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 1301 or a CSE 1301 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 1301 Introduction to Computer Science 3 Units
CSE 1302 Introduction to Computer Engineering 3 Units
CSE 2407 Data Structures and Algorithms 3 Units
CSE 3302 Object-Oriented Software Development Laboratory 3 Units
Total Units 12

 

And one (1) elective from:

 

CSE 2400

or Math 3100

Logic and Discrete Mathematics

Foundations for Higher Mathematics

3 Units

3 Units

CSE 3300 Rapid Prototype Development and Creative Programming  3 Units
CSE 3601 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 1301 Introduction to Computer Science 3 units
CSE 2407 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 1302, CSE 2400, and CSE 3407.)
9 Total Units

The Minor in Computer Science (before Aug, 2024) requires 2 core courses (CSE 1301 and CSE 2407) and 3 elective courses. Approved transfer courses and proficiency credit are allowed to replace CSE 1301. Students who have approved transfer credit or proficiency credit for CSE 2407 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 1302, CSE 2400, Math 3100, CSE 3302, CSE 3300, CSE 3601. 

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 1301 Introduction to Computer Science 3 units
CSE 2407 Data Structures and Algorithms 3 units
ESE 3260
or SDS 2200
or SDS 3200
or SDS 3211
or DAT 1200DAT 1201
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 4370 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 5104 Data Mining 3 units
CSE 5804
or Biol 5504
Algorithms for Biosequence Comparison
Algorithms for Biosequence Comparison
3 units
CSE 5807 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 List
Code Title Units
DESIGN 1411 Visual Principles for the Screen 3
CSE 1301 Introduction to Computer Science 3

 

Integration Courses (3 units):

Course List
Code Title Units
DESIGN 2258 Interaction Design: Understanding Health and Well-Being 3
CSE 2506 Introduction to Human-Centered Design 3

 

Electives (9 units, with at least one course each from CSE and Art/Design):

Course List
Code Title Units
DESIGN 2506 Digital Game Design  3
ART 332J UX Research Methods for Design 3
ART 326M Game Design Principles & Practice 3
DESIGN 3253 Advanced Interaction Design 3
DESIGN 3302 Conditional Design 3
DESIGN 3254 Communication Design: Interaction Foundations 3
DESIGN 3250 Interaction Design: User-Centered Applications 3
DESIGN 4419 Advanced Visual Principles for the Screen 3
CSE 2004

Web Development (Note: Course has limited capacity and prioritizes

enrollment of some CSE Majors)

3
CSE 3300 Rapid Prototype Development and Creative Programming 3
CSE 4308 Mobile Application Development 3
CSE 4500

Video Game Programming (Note: Course has limited capacity and 

prioritizes enrollment of some CSE Majors)

3
CSE 4507 Introduction to Visualization 3
CSE 5506 Human-Computer Interaction Methods 3
CSE 5507 Advanced Visualization 3
PNP 2000 Introduction to Cognitive Science 3
Psych 3600 Cognitive Psychology 3

 

Additional approved elective courses can be found by viewing the Google Docs file maintained for this program.