Foundational Computer Science Courses
Students who have degrees in disciplines other than Computer Science enter the program with a variety of backgrounds. In such cases a student's application is evaluated to determine which foundational courses the student must take in order to gain admittance to the MS program in Computer Science. During the time that the foundational courses are being made up, a student may be enrolled as a non-degree graduate student. Upon successful completion of the foundational courses, the student will then be admitted into the regular MS degree program in Computer Science.
Foundational Courses
The following table lists foundational subjects and their equivalent ISU courses:
| Subject | Current Course | Fall 2019 Course |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Programming | CS/INFO 1181 Computer Science and Programming I | |
| Object-Oriented Programming | CS 1182 Computer Science and Programming II | CS 2263 Advanced Object-Oriented Programming |
| Systems Programming | CS 2275 Systems Programming and Assembly | CS 1337 |
| Basic Data Structures and Algorithms | CS 3308 Data Structures and Programming | CS 2235 Data Structures and Algorithms |
| Discrete Structures | CS/MATH 1187 Applied Discrete Structures | |
| Data Structures and Algoirhtms | CS 3385 Data Structures and Algorithms | CS 4412 Advanced Algorithms |
| Software Engineering | CS 3321 Software Engineering or INFO 3307 Systems Analysis and Design | CS 3321 Introduction to Software Engineering |
| Databases | INFO 4407 Database Design and Implementation | |
| Three CS 4000 level courses | ||
| Calculus I | MATH 1170 Calculus I | |
| Calculus II | MATH 1175 Calculus II | |
| Linear Algebra | MATH 2240 | |
Notes
- Grades earned in foundational courses DO count for maintaining satisfactory progress towards the Master's degree. Thus, you must be certain to do well in these classes in order to maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average during each semester and to keep your cumulative grade point average above a 3.0, even while taking foundational courses.
- Students who have foundational courses to make up may begin taking courses at the 400 and 500 level that count towards the MS degree as soon as they complete any prerequisite foundational courses. In other words, a student is not required to wait until completing all foundational courses before he or she begins to take courses that count towards the MS degree, as long as all prerequisites for such courses have been taken.
- Students who are required to take foundational courses must also complete the full requirements for the thesis or courses-only track in addition to competing the foundational courses.
