Computer Science Online, B.S.

The Computer Science Online program creates distinctive, meaningful pathways for integrating academic preparation with the hands-on knowledge and skills that will set you apart in the job market.

Educational Objectives

Our fully online, 24-month program is an ideal degree-completion model for transfer-ready working professionals or students who prefer online learning to earn a powerful degree and prepare for success in a way that works best for them.

Our opportunities for paid instructional student assistants will position you to get paid to help and tutor lower-grade students, while also further developing your hands-on experience and collaborating with professors.

Our comprehensive portfolio and capstone project will highlight your accomplishments and further set you apart in the eyes of top graduate programs and leading employers in the technology sector.

View the admission requirements and special tuition and fee structure specific to Computer Science Online program.

For more information, please visit the Program Catalog

Prerequisites and graduation requirements for major: The following prerequisites and graduation requirements are courses that are not part of the standard CS Online Course Sequence offered at CSUMB and may need to be taken at a local community college or university:

Complete the following course with a grade of C- or above in order to fulfill pre-requisites:

• MATH 170 - Discrete Mathematics Units: 4

Complete both of the following courses:

• CST 237 - Intro to Computer Architecture Units: 4
• MATH 150 - Calculus I Units: 4

Complete one of the following courses:

• MATH 151 - Calculus II Units: 4
• MATH 270 - Mathematics for Computing Units: 4

A linear algebra or an advanced statistics course

The following courses are required for CS majors who have been accepted into the CS Online Degree Completion program.

CS Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA and must earn a grade of C- or above in any course that serves a pre-requisite for a more advanced course.

Complete all of the following courses with a grade of C- or above in order to fulfill pre-requisites for more advanced courses:

• CST 300 - Graduation Writing Assessment for Computing and Design Units: 3
• CST 338 - Software Design Units: 4
• CST 349 - Computer Science Proseminar Units: 2

Complete all of the following courses:

• CST 311 - Introduction to Computer Networks Units: 4
• CST 334 - Operating Systems Units: 4
• CST 336 - Internet Programming Units: 4
• CST 363 - Introduction to Database Systems Units: 4
• CST 370 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms Units: 4
• CST 438 - Software Engineering Units: 4
• CST 462S - Race, Gender, Class in the Digital World Units: 3
• CST 489 - Capstone Project Planning Units: 1

*Successful completion of CST489 is a prerequisite for enrollment in CST499

• CST 499 - Computer Science Capstone Units: 4

Complete one additional upper division CS elective course.

Our location on the central coast of Monterey Bay has allowed us to develop strong relationships and partnerships with impressive local and regional institutions, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). As a student in the program, you may engage in mentored capstone projects through MBARI on topics like ocean floor mapping, whale sound recognition, and expedition database modification.

And our location just an hour from Silicon Valley means you’ll benefit from frequent workshops, internship opportunities, and guest speakers from some of the most innovative tech companies in the world.

The program is highly focused on social inequality and injustice, and our students regularly engage in service-learning opportunities to deepen their understanding of social, cultural, and civic aspects related to personal and professional identities.

Some of our service activities include refurbishing computers and making them available for low-income families for almost no cost, teaching community members how to use software to bridge the digital divide for underprivileged communities, creating digital marketing and ecommerce sites for small businesses and local farmers, and helping local schools secure and stabilize their computing networks.