2013-2014 Undergraduate Handbook

3. The Bachelor of Arts Degree

  1. Introduction
  2. Lower-Division Requirements
  3. Minor in Computer Science

    1. Introduction

      The Computer Science Division administers a major in Computer Science for students in the College of Letters and Science. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The EECS Honors Degree Program and the Five-Year Bachelor/Masters Program are also open to L&S CS students. For more information, visit the Information for Current and Prospective L&S CS Students website.

      There is also an L&S CS Adviser to answer your questions and provide assistance (office: 377 Soda Hall, telephone: 510-642-7214). You may declare your major at the end of the term in which you expect to complete all of your technical prerequisites.

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    2. Lower-Division Requirements

      The following lower-division technical courses are required for entry into the Letters and Sciences major in Computer Science. You must take all of these courses for a grade, with the exception of EE 43.

      • One year of college-level calculus and one course in linear algebra and differential equations: Math 1A, 1B, 54 or 54M.
      • One course in discrete mathematics and probability theory: CS 70.
      • One course in electrical engineering: EE 20, EE 40, or EE 42.
      • We strongly recommend that you take EE 43 (a one-unit lab course) with EE 42. Alternatively, you can use EE 40 in place of EE 42.

        Note: EE 42 is not intended for EECS students; they should take EE 40 instead. For those students who might switch to EECS, take EE 40 instead of EE 42.

      • Completion of the lower-division sequence in computer science: CS 61A-B-C.
      • L&S CS majors must earn 27 units in upper division technical courses. Any technical upper division CS or EE letter graded course taken for a letter grade is automatically approved. See the list of other approved non-CS technical electives.
        • Required courses: Theory (CS 170), Operating Systems (CS 162)
        • Required breadth courses: You must take two software project courses from the following set:
          CS 160 CS161 CS164 CS184
          CS150 CS152 CS169 CS186
        • Any two additional upper division technical CS courses
        • Technical Electives: Technical electives may be any upper-division CS or EE course or any course from the approved list. It is also available at the L&S CS Advisers' office (377 Soda Hall). The list includes courses from the fields of engineering, mathematics, statistics, linguistics, art, information management, psychology, economics, geophysics, business administration, cognitive science, and physics. All technical CS and EE courses offered for a letter grade are automatically approved as technical electives. You must submit requests for exceptions to these requirements in writing to the CS Advising Office. Such requests are subject to the approval of a Faculty Adviser.
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    3. Minor in Computer Science

      A minor in computer science is available to all undergraduate students at Berkeley with a declared major, except CS and EECS majors, through the College of Engineering. The lower-division technical requirements are

      • CS 70
      • CS 61A
      • CS 61B or CS 61BL
      • CS 61C or CS 61CL

      Students approved for the minor are given the opportunity to take three upper-division CS courses subject to available space, but with higher priority than other non-CS majors. Applications and more information on the CS minor are available at the Computer Science Advising Office, 377 Soda Hall, 510-642-7214. Online applications are located on the Computer Science Minor web page. .

      Note: the minor historically has not been particularly advantageous for gaining enrollment in upper division CS or EE courses.

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