The 2003 Computer Science Curriculum

Planning Your Program

Now that you know about the new curriculum, you should think through exactly what it will mean for your study plans. Here's what to do:

• Figure out whether you are generally following the old or new curriculum.
• Lay out a schedule, term by term, referring to the Phase-In table to find out when new courses will be offered for the first time, and old courses will be offered for the last time.
• If you are following an old program, try to plan your schedule so that you will get the courses you need before they are discontinued. But if this is not possible, see Being "overtaken by the wave" to find out about a suitable substitution. If you find this is happening a great deal, for instance because you are studying part-time, consider adopting the new curriculum instead.
• If you are following the new curriculum, try to plan your schedule so that the (new) courses you need will be ready in time for you to take them. But if this is not possible, see Getting "ahead of the wave" to find out about a suitable substitution. There are likely few students who will move quickly enough through the program that this is a big problem, and most students do prefer the new curriculum. But if you find your accelerated pace will create a lot of problems, consider following the old curriculum.
• If you are taking a course and satisfying its prerequisites with an old course that is not the preferred preparation, refer to Having a "deprecated" prerequisite to find out about making up the difference.
• If you have questions, read the Frequently Asked Questions. If you are still unsure, pose your own question using the query form. Of course, you may also visit the undergraduate office or make an appointment with the Associate Chair to discuss your situation, but we hope to handle the majority of queries through this web page.

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