Computer Science (BA)
Offered by the Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences.
,Admission to the Program
Formal admission to the major requires a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) and departmental approval.
- 120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2)
- Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9)
AU Core Requirements
- Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6)
- Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7)
- Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11)
For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum.
Major Requirements
- 51 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 18 credit hours at or above 300-level
Course Requirements
Introductory (3 credit hours)
Complete 3 credit hours from the following:
- CSC-121 Creative Coding (3)
- CSC-124 Exploring AI through Programming and Real-World Applications (3)
Statistics (4 credit hours)
Complete 4 credit hours from the following:
- STAT-202 Basic Statistics (4)
- STAT-203 Basic Statistics with Calculus (4)
- STAT-204 Introduction to Business Statistics (4)
Required (17 credit hours)
- CSC-148 Introduction to Computer Science I (4)
- CSC-208 Introduction to Computer Science II (3)
- CSC-240 Computer Systems Organization (4)
- CSC-256 Discrete Structures (3)
- CSC-320 Algorithms and Data Structures (3)
Specialty Computing (9 credit hours)
Complete one of the following categories:
Advanced Computing
Complete 9 credit hours from the following:
- CSC-316 Systems Programming (4)
- CSC-421 Design and Organization of Programming Languages (3)
- CSC-444 Object-Oriented Programming (3)
- CSC-465 Operating Systems (3)
- CSC-476 Computer Vision (3)
- CSC-481 Machine Learning for Cybersecurity (3)
- CSC-483 Big Data Computing and Machine Learning (3)
Artificial Intelligence and Information Sciences
Complete 9 credit hours from the following:
- CSC-468 Artificial Intelligence (3)
- CSC-476 Computer Vision (3)
- CSC-480 Introduction to Data Mining (3)
- CSC-481 Machine Learning for Cybersecurity (3)
- CSC-483 Big Data Computing and Machine Learning (3)
- DATA-441 Applied Natural Language Processing (3)
- DATA-442 Advanced Machine Learning (3)
Computational Media
Complete 9 credit hours from the following:
- COMM-105 Visual Literacy (3)
- CSC-324 Human-Computer Interaction (3)
- CSC-336 Web Programming I (3)
- CSC-439 Web Programming II (3)
- CSC-470 Game Programming (3)
- CSC-471 Computational Art (3)
- CSC-485 Introduction to Information Visualization (3)
Cyber Security
Complete 9 credit hours from the following:
- CSC-446 Introduction to Computer Networks (3)
- CSC-447 Introduction to Cybersecurity (3)
- CSC-448 Network Security (3)
- CSC-449 Secure Software Development (3)
Software Engineering and Computer Systems
Complete 9 credit hours from the following:
- CSC-311 Electronics (4)
- CSC-336 Web Programming I (3)
- CSC-432 Introduction to Simulation and Modeling (3)
- CSC-439 Web Programming II (3)
- CSC-440 Computer System Organization and Programming (3)
- CSC-446 Introduction to Computer Networks (3)
- CSC-449 Secure Software Development (3)
- CSC-460 Tools of Scientific Computing (3)
- CSC-470 Game Programming (3)
- CSC-484 Ethical and Legal Issues in Computing (3)
Electives (12 credit hours)
Complete one of the following categories:
Advanced Computing
Complete 12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Specialty Computing:
- CSC-316 Systems Programming (4)
- CSC-421 Design and Organization of Programming Languages (3)
- CSC-444 Object-Oriented Programming (3)
- CSC-450 Software Engineering (3)
- CSC-465 Operating Systems (3)
- CSC-476 Computer Vision (3)
- CSC-481 Machine Learning for Cybersecurity (3)
- CSC-483 Big Data Computing and Machine Learning (3)
- CSC-490 Independent Study Project (1-6)
- CSC-491 Internship (1-6)
- MATH-310 Linear Algebra (4)
Artificial Intelligence and Information Science
Complete 12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Specialty Computing:
- BIO-478 Computational Genomics (3)
- BIO-485 Bioinformatics (3)
- CSC-468 Artificial Intelligence (3)
- CSC-480 Introduction to Data Mining (3)
- DATA-412 Statistical Programming in R (3)
- DATA-413 Data Science (3)
- ENVS-450 Environmental Data Analysis and Visualization (3)
- ENVS-454 Geographic Information Systems (3)
- ENVS-455 Environmental Geographic Information Systems (3)
- ENVS-485 Remote Sensing: Environmental Measurement from Satellites and Drones (3)
- ISCI-401 Communicating Science to the Public (3)
- ITEC-300 Programming Tools for Analytics: R (3)
- ITEC-423 Organizational and Social Network Analytics (3)
- MATH-310 Linear Algebra (4)
- PHYS-380 Mathematical and Computational Physics (3)
Computational Media
Complete 12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Specialty Computing:
- COMM-454 Motion Graphics and Effects (3)
- CSC-336 Web Programming I (3)
- CSC-439 Web Programming II (3)
- CSC-470 Game Programming (3)
- CSC-485 Introduction to Information Visualization (3)
- GDES-200 Visual Communication Design (3)
- GDES-210 Typography I: Visible Language for Publications and Media (3)
- GDES-220 Digital and Emerging Media Design I (3)
- GDES-315 Digital and Emerging Media Design II (3)
- GDES-360 Data Visualization and Information Design (3)
Cyber Security
Complete 12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Specialty Computing:
- CSC-446 Introduction to Computer Networks (3)
- CSC-447 Introduction to Cybersecurity (3)
- ITEC-200 The Edge of Information Technology (3)
- ITEC-466 Cybersecurity Risk Management (3)
- ITEC-467 Cybersecurity Governance (3)
- ITEC-468 Cybersecurity Analytics (3)
- JLC-465 Introduction to Cyber Policy (3)
- KSB-100 Business 1.0 (3)
Software Engineering and Computer Systems
Complete 12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Specialty Computing:
- CSC-311 Electronics (4)
- CSC-336 Web Programming I (3)
- CSC-432 Introduction to Simulation and Modeling (3)
- CSC-434 Database Management Systems (3)
- CSC-439 Web Programming II (3)
- CSC-440 Computer System Organization and Programming (3)
- CSC-446 Introduction to Computer Networks (3)
- CSC-449 Secure Software Development (3)
- CSC-460 Tools of Scientific Computing (3)
- CSC-470 Game Programming (3)
- CSC-484 Ethical and Legal Issues in Computing (3)
Capstone (6 credit hours)
Complete 6 credit hours from the following taken twice:
Combined Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor's/master's programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor's / Master's Program and Combined Bachelor's and Master's Degrees for more information.