The Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science comprises a rigorous, broad curriculum, including topics in algorithms and data structures, machine architecture, software development. A wide variety of additional topics are covered, such as philosophy, literary theory, and digital arts. Students will have a foundational program of study in computer science and gain interdisciplinary breadth via selected courses in the humanities. This program is designed to prepare individuals for professional contributions in traditional computer science areas and new fields involving increased application of computer science, such as digital humanities, media and communication, and interactive design. This degree program can also prepare students for graduate study.
This program has specific admission requirements.
Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:
- Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
- Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
- Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
- Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
- Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the computer science discipline.
- Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.
Programmatic Admission Requirements
For admission to the BA of Computer Science, applicants must have completed preparation in mathematics equivalent to pre-calculus or higher. A review of high school or college transcripts showing completion of this requirement will be conducted during the admission process.
Please visit our AMU or APU undergraduate admission page for more information on institutional admission requirements.
Need help?
If you have questions regarding a program’s admission requirements, please contact an admissions representative at 877-755-2787 or info@apus.edu.
Degree at a Glance
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Major Required | 66 | |
| Select one of the following concentrations: | 18 | |
| Final Program Requirements | 6 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
Degree Program Requirements
General Education Requirements (30 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
| STEM270 | Thinking and Acting Ethically | 3 |
| Select 1 courses from the following: | 3 | |
| Arabic I | ||
| Arabic II | ||
| Art Appreciation | ||
| Survey of Photography | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| Image Enhancement using Adobe Photoshop® | ||
| French I | ||
| French II | ||
| German I | ||
| German II | ||
| Introduction to Japanese | ||
| Literature of American Encounters, Revolution, and Rebellion | ||
| From Abolition to #MeToo: Literature of the American Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
| British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
| Leadership in World Literature: Antiquity to the Early Modern Period | ||
| Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Jazz and Rock | ||
| World Music and Cultures | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese | ||
| Introduction to the Study of Religion | ||
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Russian I | ||
| Spanish I | ||
| Spanish II | ||
| Civics, Political and Social Sciences (6 semester hours) | ||
| STEM280 | Exploring Society and Cultures via Science Fiction | 3 |
| Select 1 courses from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Social Media and Society | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Humane Education: A Global Interdisciplinary Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Geography | ||
| Practical Food Safety and Awareness | ||
| International Relations I | ||
| Forgotten America--Under Represented Cultures in American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| American Government I | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Death and Dying | ||
| Race & Religion | ||
| Hope and Resilience | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| American Popular Culture | ||
| Communication: Writing, Oral, and Multimedia (9 semester hours) | ||
| COMM120 | Information and Digital Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL110 | Making Writing Relevant | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Proficiency in Writing | ||
| Argumentation and Rhetoric | ||
| Introduction to Literature | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Scientific Writing | ||
| Effective Business Communication | ||
| Human Relations Communication | ||
| Information Literacy and Global Citizenship | ||
| Introduction to Information Technology Writing | ||
| Human Relations | ||
| History (3 semester hours) | ||
| STEM185 | The History and Context of STEM | 3 |
| Mathematics and Applied Reasoning (3 semester hours) | ||
| MATH225 | Calculus | 3 |
| Natural Sciences (3 semester hours) | ||
| STEM100 | Introduction to STEM Disciplines | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101 - Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110 - Making Writing Relevant. |
Major Required (66 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH210 | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| ENGL235 | Take on the World: An Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| MATH220 | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| COMM255 | Digital Tools and Media in Communication | 3 |
| CSCI140 | Introduction to Programming | 3 |
| PHIL101 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| IRLS200 | Information Literacy and Global Citizenship | 3 |
| CSCI240 | Algorithms and Data Structures I | 3 |
| CSCI230 | Machine Architecture and Organization | 3 |
| CSCI220 | Operating Systems I | 3 |
| MATH302 | Statistics | 3 |
| CSCI315 | User Interface and Experience Design | 3 |
| CSCI340 | Program Design and Development | 3 |
| CSCI345 | Algorithms and Data Structures II | 3 |
| PHIL300 | Logic | 3 |
| CSCI360 | Introduction to Database Systems | 3 |
| CSCI325 | Design for the Web | 3 |
| CSCI335 | Web Applications Programming | 3 |
| CSCI415 | Information Visualization | 3 |
| CSCI425 | Information Systems Development | 3 |
| CSCI440 | Principles of Programming Languages | 3 |
| STEM380 | Coevolution of Society, Culture, and Technology | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 66 | |
Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a Concentrations in Artificial Intelligence or Concentration in Communications.
Concentration in Artificial Intelligence (18 semester hours)
The Artificial Intelligence concentration teaches students how to design computing systems with a focus on humanity. The concentration focuses on exploring the societal consequences of rapidly emerging artificial intelligence systems, integrating a humanities viewpoint with technological analyses. The concentration offers a unique context and a shared vocabulary for interpreting the impact of technical developments in artificial intelligence on society. The uniqueness comes from integrating a humanities viewpoint with a technological analysis, using literary interpretation methods to analyze the social effects of AI systems.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Analyze data and perform predictions using machine learning methods.
- Understand data collection, including data wrangling, cleaning, and sampling to get a suitable data set.
- Understand data management in order to access data quickly and reliably.
- Understand exploratory data analysis, generating hypotheses and building intuition.
- Understand communication, summarizing results through visualization, stories, and interpretable summaries.
- Gain practical knowledge of predictions and statistical learning.
- Create web-based complex projects as a member of a team.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI381 | Machine Learning | 3 |
| PSYC304 | Perception | 3 |
| CSCI484 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CSCI486 | Deep and Reinforcement Learning | 3 |
| CSCI336 | Topics in Computer Vision | 3 |
| STEM471 | Analytics, Algorithms, AI, and Humanity | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 18 | |
Concentration in Communications (18 semester hours)
The Communications concentration provides insight into the role of communication in a wide range of settings. The concentration focuses on unique domains. Students take courses not only about misinformation and disinformation, but also on web, graphic arts, information systems, security, and ethics. Students learn professional work practices, while emphasizing both theories and principles that focus on quality, effectiveness, and security of information. Students also learn how new media impacts our interaction and communication. Students also consider available mechanisms to address current challenges.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Effectively use design tools to create attractive visual compositions
- Understand the key design and human perception principles
- Understand the importance of cognition in visualization design
- Apply structured design processes for data exploration, analysis, and storytelling
- Focus on tools and available techniques for designing effective visuals
- Use criticism and critical evaluation, giving suggestions, and proposing improvements
- Work constructively on complex projects as part of a team
- Use creative thinking in challenging scenarios of high-dimensional data
- Explore different communication spaces (print, phone, desktop, VR, and AR)
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM356 | Digital Communication and Media Design Principles | 3 |
| COMM280 | Ethics in Communication | 3 |
| COMM375 | Web and Mobile Communication | 3 |
| CSCI471 | Software Engineering | 3 |
| CSCI452 | Cybersecurity/Cyber Defense | 3 |
| STEM470 | Cybersecurity, Surveillance, Privacy and Ethics | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 18 | |
Final Program Requirements (6 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI498 | Senior Project Design | 3 |
| CSCI499 | Senior Project Implementation | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 6 | |