Approved CS&E curriculum substitutions

The following are approved substitutions for certain computer science requirements. Keep in mind that while these substitutions are approved, they are not necessarily recommended. We advise against students without other upper-division math or statistics coursework taking 4xxx/5xxx level math and statistics courses in place of CSCI 2033 and STAT 3021. If you already plan to take advantage of a substitution, know that they are not always automatically updated in APAS reports and may need to be manually added. Please work directly with your computer science major advisor if you have questions.

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CSCI 2011 - Discrete Structures of Computer Science substitution (CSCI majors only)

If a student has credit for or wants to take MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W instead of CSCI 2011:

  • Computer science minor students cannot use non-CSCI courses in their minor. If credit for MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W is already earned, minor students should consider taking a different course. Minor students can decide to stay in CSCI 2011 and use it for their minor, but parts will likely be redundant.
  • Computer science B.S. students can use MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W or full UMTYMP sequence (see * below) in place of CSCI 2011 if they take MATH 4707 (Introduction to Combinatorics and Graph Theory) for their upper-division math oriented requirement that is in the curriculum later. This is a two-for-two substitution. The department won't allow MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W to sub for CSCI 2011 if students don't take MATH 4707.
  • Computer science B.A. students can use MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W or full UMTYMP sequence (see * below) in place of CSCI 2011 if they take MATH 4707 (Introduction to Combinatorics and Graph Theory), which will count towards their upper-division credits outside of the major required by CLA. This is a two-for-two substitution. The department won't allow MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W to sub for CSCI 2011 if students don't take MATH 4707.
  • Computer science/math double majors or math minors should take MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W or full UMTYMP sequence (see * below) over CSCI 2011 and then take MATH 4707 later to meet one of their other major requirements for the math major or their math minor electives.
  • CSCI 2041, which has CSCI 2011 listed as a prerequisite, can be pursued as long as a passing grade is earned in MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W.
  • Students are advised against taking CSCI 4041 or 4011 until they have completed MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W and MATH 4707 to ensure a student has had exposure to counting/combinatorics material. Generally, the overlap of content covered in MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W compared to CSCI 2011 is around 60-70%, with another 20-30% of the material covered in MATH 4707.
  • Application to the major process for students using this substitution: The department will allow students to apply to the major using MATH 2283 or MATH 3283W or full UMTYMP sequence (see * below) in place of CSCI 2011. Students will still need to take MATH 4707 to complete the two for two substitutions, but MATH 4707 can be completed after admission to the major.

* Students who have completed the full UMTYMP sequence (MATH 1471-1473 and 2471-2473) or the Honors Mathematics sequence (MATH 3952H-3953H) with a passing grade may also use these classes in place of CSCI 2011 with the same conditions.

CSCI 2021 - Machine Architecture and Organization substitution (CSCI majors only)

  • We generally only allow EE 2361 to substitute for CSCI 2021 for electrical engineering or computer engineering double majors. EE 2361 can't be substituted if a student is only pursuing a computer science minor.

CSCI 2033 - Elementary Computation Linear Algebra substitution (CSCI & DSCI majors only)

If a student has credit for MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H/3592H and 3593H or wants to take MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H/3592H and 3593H instead of CSCI 2033:

  • Computer science minor students cannot use non-CSCI courses in their minor. If credit for MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H/3592H and 3593H is already earned, minor students should consider taking a different course. Minor students can decide to stay in CSCI 2033 and use it for their minor, but parts will likely be redundant.
  • Computer science B.S. students can use MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H in place of CSCI 2033 if they take MATH 4242 (applied linear algebra) for their upper-division math-oriented requirement that is in the curriculum later. This is a two-for-two substitution. The department won't allow MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H to sub for CSCI 2033 if students don't take MATH 4242. B.S. students may use MATH 3592H and 3593H combined in place of CSCI 2033.
  • Data science B.S. students can use MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H in place of CSCI 2033 if they take MATH 4242 (applied linear algebra) for an upper-division technical elective in the program. This is a two-for-two substitution. The department won't allow MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H to sub for CSCI 2033 if students don't take MATH 4242. BS students may use MATH 3592H and 3593H combined in place of CSCI 2033.
  • Computer science B.A. students can use MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H in place of CSCI 2033 if they take MATH 4242 (applied linear algebra), which will count towards their upper-division credits outside of the major required by CLA. This is a two-for-two substitution. The department won't allow MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H to sub for CSCI 2033 if students don't take MATH 4242. B.A. students may use MATH 3592H and 3593H combined in place of CSCI 2033.
  • Computer science/math double majors or math minors should take MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H over CSCI 2033 and then take MATH 4242 later to meet one of their algebra requirements for the math major or their math minor electives.
  • MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H doesn't substitute for CSCI 2033 by itself since MATH 2243/2373/2471/2574H is about two topics (linear algebra and differential equations) where our course is a full semester learning linear algebra.
  • MATH 3592H and 3593H combined substitute for CSCI 2033 without further requirements.
  • Students with credit for MATH 2142 have completed the linear algebra requirement and do not need to take CSCI 2033 or MATH 4242.

