Computer science majors in CLAS take a solid foundation of core computer science courses while fulfilling requirements for a liberal arts education, including courses from the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and the study of a foreign language. Questions about the major should be directed to a department advisor.

Requirements for the Major

This major requires a minimum of 29 credits in foundation coursework, 35 credits in core coursework, and 9 credits of major electives. Students must earn minimum grades of C in coursework for the major. An exit interview is required in the student's last semester.

A student can request to transfer in a maximum of four courses toward required core Computer Science or required Computer Science elective coursework, dependent upon courses being deemed equivalent by the Department. Course equivalency requests should begin with the department advising office, followed by the undergraduate coordinator.

Students may opt to take COP 3504C in lieu of COP 3502C and COP 3503C. If elected, students will need to complete an additional 4 credits to complete the degree program.

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Students needing to satisfy the General Education Composition requirement should take ENC2210 or  ENC2254. Students who do not need the Composition credit should take ENC 3246. The ENC course must be completed with a C or better. A grade of C- or lower will not fulfill degree requirements.

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Students should check prerequisites when planning their major electives. Students should discuss electives with an advisor in the department. Individual study, co-op, internship, research, and special topics credits must be approved by an advisor in the department. 

Combination Degree Program

The computer science combination-degree program is a joint program between the colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences and is coordinated by the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering.

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

• Complete MAC 1147 or MAC 2311
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 2

• Complete MAC 2311
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

• Complete MAC 2312
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

• Complete MAC 2313; and PHY 2053/PHY 2053L or PHY 2048/PHY 2048L
• 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

• Complete COP 3502C or COP 3504C; and PHY 2054/PHY 2054L or PHY 2049/PHY 2049L
• 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 6

• Complete COP 3503C or COP 3504C; and COT 3100  
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 7

• Complete COP 3530
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 8

• Complete COP 4600
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Students are expected to complete the Writing, Civic Literacy, summer enrollment, and Quest requirements while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) requirements concurrently with another general education requirement (typically, GE-C, H, or S) as part of the CLAS Basic Distribution requirements. One of the two general education mathematics courses must be a pure math course.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences allows students additional flexibility in its Distribution Requirements. Students may count a maximum of 6 credits TOTAL from the CLAS Distribution course lists towards Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, or Biological and Physical Sciences, with no more than 3 credits of Humanities, 3 credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences, or 6 credits of Biological or Physical Sciences.

The full list of major-specific requirements for this major can be found on the Overview tab. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree requirements can be found on the College’s degree requirements page.

ENC 3246, MAC 2312, MAC 2313, PHY 2049, PHY 2049L, PHY 2054, PHY 2054L, STA 3032, MAS 3114, and MAS 4105 may count towards 3000-level or above electives outside of the major.

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

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CLAS Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Computer Science program exposes students to a broad range of disciplines, including programming languages, theory of computer science, physical science, mathematics, and software engineering. Students will graduate with the ability to apply knowledge of science and mathematics to computer science problems, to design computer systems or components to satisfy users' needs and to communicate technical information regarding computer systems to other computer scientists. This program emphasizes the broader aspects of computer science and is less technical in depth than the computer science program in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Pass assessment according to department rubric of student performance on a major design experience.
• Pass assessment in one or more core courses or individual assignments targeted to each SLO.
• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

1. Apply knowledge of mathematics and science to computer science problems.
2. Design a computing system, component, or process, analyzing and interpreting the data.
3. Use the techniques, skills, and tools necessary for computer science practice.

Critical Thinking

4. Design a computing system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, and health and safety constraints.
5. Identify, formulate, and solve computer science problems.

Communication

6. Communicate technical data and design information effectively in writing, in speech, and in multidisciplinary teams to other computer scientists.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Assessment Types

• Written assignments
• Exams
• Oral reports/presentations
• Exit survey