Associate in Arts & Science in CS
Bachelor of Science in CS
Curriculum
Year 1
Fall
MATH& 151: Calculus I 5 cr.
Introduces the concepts of limits, derivatives, and integrals. Topics include techniques and applications of derivatives of algebraic and transcendental functions. Students begin working with antiderivatives. MATH& 148 and MATH& 151 have overlapping content and students are not recommended to take both. Fulfills the quantitative or symbolic reasoning course requirement at BC.
ENGL& 101: English Composition I 5 cr.
Develops clear, effective writing skills and emphasizes writing as a process. Students practice writing in a variety of forms and modes. Fee: $22.00 English Writing Lab (College in the High School students are exempt from this fee)
HUM or SS – 5 Credits
Winter
CS 210: Fundamentals of Computer Science I 5 cr.
This course introduces core concepts in computer science, focusing on programming and problem-solving skills. Students learn to design and implement algorithms while exploring object-oriented programming (OOP) principles such as encapsulation, polymorphism, and inheritance. They gain hands-on experience with Java classes, 2-D and multi-dimensional arrays, interfaces, and the Java Collections Framework, including Lists, Sets, Maps, and ArrayList. The course also emphasizes unit testing. Recommended: CS 209 or prior programming experience. See the CS2xx self Placement test on the website: https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/cs/
PHYS 121: General Engineering Physics I 6 cr.
First in a three-course survey of physics for science and engineering majors. The course presents fundamental principles of mechanics, including motion, Newton’s laws, work, energy, momentum, rotation, and gravity. Conceptual development and problem-solving have equal emphasis. Laboratory work presents methods of experimental and analysis (modeling, errors, graphical analysis, etc.) and prepares students for upper-division research. Fee: $48.00 100-level Science lab. College in the High School students and students in on-line classes are exempt from this fee. However, students in some on-line classes are required to obtain a lab rental kit from the BC Bookstore.
MATH& 152: Calculus II 5 cr.
Continues the study of integration, emphasizing applications and special techniques. Students work with algebraic and transcendental functions. Fulfills the quantitative or symbolic reasoning course requirement at BC. Prerequisite: Placement by assessment, or MATH& 151 with a C or better.
CS 196 – Special Topics in Computer Science
Spring
CS 211: Fundamentals of Computer Science II 5 cr.
This course focuses on advanced concepts in algorithm efficiency, runtime analysis, and data structures. Topics include recursion, exceptions, search and sorting algorithms, stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, priority queues, and hashing. Students will implement efficient solutions using industry-standard APIs, analyze performance using Big-O notation, and develop a deeper understanding of algorithmic design and problem-solving techniques.
PHYS 122: General Engineering Physics II 6 cr.
Second in a three-course survey of physics for science and engineering majors. The course presents fundamental principles of electromagnetism, including electrostatics, current electricity circuits, magnetism induction, generation of electricity, electromagnetic oscillations, alternating currents, and Maxwell’s equations. Conceptual development and problem-solving have equal emphasis. Laboratory work presents methods of experimental analysis (modeling, errors, graphical analysis, etc.) and prepares students for upper-division research. Fee: $48.00 100-level Science lab. College in the High School students and students in on-line classes are exempt from this fee. However, students in some on-line classes are required to obtain a lab rental kit from the BC Bookstore.
MATH& 153: Calculus III 5 cr.
Emphasizes the study of infinite sequences and series including power series. Topics include plane analytic geometry, graphing in polar coordinates, and an introduction to vectors. Fulfills the quantitative or symbolic reasoning course requirement at BC. Prerequisite: Placement by assessment or MATH& 152 or higher, with a C or better.
CS 197 – Special Topics in Computer Science
Year 2
Fall
CS 300: Data Structures 5 cr.
This course is an introduction to the fundamental concept of data structures. It explains how to organize and store data efficiently using data structures and how to select appropriate data structures. The course further focuses on understanding the fundamental algorithms and analyzing the time and space complexity of these algorithms.
MATH 208: Introduction to Linear Algebra 5 cr.
Introduces the vocabulary, algebra, and geometry of vector spaces in ‘R’ and function spaces. Students use matrix methods and vectors to explore systems of linear equations and transformations. Also presents elementary theory of eigenvalues. Fulfills the quantitative or symbolic reasoning course requirement at BC. Preferred: MATH& 153 or MATH& 254.
ENGL 201: The Research Paper 5 cr.
Develops skills required for writing research papers. Students learn research techniques, source analysis, thesis development, argumentation styles, and summarizing. Fulfills a written communication course requirement at BC. Same as ENGL 102. Either ENGL 102 or ENGL 201 may be taken for credit, not both. Fee: $22.00 English Writing Lab (College in the High School students are exempt from this fee)
Winter
CS 351: Computer Architecture I 5 cr.
