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Which math courses do I need to take for computer science major?
I have taken pre-calculus but not calculus or statistics. #computer-science #college-major
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RAVI’s Answer
There are typically two types of computer science programming - one oriented towards computer architecture, hardware and networking etc and is offered by a dept closely associated with Electrical dept., the other is purely a software oriented coursework, usually offered by Math dept. However things are really blurring and many colleges have a computing department that offer both.
With that said, many of these programs require some minimum math courses at high school itself or as part of the early semesters of the college itself. It could vary based on the university and dept. Basic Calculus, Algebra, and Numerical analysis will be very useful to do well on CS field in general. Algorithms and analysis etc. will all require good understanding of math and logical thinking.
Depending on the college you plan to attend, the requirements could be for basic or a bit advanced courses. Check with the colleges you apply and the department using their web site or checking with some of your seniors you may know studying at the location. You can also reach out the college admin office/department directly via chat, email and get more details and clarity as well.
Best of Luck.
With that said, many of these programs require some minimum math courses at high school itself or as part of the early semesters of the college itself. It could vary based on the university and dept. Basic Calculus, Algebra, and Numerical analysis will be very useful to do well on CS field in general. Algorithms and analysis etc. will all require good understanding of math and logical thinking.
Depending on the college you plan to attend, the requirements could be for basic or a bit advanced courses. Check with the colleges you apply and the department using their web site or checking with some of your seniors you may know studying at the location. You can also reach out the college admin office/department directly via chat, email and get more details and clarity as well.
Best of Luck.
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
In Computer Science, you may not require a particular maths course is required. As long as you have the maths knowledge in Secondary School, it would be sufficient for Computer Science major.
Having said that, you may learn computer theory in the undergraduate course. The course helps you to develop the programs to utilize the resources and compute in most efficient way. It would be beneficial if you have the statistics, algebra, number theory, etc. background.
On the other hand, if you plan to work in Tech jobs in Financial sector, it is quite popular to develop programs for financial models. So, it would be helpful if you have the background on different analytical model using in Finance.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Having said that, you may learn computer theory in the undergraduate course. The course helps you to develop the programs to utilize the resources and compute in most efficient way. It would be beneficial if you have the statistics, algebra, number theory, etc. background.
On the other hand, if you plan to work in Tech jobs in Financial sector, it is quite popular to develop programs for financial models. So, it would be helpful if you have the background on different analytical model using in Finance.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
Every university has their own standards. Typically there are three kinds of requirement-- first are the requirements of the university itself, everyone takes these to graduate. This will usually only be basic math, and in many cases you will satisfy this requirement with your entrance exams. Then the college within the university, such as the College of Letters and Sciences or the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, will have its own requirements of every student within the college. And then your major program itself will have requirements as well, some major programs also offer concentrations or specialties with additional requirements.
When I went to university, computer science degrees were taught out of two colleges. Some, especially the more technically-focused ones or degrees that focused on the engineering or hardware side of IT were taught out of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and required calculus as well as Physics courses which involved using calculus. Other IT-oriented degrees including Computer Science and Information Science were taught out of the College of Letters and Sciences, and those did not. Since my graduation they have all been unified under the College of Information Science, and I am unsure of the math requirements for that college.
Your major program itself will be likely to require statistics, and potentially higher math depending on the exact major. In addition if your major program includes more hardware-oriented and electronics-oriented courses those will often require some level of upper math.
Look up several local colleges that are someplace you could see yourself attending and look into their degree requirements, what colleges teach their CS degrees and what CS degrees are available
Look at the math course requirements for the majors at those colleges that sound like they interest you the most. Read the course descriptions and get an idea of what you might be in for.
When I went to university, computer science degrees were taught out of two colleges. Some, especially the more technically-focused ones or degrees that focused on the engineering or hardware side of IT were taught out of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and required calculus as well as Physics courses which involved using calculus. Other IT-oriented degrees including Computer Science and Information Science were taught out of the College of Letters and Sciences, and those did not. Since my graduation they have all been unified under the College of Information Science, and I am unsure of the math requirements for that college.
Your major program itself will be likely to require statistics, and potentially higher math depending on the exact major. In addition if your major program includes more hardware-oriented and electronics-oriented courses those will often require some level of upper math.
Daniel recommends the following next steps:
Updated
M’s Answer
The math courses most relevant to the computer science profession typically include discrete mathematics, linear algebra, number theory, and graph theory. These forms of mathematics are used in a variety of fields, from machine learning to software engineering.