What is a Bachelor of Science in computer science?

This program is tailored to students who want to focus on problem solving, with an emphasis on the design of computer-efficient solutions. The curriculum is rooted in fundamentals; students gain the skills and knowledge necessary to enter this ever-changing field with confidence. With a solid foundation in science and mathematics, students also develop strong problem-solving skills and abstract thinking, and many work in laboratories to get hands-on experience building software systems. Graduates of this program pursue advanced degrees or join the professional world in a wide range of positions.

Why study computer science at UNH?

You’ll have access to the UNH InterOperability Lab, where you’ll work alongside top tech companies to test their equipment before it hits the marketplace. All computer science students are encouraged to conduct research through capstone projects and independent studies. Many of UNH’s student organizations are a natural fit for computer science majors, such as the Cyber Security Club, the Linux Club, and Wildcat Women in Computer Science. Plus, the Programming Assistance Center offers walk-in support and tutoring.

Potential Careers

Computer programmer
Computer systems analyst
Database developer
Mobile application developer
Network systems administrator
Software engineer
Web developer

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

Computer science focuses on problem solving with a particular emphasis on the design of computer-efficient solutions. Within a few years of obtaining a bachelor's degree alumni will have:

Engaged in successful careers in diverse areas of software development and will be pursuing advanced education in computer science or related fields;
Applied the full range of core computer science concepts and techniques to fill software development needs of an organization;
Adapted to changing directions of computing technology and used state-of-the-art techniques to confront new problems effectively;
Navigated the complex interconnections between software and the goals and constraints of the organization served;
Participated responsibly in the pervasive and changing role of computing technology in global society as both software engineers and citizens;
Operated collaboratively in a team environment and assumed leadership roles.

The B.S. in computer science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Degree Plan

Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall		Credits
CS 400	Introduction to Computing	2
CS 415	Introduction to Computer Science I	4
IT 403	Introduction to Internet Technologies	4
MATH 425	Calculus I	4
Discovery I		4
	Credits	18
Spring
CS 416	Introduction to Computer Science II	4
CS 420	Foundations of Programming for Digital Systems	4
MATH 426	Calculus II	4
ENGL 401	First-Year Writing	4
	Credits	16
Second Year
Fall
CS 515	Data Structures and Introduction to Algorithms	4
CS 518 or CS 527	Introduction to Software Engineering or Fundamentals of Cybersecurity	4
MATH 531 or MATH 539 or MATH 644	Mathematical Proof or Introduction to Statistical Analysis or Statistics for Engineers and Scientists	4
CS 501	Professional Ethics and Communication in Technology-related Fields (or Discovery II)	4
	Credits	16
Spring
CS 520	Computer Organization and System-Level Programming	4
MATH 539 or MATH 644 or MATH 531	Introduction to Statistical Analysis or Statistics for Engineers and Scientists or Mathematical Proof	4
CS 527 or CS 518	Fundamentals of Cybersecurity or Introduction to Software Engineering	4
Discovery II (or CS 501)		4
	Credits	16
Third Year
Fall
CS 619	Introduction to Object-Oriented Design and Development	4
CS 620	Operating System Fundamentals (or Professional Elective)	4
CS 659	Introduction to the Theory of Computation	4
Discovery III		4
	Credits	16
Spring
CS 758 or CS 761	Algorithms or Programming Language Concepts and Features	4
CS 700-level Elective I		4
Professional Elective (or CS 620)		4
Discovery IV		4
	Credits	16
Fourth Year
Fall
CS 791	Senior Project I	2
CS 761 or CS 758	Programming Language Concepts and Features or Algorithms	4
CS 700-level Implementation Elective (or 700-Level Elective II)		4
Discovery V		4
Discovery VI		4
	Credits	18
Spring
CS 792	Senior Project II	2
CS 700-level Elective II (or Implementation Elective)		4
CS 700-level Elective III		4
Discovery VII		4
	Credits	14
	Total Credits	130

Discovery (7): Historical Perspectives, Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts, Social Science, World Cultures, Physical Science Discovery Lab, Biological Science Discovery Lab with ONE mandatory course with Writing Intensive (WI) attribute

Requirements for the Program

Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits

Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH

Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*

Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements

Foreign Language Requirement: No

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

Computer science majors must maintain an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better in all required computer science, mathematics, and computer engineering courses in order to graduate. If at the end of any semester, including the first, a student's cumulative grade-point average in these courses falls below 2.0, the student may not be allowed to continue as a CS major.

