BSCS science requirements, SJSU, effective Fall 2014
last updated May 12, 2014
Effective Fall 2014, PHYS 50 and PHYS 51 are no longer required for the BSCS, although each of them may still count. It is still required that each CS major take 14 units of science courses, including
- GE courses covering Areas B1/B3, B2, and R
- 5 units of course work in science that counts toward a science or engineering degree
SJSU courses that count toward the 5 units include BIOL 1A, CHEM 1A, GEOL 1, GEOL 7, PHYS 50, and PHYS 51. The special course BIOL 23 will also count. Courses taken elsewhere that are equivalent to these courses will count. Other courses may count; check with the undergraduate CS coordinator.
No course may double count toward the 14 unit requirement, even if it appears on the list above and is also used as a GE course. GE requirements satisfied by listed courses need to be made up with approved science elective courses.
Here are some typical scenarios, based on courses from this list that a student might have taken or be planning to take:
-
PHYS 50 and 51 (8 units)
- All 8 units count toward the 5-unit requirement and the 14-unit requirement. PHYS 50 will satisfy Areas B1 and B3
- 6 units of GE science remain (Areas B2 and R)
- the new science requirement will be satisfied upon completion of these 6 units (just like before Fall 2014)
-
CHEM 1A, BIOL 1A or a 5-unit PHYS 50 equivalent (5 units)
-
PHYS 50 without PHYS 51 (4 units)
-
GEOL 1 or GEOL 7 (3 units)
-
none
Approved electives include
- any course from GE Areas B1, B2, B3, or R not already counted toward the 14-unit requirement.
- GEOL 3, 4L, and 108
- BIOL 65, BIOL 66, PHYS 2A, and PHYS 2B
and perhaps others. No workshop courses (courses whose course number has a W suffix) may count.
Excess units from courses used to satisfy the 5-unit requirement may count.