Computer science minor
UMN CS Minor Declaration Form
Please read the information on this webpage prior to submitting your declaration form.
Overview
The computer science minor is a great option for students who want to include a basic core of computer science coursework to enhance or supplement their major program.
Knowledge of computing is very useful for students majoring in engineering, any of the sciences, business, design and visual arts, and really any other major. The minor increases job opportunities and provides a strong knowledge base for more advanced studies and independent learning.
The minor coursework teaches students analytical problem-solving and computational thinking skills, as well as fundamental programming concepts, practical knowledge of computer programming languages, data structures, and algorithm development techniques that are essential to modern computing. Students have flexibility in choosing courses in order to meet the minor requirements.
Students in the minor need to have solid analytical and abstraction skills. Students who are not planning on taking calculus should take at least a math class, such as college algebra and probability or a pre-calculus course, before starting the minor.
Please note: Students majoring in computer engineering and data science are not able to minor in computer science.
Requirements
The computer science minor consists of five 3- or 4-credit, advisor-approved CSCI courses.
All courses used for the minor must be taken A-F, with only courses earning a grade of C- or better counting towards the minor. At least three upper-division credits must be taken at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Computer science foundation courses
Take exactly two courses totaling exactly 8 credit(s) from the following:
- CSCI 1133 or CSCI 1133H and CSCI 2081
- CSCI 1133 or CSCI 1133H and CSCI 1933 or CSCI 1933H
- CSCI 1103 or CSCI 1113 and CSCI 1913
Electives
Take exactly three courses totaling 9 - 12 credit(s) from the following:
Lower-division electives
Take zero to two course(s) totaling 0 - 8 credit(s) from the following:
- CSCI 2021 or CSCI 3061
- CSCI 2033
- CSCI 2041
- CSCI 2011 or CSCI 2011H or CSCI 3041
Upper-division (4000 - 5000 level) electives
Take one to three course(s) totaling 3 - 12 credit(s) of 4000 - 5000 level CSCI courses.
- All CSCI courses can be used for the computer science minor except CSCI 2980, 3003, 3113Q, 3921W, 3970, 3980, 4921, 5465, 5996, and 5997. 49xx (including CSCI 4950, 4970W, and 4994H) and 59xx courses (including CSCI 5980, CSCI 5991, CSCI 5994) can be accepted only with prior advisor approval. Minor students cannot take or use CSCI 3081W and CSCI 4061.
- Honors thesis, independent study, and directed research may be considered with prior departmental approval. Students who have taken CSCI 3041 cannot use CSCI 4041 for this requirement.
Declaring the minor
The minor can be declared at any point (from enrollment in your first computer science course through completion of all requirements). Students must have declared their major in order to add the minor. Students can declare the minor by completing our UMN CS Minor Declaration Form. Students must contact their college advising office in order to remove the minor after it is added to their record.
Course sequences/emphasis in minor suggestions
Students may use the "Tracks" developed for our B.S. major students as potential pathways for an emphasis within the computer science minor. (note: these are suggestions intended to provide guidance and not requirements nor will an emphasis show up on an APAS Report or academic transcript.)
All courses for the minor must be from the CSCI department or EE cross-listed courses (EE 4363 and EE 5364). INET courses (including INET 4001, INET 4002, and INET 4707) can not be applied to this minor. Students who have completed MATH 2373, MATH 2243, MATH 2574H (Linear Algebra & Differential Equations) or MATH 2142 (Linear Algebra) cannot use these courses as a substitution for CSCI 2033 in the minor. Students can use these courses to meet prerequisites for advanced courses requiring CSCI 2033.
Applying new CSCI courses (2081, 3041, 3061) to your minor
Three new CSCI course options (CSCI 2081, 3041, & 3061) were created for the new CSE Data Science B.S. program. These courses may be great options to consider for students pursuing the computer science minor.
- CSCI 2081 can be used in place of CSCI 1933. This course is not appropriate as a lower division elective.
- CSCI 3041 can be a lower division elective. Students may not use both 3041 and 2011 and/or 4041 for their minor.
- CSCI 3061 can be a lower division elective.
Please note: these courses may not be officially showing in the computer science minor APAS Report for some students. Students should contact the departmental advisors to have their minor APAS updated.
Electrical Engineering Students Pursing a Computer Science Minor 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. Computer Engineering cannot pursue a Computer Science Minor.