CS Course Guidesheet 2022-23

PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THE GUIDESHEETStudents with AP credit for GenEd courses and a strong CS background may take CS 120 and CS 140 in the first semester. Students without prior programming experience should take CS 110 in fall and either CS 120 or CS 140 in the spring. Please consult a CS advisor before attempting CS 120 and CS 140 together. 

These suggested course tracks are based on undergraduate requirements from the class entering in the 2022-23 academic year. These are only suggestions, refer to the University Academic Guide for the official requirements for each major.

For archived requirements refer to the University Academic Guide. Select "Previous Bulletins/Guides," then click "Binghamton University Archives" under the heading View Online. 

For more information on graduate-level requirements go here.

Credit Requirements

To receive the BS degree in computer science, students must earn a minimum of 126 credit hours, including transfer credits, with a minimum 2.0 (C) grade-point average in computer science major courses, and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0.

Of the minimum 126 semester credits:

  • A minimum of 60 credits must be in liberal arts and sciences courses.
  • A minimum of 40 credits must be earned in Computer Science Watson College.
  • A minimum of 45 credits must be completed at the 300-level or above.

Area Requirements

Communications - 8 Credits

One course that meets the Binghamton Univeristy General Education Composition requirement.

AND

  • Loading Course Info...

Humanities/Social Science Electives - 20 Credits

Science - 8 or 10 Credits

The total of the science and free elective credits should be 22 credits.

Select one of the following sequences:

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

OR

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

OR

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

Mathematics - 20 Credits

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

  • Loading Course Info...

OR

  • Loading Course Info...

AND

  • Loading Course Info...

OR

  • Loading Course Info...

As well as one elective chosen from the following list.

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

Mathematics or Science Elective - 4 Credits

  • Loading Course Info...

Or a scince elective chosen from the courses that meet the General Education Labrotory Science requirement.

Free Electives - 12 or 14 Credits

The total of the science and free elective credits should be 22 credits.

At least four credits must be in liberal arts and science. At most one free elective in liberal arts and science may be taken pass/fail instead of a letter grade. At most 2 credits of activity/wellness may be used as free elective credit.

Computer Science - 52 Credits

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

At least 15 credits of Computer Science electivesmust be chosen, and at least one course must be chosen from each of the areas A, B, and C. Courses in multipl areas count as meeting all the areas indicated. Courses from D and E are optional. At most, one course can be taken from E.

A: Networking and Communications

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

B: Large Software Development

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

C: Data and Information Management

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

D: Other Courses

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

CS-480 any approved topics course, prequisites will vary by course.

Any future approved CS 400-level course will count as area D and other areas as is appropriate.

E: Internship, Co-op, Research

To count as a CS elective, courses in this area must be taken for a total of 3 credits.

  • CS 395. Computer Science Internship. Prerequisites: CS 220, 240, junior or senior standing and CS Department approval
  • CS 396. Computer Science Co-op. Prerequisites: CS 220, 240, junior or senior standing and CS Department approval
  • CS 499. Undergraduate Research. Prerequisites vary by research area. Requires junior or senior standing, supervision by a Computer Science faculty
    member, and completion of CS Department approval form.

General Education Requirements

Students must fulfill the General Education Requirements for Computer Science. Students normally complete these requirements within the 126-credit program described above.

Supplemental information regarding the BSCS Degree Requirements

The following information supplements that provided in the University Academic Guide. It applies to students who matriculated Fall 2016 or after.

All required Computer Science courses, except CS 101, are offered every semester. The minimum grade in a required Computer Science course must be at least a C- to be allowed to take any Computer Science course, for which it is a prerequisite.

Calculus Topics are broken down as follows:

  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...
  • Loading Course Info...

Humanities/Social Science – May be filled by courses offered by the Division of Humanities, the Division of Social Sciences, the Psychology Department and HDEV courses offered by the College of Community and Public Affairs. Many of the courses taken to meet the General Education requirements will fulfill the Humanities/Social Science requirement.

Mathematics - Students who are strong in math are encouraged to take MATH 330 (Number Systems) instead of MATH 314 (Discrete Mathematics). Students with a strong math background may take MATH 381 (Graph Theory) as their Math elective. The following Binghamton University course can be substituted for MATH 327: MATH 448 (Mathematical Statistics), which has a prerequisite of MATH 323 and MATH 447.

Free Electives – May be filled by extra courses from any of the areas listed above, SOM courses, or additional Computer Science courses. A maximum of 2 HWS credits may be counted as Free Elective credits. At least four free elective credits must be in Liberal Arts and Science in order to ensure the 60 credits needed for a BS degree. CS 110 counts as a free elective.

Prerequisites for Computer Science Courses

The MATH and CS pre-requisites must have a grade of at least C-.

  • CS 101: None
  • CS 110: MATH 225
  • CS 120: CS 110, MATH 225
  • CS 140: CS 110, MATH 225
  • CS 220: CS 120, 140
  • CS 240: CS 120, 140, MATH 226
  • CS 301: CS 101, Gen Ed C/J course, CS 220 or 240
  • CS 320: CS 220
  • CS 350: CS 220, 240, 301
  • CS 373: CS 140, MATH 314 or 330
  • CS 375: CS 240, MATH 227, 314 or 330, CS 301
  • CS 402: CS 220, 240
  • CS 415: CS 350, 375, MATH 327 or 448
  • CS 424: CS 350, 375
  • CS 426: CS 320 or 350
  • CS 428: CS 350
  • CS 432: CS 375
  • CS 433: CS 375
  • CS 435: CS 375, MATH 304, 327 or 448
  • CS 436: CS 375, MATH 327 or 448
  • CS 440: CS 240, 350
  • CS 441: CS 140, 375
  • CS 442: CS 140, 375
  • CS 444: CS 320 or 350 or 375
  • CS 445: CS 350 or 375
  • CS 447: CS 22, 240, 320 or 350
  • CS 451: CS 350
  • CS 452: CS 350
  • CS 453: CS350
  • CS 455: CS 375
  • CS 456:
  • CS 457: CS 350
  • CS 458: CS 350, 375
  • CS 459: CS 375, MATH 327 or 448
  • CS 460: CS 375
  • CS 465: CS 375
  • CS 471: CS 373, 375
  • CS 472: CS 373, 375
  • CS 476: CS 140, 320, 350