Degree Requirements for CS Major

• Required Lower Level Coursework
• Upper Level Concentration
• LEP Benchmarks
• Degree Requirements
• Academic Planning Forms

Much of the knowledge at the early stage of the degree program is cumulative. To ensure incoming first-year and transfer students start with the appropriate courses, the department offers exemption exams for CMSC131, CMSC132, CMSC216, and CMSC250. Students who have had CS courses prior to starting at Maryland are encouraged to take our exemption exams.

Required Lower Level Coursework

All students, regardless of specialization, are required to take the following lower level coursework:

Math Requirements

Computer Science Requirements

MATH140 (4) Calculus I MATH141 (4) Calculus II STAT4XX (3) This course must have a prerequisite of MATH141; Cannot be crosslisted with CMSC MATH/STATXXX (3/4) This course must have a prerequisite of MATH141; Cannot be cross-listed with CMSC * Data Science, Machine Learning, and Quantum Information students must take a MATH Linear Algebra course (e.g. MATH240, MATH341 [must complete MATH340 first], or MATH461)

CMSC131 (4) Object-Oriented Programming I* or CMSC133 (2) Object-Oriented Programming I Beyond Fundamentals CMSC132 (4) Object-Oriented Programming II* CMSC216 (4) Introduction to Computer Systems* CMSC250 (4) Discrete Structures* CMSC330 (3) Organization of Programming Languages CMSC351 (3) Algorithms * An exemption exam is available for this course.

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Upper Level Coursework

CS students must complete 7 upper level courses in the major (or six 3-credit courses and three 1-credit STICS courses). These upper level requirements include:

Distributive Area Courses: All students, regardless of specialization, must complete 5 CMSC 400 level distributive area courses from at least 3 different distributive areas with no more than 3 courses in a given area.

CS Upper-Level Electives: Students must also complete 6 credits of CMSC 300-400 level elective coursework.

View the list of accepted Distributive Area and Upper-Level Elective Courses below:

Area 1: Systems

Area 2: Information Processing

Area 3: Software Engineering and Programming Languages

Area 4: Theory

Area 5: Numerical Analysis (choose one)

CMSC Upper-Level Electives

These courses do not count toward a distributive area for the General Track. If you have any questions about what courses will satisfy distributive area requirements, consult with your assigned academic advisor.

* Indicates this course has unique prerequisites/registration requirements.

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Upper Level Concentration

All students, regardless of specialization, must complete 12 credit hours of 300 - 400 level courses in one discipline outside of Computer Science with a cumulative GPA of 1.7 or higher in this coursework. No course that is in, or crosslisted as, CMSC may be counted in this requirement (e.g., AMSC460). Only 1 independent study or experiential learning course may be used. Students who are pursuing a minor or a double major/dual degree may use those credits in this area with the exception of a few majors/disciplines (e.g., Information Science). Please consult with your advisor to ensure the courses you plan to take to ensure they will satisfy this requirement. Visit our Upper-Level Concentration Page for a detailed breakdown of accepted Upper-Level Concentration courses.

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Limited Enrollment Program (LEP) Benchmarks*

* These benchmarks apply to new freshman (matriculated Fall 2019 and later), new transfer students, and internal transfers changing majors within the University *

All students will undergo a benchmark review at 45 and 75 credits. Students in the major are required to complete the following courses:

45-Credit Benchmark Requirements

• Completion of CMSC 131 with a minimum grade of C-
• Completion of CMSC 132 with a minimum grade of C-
• Completion of MATH 140 with a minimum grade of C-
• A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all courses taken at the University of Maryland and all other institutions

75-Credit Benchmark Requirements

• Completion of CMSC 330 with a minimum grade of C-
• Completion of CMSC 351 with a minimum grade of C-
• Completion of a STAT4XX course (prerequisite: MATH141) with a minimum grade of C- or MATH/AMSC/STAT course (prerequisite: MATH141) with a minimum grade of C-
• A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all courses taken at the University of Maryland and all other institutions

 

Please contact your advisor if you have concerns about meeting your benchmarks.

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Degree Requirements

Students within the Computer Science major may choose to pursue our General Track or one of four specializations offered. Students are not required to pursue a specialization but may find one best fits their interests. Students interested in declaring a specialization should speak with their assigned academic advisor.

Students, regardless of specialization, are required to fulfill their computer science upper level course requirements from at least 3 areas. Courses that fall within each area are listed in the General Track degree requirements. The five areas are: Area 1: Systems, Area 2: Information Processing, Area 3: Software Engineering and Programming Languages, Area 4: Theory, Area 5: Numerical Analysis.

For tracks allowing CMSC electives, three 1-credit CMSC STIC courses are equivalent to one 3-credit 300-400 level elective course. Visit UMD's official STICs website and our FAQ page for more information on STICs and see your assigned advisor for information on how STICs can fit into your specialization.

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