programming as a requirement; Systems Programming becomes a technical elective.
(x) Alternatively, Physics 2230 counts as equivalent to Physics 3112 and 3122.

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Plans of Study

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Minors for Computer Science Majors

Students majoring in Computer Science may also obtain minors from the following approved disciplines in other colleges: Biology, Environmental Science, Geology, Finance, and Mathematics. No course taken on a Pass/Fail basis may be counted for the minor. Students should refer to the individual departmental listings in their catalog for specific minor requirements.

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Minors in Computer Science

Students who are not majoring in Computer Science may obtain a minor in Computer Science. Students should consult their major advisors for further details.

The Computer Science minor requires 20 credit hours of Computer Science courses. These are:

Although not required, CS 1310 Introduction to Computer Programming is the usual first course for non-majors. The course teaches fundamentals of computers and computer programming and is generally recommended to non-majors as the first Computer Science course.

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