Major and Minor

CS Major and Minor

This page is an informal and unofficial summary of the CS Major and CS Minor and their advising requirements. Authoritative descriptions are of the CS Major and CS Minor are given by the Wellesley College Catalog. If you have any questions, please contact any member of the Computer Science Faculty or the Department Chair.

CS Major

Requirements for the CS Major:

  • Introductory Sequence: CS 111 and CS 230
    • Students who place out of CS 111 must replace this requirement with an additional one-unit CS course at the 200 or 300 level. Students who place out of CS111 and CS230 must replace this requirement with two additional one-unit CS courses at the 200 or 300 level.
  • Mathematical Foundations: MATH 225. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to take at least one course in mathematics (MATH) or statistics (STAT) at the 200 or 300 level. Students interested in applying to graduate school should consult their faculty advisor for specific MATH and CS courses that would enhance their preparation.
    • MATH225 is considered a prerequisite for the CS degree and could be counted toward another major. Note that pre-requisites of MATH225 is: "MATH 116, MATH 120, or the equivalent; or CS 230 together with permission of the instructor."
  • Core Courses: CS 231, CS 235, and CS 240
  • Electives: two 300 level CS courses, and at least two additional computer science course at the 200 or 300 level. NOTE: For students graduating in 2021 or in earlier years, one of the 200-level courses must be CS251, since CS251 is considered a core course through the end of Spring 2021. Starting in Fall 2021, CS251 is no longer considered a core course in order to make the CS major requirements more flexible..
  • Senior Poster: CS majors are required to present a poster at the annual CS Senior Summit in the spring semester of their senior year (or a fall alternative for those graduating in fall).

Note:

  • Independent study courses (CS 250, CS 250H, CS 350, CS 350H) and honors courses (CS 360 and CS 370) do not count toward the required courses for the major.
  • Computer Science courses at other institutions must be approved in advance by the department chair on an individual basis in order to be used to meet the course requirements for the major.

Independent Research, Honors Theses, and Graduate Study

Students who are planning either graduate work or technical research work should consult with faculty advisors about extending their coursework in CS and obtaining research experience through independent research or honors thesis work. Majors who are interested in a senior honors thesis are urged to read the honors theses requirements and timelines and discuss plans with either their advisor or the Department Chair as early as possible in their junior year.

CS Minor

The computer science minor is recommended for students whose primary interests lie elsewhere, but who wish to obtain a fundamental understanding of computer science.

  • CS 111 and CS230
    • Students who place out of CS 111 must replace this requirement with an additional one-unit CS course at the 200 or 300 level.
  • Either CS231 or CS235, or CS240
  • At least one computer science course above the 100 level
  • At least one 300 level course other than CS 350.

Academic Advising

The goal of academic advising is to help you:

  • clarify your values and goals for your education
  • provide you with information about options, requirements, policies and procedures
  • plan a program that is consistent with your abilities and interests
  • connect your particular educational needs and aspirations with resources available at Wellesley

CS faculty advisors work with our CS majors and minors with these goals in mind. To ensure quality advising for each student, faculty members have caps so they do not advise too many students at one time. The department strives to distribute the advising load evenly among our faculty. When a student declares their CS major or minor in Workday, they select their CS advisor from the drop-down menu of available faculty. At the time of declaration in Workday, students also submit a list of the CS classes they have already taken and/or a plan to complete their major/minor. This plan becomes the basis for their first meeting with their CS faculty advisor. We encourage students to reach out to their faculty advisor after they submit their preliminary plan. We encourage our students to remain open to CS faculty that you may not (yet) know well but who are well-equipped to advise you.

The College's Major Declaration deadlines are typically December 1 for sophomores planning on studying abroad, and March 1 for sophomores not going abroad. (See College info about Major declaration/confirmation and deadlines here: https://www.wellesley.edu/registrar/majors).