Computer Science BS | Upper Division Opt-In

To pursue the Computer Science Bachelor of Science program you must opt in to enroll in upper division (300 and 400-level) courses. Once you are approved to enroll in upper division courses, you are assessed the differential tuition rate.

If you have any questions about the opt-in process or program requirements, contact your academic advisor.

Requirements

If you meet the following requirements you are ready to opt into upper division coursework. If you are missing required courses, you should continue to work toward meeting the requirements and opt in when you meet the criteria below.

Admitted to PSU.
Completion of 90 credits (junior standing)
Completion of the required lower division courses. All computer science courses used to satisfy the departmental major must be graded C or better. Courses taken outside the department as part of departmental requirements must be graded C- or better. If a course is offered only on a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grading scale, it must be graded as a Pass.

Timeline

Term A: Complete Final Required Lower Division Courses

During this term you will complete the required lower division courses for the Computer Science Major and register for courses for the following term.

You should meet with your academic advisor to plan out your courses for the following term so that you enroll in the appropriate courses and are on track to complete your degree requirements alongside your major requirements.

Term B: Submit Computer Science Upper Division Opt-In Form & Complete Other Courses Required for Graduation

During this term, you should submit the Opt-In Form as early as possible, but no later than week 8. You cannot enroll in Upper Division courses in the same term that you submit the form.

You can enroll in courses you need for your degree that are not part of your major and/or take eight to 12 credits (depending on the catalog year) of the following courses: CS 302, CS 350, and CS 486. You should not enroll in these courses until you have completed the required lower division courses.

Term C: Begin Taking Upper Division Courses

During this term, you will begin taking upper division courses and continue to complete your degree requirements. If you need help with course planning as an upper division student, contact the Computer Science undergraduate advisor, Barbara Sabath.

Upper Division Opt-In Form

When you submit the application, you must provide a DARS report to verify that you have completed the course requirements listed below. Generate a PDF version of your Admission DARS (ADMIT-CS) report that shows your name and PSU ID. The DARS report must be for ADMIT-CS and show the title "Computer Science Admission" and show "All requirements identified below have been met.”

Once your submission has been processed (usually within one week after submission, but may take longer), you will get access to register for upper division courses for the following term and you will be required to pay differential tuition rates for all subsequent terms you are enrolled as an undergraduate at PSU.

Submit Upper Division Opt In Form

Course Requirements

If you began at PSU as a first year, you must complete the University's first and second year general education requirements. Transfer students must complete the Maseeh College lower division general education requirements.

Students must complete the following required courses with a minimum grade of C:

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
CS 161	Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving (This requirement will be waived for students who have completed CS 162 prior to fall 2022)	4
CS 162	Intro to Computer Science	4
CS 163	Data Structures	4
CS 205	Computer Systems Programming	4
CS 250	Discrete Structures I	4
CS 251	Discrete Structures II	4
MTH 251	Calculus I	4
MTH 252 or MTH 261	Calculus II or Linear Algebra	4

How to Run & Interpret Your DARS Report

To opt into Upper Division Computer Science courses, you must have completed the required lower division courses with the minimum grade (listed above). To verify that you have met these requirements, you must run a DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) report.

Follow these steps to navigate to the DARS reporting system.
Make sure the audit level is set to "PSU - Undergraduate or Post-bac Audit" and then click "Continue.”
In the drop-down box for "Degree Program," select "Computer Science - Admission Requirements - ADMIT-CS" and then select "Run Audit."
Your audit report will now be displayed.

Interpreting the Admission DARS report

If the message at the top of your ADMIT-CS DARS report is "All requirements identified below have been met," you are ready to submit the Upper Division Opt-In Form. Select "Print/Download" to display a printable version of your DARS report, and then use your browser to print or save the report as a PDF.

If another message displays, then continue to work toward completing the courses needed to meet the opt-in requirements listed above. If you have questions or need support to plan your courses, contact your academic advisor.

Computer Science Honors Track

The Computer Science Honors Program provides a valuable opportunity for qualified students to research a specialty area within Computer Science with a faculty advisor. This program is separate from the University Honors College, students may participate in both or either of these programs if admitted. If you are interested in pursuing this track, contact the Computer Science department at csoffice@pdx.edu no later than the first term of your senior year.