College of Sciences and Humanities
Department of Computer Science
www.kent.edu/cs

About This Program

The Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science program provides a solid foundation in computer science principles and hands-on experience with industry-standard tools. With access to cutting-edge facilities and expert faculty, you will gain the skills needed to thrive in the tech industry. Read more...

Contact Information

• Augustine Samba | ugradinfo@cs.kent.edu | 330-672-9120
• Speak with an Advisor
  • Kent Campus
  • Stark Campus
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor: Kent Campus | Regional Campuses

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus
  • Stark Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Students who meet the prerequisite for CS 13001 should take the course during semester one.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

³

Students may apply a maximum 3 credit hours of CS 33192 and a maximum 6 credit hours of CS 49996, CS 49998 or a combination of the two courses to fulfill Computer Science (CS) electives. Please note that some Computer Science (CS) elective courses have math prerequisites that are not required in the B.A. degree. Please ensure that you have taken the necessary math courses before enrolling in these elective courses.

⁴

If students complete the American Civic Literacy requirement by taking HIST 12061, the course will apply to the Kent Core Humanities category. If they complete it with POL 10101, the course will apply to the Kent Core Social Sciences category.

Graduation Requirements

• A minimum C grade may be required in some courses

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Sciences and Humanities must complete the following:

1. Elementary I and II of any language (or equivalent) and
2. One of the following options:
   1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
   2. Elementary I and II of a second language
   3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:
      1. Intermediate I of the same language
      2. One to two college-level course(s) completed outside the United States
      3. Courses: ARAB 21401, ASL 19401, CHIN 25421, MCLS 10001, MCLS 20001, MCLS 20091, MCLS 21417, MCLS 21420, MCLS 22217, MCLS 28403, MCLS 28404

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer courses. This may be accomplished in one of three ways:

1. Passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level
2. Receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University
3. Demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language

Certain programs may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need a particular language proficiency.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Understand the essential facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to computer science.
2. Apply computer science concepts to solve computer-related problems.
3. Analyze algorithms, computer science methods and techniques.
4. Analyze and plan the development of a typical professional computer science problem.
5. Make succinct oral presentations and written expositions about technical problems and their solutions.
6. Work effectively as a member of a software development team.

Program Policies

Foreign Language Requirements

In general, students may elect any foreign language taught through the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies. However, certain majors, concentrations and minors require specific languages or limit the languages from which students may choose. In addition, students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular languages for that study. In such cases, students should seek the advice of the appropriate department before selecting a language.

Progress Toward Fulfillment

College of Sciences and Humanities students are encouraged to begin meeting the foreign language requirement as early as possible in their program to ensure timely degree completion.

Mandatory Outcomes Assessment

In addition to the other General Requirements of the college, candidates for an undergraduate degree in the College of Sciences and Humanities are required, as a condition of graduation, to participate in an outcomes assessment. These outcomes assessments are conducted by each undergraduate degree program in the College of Sciences and Humanities.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science is designed for students who seek a liberal arts education combined with a solid foundation in computer science. Students may choose electives from any complementary liberal arts program beyond computer science.

Students have the option to have a double major to attain depth of knowledge across two related areas.