Computer Science Major

Summary of Requirements

• Five Computer Science Core Courses
• Five Computer Science Elective Courses (minimum of three courses required at the 300-level)
• MATH 220 - Discrete Mathematics  
• One Additional Mathematics or Statistics Course

Note: Private Reading courses do not normally count toward the major.

Entry-Level Course Sequence Suggestions

Most students who wish to study computer science or who wish to explore programming and algorithmic problem-solving should begin with CSCI 150 . This course does not assume any prior experience with programming and is appropriate for both potential majors and non-majors. Since the requirements for the major in computer science are substantial, students planning to major in the discipline are encouraged to begin the coursework in their first year at Oberlin taking CSCI 150  and CSCI 151  along with MATH 133 . It is, however, possible to complete the major without overloading starting with CSCI 150  in the fall of the sophomore year.

Honors Program

In the spring of the junior year, students may apply for admission to the Computer Science Honors Program by submitting a proposal for a project they will undertake in their final year. Most projects involve either original research in Computer Science or the development of an application that makes use of algorithms and techniques from recent papers.  All Honors projects include a thorough exploration of the primary literature.  Admission to the program will be based on past performance in classes as well as the quality and feasibility of the proposal.  Those admitted to the program will receive a full course credit for CSCI 401F each semester.  Honors students make several presentations of their work during the year, write a thesis on their research, and in the spring take a comprehensive examination prepared by an external examiner.

Computer Science Major Course Lists