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Undergraduate Programs
Minors
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers three minors.
- Minor in Computer Science
- Minor in Bioinformatics
- Minor in Human-Computer Interaction
CS Minor Admissions
Before being admitted to the minor there must be evidence that students have enough experience to be sure the Minor will be a good fit for them. Examples of such experience include: completion of the majority of a CSE course, like 131 or a CSE 131 equivalent transfer course, or passing AP CS-A with a 4 or 5, or other comparable experience and passing the CSE Placement exam.
Minor in Computer Science (after Aug. 1, 2024)
Note: These policies apply to anyone officially admitted to the C.S Minor after August 1, 2024.
Units Required: 15
Required, Core Courses | ||
CSE 131 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 Units |
CSE 132 | Introduction to Computer Engineering | 3 Units |
CSE 247 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 Units |
CSE 332S | Object-Oriented Software Development Laboratory | 3 Units |
Total Units | 12 |
And one (1) elective from:
CSE 240 or Math 310 |
Logic and Discrete Mathematics Foundations for Higher Mathematics |
3 Units 3 Units |
CSE 330S | Rapid Prototype Development and Creative Programming | 3 Units |
CSE 361S | Introduction to Systems Software | 3 Units |
Total Units | 3 |
Additional Information
All courses used for the computer science minor must be taken for a grade, and the student must earn a C- or better. Should the student decide to go further in the field, all courses in the computer science minor can be used toward a second major in computer science or a degree in computer science or computer engineering.
Minor in Computer Science (before Aug, 2024)
Note: These policies apply to anyone officially admitted to the C.S. Minor before August 2024 (WUAchieve will reflect these requirements).
If a student's goal is a basic foundation in computer science for application to another field, but he or she is not planning a career as a practicing computer scientist, the minor in computer science is a good choice. The minor consists of five CSE courses, including two core courses and three electives. The core courses provide an introduction to computer science concepts and problem-solving techniques. The electives offer flexibility to integrate computer science studies with a major area.
Units Required: 15
Required Courses | ||
---|---|---|
CSE 131 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 units |
CSE 247 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 units |
Total Units | 6 |
Elective Courses (9 units)
Any three CSE courses with a T, S, M, or A suffix.
(Students may also choose from CSE 132, CSE 240, and CSE 347.)
9 Total Units
The Minor in Computer Science (before Aug, 2024) requires 2 core courses (CSE 131 and CSE 247) and 3 elective courses. Approved transfer courses and proficiency credit are allowed to replace CSE 131. Students who have approved transfer credit or proficiency credit for CSE 247 will not be required to take it at WashU, however, some other WashU course must be designated in consultation with the CSE advisor to replace that course. For the 3 elective courses, at least 2 of the 3 courses must completed at WashU within the CSE department. Complete the following form to request review of non-CSE courses: Elective Request
Note: Electives with limited enrollment often prioritizes CSE Majors over Minors. Please review waitlist priorities and consult with your Minor advisor prior to registration to ensure you will be able to make sufficient progress. The following courses are beneficial for Minors, offered regularly, and usually able to accommodate all interested students: CSE 132, CSE 240 (or Math 310, CSE 332S, CSE 330S, CSE 361S.
Additional Information
All courses used for the computer science minor must be taken for a grade, and the student must earn a C- or better. Should the student decide to go further in the field, all courses in the computer science minor can be used toward a second major in computer science or a degree in computer science or computer engineering.
Minor in Bioinformatics
Mindful of the emerging opportunities at the interface of biology and computer science, the Department of Biology and Department of Computer Science & Engineering have fashioned the minor in bioinformatics.
