CS Major Requirements
Do I need to take CS 101? When Should I Take It?
CS 101 is required of ALL CS and ACS majors, both freshmen and transfer students, who are under the 2007-2008 catalog or later. No class, at GMU or elsewhere, may be used to substitute for CS 101.
Only if you have advanced beyond all 3xx courses prior to coming to GMU, can you be excused from CS 101 with the professor's permission, and you will have to make up the 2 credits by taking another CS class. Even if you could do this, you might want to take it anyway: it also introduces you to the department and how to get around as a CS major.
CS 101 is for majors and intended majors only. You must take CS 101 with your first CS class at GMU as a CS or ACS major (typically 112, 211, 310, or 367). If you are an intended major, you should take the class at this time as well.
When should I take CS 483?
With respect to prerequisites, it is possible to take CS 483 before taking any other 400-level course and it might help with those courses by providing perspective on the algorithms they use.
What is the purpose of the "CS-related" requirement?
To provide some flexibility in the technical aspects of the CS major program. You can either deepen your knowledge of CS or Math or move into some new areas.
What are the differences in the graduation requirements from year to year?
Students can graduate under any single catalog that is in force while they were a student (assuming no serious interruption). Changing catalog years may help a student in some ways but inconvenience them in others; generally changes are only made early in their coursework.
It would be unwieldy to list all requirements for all years. Instead we list here some important changes that have been made in recent years.
2004 -- new requirements: CS 306, CS 367, ECE303 (CS 265 and ECE 301 no longer required.)
2005 -- new requirement: at most course with C- or D allowed in the major area.
2006 -- new requirement: Arts requirement added to General Education
2007 -- new requirement: CS 101
2008 -- new requirements: CS 262, CS 465, ECE301 (CS 365 and ECE 303 no longer required.)
A course that has been approved as a "senior" CS course can be used as such in any prior catalog, but it may require an approval form.