BS in Computer Science
The B.S. in Computer Science provides a strong base in programming and problem-solving skills, a theoretical understanding of computer science, and practical experience in applying the computer to the solution of problems. Specialization is provided through numerous upper-division electives. The program offers concentrations in Secure Cyber Systems, Software Engineering, and Data Analytics.
Educational Objectives
The B.S. in Computer Science program's educational objectives address the department's mission to serve the region, nation, and the world by graduating highly competitive students with the potential to become leaders in their profession.
- Our graduates will be innovative and productive problem solvers in industry, academia, and government who have the ability to apply theoretical and technical computer science knowledge to provide solutions to real-world problems of varying complexity (Quality of our Graduates).
- Our graduates will contribute to the economic health of the nation, in particular the Paso del Norte region, through technical expertise and complementary skills such as ability to work in interdisciplinary teams, lead, innovate, and apply entrepreneurial thinking with a global perspective (Local and Global Impact).
- Our graduates will remain at the forefront of computing through research, advanced studies, certification, entrepreneurship, or other means of self-advancement (Continuous Learning).
Fast Track
The Fast-Track Program enables outstanding undergraduate UTEP students to receive both undergraduate and graduate credit for up to 15 hours of UTEP course work as determined by participating Master's and Doctoral programs. Not all undergraduate programs have elected to participate in the Fast Track option, so students should see their departmental graduate advisor for information about requirements and guidelines. A list of courses that have been approved for possible use at the graduate level is found here.
Degree Plan
Required Credits: 120
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Core Curriculum | ||
| Complete the University Core Curriculum requirements. | 42 | |
| Computer Science Designated Core (All courses require a grade of C or better.) | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| MATH 1508 | Precalculus ((Listed if completed, but not required)) | 3-5 |
| or MATH 1310 | Trigonometry and Conics | |
| or MATH 1411 | Calculus I | |
| PHYS 2420 | Introductory Mechanics | 4 |
| Computer Science Additional Science Hours (All courses require a grade of C or better.) | ||
| Select one of the following lecture/lab combinations: | 4 | |
| General Biology and Topics in Study of Life I | ||
| Organismal Biology and Organismal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Elem Astronomy-Solar System and Astronomy Lab I | ||
| General Chemistry and Laboratory for CHEM 1305 | ||
| General Chemistry and Laboratory for CHEM 1306 | ||
| Intro to Physical Geology and Lab for GEOL 1313 | ||
| Intro to Historical Geol and Lab for GEOL 1314 | ||
| Introductory Electromagnetism | ||
| Computer Science Core (All courses require a grade of C or better.) | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| CS 1301 & CS 1101 | Intro to Computer Science and Intro to Computer Science Lab | 4 |
| CS 2302 | Data Structures | 3 |
| CS 2401 | Elem. Data Struct./Algorithms | 4 |
| EE 2169 | Laboratory for EE 2369 | 1 |
| EE 2369 | Digital Systems Design I | 3 |
| MATH 1312 | Calculus II | 3 |
| MATH 1411 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 2300 | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
or | ||
| Discrete Structures I and Discrete Structures II | ||
| Computer Science Major | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| CS 3195 | Junior Professionl Orientation | 1 |
| CS 3331 | Adv. Object-Oriented Programng C | 3 |
| CS 3350 | Automata/Computabi/Formal Lang | 3 |
| CS 3360 | Design/Implementation Prog Lan | 3 |
| CS 3432 | Comp Arch I: Comp Org/Design C | 4 |
| CS 4175 | Parallel Computing | 1 |
| CS 4310 | Software Eng: Requirements Eng C | 3 |
| CS 4311 | Software Eng: Design & Implmnt | 3 |
| CS 4342 | Data Base Management | 3 |
| CS 4375 | Theory of Operating Systems | 3 |
| MATH 3323 | Matrix Algebra | 3 |
| Statistics: | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intro to Prob. w/ App. in ECE | ||
| Probability and Statistics | ||
| Probability | ||
| Additional Mathematics or Science Option: | ||
| Option A: Mathematics (Select one course from the following): | ||
| Calculus III | ||
| Intro. to Higher Mathematics | ||
| Differential Equations | ||
| Actuarial Mathematics | ||
| Principles of Mathematics | ||
| Numerical Analysis | ||
| Statistics Inference | ||
| Applied Regression Analysis | ||
| Option B: An additional 3 credit lecture course from the list of science courses above | ||
| Select an additional 3 hours from the list below that has NOT been used to satisfy the Lab-Lecture University Core Life and Physical Sciences requirement | ||
| Elem Astronomy-Solar System | ||
| General Biology | ||
| Organismal Biology | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| Intro to Physical Geology | ||
| Intro to Historical Geol | ||
| Introductory Electromagnetism | ||
| Technical Electives: | ||
| Select 15 hours from the following: 1 | 15 | |
