Advising
 In your college career you are assigned an advisor
in your major department. It is in your best interest to use these
individuals to answer any
questions you have regarding the major, minor, general education,
possible graduate school, etc.
Listed below are a few questions frequently asked by a C-S major or
someone taking a C-S course. Please do not hesitate to contact the
department if your question is not listed.
Course Registration
Computer Science Classes
CS Major and Minor
Who is my advisor?
The Computer Science department has a faculty advisor for each student.
This advisor will help you choose introductory computer science
classes, decide on a minor, and pick general education classes.
To find out the name of your advisor, please
e-mail the Computer Science Department or contact the College of
Science & Health, Student Services office in 124 Mitchell Hall.
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How can I find an internship?
After completing C-S340,
an internship becomes an option. Interns must have at least junior
status and a 2.25 GPA. Students can earn
1-15 credits for an internship, and the internship can occur during
the summer or a regular semester. An important thing to note is that
the credits count towards graduation, but DO NOT count towards the
requirements for a computer science major and DO NOT count towards
the alternate to a minor. (The 18 credits of 300-400 level classes
outside of computer science that is the alternative to a minor must
be in non-computer science courses.)
Tim Tritch in Career Services handles Computer Science internships.
For information, e-mail
or visit the Career Services office on 2nd floor Wilder.
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How can I find out about graduate school?
Students
interested in the Master of Software Engineering at UW-La Crosse should
contact Kasi Periyasamy at
or visit the MSE web page.
Students interested in a Masters or PhD program at another school
should contact either Dr. David Riley,
or Dr. Kenny Hunt,
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Do I need to take writing emphasis classes?
No. The
Computer Science department has been accepted into the Writing-In-The-Major
program. This means the required general education writing emphasis
courses will be fulfilled during the completion of your computer science
degree. You do not need to take two additional writing emphasis courses.
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Which CS courses count for General Education credit?
Both C-S 101, "Introduction to Computing", and C-S 120, "Software
Design 1", are options in Part I.B. - Skills/Mathematical/Logical
Systems and Foreign Languages: Tools for Structured Analysis and Communication.
(for information about the differences between C-S 101 and C-S 120
see "Which course is a better choice for me?").
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Which course C-S 101 or C-S 120 is a better choice for me?
C-S 101, "Introduction to Computing" is a computer literacy
offering. A student in this course will be introduced to how a computer
works and the role that computers play in our world today. In addition
the C-S 101 student will be expected to gain a certain level of proficiency
in word processing, spreadsheets and databases. C-S 101 is a good choice
for the individual who has very little, or no, experience with a computer
and wishes to gain a base level of general knowledge of computing.
(See also the C-S 101 course description.) C-S 101 has historically
been the preferred General Education CS course, except for students
from the College of Science and Allied Health and certain students
from the College of Business Administration
C-S 120 is the first course in a sequence of software development
courses. As such, this class provides an introduction to how to create
programs. (See also the C-S 120 course description.) No prior experience
in computing is required for this course, but it is expected that students
have previously completed the equivalent of a fourth-year high school
mathematics course or beyond. C-S 120 would be the best choice of a
C-S General Education course for any student planning to major in Computer
Science, Management Information Systems, or Mathematics, as well as
for any student planning to minor in Computer Science, Computational
Science, or Mathematics. In addition, any science major should give
consideration to C-S 120, since programming is becoming an important
skill in many scientific professions.
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Do I need to register for both a C-S 101 small group assembly and
a lecture?
Yes, you have to take both small assembly and lecture. However, when
you register for the small group assembly, the lecture will automatically
be added to your schedule.
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What classes should I take and when?
- Computer Science
classes
The first few classes follow a specific sequence...C-S 120,
then C-S 220, then C-S 340. C-S 270 can be taken at the same time
as either
C-S 220 or C-S 340. (MTH 225 is a prerequisite or corequisite to
C-S 270 and MTH 225 is a prerequisite to
C-S 340.) Once C-S 340 is completed, you can take a variety of required
and elective classes.
- General
Education classes
The most important courses to take early in
a computer science major are the beginning computer science courses
and the required mathematics
courses. Other General Education requirements can be sprinkled
throughout your schedule. Usually, the General Education requirements
should be
completed by the end of the junior year.
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What is the instructional
format in C-S 101?
C-S 101 is a 2-part course. For 110 minutes per week the C-S 101
student attends lectures that are conducted by computer science
faculty. The
remainder of the class consists of two 55-minute, Small Group Assemblies.
To be successful in C-S 101 a student must participate in both
parts of this course.
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Is there any flexibility in attending C-S 101 lectures?
No. Students are expected to attend both large lectures and small group
assemblies.
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Is the mathematics prerequisite for C-S 120 important?
Yes. While C-S 120 is not a mathematics course, it does require the
ability to reason abstractly. Previous experience has shown that
students who have failed to complete the prerequisite of a fourth-year
high school mathematics course (or the equivalent) have considerable
difficulty in C-S 120.
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When in a college career is it best to enroll in C-S courses?
More than most other university subjects, it is important to enroll
in C-S courses early. The skills acquired in C-S 101 can prove very
helpful for using the computer in your other coursework. Furthermore,
for those planning to enroll in multiple computing classes, it is
best to take C-S 120 early due to the extensive prerequisite structure
of the computer science curriculum.
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What's the best advice for the beginning C-S major or minor?
Start early (the first semester, if at all possible) and mingle one
or two C-S classes per semester with other classes.
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How important is a minor for a C-S major?
In addition to being a requirement of the College of Science and Health, a minor outside of computer science is becoming increasingly
important. Our society has considerable opportunities for those who
can combine computing knowledge with some other discipline.
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What minor should I choose?
Any major at the university
fulfills the requirement for a minor. (There is also an alternative
to a minor...taking 18 credits of 300
or 400 level classes outside the computer science major...but very
few students choose this option.)
Computer Science majors have chosen a wide variety
of minors over the years, including English and Art, but most minors
have been either
Mathematics or Business Administration. Links to requirements for these
minors are below.
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Is there a best choice for a minor to combine with
a C-S major?
Not really. Almost any minor works well with a C-S major. Of course,
many students minor in mathematics because a substantial part of
the math minor is already required in the C-S major. However, the
best
advice is to pick a subject area that is of interest to you.
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How many C-S classes should be taken per semester?
It is best to plan on one C-S class per semester the first year and
two C-S classes per semester thereafter. Most computer science
courses involve considerable project effort, usually writing programs,
and
this takes time. Therefore, it is unwise to enroll in too many
C-S classes at once.
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