Undergraduate Study

General Information | Requirements | Planning Sheet | Teaching Chart

A Computer Science option (major) will be offered starting with the class of 2004. The executive officer for CS will be in charge of the option; this responsibility has been delegated to the undergraduate option representative. However, all inquiries should be directed to the undergraduate option secretary, . For a copy of the Caltech Catalog entry, click here.

Course Planning Sheet
To help students design coherent study plans, here's a planning sheet which students and their advisors may wish to use.

Study Tracks
We've collected here, for the benefit of Computer Science students and their advisors, recommended study tracks in a few areas:

• VLSI
  Aph9a (solid-state electronics)
  CS181a (VLSI design lab)
  CS137a (electronic design automation) or CS139a (concurrency)
  CS184a (computer architecture)
  EE180 (solid-state devices)
  
  
• Systems
  CS3 (intro software engineering)
  CS134b (compilers)
  CS145a (networking)
  CS141a or CS139a (distributed/concurrent systems)
  CS184a (architecture)
  
  
• ECE
  ACM95abc (applied math)
  EE20ab (electronics lab)
  CS138a (algorithms)
  CS138b or CS150 or CS151 (algorithms; probability; complexity)
  
  
• Networks
  ACM116 (probability models) or EE162 (random processes)
  EE111 (signals, systems, and transforms)
  CS/EE145a (networking)
  CDS110a (intro control theory) or EE113 (feedback and control)
  
  
• Programming Languages
  CS3 (intro software engineering)
  CS134b (compilers)
  CS145a or CS141a or CS139a (networks/distributed/concurrent systems)
  CS138 (algorithms)
  CS237c (semantics; to be renumbered CS1xy)
  
  
• Theory
  CS138 (algorithms)
  CS150 (probability and algorithms)
  CS151 (complexity)
  courses in algebra, probability, and combinatorics
  

Tentative Teaching Chart
A tentative teaching chart has been compiled (pdf). Please note that all information is subject to change without notice. Omission of a course doesn't imply it won't be taught. Jointly-listed courses, especially, may not be on this chart; please bring omissions or errors to the attention of the undergraduate option secretary.

Advising
Because of the large enrollments, students won't usually be able to have an advisor from the CS faculty during their freshman year. Students seeking a CS advisor should contact the undergraduate option secretary.

Research

There are many opportunities for undergraduate research in the computer science field. Students may work with faculty in the computer science department and in other departments and JPL. There are a wide variety of research opportunities in computing across campus, ranging from pervasive computing using wireless devices, to building and exploiting novel graphics devices, to algorithms, networking, molecular computing, or to using computing to search for quasars.

Campus-wide, there is a SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships) program. Please visit the SURF website for more information. The application deadline is March 1st. Students should begin talking with professors at least two months before the deadline.

Caltech Undergraduate Admissions

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