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.
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.
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 or MATH 188. This is a manual update an advisor needs to make. Send a message through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC).
- CSE 100/CSE 100R: Advanced Data Structures (4 units) ** Three upper division CSE Elective courses (12 units)
- Please use this example as to how should properly list the upper-division courses: CSE 100 or CSE 100R, 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: Granting exceptions to prerequisites is rare and requires documentation of extenuating circumstances.
- Please be aware that the upper-division courses may be more difficult to secure a seat for non-majors.
**Although CSE15L and 29 are not part of the CSE Minor Curriculum, taking one of these is a required prerequisite to take CSE 100/CSE 100R. If you have not taken CSE 15L in or before SPRING 2024, you will need to take CSE 29 instead. Please refer to the CSE Prerequisites webpage for more details.
**Students who take CSE 15L (in or before Spring 2024) will be advised to take CSE 30 in Spring 2024 to make sure they learn both C programming and assembly. If they do not take CSE 30 (current) in its last offering of Spring 2024, they will be advised to take CSE 29 (for 2 units).
Computer Science Minor Policies
- All lower- and upper-division courses must be completed with a letter grade. D grades are allowed in lower division courses.
- Students must achieve at least a 2.0 average GPA in the upper-division courses for the minor to be awarded.
- Students who cannot minor in Computer Science: students in the Jacobs School of Engineering CANNOT minor in Computer Science, students in the Data Science major (DS25) and students in Math-CS major (MA30) in the Mathematics Department.
- Please see "How to Declare a Minor" for UCSD minor policies.
- 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
- 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.
- **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" and then at the bottom of your screen where it says Minor click "Add Minor"
- 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 or CSE 100R, 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 CSE 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 or contact the CSE Undergraduate Advisors via the Virtual Advising Center with any questions.
- Please allow up to 4 weeks for your Minor request to be reviewed. If your request was not approved and you have questions, please 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/GE courses.
CSE Course Placement
- CSE Course Placement Advice
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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.
P/NP Grading Policies for Spring 2020 - Spring 2021