Computer Science BS / Computer Science MS

Major: Computer Science
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 225.5
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Five years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code:
 11.0701
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-3021

About the Program

The College of Computing & Informatics offers an accelerated degree program designed to allow students to complete both a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree along with cooperative educational experience in fewer years than would be typical if pursuing the degrees separately. 

Admission Requirements

The guidelines for applying to the Computer Science BS/MS Accelerated Degree program are as follows:

  • University regulations require application after the completion of 90.0 credits but before the completion of 120.0 credits.
  • Applicants must have an overall cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher. 
  • Letters of recommendation from two Computer Science faculty are required. 
  • Students must submit a plan of study. Consult your advisor and course schedules for guidance.
  • Applicants must have completed the following courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50

Degree Requirements

The courses below should be taken at Drexel. Seek guidance from your advisor regarding additional coursework if any courses below have been taken outside of Drexel.
CS 171Computer Programming I3.0
or CS 175 Advanced Computer Programming I
CS 172Computer Programming II3.0
or CS 176 Advanced Computer Programming II
CS 260Data Structures3.0
CS 265Advanced Programming Tools and Techniques3.0
CS 270Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science3.0
CS 281Systems Architecture4.0
MATH 221Discrete Mathematics3.0

Requirements 

The requirements of the Computer Science BS/MS program follow the requirements of both the BS in Computer Science and the MS in Computer Science. Students must complete all the requirements of the BS in Computer Science except that they may replace 6.0 credits of free electives (still maintaining the 180.0 credit minimum for the BS degree) with graduate coursework. In addition, students must complete 45.0 credits of graduate courses to satisfy the requirements of the MS in Computer Science. Please refer to the linked program pages for the details of these requirements.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements
Computer Science Requirements
CS 164Introduction to Computer Science3.0
CS 171Computer Programming I3.0
or CS 175 Advanced Computer Programming I
CS 172Computer Programming II3.0
or CS 176 Advanced Computer Programming II
CS 260Data Structures3.0
CS 265Advanced Programming Tools and Techniques3.0
CS 270Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science3.0
CS 277Algorithms and Analysis3.0
CS 281Systems Architecture4.0
CS 283Systems Programming3.0
CS 360Programming Language Concepts3.0
SE 181Introduction to Software Engineering and Development3.0
SE 310Software Architecture I3.0
Computer Science concentration courses (see below)18.0
Computer Science electives (see below)6.0
Computing & Informatics Requirements
CI 101Computing and Informatics Design I2.0
CI 102Computing and Informatics Design II2.0
CI 103Computing and Informatics Design III2.0
CI 491 [WI] Senior Project I3.0
CI 492 [WI] Senior Project II3.0
CI 493 [WI] Senior Project III3.0
Mathematics Requirements
MATH 121Calculus I4.0
MATH 122Calculus II4.0
MATH 123Calculus III4.0
MATH 200Multivariate Calculus4.0
MATH 201Linear Algebra4.0
MATH 221Discrete Mathematics3.0
MATH 311Probability and Statistics I4.0
Science Requirements19.0
Select one of the following lab science sequences:
Cells and Biomolecules
and Cells and Biomolecules Lab
and Genetics and Evolution
and Genetics and Evolution Lab
and Physiology and Ecology
and Anatomy and Ecology Lab
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry III
Fundamentals of Physics I
and Fundamentals of Physics II
and Fundamentals of Physics III
Science electives (see below)
Arts & Humanities Requirements
COM 230Techniques of Speaking3.0
ENGL 101Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research3.0
or ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENGL 102Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing3.0
or ENGL 112 English Composition II
ENGL 103Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres3.0
or ENGL 113 English Composition III
PHIL 311Ethics and Information Technology3.0
Writing & Communications electives (see below)6.0
Arts & Humanities, Business, or Social Studies electives (see below) *18.0
Universtiy Requirements
CIVC 101Introduction to Civic Engagement1.0
COOP 101Career Management and Professional Development1.0
UNIV CI101The Drexel Experience2.0
or CI 120 CCI Transfer Student Seminar
Free electives15.5
Graduate Degree Requirements
Core Requirements
Students must take 1 course from each pair
CS 500Fundamentals of Databases3.0
or CS 510 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
CS 521Data Structures and Algorithms I3.0
or CS 525 Theory of Computation
CS 530Developing User Interfaces3.0
or CS 540 High Performance Computing
CS 536Computer Graphics3.0
or CS 583 Introduction to Computer Vision
CS 543Operating Systems3.0
or CS 544 Computer Networks
CS 550Programming Languages3.0
or SE 575 Software Design
Major Electives15.0
Student must take an additional 5 CS-related courses from the following categories
From the courses listed below, excluding any courses taken to fulfill a core requirement and spanning at least 2 categories
Theory
Data Structures and Algorithms I (Core Candidate)
Data Structures and Algorithms II
Theory of Computation (Core Candidate)
Algorithmic Game Theory
Advanced Data Structure and Algorithms
Approximation Algorithms
Computational Geometry
Intelligent Systems
Fundamentals of Databases (Core Candidate)
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (Core Candidate)
Robot Laboratory
Advanced Artificial Intelligence
Game Artificial Intelligence
Knowledge-based Agents
Machine Learning
Deep Learning
Data Analysis at Scale
Responsible Data Analysis
Programming Systems
Programming Languages (Core Candidate)
Program Generation and Optimization
Reverse Software Engineering
Parallel Programming
Software Design (Core Candidate)
Software Reliability and Testing
Software Architecture
Security Engineering
Computer Systems
Operating Systems (Core Candidate)
Computer Networks (Core Candidate)
Advanced Operating Systems
Network Security
Distributed Systems Software
Vision and Graphics
Computer Graphics (Core Candidate)
Interactive Computer Graphics
Game Engine Programming
Introduction to Computer Vision (Core Candidate)
Advanced Computer Vision
Advanced Computer Graphics
Applications
Developing User Interfaces (Core Candidate)
High Performance Computing (Core Candidate)
Applied Symbolic Computation
Privacy
Cognitive Systems
Computer Algebra I
Computer Algebra II
From MSSE Core Courses
Software Design
Software Reliability and Testing
Requirements Engineering and Management
Software Project Management
From the following MSDS Core Courses
Data Acquisition and Pre-Processing
Data Analysis and Interpretation
Additional Graduate-Level Courses12.0
Four (4) additional graduate level courses are required, which could be:
Up to 6 credits for the thesis option
Up to 2 CS Independent Studies
Additional appropriate graduate level Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science or Artificial Intelligence courses, consulting with your advisor
Total Credits225.5
*