| CS 1110 | Intro to Problem Solving | 1 |
| CS 1120 | Computational Thinking | 1 |
| CS 1190 | Special Topics in Computing | 1 |
| CS 1290 | Special Topics in Computing | 2 |
| CS 2210 | Algo. Thinking in Prob. Solv. | 2 |
| CS 3000 or 4000 level course | ||
| Free Electives: | ||
| Complete three additional hours of free electives 2 | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| C Courses require a grade of C or better. | ||
| 1 CS 1110, CS 1120, CS 2210, CS 1190, CS 1290, CS 3000 or 4000 level course. No more than three credit hours of CS 1xxx and CS 2xxx can count for technical electives. No more than six credit hours of CS 1xxx, CS 2xxx, CS 4390, CS 4181, CS 4371, CS 4x73, CS 4392 and/or CS 4393 (in any combination) can count for technical electives. | ||
| 2 Courses that may be counted towards the free elective requirements are college-level courses offered by the college of Liberal Arts, Business, Science, or Engineering. Remedial courses cannot be counted as a free elective. | ||
Concentrations
Secure Cyber Systems
Students earning a B.S. in Computer Science can select a concentration in Secure Cyber-Systems by taking a set of courses with significant computer security content. Students must take the following five courses:
- CS 4316 Computer Networks
- CS 4318 Wireless Networks
- CS 4351 Computer Security
- CS 4379 Software Reverse Engineering
- CS 4177 Software Vulnerabilities
Software Engineering
Students earning a B.S. in Computer Science can select a concentration in Software Engineering by taking the following set of courses.
Students must take the following two courses:
Students must take one course from the following list:
- CS 4330 Mobile Application Development
- CS 4339 Secure Web-Based Systems
- CS 4371 Computer Science Problems
- CS 4373 Computer Science Internship
- CS 4381 Topics Software Engineering
Data Analytics
Students earning a B.S. in Computer Science can select a concentration in Data Analytics by taking the following set of courses.
Student must take the following two courses:
Students must take one course from the following list:
University Core Curriculum
NOTE: The department may make specific suggestions for courses which are most applicable towards your major.
Psychology and Criminal Justice majors and minors are required to take MATH 1320 Math for Social Sciences I or a higher level Calculus course.
Business majors are required to take MATH 1320 Math for Social Sciences I or a higher level Calculus course.
NOTE: All courses require a C or better
Communication (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objective of the communication component is to enable the student to communicate effectively in clear and correct prose or orally in a style appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience. | ||
| Select six hours of the following: | 6 | |
| For students whose secondary education was in English: | ||
| Written and Oral Communication | ||
| Writing About Literature | ||
| Rhetoric & Composition I | ||
| Rhetoric & Composition 2 | ||
| Rhetoric, Composition & Comm | ||
| For students whose secondary education was not in English: | ||
| ESOL 1311 | Expos Engl Compos-Spkr Esl | 3 |
| ESOL 1312 | Res & Crit Writng Spkr Esl | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
American History (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objectives of the history component are to expand students’ knowledge of the origin and history of the U.S., their comprehension of the past and current role of the U.S. in the world, and their ability to critically evaluate and analyze historical evidence. U.S. history courses (three hours must be Texas history) include: | ||
| HIST 1301 | History of U.S. to 1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1302 | History of U.S. Since 1865 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 6 | |
Language, Philosophy & Culture (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objective of the humanities component is to expand students' knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as literature and philosophy, students engage in critical analysis and develop an appreciation of the humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Latina/o Presence in the U.S. | ||
| English Literature | ||
| English Literature | ||
| Intro to American Fiction | ||
| Intro to American Drama | ||
| Intro to American Poetry | ||
| Making of the "Other" Americas | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| World History Since 1500 | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Introduct to Religious Studies | ||
| Seeing & Naming: Conversations | ||
| Introduction to Womens Studies | ||
| Global Feminisms | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Mathematics (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objective of the mathematics component is to develop a quantitatively literate college graduate. Every college graduate should be able to apply basic mathematical tools in the solution of real-world problems. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Algebra | ||
| Trigonometry and Conics | ||
| Math in the Modern World | ||
| Math for Social Sciences I | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Precalculus 1,2 | ||
| Math for Social Sciences II | ||
