Computer Science - General

The educational objectives for the Computer Science-General program are:

To produce graduates with breadth and depth in computer science sufficient for intellectual growth in the computing discipline.
To produce graduates with knowledge and skills sufficient to be employable and successful in a variety of professional computing positions.
To produce students with experience in team and collaborative work.
To produce students the opportunity for extended study in an area of specialization.

Baccalaureate-Level Writing Requirement

Students who have chosen the Computer Science - General program will satisfy the university Baccalaureate-Level Writing Requirement by successfully completing CS 4900: Software Systems Development I: Requirements and Design.

Requirements

Students enrolling in the Computer Science General Option are required to own a laptop computer with minimum specifications set by the department. By April of each year, the department will establish specifications of laptops for students entering in the following fall. These specifications will be posted on the department website.

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science-General must satisfy the following requirements in addition to those required by Western Michigan University:

Students must satisfy the University General Education requirements.
A grade point average of 2.0 or better must be earned in courses presented for graduation with CS and ECE prefixes and in courses with MATH and STAT prefixes.
Complete the following program of 122 semester credit hours. The schedule below is an example of one leading to graduation in eight semesters, beginning with the fall semester.

First Semester (15 hours)

General Education Credits: 2 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours

CS 1110 - Computer Science I Credits: 4 hours
ECE 2500 - Digital Logic Credits: 3 hours
IME 1020 - Technical Communication Credits: 3 hours

Second Semester (15 hours)

General Education Credits: 4 hours

CS 1120 - Computer Science II Credits: 4 hours
CS 2230 - Computer Organization and Assembly Language Credits: 3 hours
MATH 1220 - Calculus I Credits: 4 hours
or
MATH 1700 - Calculus I, Science and Engineering Credits: 4 hours

Third Semester (16 hours)

General Education Credits: 4 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours

CS 2000 - Programming Language Experience Credits: 1 to 3 hours
CS 2100 - Introductory Topics in Computing Technology Credits: 1 to 3 hours
CS 3310 - Data and File Structures Credits: 3 hours
MATH 1230 - Calculus II Credits: 4 hours
or
MATH 1710 - Calculus II, Science and Engineering Credits: 4 hours

Fourth Semester (15 hours)

General Education Credits: 3 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours

CS 2240 - System Programming Concepts Credits: 3 hours
CS 4850 - Programming Languages Credits: 3 hours
MATH 1450 - Discrete Mathematical Structures Credits: 3 hours

Fifth Semester (16 hours)

CS Elective - Approved CS Elective Credits: 3 hours
General Education Credits: 3 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours

CS 4540 - Operating Systems Credits: 3 hours
MATH 2300 - Elementary Linear Algebra Credits: 4 hours

Sixth Semester (15 hours)

CS Elective - Approved CS Elective Credits: 3 hours
General Education Credits: 3 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours

CS 2000 - Programming Language Experience Credits: 1 to 3 hours
STAT 3640 - Statistical Methods Credits: 4 hours

Seventh Semester (15 hours)

General Education Credits: 3 hours
Free General Education Elective Credits: 3 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours

CS 4900 - Software Systems Development I: Requirements and Design Credits: 3 hours

Eighth Semester (15 hours)

Free General Education Elective Credits: 3 hours
General Education Credits: 3 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 3 hours
Elective - Free Elective Credits: 4 hours

CS 4910 - Software Systems Development II: Implementation and Testing Credits: 2 hours

CS Elective

CS Elective means the student must take an approved computer science elective course. Such electives may be described in the undergraduate catalog or in departmental material published traditionally or on its website. Students should consult with a departmental advisor before enrolling in one of these courses.

Free Elective

Free Elective means the student may choose any course offered at the University without restriction. That is, the course need not be a General Education course or a course in computer science.