The following courses or their equivalents must be passed with a grade of C- or better in order to meet the CS major requirements: CS 415, CS 416, CS 420, CS 515, CS 520, and IT 403.

Students are expected to demonstrate consistent progress towards the satisfaction of the core degree requirements and are allowed two repeats of the aforementioned courses before being dismissed from the program. This can be a single course repeated twice or two courses repeated once. Students may petition for reinstatement one-year after program dismissal.

If a student wishing to transfer into the computer science major has any coursework that is applicable to the major, the grades in those courses must satisfy the minimum grade requirements for the B.S. degree in computer science. The student must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better in all courses taken at the university.

Computer science majors must complete the following coursework in computer science, mathematics, computer engineering, and science. (all courses are 4 credits unless indicated otherwise):

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Computer Science Courses
CS 400	Introduction to Computing	2
CS 415	Introduction to Computer Science I	4
or CS 410C	Introduction to Scientific Programming/C
or CS 410P	Introduction to Scientific Programming/Python
CS 416	Introduction to Computer Science II	4
CS 420	Foundations of Programming for Digital Systems	4
IT 403	Introduction to Internet Technologies	4
CS 501	Professional Ethics and Communication in Technology-related Fields	4
CS 515	Data Structures and Introduction to Algorithms	4
CS 518	Introduction to Software Engineering	4
CS 520	Computer Organization and System-Level Programming	4
CS 527	Fundamentals of Cybersecurity	4
CS 619	Introduction to Object-Oriented Design and Development	4
CS 620	Operating System Fundamentals	4
CS 659	Introduction to the Theory of Computation	4
CS 758	Algorithms	4
CS 761	Programming Language Concepts and Features	4
CS 791 & CS 792	Senior Project I and Senior Project II	4
or CS 799	Thesis
Computer Science Electives:
Select one course from the following implementation electives:		4
CS 712	Compiler Design
CS 720	Systems Programming
CS 730	Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
CS 735	Introduction to Parallel and Distributed Programming
CS 752	Foundations of Neural Networks
CS 753	Information Retrieval and Generation Systems
CS 770	Computer Graphics
CS 781	Data Science for Knowledge Graphs and Text
Select three additional CS courses numbered 690-799		12
Professional Electives ¹
Select one course from the following:		3-4
CS 700-level course
IT 502	Intermediate Web Design
IT 604	Server-side Web Development
IT 605	Full-Stack Web Development
IT 612	Scripting Languages
IT 630	Data Science and Big Data Analytics
IT 666	Cybersecurity Practices
IT 705	Project Management for Information Technology
MATH 525	Linearity I
MATH 526	Linearity II
MATH 527	Differential Equations with Linear Algebra
MATH 528	Multidimensional Calculus
MATH 545	Introduction to Linear Algebra
MATH 645	Linear Algebra for Applications
MATH 647	Complex Analysis for Applications
MATH 736	Advanced Statistical Modeling
MATH 737	Statistical Methods for Quality Improvement and Design
MATH 739	Applied Regression Analysis
MATH 740	Design of Experiments I
MATH 741	Survival Analysis
MATH 743	Time Series Analysis
MATH 745	Foundations of Applied Mathematics I
MATH 747	Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
MATH 753	Introduction to Numerical Methods I
MATH 755	Probability with Applications
MATH 756	Principles of Statistical Inference
MATH 760	Geometry
MATH 761	Abstract Algebra
MATH 767	One-Dimensional Real Analysis
MATH 783	Set Theory
MATH 784	Topology
MATH 788	Complex Analysis
ECE 562	Computer Organization
ECE 649	Embedded Microcomputer Based Design
ECE 700-level course
GEN 604	Principles of Genetics
GEN 711	Genomics and Bioinformatics
Mathematics Courses
MATH 425	Calculus I	4
MATH 426	Calculus II	4
MATH 531	Mathematical Proof	4
MATH 539	Introduction to Statistical Analysis	4
or MATH 644	Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
Science courses ²
One Discovery Biological Science (BS) with Discovery Lab		4
One Discovery Physical Science (PS) with Discovery Lab		4
Other Courses
Discovery requirements not already covered by required courses ³		24
Total Credits		129-130

¹: Professional electives must either be chosen from the list of approved courses or another non-introductory CEPS course with significant science and/or engineering focus approved on a per-course basis by the undergraduate studies committee.
²: Courses must carry the Discovery attributes of Biological Science or Physical Science and include Discovery lab (DLAB).
³: One of these courses must be writing intensive.

Student Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the UNH BS CS program will have an ability to:

Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.
Learn independently about new technologies, and develop the skills needed to understand them.