Computer Science (BA)

College of Arts and Sciences

Program Website

Program Description

The Department of Computer Science is part of the Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science and is affiliated with both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. Students in either college may major in computer science. Computer science majors take courses covering algorithms, artificial intelligence, data structures, programming languages, systems, theory and offer a wide variety of electives. In addition to the major requirements (a minimum of 20 courses are necessary to complete the major), all students must meet Arts & Sciences graduation requirements.

Admission

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

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If only AP/CASE credit appears, then another critical math course must be taken at Cornell to affiliate.

Honors Program

Departmental honors in Computer Science is granted to students who have achieved a cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.5 during their penultimate and final semesters and completed a set of coherent courses and research activities that satisfy the following requirements.

The program consists of at least 9 credits beyond the minimum required for graduation, as follows:

  • at least two 3-credit semesters of CS 4999 with a CS faculty member, with grades of A– or better each semester.

  • at least one CS course (at least 3 credit hours) at or above the 5000 level with a grade of A– or better.  No seminars are allowed, and no courses that co-meet or are cross-listed with 4000-level courses are allowed.

Note: Honors courses may not be used to satisfy the CS 4000+ elective requirement, the CS project requirement, the technical electives, or the 3+ credit elective.