STAT 3021 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics substitution (CSCI majors only)

We offer the following substitutes for the STAT 3021 requirement in the computer science B.S. and B.A. programs:

  • A combination of STAT 3011 and 3022 (STAT 3011 alone isn't an acceptable substitute for STAT 3021)
  • STAT 4101, 4102, 5101, 5102, 8101, or 8102 (these courses can't also count towards a student's computer science track credits for the B.S. program unless a student has also completed STAT 3011)
  • MATH 4653 or MATH 5651 (these courses can't also count towards a student's computer science track credits or the upper-division math oriented requirement for the B.S. program unless a student has also completed STAT 3011)
  • IE 3521 (For Computer Science and Industrial Systems and Engineering double majors)
  • EE 3025 (For Computer Science and Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering double majors)

CSCI 3923 - Ethics in Computing (CSCI & DSCI majors only)

CS&E added a new ethics course requirement for all students admitted to the university in Fall 2023 or later. Students admitted to the University of Minnesota prior to Fall 2023 do not need to complete the ethics course requirement. Contact csciug@umn.edu or dsciug@umn.edu if you see the ethics requirement on your APAS and were admitted to the university before Fall 2023. We offer the following substitutes for the ethics requirement in the computer science (BS and BA) and data science major programs:

  • CSCI 3921W Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing (also counts for the Civic Life and Ethics theme and an upper division Writing Intensive requirement)
  • INET 3011W Social Impacts of Information Technology
  • Other courses can be proposed for substitution approval if they meet the following conditions (email your assigned CS&E Advisor or csciug@umn.edu if you are not in the major yet to propose a course):
    • Be upper level (junior level or above);
    • Involve ethics as a major theme; and
    • Involve computing in a substantial way.

PHYS 1301W - Introduction to Physics and second science requirement substitutions:(CSCI B.S. & DSCI B.S. majors only)

Students may use PHYS 1221 and 1222 in place of PHYS 1301W and the second science requirement as long as they meet one of the following requirements:

  • The student must have a bio-oriented major (not a pre-major) or minor listed officially on their record.
  • The student has completed either CSCI 5461 or 5481 with a C- or better letter grade as part of their bioinformatics track focus in the B.S. curriculum. This approval will not be added to a student's APAS report until one of these two courses is completed.
  • The student was previously admitted to the College of Biological Sciences (CBS), completed the courses, successfully transferred to CSE, and was admitted to the computer science B.S. program.

Substitution approvals will not be given to students who do not meet one of the criteria above.

Students may use CHEM 1081 (equivalent to CHEM 1061) and CHEM 1065 to count for the second science requirement.

EE 1301 - Introduction to Computing Systems substitution (CSCI minors only)

  • We allow EE 1301 to substitute for the CS I requirement (CSCI 1103,1113, or 1133) in the computer science minor curriculum.
  • We do not allow EE 1301 to substitute for the CS I requirement in the computer science majors (B.A. and B.S.). We will, however, consider on a case-by-case basis approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies allowing a computer science major who has completed EE 1301 to substitute a CSCI 4000-5000 level course in place of the CSCI requirement rather than having to take CSCI 1103, CSCI 1113, or CSCI 1133.

Questions?

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CS&E Undergraduate Advising Team