Majors › Computer Science, B.S. (Engineering)
Computer Science at Penn State: 4‑year plan & entrance requirements
Penn State’s suggested 8-semester route through the Computer Science B.S. at University Park, 127 credits in all, with every course titled and the Entrance to Major courses marked.
Entrance to Major
The courses you need before you can formally enter the major.
- One of: CMPSC 121 Introduction to Programming Techniques or CMPSC 131 Programming and Computation I: Fundamentals
- One of: CMPSC 122 Intermediate Programming or CMPSC 132 Programming and Computation II: Data Structures
- MATH 140 Calculus With Analytic Geometry I
- MATH 141 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II
- PHYS 211 General Physics: Mechanics
Each course needs a grade of C or better.
The bulletin gives more than one GPA figure depending on your situation, so check the official section for the one that applies to you.
There are other conditions too, such as credit windows, application deadlines or space limits, that aren’t summarised here.
Semester-by-semester plan
The order Penn State suggests, so prerequisites come first and credit loads stay balanced.
Entrance marks a course that counts toward the Entrance to Major requirements.
First year · Fall 16 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPSC 121 Introduction to Programming Techniques or CMPSC 131 Programming and Computation I: Fundamentals Entrance | 3 |
| CMPSC 150N Computing and Society | 3 |
| MATH 140 Calculus With Analytic Geometry I Entrance | 4 |
| ENGL 15 Rhetoric and Composition | 3 |
| General Education | 3 |
First year · Spring 15 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPSC 122 Intermediate Programming or CMPSC 132 Programming and Computation II: Data Structures Entrance | 3 |
| MATH 141 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II Entrance | 4 |
| PHYS 211 General Physics: Mechanics Entrance | 4 |
| General Education | 3 |
| General Education | 1 |
Second year · Fall 16 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPSC 221 Object Oriented Programming with Web-Based Applications | 3 |
| MATH 230 Calculus and Vector Analysis | 4 |
| MATH 220 Matrices | 2 |
| PHYS 212 General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| CAS 100A Effective Speech or CAS 100B Effective Speech | 3 |
Second year · Spring 15 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPSC 222 Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms in C | 3 |
| CMPSC 360 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science | 3 |
| CMPEN 270 Digital Design: Theory and Practice | 4 |
| General Education — Natural Sciences (GN) | 2 |
| General Education | 3 |
Third year · Fall 16 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPSC 315 Computer Systems I | 4 |
| CMPSC 320 Software Engineering Principles | 3 |
| CMPSC 465 Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 |
| STAT 318 Elementary Probability | 3 |
| General Education | 3 |
Third year · Spring 16 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPSC 316 Computer Systems II | 4 |
| CMPSC 461 Programming Language Concepts | 3 |
| STAT 319 Elementary Mathematical Statistics | 3 |
| ENGL 202C Effective Writing: Technical Writing | 3 |
| General Education | 3 |
Fourth year · Fall 16.5 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPSC 483W Software Design Methods | 3 |
| CMPEN 400-Level Course | 3 |
| CMPEN 400-Level Course | 3 |
| CMPEN 400-Level Course | 3 |
| General Education | 3 |
| General Education — Health and Wellness (GHW) | 1.5 |
Fourth year · Spring 16.5 credits
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CMPEN 400-Level Course | 3 |
| CMPEN 400-Level Course | 3 |
| CMPEN 400-Level Course | 3 |
| General Education | 3 |
| General Education | 3 |
| General Education — Health and Wellness (GHW) | 1.5 |
Source: the Suggested Academic Plan in the Penn State Undergraduate Bulletin. GradGPS is an independent student project and isn’t affiliated with Penn State. Requirements change, so confirm your plan with your adviser.
Already partway through?
This plan assumes you start from zero. GradGPS reads your LionPATH transcript, checks off what you’ve done, and reflows the rest of this plan around you, including AP, transfer credit and switched majors.
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