| Statistical Literacy | ||
| Elementary Statistical Methods | ||
| 1 A higher-level course in the calculus sequence can be substituted. | ||
| 2 TCCN MATH 1314 will also satisfy this requirement. | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Life & Physical Sciences (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objective of the study of the natural sciences is to enable the student to understand, construct, and evaluate relationships in the natural sciences, and to enable the student to understand the bases for building and testing theories. The courses listed are for non-majors; the major courses in the discipline can be substituted for the non-major sequence. A minimum of two semesters of lecture and one semester of laboratory associated with one of the courses, or two semesters of combined (3 credit) lecture-laboratory courses (Only six hours apply toward the required 42.): | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1-4 | |
| Astronomy Lab I | ||
| Elem Astronomy-Solar System | ||
| Elem Astr Stars & Galaxies | ||
| Introductory Biology Lab | ||
| Human Biology Laboratory | ||
| Topics in Study of Life I | ||
| Organismal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Human Biology | ||
| General Biology | ||
| Organismal Biology | ||
| Human Anat/Physio Lab I | ||
| Human Anat/Physio Lab II | ||
| Human Anat/Physiology I | ||
| Human Anat/Physiology II | ||
| Laboratory for CHEM 1305 | ||
| Laboratory for CHEM 1306 | ||
| Intro General Chemistry Lab | ||
| Intro Organic & Biochem Lab | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| Intro to General Chemistry | ||
| Intro Organic & Biochemistry | ||
| Environmental Sci. Lab | ||
| Non-major Lab for ESCI 1301 | ||
| Intro to Environment Science 2 | ||
| Intro to Environmental Sci | ||
| Laboratory for GEOG 1306 | ||
| Physical Geography | ||
| Lab for GEOL 1313 | ||
| Lab for GEOL 1314 | ||
| Principles of Earth Sci - Lab | ||
| Laboratory for Geology 1212 | ||
| Principles of Earth Sciences | ||
| Principles of Earth Science | ||
| The Blue Planet | ||
| Natural Hazards | ||
| Intro to Physical Geology | ||
| Intro to Historical Geol | ||
| Fundamentals of Nutrition | ||
| Wellness Dynamics | ||
| Microorganisms and Disease | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Introductory Mechanics | ||
| Introductory Electromagnetism | ||
| Total Hours | 1-4 | |
Political Science (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objectives of the political science component are to expand students’ knowledge of the origin and evolution of the U.S. and Texas political systems, focusing on the growth of political institutions, and on the constitutions of Texas and the United States; and to enhance their understanding of federalism, states rights, and individual civil liberties, rights, and responsibilities. | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| POLS 2310 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| POLS 2311 | American Gover & Politics | 3 |
| Total Hours | 6 | |
Social and Behavioral Sciences (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objective of the social and behavioral science component is to increase students' knowledge of how social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intro-Phys Anth/Archeolog | ||
| Intro-Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Intro to Linguistics | ||
| Econ for Engrs & Scientists | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Mass Media and Society | ||
| Principles of Economics | ||
| Principles of Economics | ||
| Introduction to Ed Psychology | ||
| Action Research in Classrooms | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| An Intro. to Linguistics | ||
| Lang. Inside & Out: Sel Topics | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Creative Arts (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objective of the visual and performing arts component is to expand students' knowledge and appreciation of the human imagination as expressed through works of visual art, dance, music, theatre and film. Through study in these disciplines, students will form aesthetic judgments and develop an appreciation of the arts as fundamental to the health and survival of any society. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art Appreciation | ||
| History of Art I | ||
| History of Art II | ||
| Dance Appreciation | ||
| Intro-Art of Motion Pict. | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Jazz to Rock | ||
| Music, Culture, and Society | ||
| Introduction to Theatre | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Component Area Option (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The objective of the institutionally designated option component is to develop the critical thinking skills and academic tools required to be an effective learner. Special emphasis is placed on the use of technology in problem-solving, communications, and knowledge acquisition. | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Intro to Global Business | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Business/Profession Comm | ||
| Intro-Computational Thinking | ||
| Computer Programming Sci/Engr | ||
| Eng Innovation and Leadership | ||
| Inquiry in Math & Science | ||
| Seminar/Critical Inquiry | ||
| Total Hours | 6 | |