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Computer Science BA Major in the College of Arts & Sciences
About the Major
Starting in Spring 2006, the Computer Science department has offered an interdisciplinary major in Computer Science leading to a BA degree for students in the College of Arts & Sciences. We accepted our first group of students in 2006 and held our first graduation ceremony in May 2008.
Computer Science is the study of information processes. Computer scientists learn how to describe information processes, how to reason about and predict properties of information processes, and how to implement information processes elegantly and efficiently in hardware and software. The Computer Science major concentrates on developing the deep understanding of computing and critical thinking skills that will enable graduates to pursue a wide variety of possible fields and to become academic, cultural, and industrial leaders in areas that integrate the arts and sciences with computing. The Computer Science major is designed to provide students entering the University without previous background in computing with an opportunity to major in Computer Science, while taking courses in arts, humanities, and sciences to develop broad understanding of other areas and their connections to computing. Computing connects closely with a wide range of disciplines including, but not limited to, the visual arts, music, life sciences including biology and cognitive science, the physical sciences, linguistics, mathematics, and the social sciences. The core curriculum focuses on developing methods and tools for describing, implementing, and analyzing information processes and for managing complexity including abstraction, specification, and recursion.
**We are currently only accepting a limited number of BA Computer Science majors and you must apply. More information about the application process will be released soon.
Declaring a Major
To declare the major:
- Satisfy the major prerequisite by taking one of the introductory computer science courses. CS1120 is the recommended course for most BACS majors, but the other introductory courses (cs1110, cs1111, and cs1112) can also be used to satisfy the prerequisite. You may declare the major before completing the course as long as you are on track to complete the course successfully. If you believe you have comparable experience in some other way, you may also be able to declare the major.
- Pick up a Major Declaration Form from the Dean’s office, and fill out the top half.
- Arrange to meet with Worthy Martin (wnm@cs.virginia.edu), Director of the Undergraduate Program. You can email me to arrange a meeting time, or drop by his office hours.