Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

College of Science & Engineering

  1. Follow prerequisites: http://cs.sfsu.edu/undergrad/under-prereq.html
  2. Try to take one course per semester in the core programming sequence: 210->220->340->413 (otherwise course choices can be quite constrained)
  3. Each semester, take a mix of major courses and GEs. Do not finish all GEs first! Major courses take more time/effort.

See advisors during their office hours. They are there to support you plan your schedule!

ACM, SF Hacks Student Organizations

Access the list of the major requirements to better understand the structure of the major.

Major Requirements (Bulletin/Catalog)

The roadmap puts all of your graduation requirements into an easy-to-follow semester-by-semester plan so you know what to take to stay on track.  Whether you are a freshman or a transfer student, you'll be able to find a roadmap that best fits you. 

Freshmen Roadmaps
Transfer Roadmap - AS-T in Computer Science

Besides your major requirements, students must complete their GE and University requirements.  Be sure to make sure you've completed all of these requirements for graduation. 

General Education Requirements

To learn more about this major, check out the major department’s website below.  You can also find out how you can access their faculty advisors who can assist you not just with course choices, but also answer questions about the field and discuss your career plans.     

Department of Computer Science

Thornton Hall Building, Room 906
Phone: (415) 338-1008
Email: csgrad@sfsu.edu
Website: https://cs.sfsu.edu
Chair: Arno Puder

Freshmen Student Advising Information

After choosing “Basic Subjects” GE courses in Steps 1-3 of your Orientation process (if you haven’t done so, log onto your Orientation Profile page to follow the “Pre-Orientation Advising Module”), STEP 4 Choosing Major Classes will show you if there are any classes you can take to satisfy major requirements for your first and/or second semester.

Once you have determined your Roadmap above, review the first section below and write down any course recommendations based on your corresponding major roadmap on your Freshmen Class Planner worksheet.

First Semester Course Recommendations —  

Major Class & Title 

Units 

Other Requirement Area(s) Met 

Class selected from Step 1 of your Freshmen Class Planner 

3 units 

Will vary depending on your class selection 

MATH 226 –Calculus I 1, #2, #3, #4 

OR 

MATH 199 #3, #4 

OR  

MATH 197#3, #4 

 

4 units 

 

4 units 

 

3 units 

MATH 226 is a lower division major requirement. MATH 226 and MATH 199 are GE-Area B4 classes.   

 

Class selected from Step 3 of your Freshmen Class Planner  

 

3 units 

Will vary depending on your class selection: GE Area A1 or GE Area A3  

 

CSC 210- Introduction to Computer Programming 

3 units 

Major Core 

CSC 211- Introduction to Software Lab 

1 unit 

Major Core 

 

 

Advisor Recommendations: 

  1. AP Calculus AB or AB subscore of 4 or 5 (but not 3) satisfies Math 226 requirement (4 units) 

  2. Prerequisite for MATH 226 is high school pre-calculus with “B” or better, or high school calculus with a grade of “C” or better; or a college-level pre-calculus course with a “C” or better 

  3. Take the First-Year Math Advising Exercise before choosing this course 

  4. 1-unit Supplemental Instruction courses (SCI) are offered for these classes as additional support. These courses can be found in the SFSU Class Schedule (https://webapps.sfsu.edu/public/classservices/classsearch) by searching for the SCI prefix. 

  • There are no other alternate courses for this major  

  • If more units are needed, consider General Education courses from the areas suggested in the "GE Area Recommendations" section below. Do not pick General Education Area B1, B3, or B4 courses, as GE Area B1, B3, & B4 requirements will be fulfilled with major classes.   

Once you have made your course choices for Steps 1-4, you may already have between 12-15 units chosen for your first semester—about 4 to 5 classes.  

If more units are needed, you will proceed to "Step 5 - Choosing GE Courses" from your Orientation Advising Module after considering the following recommendations... 

GE Area  

Advisor Notes 

A1 Oral Communication 

Covered in “Step 3” on Class Planner 

A2 Written English Communication 

Covered in “Step 1” on Class Planner 

A3 Critical Thinking 

Covered in “Step 3” on Class Planner 

B1 Physical Science 

Covered by major course requirement 

B2 Life Science 

Choose any 

B3 Laboratory Science 

Covered by major course requirement 

B4 Quantitative Reasoning 

Covered in “Step 2” on Class Planner 

C1   Arts 

Choose Any 

C2 Humanities 

Choose Any 

D Social Sciences 

Choose Any 

D US History 

Choose Any 

E Lifelong Learning & Self-Development (LLD) 

Covered in “Step 1” on Class Planner 

F Ethnic Studies 

Choose Any 

US/CA Government 

Choose any 

AP Computer Science A with scores 4 or 5 can replace CSC 210.

We do not accept AP Computer Science Principles. 

Prepare students for careers in the computer industry.

Transfer Student Advising Information

Please see the box above labeled “Major Curriculum/Roadmaps & GE/University Requirements” for information on what courses to take in your first semester at SF State. View our Frequently Asked Questions for Transfers for helpful tips and additional information.