This course introduces the functional components of modern computer systems (processor, memory, Input/Output, etc.), characteristics and performance of these components. The course also addresses the interactions among hardware and software components. This course further allows students to develop programming skills while learning computer architecture with assembly programming assignments.
MATH 301: Discrete Mathematics 5 cr.
This class introduces basic discrete structures in mathematics, computer science and engineering fields. Topics include elementary logic, set theory, mathematical proof, relations, combinatorics, induction, recursion, sequence and recurrence, trees, graph theory.
HUM or SS – 5 Credits
Spring
Free Elective – 5 Credits
MATH 270: Probability and Statistical Models 5 cr.
Provides a rigorous introduction to the fundamental principles of probability with emphasis on applications to data-driven problem solving. Starting from an axiomatic definition of probability, students learn how to work with both discrete and continuous random variables and apply these concepts to practical situations. Topics include: conditional probability, Bayes¿ theorem; Bernoulli, binomial, geometric, Poisson, uniform (discrete and continuous), normal, and exponential distributions; the law of large numbers; the central limit theorem and its applications; confidence intervals; and the Z-test. A portion of coursework will include techniques and examples in the Python programming language. Recommended: MATH&153, CS 310, or familiarity with Python
HUM or SS – 5 Credits
Year 3
Fall
CS 331: Database Systems 5 cr.
The course covers the fundamental concepts of database systems. It teaches students the internals of database systems including data model, database design, relational model, relational algebra, SQL, indexing, concurrency control, query processing, transaction management and recovery. This course also aims to teach the new directions involving NoSQL persistence models.
CHEM/BIOL – 6 Credits
HUM or SS – 5 Credits
Winter
CS 320: Programming Languages 5 cr.
This course is an introduction to the design and implementation of programming languages. The course explores organization and structure of programming languages, run?time behavior and requirements of programs, and programming language specification. The course teaches the programming models underlying different programming paradigms such as functional, logic, scripting and object-oriented languages. Prerequisites: CS 300 with a C or better, and admission to BC CS program, or instructor’s permission.
CS 360: Operating Systems 5 cr.
This class introduces the design and implementation of modern, process oriented operating systems, as well as systems programming basics. Primary topics include operating system structure, processes, threads, synchronization, memory management, virtual memory, file systems, I/O subsystem and device management. Prerequisite: CS 351 with a C or better and admission to BS CS program, or instructor’s permission.
HUM or SS – 5 Credits
Spring
CS 401: Algorithms 5 cr.
This course teaches the concepts and skills required to design, implement and analyze algorithms for constructing efficient computer programs. The course covers elementary data structures, searching, sorting, graph and string algorithms, and algorithm design principles such as dynamic programming, greedy, divide-and-conquer paradigms. The emphasis is on applications and scientific performance analysis of algorithms. Prerequisites: CS 300 with a C or better, MATH 301 and admission to BC CS program, or instructor’s permission.
CS 410: Software Engineering 5 cr.
The course teaches the fundamental concepts and principles of software engineering, its tools and techniques, and methods for building reliable software systems. This course introduces all phases of the lifecycle of a software system, including requirements elicitation and analysis, design, implementation, integration, testing, verification and validation, deployment, and maintenance.
HUM or SS – 5 Credits
Year 4
Fall
CS 481: Senior Capstone I 3 cr.
This course focuses on literature review, requirement specification, project management, initial design and prototyping of the three-quarter long computer science project. Students work in teams and are given milestones. The course includes lectures, reading assignments and guest speakers on development process, team working, report writing and emerging trends in computer science. Prerequisites: CS 410 with a C or better and admission to BS CS program, or instructor’s permission.
CS Elective – 5 Credits
Free Elective – 5 Credits
Winter
CS 482: Senior Capstone II 4 cr.
This course is the second in a sequence of three senior level capstone courses. This course focuses on detailed design, test plan and implementation of the project. The course includes lectures, reading assignments and guest speakers on development process, test plan, ethics, legal issues, and emerging trends in computer science. Prerequisites: CS 481 with a C or better and admission to BS CS program, or instructor’s permission.
CS Elective – 5 Credits
Free Elective – 5 Credits
Spring
CS 483: Senior Capstone III 3 cr.
This course is the third in a sequence of three senior level capstone courses. This course focuses on implementation, test and presentation of the project. The course includes lectures, reading assignments and guest speakers on poster design, innovation and entrepreneurship, presentation skills and emerging trends in computer science.
CS Elective – 5 Credits
Free Elective – 5 Credits
Prerequisite Chain
Please note that all 300 and above level CS courses are reserved for students who are admitted into the BS in CS program at BC. The information on this website is subject to change.
Please visit Bellevue College Catalog for the up to date information about CS curriculum and course prerequisites.
Last Updated June 9, 2022
