Minor in Computer Science

Updated 7/11/2022

P/NP Grading Policies for Spring 2020 - Spring 2021

Please click the links below to read memos outlining all policies regarding changes to grade requirements (Letter Grade v. Pass/No Pass) approved for CS Minors in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring 2021 only.

Winter 2021 & Spring 2021 Grading Option Policies for CS Minors

Spring 2020 Grading Option Policies for CS Minors (updated April 16th, 2020)

Spring 2020 UC San Diego FAQ's regarding P/NP

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the high demand for CSE courses, CS minors do not receive priority for CSE classes and we cannot guarantee you will be able to complete the minor requirements before graduation. Because of this, minor required courses should be taken out of academic interests and not solely to earn the CS minor designation on a transcript. 

The Computer Science Minor is designed to provide basic proficiency in computer science. The requirements focus on programming methodology and skills, computer organization, relevant mathematical skills, structure techniques, laboratory courses with programming projects, and design and analysis of algorithms. Completing these requirements provides a strong foundation in computer science.

CSE Minor Requirements

CSE lower-division courses (16 units):

  • CSE 8B or CSE 11: Intro Computer Science and Object-Oriented: Java (4 units)
  • CSE 12: Data Structures and Object-Oriented Programming (4 units)
  • CSE 20*1: Discrete Mathematics (4 units)
  • CSE 21*2: Math/Algorithms and Systems Analysis (4 units)

*1: CSE 20 may be substituted with MATH 109 or MATH 31CH. This is a manual update an advisor needs to make. Send a message through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC)

*2: CSE 21 may be substituted with MATH 154 or MATH 184. This is a manual update an advisor needs to make. Send a message through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). *Effective Winter 2023: CSE 21 may be substituted with MATH 154 or MATH 184 or MATH 188*

CSE upper-division courses (16 units):  

        - Please be aware that the upper-division courses may be more difficult to secure a seat for non-majors. 

  • CSE 100: Advanced Data Structures (4 units) **
  • Three upper division CSE Elective courses (12 units)
    • Please list the upper-division courses as: CSE 100, CSE 1XX, CSE 1XX, and CSE 1XX.  
      • Electives may NOT be from the Technical Electives. Must be from the CSE elective options listed. 
      • Please note: Students do not need to update their CSE Minor application if they decide to take a different pre-approved CSE Upper-Division Elective than originally listed on their application. Please keep in mind that the approved CSE electives can change. Before you enroll into a course, make sure that this elective is still on the approved electives page. If you are not sure whether a course can fulfill the CSE Minor UD Elective, please refer to the CSE Electives page and contact the CSE Undergraduate Advisors via the Virtual Advising Center with any questions.

Prerequisite notes:  The CSE department enforces all course prerequisites.

**Although CSE15L and 30 are not part of the CSE Minor Curriculum, they are required prerequisites to take CSE 100. 

Computer Science Minor Policies

  • All lower- and upper-division courses must be completed with a letter grade.
  • Students must achieve at least a 2.0 average GPA in the upper-division courses for the minor to be awarded.
  • Students in the Jacobs School of Engineering CANNOT minor in Computer Science.
  • Students in the Data Science major (DS25) CANNOT minor in Computer Science.
  • Students in Math-CS major (MA30) in the Mathematics Department CANNOT minor in Computer Science.
  • Please see "How to Declare a Minor" for UCSD minor policies.
  • Students are allowed a maximum of 4 units of research credit/special studies toward the minor.
  • Students may use approved upper division CSE Electives for their minor requirements.
  • Per campus policy, a maximum of 8 upper division units may be overlapped between your major and your minor. 
  • Undergraduate students may use CSE graduate-level courses towards their minor requirements, but may need a petition if they have taken the equivalent/similar undergraduate course. Undergraduate students must get instructor's permission and departmental approval (EASy request) to enroll in a graduate course.
  • A maximum of 4 units of special studies courses may be used towards the CS minor: ENG 100D, ENG 100L, CSE 198, or CSE 199
  • **CSE 180/ and CSE 180R are not approved for CSE Elective for CS minors**

Declaring the Minor

  • Declare the CS Minor using TritonLink.
  • Click on "Major and Minor: Manage major and minor declarations" and enter the CSE Minor code (CS26).
  • Enter the required lower and upper-division courses in the form. You can find these listed above.
  • Please list the upper-division courses as: CSE 100, CSE 1XX, CSE 1XX, and CSE 1XX.  
    • Please note: Students do not need to update their CSE Minor application if they decide to take a different pre-approved CSE Upper-Division Elective than originally listed on their application. Please keep in mind that the approved CSE electives can change. Before you enroll into a course, make sure that this elective is still on the approved electives page. If you are not sure whether a course can fulfill the CSE Minor UD Elective, please refer to the CSE Electives page and contact the CSE Undergraduate Advisors via the Virtual Advising Center with any questions.
  • Minor requests are reviewed on a monthly basis, so please allow up to 4 weeks for your approval notification.  If your request was not approved and you have questions, contact the CSE Department through the Virtual Advising Center.
  • If you are prompted to submit a Quarter by Quarter (QxQ) plan, you need to add ALL of the courses that you have remaining to complete your degree. This includes major courses, minor courses and college courses. 

CSE Course Placement

All UC San Diego students are invited to take CSE courses to check out the CS Minor.  All CSE courses are open for enrollment, and most are offered more than one quarter. You can start with CSE 3 or CSE 5A or CSE 8A  or CSE 11.  

Still not sure which class to take first?  Start by reading the CSE Course Placement Advice page.

 

***Request will take 3-5 business to process