The purpose of the minor is to give students a strong foundation in, and understanding of, algorithmic reasoning, problem solving methods involving computers and computation, and a solid base to help students adapt to future changes in technology. It is also meant to complement and enhance any student's major program of study. The Computer Science minor is ideal for students who do not have time to complete a CS degree.
Restrictions: All majors are eligible for the Computer Science minor except students in Computer Engineering and the computing track of Immersive Media Design.
If you are applying for the Computer Science minor do not also apply for the Computer Science major. We request that you only apply for one.
Due to the volume of students in the Computer Science program, advisors are unable to meet with students prior to them officially declaring the minor. Students will have the option to meet with a CMNS Peer Mentor if they have questions about the Computer Science LEP. Questions regarding the Computer Science major or minor can also be directed to to ugrad [at] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu (subject: CS%20Minor) - please include your full name and 9 digit UID in all email correspondence.
Gateway Requirements
Effective for Spring 2025 admission to the minor, students will be required to complete the following gateway criteria:
- Completion of CMSC131 or CMSC133 or CMSC141 with a minimum grade B-*
- Completion of CMSC132 or CMSC142 with a minimum grade of B-*
- Completion of MATH140 with a minimum grade of B-
- A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all courses taken at the University of Maryland
* Indicates an Exemption Exam is available for this course.
Students may be in the process of completing their final gateway course at the time of their application, however, the final grade must be posted by the application deadline.
LEP Guidelines
The following guidelines pertain to all Limited Enrollment Programs
- Only one gateway course may be repeated to earn the required grade and that course may only be repeated once. When more than one course can satisfy a gateway requirement, taking a second course from the list will count as a repeat. (Please note that a grade of "W" is considered an attempt and must be repeated.)
- Students may apply only once to the Computer Science minor.
- Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 after admission to an LEP. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the minor.
Application Requirements
To apply to the minor, students must complete the online application by the 5th business day of the January or June. Students who are interested in declaring the minor but missed the deadline should plan to apply for the next academic semester. The application will be available the first Friday in November and April each academic year.
- Spring semester admission: January
- Fall semester admission: June
Students must also complete a 4 year academic plan. This 4 year plan must be feasible with your primary major and should be discussed with your academic advisor/advising college.
Important Note: If you are completing CMSC132 over the summer session, you are not eligible for the June deadline. You should apply for the January deadline.
Course Permissions
Students who have applied to the minor will only receive permission for their CMSC courses once they have been admitted to the minor. To be fair and equitable to all students applying to the minor, we cannot grant permission earlier than that time.
Curriculum
The minor in Computer Science consists of 15 - 24 credits; all courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
Outside of the gateway requirements listed, students are required to complete the following coursework:
- MATH141 - Calculus II (4cr.)
- CMSC216 - Introduction to Computer Systems (4cr.)*
- CMSC250 - Discrete Structures (4cr.)*
- CMSC330 - Organization of Programming Languages (3cr.)
- CMSC351 - Algorithms (3cr.)
- CMSC4XX and CMSC4XX - two courses from the approved course list
* Indicates an Exemption Exam is available for this course.
Students may not use more than one of CMSC460 or CMSC466 toward the minor.
Minor General Information
The Computer Science minor will be noted on a student's transcript at the time of graduation; it will not show on the diploma. Per University of Maryland policy the following pertain to the Computer Science minor:
- No more than six credits (or two courses) may be applied to satisfy both the requirements of a minor and a major program.
- Aside from the gateway courses, all courses required for a minor must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.
- An overall Minor GPA of 2.0 is required
- With prior permission of the Undergraduate Director, and at their discretion, at most one section (3 credits) of CMSC498, Independent Study, may substitute for one of the two core Computer Science electives.
- A minimum of 15 credits must be taken to satisfy the requirements of the minor; if a student has taken an exemption exam they will need to take additional coursework at the 400-level.
- At least six upper level credits applied to the minor must be taken at the university.
- A student must make progress in the minor each academic year in order to remain in the minor.