At least 3.0 credits must be taken from a Business category course (see below) and at least 3.0 credits must be taken from a Social Studies category (see below)

When completing undergraduate CS electives and graduate CS courses, students should take care to avoid equivalent courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Please consult with your advisor for courses that should not be taken at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Program Electives

Independent Study courses and Special Topics courses must be approved by the department prior to enrollment to satisfy a program elective requirement.

Computer Science Concentrations

Students must complete two of the following Computer Science concentrations for a total of 18.0 credits. The concentrations may overlap by one course. Students should check with the College for any additional Special Topics courses being offered that may be appropriate for one of the concentrations. The student may propose a Student Defined Concentration with departmental approval.

The selected concentrations require 3 courses with a minimum of 9.0 credits and at least one Core Course
Algorithms and Theory
Applied Symbolic Computation
Algorithmic Number Theory and Cryptography
Theory of Computation *
Compiler Implementation
Data Structures and Algorithms I *
Data Structures and Algorithms II
Numerical Analysis I
Numerical Analysis II
Introduction to Optimization Theory
Cryptography
Computer Systems & Architecture
Computing in the Small
Processor Architecture & Analysis
Concurrent Programming
Operating Systems *
Software Defined Radio Laboratory
Compiler Implementation
Database Systems *
Computer Networks: Theory, Applications and Programming *
Network Security
High Performance Computing
Advanced Network Security
Cloud Computing and Big Data
Design with Embedded Processors
Modern Processor Design
Introduction to Parallel Computer Architecture
High Performance Computing
Programming Languages and Systems
Concurrent Programming *
Operating Systems
Software Security
Software Defined Radio Laboratory
Theory of Computation *
Compiler Implementation
Database Systems
Introduction to Parallel Computer Architecture
Computer Graphics, Vision, and Interaction
Computing in the Small
Graphical User Interfaces
Serious Game Development
Experimental Game Development
Computer Game Design and Development
Web Development *
Game AI Development
Computer Graphics
Advanced Rendering Techniques
Interactive Computer Graphics *
Computational Photography
Game Development: Workshop I
Game Development: Workshop II
Human-Centered Design Process & Methods
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence *
Machine Learning
Evolutionary Computing
Game AI Development
Advanced Artificial Intelligence
Topics in Artificial Intelligence
Recommender Systems
Applied Deep Learning
Computer Security and Privacy
Applied Symbolic Computation
Algorithmic Number Theory and Cryptography
Software Security *
Privacy and Trust
Network Security *
Advanced Network Security
Cryptography
Software Engineering
Graphical User Interfaces
Web Development
Software Project Management
Software Architecture II *
Software Verification and Validation *
Software Evolution
Open Source Software Engineering
Game Programming and Development
Serious Game Development
Experimental Game Development
Computer Game Design and Development *
Game AI Development
Game Development: Workshop I
Game Development: Workshop II
*

Core Course

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CI 1012.0CI 1022.0CI 1032.0VACATION
CS 1643.0CIVC 1011.0CS 172 or 1763.0 
MATH 1214.0COOP 101*1.0ENGL 103 or 1133.0 
ENGL 101 or 1113.0CS 171 or 1753.0MATH 1234.0 
UNIV CI1011.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0UNIV CI1011.0 
(UG) Lab Science course4.5MATH 1224.0Arts/Humanities4.0 
 (UG) Lab Science course4.5  
 17.5 18.5 17 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CS 2653.0CS 2603.0CS 2773.0CS 2833.0
CS 2703.0MATH 2004.0CS 2814.0CS 3603.0
MATH 2014.0MATH 2213.0COM 2303.0(UG) Writing & Communications elective3.0
SE 1813.0(UG) Science elective3.0SE 3103.0(UG) Arts & Humanities electives5.0
Science elective4.5(UG) Writing & Communications elective3.0(UG) Science elective3.0 
 17.5 16 16 14
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
MATH 3114.0(UG) Arts & Humanities elective4.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
PHIL 3113.0(UG) Computer Science electives12.0  
(UG) Computer Science electives9.0   
 16 16 0 0
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CS 4913.0CI 4923.0CI 4933.0(GR) MS Core courses6.0
(UG) Business elective4.0(UG) Free electives7.0(UG) Free elective3.0(GR) MS Major elective3.0
(UG) Science elective3.0(UG) Free elective / (GR) MS Core course3.0(UG) Computer Science3.0 
(UG) Free elective / (GR) MS Core Course3.0 (UG) Arts & Humanities elective3.0 
  Student awarded BS Degree 
  Classified as Graduate status 
 13 13 12 9
Fifth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
(GR) MS Core course3.0(GR) MS Core course3.0(GR) MS Major elective3.0 
(GR) MS Major electives6.0(GR) MS Major elective3.0(GR) MS electives6.0 
(GR) MS Elective3.0(GR) MS elective3.0  
 12 9 9 
Total Credits 225.5
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