Units Required: 23 to 24 units
Required Courses | ||
---|---|---|
Biol 2960 | Principles of Biology I | 4 units |
Biol 2970 | Principles of Biology II | 4 units |
CSE 131 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 units |
CSE 247 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 units |
ESE 326 or SDS 2200 or SDS 3200 or SDS 3211 or DAT 120 & DAT 121 |
Probability and Statistics for Engineering Elementary Probability and Statistics Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis Statistics for Data Science I Managerial Statistics I & II |
3 units |
Total Units | 17 |
Advanced Biology Electives (choose one) | ||
---|---|---|
Biol 3492 | Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes | 3 units |
Biol 3493 | Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology | 3 units |
Biol 4181 | Population Genetics | 3 units |
Biol 4220 | Practical Bioinformatics | 4 units |
Biol 4342 | Research Explorations in Genomics | 4 units |
Biol 437 | Laboratory on DNA Manipulation | 4 units |
Biol 4525 | Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins (Writing Intensive) | 4 units |
Total Units | 3-4 |
CSE Electives (choose one) | ||
---|---|---|
CSE 514A | Data Mining | 3 units |
CSE 584A or Biol 5504 |
Algorithms for Biosequence Comparison Algorithms for Biosequence Comparison |
3 units |
CSE 587A | Algorithms for Computational Biology | 3 units |
Total Units | 3 |
Additional Information
It is anticipated that, for some students, some portion of the introductory sequence will overlap with courses required for the major, and these courses will be applicable to both the major and the minor. Upper-level courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may not be used to fulfill the requirements of another major or minor in Arts & Sciences.
Arts & Sciences students should declare the minor within A&S. They will be assigned an advisor in Biology. Per A&S policy, students with a major in the Department of Biology are not eligible to declare this minor. Per A&S policy, A&S students must complete 9 units of upper-level coursework towards the minor.
McKelvey, Olin, and Sam Fox students should declare the minor within McKelvey. They will be assigned an advisor in CSE.
A minimum grade of C- is required for all courses to count toward the minor. Students may apply no more than one course taken outside Washington University toward the minor requirements. Courses earned through Washington University-approved study abroad programs are considered to be resident units and may count toward this minor where applicable with no limit.
Minor in Human-Computer Interaction
The HCI minor is intended for students who are interested in the design of user-centered interactive technologies and those desiring jobs that include user interface creation, product design, UX/UI design, app development, virtual and augmented realities, and so on. This minor should appeal to students in the College of Art — particularly designers and computationally intrigued artists — who are interested in gaining a more in-depth knowledge of back-end development skills. It will also be of interest to engineering students looking for more experience with aesthetics and front-end design skills. In addition to being useful for these primary audiences, this minor allows students from other departments on campus to support their studies with a clear track in a hybrid pursuit of design and programming.
Units Required: 18 units
Students must complete two pillar courses, one integration course and three approved electives. Courses listed below are considered approved elective offerings between the Sam Fox School and the McKelvey School of Engineering.
Pillar Courses (6 units):
Course ListCode | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
ART 138S | Visual Principles for the Screen | 3 |
CSE 131 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 |
Integration Courses (3 units):
Course ListCode | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
ART 236A | Interaction Design: Understanding Health and Well-Being | 3 |
CSE 256A | Introduction to Human-Centered Design | 3 |
Electives (9 units, with at least one course each from CSE and Art/Design):
Course ListCode | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
ART 241E | Digital Game Design | 3 |
ART 332J | UX Research Methods for Design | 3 |
ART 326M | Game Design Principles & Practice | 3 |
ART 336B | Advanced Interaction Design | 3 |
ART 336P | Conditional Design | 3 |
ART 338I | Communication Design: Interaction Foundations | 3 |
ART 432A | Interaction Design: User-Centered Applications | 3 |
ART 440T | Advance Visual Principles for the Screen | 3 |
CSE 204A |
Web Development (Note: Course has limited capacity and prioritizes enrollment of some CSE Majors) |
3 |
CSE 330S | Rapid Prototype Development and Creative Programming | 3 |
CSE 438S | Mobile Application Development | 3 |
CSE 450A |
Video Game Programming (Note: Course has limited capacity and prioritizes enrollment of some CSE Majors) |
3 |
CSE 457A | Introduction to Visualization | 3 |
CSE 556A | Human-Computer Interaction Methods | 3 |
CSE 557A | Advanced Visualization | 3 |
PNP 200 | Introduction to Cognitive Science | 3 |
Psych 360 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
Additional approved elective courses can be found by viewing the Google Docs file maintained for this program.