Courses

• CS Undergraduate Courses
• Anticipated Course Offerings
• Capstone Courses
• Technical Electives
• Official Undergraduate Catalog

Undergraduate Computer Science Courses

1000 Level Courses

• CS1014: Introduction to Computational Thinking

• CS1044: Introduction to Programming in C

• CS1054: Introduction to Programming in Java

• CS1064: Introduction to Programming in Python

• CS1114: Introduction to Software Design

• CS1124: Introduction to Media Computation

• CS1604: Introduction to the Internet

• CS1944: Computer Science 1st Year Seminar

2000 Level Courses

• CS2064: Intermediate Programming in Python

• CS2104: Introduction to Problem Solving in Computer Science

• CS2114: Software Design & Data Structures

• CS2304: Self Study in a Programming System

• CS2505: Introduction to Computer Organization I

• CS2506: Introduction to Computer Organization II

• CS2974: Independent Study

3000 Level Courses

• CS3114: Data Structures & Algorithms

• CS3214: Computer Systems

• CS3304: Comparative Languages

• CS3414: Numerical Methods

• CS3604: Professionalism in Computing

• CS3634: Computer Science Foundations for CMDA

• CS3654: Introductory Data Analytics and Visualization

• CS3704: Intermediate Software Design and Engineering

• CS3714: Mobile Software Development

• CS3724: Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction

• CS3744: Introduction to GUI Programming and Graphics

• CS3754: Cloud Software Development

• CS3824: Introduction to Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

• CS3984: User Experience Design

4000 Level Courses

• CS4104: Data and Algorithm Analysis

• CS4114: Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata Theory

• CS4124: Theory of Computation

• CS4134: Quantum Computing & Information Processing

• CS4204: Computer Graphics

• CS4214: Simulation and Modeling

• CS4234: Parallel Computation

• CS4254: Computer Network Architecture and Programming

• CS4264: Principles of Computer Security

• CS4284: Systems & Networking Capstone

• CS4304: Compiler Design and Implementation

• CS4414: Issues in Scientific Computing

• CS4504: Computer Organization

• CS4570: Wireless Networks and Mobile Systems

• CS4604: Introduction to Data Base Management Systems

• CS4624: Multimedia, Hypertext and Information Access

• CS4634: Design of Information

• CS4644: Creative Computing Studio

• CS4654: Intermediate Data Analytics and Machine Learning

• CS4704: Software Engineering Capstone

• CS4784: Human-Computer Interaction Capstone

• CS4804: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

• CS4824: Machine Learning

• CS4884: Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Capstone

• CS4944: Senior Seminar

• CS4974: Independent Study

• CS4994: Undergraduate Research

Anticipated Undergraduate Course Offerings

(Last updated August 14, 2023)

The table below shows the courses the computer science department plans to offer through Spring 2025. This list should be considered tentative, and is subject to resource constraints and enrollment. See the Virginia Tech Time Table for scheduling details for specific semesters.

Course offering key:

• "N" are for non-majors; students intending to major or minor in CS should not take these courses
• "C" satisfy the CS capstone requirement
• "E" are taught by ECE faculty
• "M" are taught by Math faculty
• "S" are taught by Stat faculty

Summer 2023 Anticipated Offerings:

• Summer I: 1064, 1114, 2104, 2114, 2505, 3114, 3604, 3714, 4104, 4824
• Summer II: 1064, 1114, 2114, 2506, 3114, 3304, 3704, 3754

Capstone Courses

Computer science majors must take at least one course from an approved list of capstone courses. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that students have at least one course that synthesizes and integrates skills and knowledge acquired throughout the CS undergraduate curriculum, and which includes a significant design experience, where teamwork and written and oral communication are a key part of that design experience.

Characteristics of a Capstone Course

Although the various 4000 level courses designated as capstone courses focus on different problem domains and may be organized differently, all capstone courses are distinguished by the following characteristics:

• Requires synthesis and integration of knowledge and skills acquired across the curriculum to solve a significant open-ended problem.
• Provides a significant design experience in developing a solution, including the examination of multiple design alternatives, with justification for the final path taken.
• Uses teamwork.
• Requires significant written, oral and visual deliverables, including a summative report and presentation. 
• Includes multiple reflection activities, perhaps repeated periodically, e.g., individual reflective writing assignments, design or code reviews, group or individual peer reviews.
• Includes an evaluation or assessment activity to gauge the merit the solution.  

Approved CS Capstone Courses

• CS 4284: Systems & Networking Capstone
• CS 4274: Secure Computing Capstone
• CS 4414: Issues in Scientific Computing (when taught by CS faculty)
• CS 4624: Multimedia, Hypertext & Information Access
• CS 4634: Design of Information
• CS 4644: Creative Computing Studio
• CS 4664: Data-Centric Computing Capstone
• CS 4704: Software Engineering Capstone
• CS 4784: Human-Computer Interaction Capstone
• CS 4884: Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Capstone

In addition, individual CS 4994 Undergraduate Research projects where the supervising faculty member ensures the characteristics of a capstone course listed above are present (including working on a team, examining multiple design alternatives, providing significant written, oral and visual deliverables, evaluating or assessing merit of the solution, etc.) may be counted for capstone credit with prior approval from the Associate Department Head. For such CS 4994 projects, the supervising faculty member should include a request for capstone credit with an explanation of how capstone characteristics are achieved in the project proposal.

Technical Electives

Any Computer Science 3/4/5000-level course that is not otherwise used to fulfill a Computer Science requirement can be used as a technical elective.

Examples of non-CS courses that have been accepted as technical electives are below. Important: The inclusion of a course on this list does not guarantee access to the course for Computer Science majors. Some of these courses may be restricted by major, and instructor's permission would be needed to take the course. Others have prerequisites that must be met to be eligible to take the course.

Requests to have a non-CS course (not already on the list) approved as a technical elective are made by submitting a syllabus (not course description) by email to your academic advisor.  For consideration, the course must have significant technical content relevant to the science or application of computing.

Note: This includes non-CS Independent Study (4974) and Undergraduate Research (4994) courses. Special Study (4984) courses from outside the Computer Science Department may be approved, but only if the request is submitted for review before the start of the course.

For any new course approved as a technical elective, students will have to submit a course substitution request to ensure the credit is applied appropriately. Please submit this form once you have completed the course.