Advising for CS Majors

Information Resources:

• CS Major requirements (catalog)
• HMC Common Core (catalog)
• CS Course Precedence Diagram
• Overload Policy
• List of Integrative Experience Courses
• List of Frosh Aerobic PE Courses
• H&SS Revised Curriculum FAQ
• H&SS Advising Handbook

General Comments:

• Mailing Lists
  • All CS Majors should subscribe themselves to the cs-majors-XX-l@hmc.edu mailing list, where XX is the year you expect to graduate (09, 10, 11, ...). Some very important announcements go to this list.
• The Common Core:
  • You must attempt all Common Core courses within your first 5 semesters.
  • However, the standard first-year courses have a shorter 4-semester deadline.
  • If you test out of BIO 52 but are required to take a replacement biology course, that course must still be attempted within the first 5 semesters.
  • Try to finish in 4 semesters if possible. Sometimes there are schedule conflicts between required Core courses and CS or Math courses, and petitions to delay finishing the Core make the Scholarly Standing Committee unhappy.
    
• CS Classes:
  • All required CS courses are offered every semester, except for CS 121 which is Spring-only. Sometimes they're offered at Pomona, but these are considered equivalent. You can also take electives at Pomona.
  • At the moment CS 105 (Computer Systems) and CS 131 (PLs) have two sections offered in the Fall and one in the Spring; CS 140 (Algorithms) is the other way around. It's easier to get into these courses in the semester with two sections. However, the department may switch to offering two sections a year (of equal size) instead.
  • When taking the Computer Science GRE, it helps if you've finished the required CS courses.
    
• Colloquium:
  • You need four semesters of CS colloquium.
  • The course numbers CS 193, 194, 195, and 196 correspond to Fall/junior, Spring/junior, Fall/senior, and Spring/senior; try to collect the whole set.
  • Occasionally students sign up for colloquium as sophomores, and these do count towards the four required colloquia.
  • The colloquium requirement is waived for each semester spent studying abroad.
  • If want to take a course that conflicts with the colloquium time slot, you can attend another department's colloquium series instead; let the CS department know first, though.
    
• Clinic:
  • A minority of CS majors take CS 121 as a sophomore and clinic as a junior, often followed by a research project as a senior.
  • However, there is some recent thought that grad-school bound students might be better off doing an independent research project as a junior (if they haven't done summer research); grad schools are very interested in hearing about your research ability, and it's hard for a professor to say much when writing a letter of recommendation just a few weeks into a research project.
  • Students cannot do a senior thesis instead of clinic. Doing research and clinic is permitted, of course.
• Double Majors:
  • Double majors (CS and Physics, CS and Economics, CS and Math, ...) have the same CS requirements as anyone else in the CS major.
    • Consequence 1: Although the CS department believes in the value of a broad education, it also believes that the CS degree certifies a certain level of experience and accomplishment. The CS department will not waive requirements just to make it easier to double major. (For example, you have to complete CS Clinic to get a CS degree; signing up for a Physics clinic or a Math thesis won't suffice.)
    • Consequence 2: There aren't any extra requirements or restrictions for double majors. If a course satisfies a CS requirement, it doesn't matter whether it is being used to satisfy another major's requirement.
• Humanities
  • All students must fulfill the H&SS Requirements (currently HUM 1 plus 11 other courses satisfying various distribution criteria).
  • Every student has a humanities advisor (their HUM 1 professor) who can answer questions about the details
• Integrative Experience
  • You need at least one course that has been certified as an Integrative Experience.
    
• Physical Education:
  • You need 3 PE credits (Frosh PE + 2 others).
  • Each semester, the PE Department distributes a list of PE courses that can be used to fulfill the Frosh Aerobic PE requirement. A full season in an intercollegiate team or approved club sports team can fulfill the Frosh PE requirement.
  • After the Frosh year, a full season in an intercollegiate team or approved club sports team can fulfill both of the remaining PE requirements.
  • Students must officially register for a team they play on, just like registering for any other class, or else PE credit will not be awarded.
• Graduation:
  • You need both cumulative and major GPAs of 2.00 or better.
  • You need 3 PE credits (Frosh PE + 2 others).
  • You need at least three technical electives (CS or, with the approval of the advisor, CS-related courses in other fields such as Math or Engineering). Two semesters of research with the same advisor can count as a single technical elective.
  • The only CS courses you should take Pass/Fail are "extra" electives; all required courses and electives that count towards fulfilling the major requirements need letter grades.
  • You need 128 units total, an average of 16 units per semester. There are 47 units in the Common Core, 30 units in the H&SS requirements (not counting Hum 1 and Hum 2 in the Common Core), and 39 units in the CS Major requirements, and 47+30+39 is 116. Thus, in addition to the formal requirements you must take at least 12 more units; these can be anything you want. (If your IE course doesn't count towards the H&SS requirement, you'd take 3 units of IE and 9 units of anything you want.)

Comments on Specific Semesters:

Semester 2 (Spring of Freshman Year)

• Geoff says: Frosh who are planning a CS major should consider taking Math 55, especially if they have grad-school plans.

Semester 3 (Fall of Sophomore Year)

• MATH 61 and MATH 62
• If you didn't successfully complete all the first-semester courses, you must finish them off this semester.
• Geoff says: Traditionally a tough semester (E&M, Stems, often CS 70). Consider lightening load if student is having trouble. Postponing CS 70 is a popular option, as is postponing Stems.
• If the Core courses are not a problem, a few students take CS 70 and CS 81 simultaneously.
• Aim for at least 48 units completed
• Should finish CS 60 by this semester (likely for anyone wanting to be a CS major)
• The minority of students who want to do Clinic as a junior must finish CS 70 by this semester.

Semester 4 (Spring of Sophomore Year)

• MATH 63 and MATH 64
• If you didn't successfully complete all the first-year Spring courses, you must finish them off this semester.
• Should finish MATH 55 and CS 70 by this semester.
• Try to finish up the Common Core (BIO 52, Stems, ...).
• CS 121 (LSD) must be taken by this semester to do clinic as a junior.
• Aim for at least 64 units completed

Semester 5 (Fall of Junior Year)

• The Common Core should be completed by the end of this semester.
• CS 193 (CS Colloquium) required, the first of four such semesters.
• Aim for at least 80 units completed

Semester 6 (Spring of Junior Year)

• CS 194 (CS Colloquium)
• CS 121 (LSD) must be taken if not already completed, to allow CS clinic as a senior.
• Think about when you'll finish the IE and PE requirements.
• Aim for at least 96 units completed

Semester 7 (Fall of Senior Year)

• CS 195 (CS Colloquium).
• CS 183 (CS Clinic) is required, if it has not yet been completed
• CS 81 required if not completed, to permit PLs the following semester.
• Think about finishing the IE and PE requirements
• Make sure all requirements can be completed in one more semester
• Aim for at least 112 units completed

Semester 8 (Spring of Senior Year)

• CS 196 (CS Colloquium).
• CS 184 (CS Clinic) required, if not already taken.
• Must have taken an IE course
• Must have taken 3 PE courses (PFD + 2 others)
• Must have completed all of the CS Major requirements, including three technical electives.
• Must have enough other courses to reach 128 units.