The Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science program provides a solid foundation in computer science principles and hands-on experience with industry-standard tools. With access to cutting-edge facilities and expert faculty, you'll gain the skills needed to thrive in the tech industry.
The aim of Kent State’s Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science is to offer students a comprehensive understanding of core computing principles, programming techniques, and technological innovations. The program is designed to provide a solid foundation in both theoretical and practical aspects of computer science, preparing graduates for careers in various technology sectors. We strive to equip students with the skills and expertise needed to tackle complex problems, drive technological advancements, and pursue further specialization or advanced studies in the field.
Many computer science electives require a background in mathematics. As a result, there are fewer electives available to Bachelor of Arts (BA) students. It is recommended that BA students consult with undergraduate advisors before registering for computer science electives. You can reach out to Dr. Augustine Samba at asamba@kent.edu or the undergraduate advisors at ugradinfo@cs.kent.edu for further guidance.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science is designed for students who seek a liberal arts education combined with a solid foundation in computer science. Students may choose electives from any complementary liberal arts program beyond computer science.
Students have the option to have a double major to attain depth of knowledge across two related areas.
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.
Graduates of this program will be able to:
On This Page
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
| CS 13001 | COMPUTER SCIENCE I: PROGRAMMING AND PROBLEM SOLVING (min C grade in all) 1 | 4 |
| or CS 13011 & CS 13012 | COMPUTER SCIENCE IA: PROCEDURAL PROGRAMMING and COMPUTER SCIENCE IB: OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING | |
| CS 23001 | COMPUTER SCIENCE II: DATA STRUCTURES AND ABSTRACTION (min C grade) | 4 |
| CS 23022 | DISCRETE STRUCTURES FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE | 3 |
| CS 33101 | STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES | 3 |
| CS 33211 | OPERATING SYSTEMS | 3 |
| CS 33901 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING | 3 |
| CS 35101 | COMPUTER ORGANIZATION | 3 |
| CS 44901 | SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (ELR) (WIC) 2 | 4 |
| Computer Science (CS) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 3 | 6 | |
| Computer Science (CS) Upper-Division Electives (40000 level) 3 | 9 | |
| Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) | ||
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) | 14-16 | |
| Mathematics Elective, choose from the following: | 3-5 | |
MATH 10675 | ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS BOOST (KMCR) | |
MATH 10775 | ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS PLUS (KMCR) | |
MATH 11010 | ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) | |
MATH 11022 | TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) | |
MATH 12002 | ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS I (KMCR) | |
MATH 12011 | CALCULUS WITH PRECALCULUS I (KMCR) | |
| Kent Core Composition | 6 | |
| Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) | 9 | |
| Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) | 6 | |
| Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) | 6-7 | |
| Kent Core Additional | 6 | |
| General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) | 27 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | |
Students who meet the prerequisite for CS 13001 should take the course during semester one.
A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
Students may apply a maximum 3 credit hours of CS 33192 and a maximum 6 credit hours of CS 49996, CS 49998 or a combination of the two courses to fulfill Computer Science (CS) electives. Please note that some Computer Science (CS) elective courses have math prerequisites that are not required in the B.A. degree. Please ensure that you have taken the necessary math courses before enrolling in these elective courses.
| Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
|---|---|
| 2.000 | 2.000 |
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:
All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.
Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
| Semester One | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 | |
| Mathematics Elective | 3-5 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 13 | ||
| Semester Two | |||
| ! | CS 13001 or CS 13011 and CS 13012 | COMPUTER SCIENCE I: PROGRAMMING AND PROBLEM SOLVING or COMPUTER SCIENCE IA: PROCEDURAL PROGRAMMING and COMPUTER SCIENCE IB: OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING | 4 |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 16 | ||
| Semester Three | |||
| ! | CS 23001 | COMPUTER SCIENCE II: DATA STRUCTURES AND ABSTRACTION | 4 |
| ! | CS 23022 | DISCRETE STRUCTURES FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE | 3 |
| ! | CS 35101 | COMPUTER ORGANIZATION | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 17 | ||
| Semester Four | |||
| ! | CS 33101 | STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES | 3 |
| ! | CS 33211 | OPERATING SYSTEMS | 3 |
| Computer Science (CS) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | ||
| Foreign Language | 4 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 16 | ||
| Semester Five | |||
| CS 33901 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING | 3 | |
| Computer Science (CS) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | ||
| Foreign Language | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | ||
| Semester Six | |||
| Computer Science (CS) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level) | 3 | ||
| Foreign Language | 3 | ||
| General Electives | 9 | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | ||
| Semester Seven | |||
| Computer Science (CS) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level) | 3 | ||
| General Electives | 12 | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | ||
| Semester Eight | |||
| ! | CS 44901 | SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (ELR) (WIC) | 4 |
| Computer Science (CS) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level) | 3 | ||
| General Electives | 6 | ||
| Credit Hours | 13 | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | ||
What's Next
Be one step closer to joining our Golden Flashes family!