Welcome to the Computer Science Department

1. Welcome to the Computer Science Department Advice and answers for Post-Baccalaureate students interested in Computer Science

2. Agenda • As a Post-bac, you have options! • Bachelors or Masters…what’s the difference? • Bachelor Degree Requirements • Master Degree Prerequisites • Planning your Post-bac program of study • Admissions to the Computer Science Dept. • Prior Credits and Experience • Q&A

3. Bachelor’s or Master’s? Master’s Degree: • May be quicker • Performance • Area of Focus Bachelor’s Degree: • May be quicker • Performance • Broad Study

4. Path #1: Second Bachelor’s degree in CS • Broader topical coverage than Master’s program • Begin any term • Must complete all undergraduate major requirements; CS credits and additional courses (Math, Science, etc.) • Must maintain a C or better (note: selective admission) • Completed in as little as 2.5 years

5. What Makes us Unique • Many of our masters students do not hold Computer Science undergraduate degrees • We value diverse academic backgrounds • We offer pathways for students to complete the necessary coursework that prepares them for our graduate program • We don’t require any prior computer science experience in order to pursue these pathways

6. Path #2: Traditional Grad Prep Track • Begin any term • Must maintain a B or better • Completed in as little as 15 months plus required time for Master’s program

7. Path #3: Accelerated Grad Prep Track • Cohorts begin summer term • Mixed-cohort model • Completed in 12 months (Summer-Spring) plus time required for masters

8. Planning to get a Bachelor’s in CS? Must complete all required UG courses including: • WR 227 Technical Writing • MTH 251, 252 Calculus I, II • ECE 341 Computer Hardware • Approved Science and Math Electives • Upper Division CS Electives • CS 469, 470 Software Engineering Capstone Courses taken for the first undergraduate degree can be used to satisfy free electives and general University requirements.

9. Planning to get a Master’s in CS? You don’t need a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science in order to do the Master’s Program. We offer two options for graduate preparatory course work for Non-CS degrees. • Grad Prep (traditional) • Accelerated Grad Prep Track

10. Traditional Grad Prep Track • 15% of the graduating class of 2015-16 • 22% of the graduating class of 2016-17 • 37% of the graduating class of 2017-18 • Begin taking classes any term • Must complete (or demonstrate mastery) of most undergraduate computer science coursework. • Consists of Programming, Languages, and Theory • 40-48 credits

11. Accelerated Grad Prep • 12 month mixed-cohort (Summer-Spring) • Summer and Fall: accelerated format • Winter and Spring: general courses • No prior programming experience is required • Not a vocational training program

12. Accelerated Grad Prep Admission to this program is required and competitive. Applicants are expected to have: Required Qualifications: • GRE Scores are required: A Quantitative score in the 70th percentile or above and a Verbal score in the 50th percentile or above Preferred Qualifications: • At least a year of mathematics beyond pre-calculus • An undergraduate GPA of 3.5 of better

13. Master’s Degree in Computer Science (45 credits) Track (9 credits) • Databases • Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning • Languages • Security • Software Engineering • Systems • Electives (27 credits) • Additional 500-level CS courses • 15 credits can be outside of CS Core (9 credits) • CS 584 Algorithms & Design Analysis • CS 558 Programming Languages • CS 533 Concepts of Operating Systems

14. Where do I Begin? We have multiple entry points to begin your studies” 1. No prior programming and limited math? • Start with CS 161 or CS 199 2. No prior programming and some math? • Start with CS 161 3. Some programming experience? • Start with CS 162 How should I know if I am ready for CS 162? • There is a self-placement available from our office to help you determine if you should begin at CS 161 or CS 162

15. Portland Community College • You may begin your Post-bac study at a community college, such as PCC. • All lower division courses for the Grad Prep and second Bachelor’s (including non-CS major requirements) can be completed at PCC. • PLEASE NOTE: PCC requires you to start with CS 140U and CS 161 and requires MTH 251 for CS 250 • PCC’s CS Advisor: Michele Maxwell (Michele.Maxwell@pcc.edu)

16. Keep in Mind… • Advanced courses in Computer Science build on earlier courses. • You must successfully pass or demonstrate mastery (through CPL) in order to move forward in our programs. • A weak preparation in one class can lead to issues throughout the rest of your programs.

17. Scheduling is IMPORTANTFor many Reasons • We enforce prerequisites! Consider this when planning your program of study • Departmental Admissions is required in order to complete upper division CS courses • Planning to do the master’s? You must have all grad prep courses completed before you start.

18. Departmental Admissions Second Bachelor’s? • Admissions takes places twice a year: Fall term (April 15th deadline) and Winter term (October 15th deadline) • All lower division CS courses should be completed and mastered before the term you are applying to • Documented by grades or Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

19. CS 202 Programming Systems • If you did not complete CS 202 at PSU, you’ll need to demonstrate acceptable proficiency in programming through one of our Proficiency Demonstrations. • This examination is part of the midterm and final if you complete CS 202 at PSU. • Plan Ahead! Proficiency exams are scheduled only twice a year! • This a departmental admissions requirement.

20. Departmental Admissions for 2nd Bachelor’s Degree • CS courses: 162, 163, 201, 202*, 250, and 251 with an overall GPA of 3.0 (all attempts will be considered) secure automatic admission • MTH 251 & 252 (Calculus I and II) • An approved Lab Science sequence • Required courses outside of CS must be completed with a minimum grade of a C-

21. Departmental Admissions for Grad Prep • CS courses: 162, 163, 201, 202*, 250, and 251 with a 3.0 GPA (all attempts will be considered) • Must complete all Grad Prep courses with a minimum grade of a B (for department and graduate admissions). • Students can begin upper division any term after they finish lower division courses • EXCITING NEWS: The GRE is not longer required for Grad Prep students!

22. Prior Credits and Experience • Determine if your prior courses match our requirements. • https://transferology.com/school/pdx • Request transfer evaluation upon Post-bac admission • Additional evaluation through course’s department may be required • Some courses can be waived through documented professional experience.

23. Thank You!