Minor in Computer Science
The Minor in Computer Science is offered for students seeking significant knowledge of digital computers without the more complete treatment of a major in computer science. This minor may be taken by any student except majors in the Computer Science degree programs and in Computer Engineering.
Capacity in Core CS Courses
The Department of Computer Science is committed to providing enough capacity in the core courses for our minor (CS 124, CS 128, CS 173, and CS 225) to accommodate all students who are interested and who meet the prerequisites. Students wishing to complete a CS minor are recommended to take CS 124 and CS 225 in the Spring semesters, and CS 128 and CS 173 in the Fall semesters.
Note: Declaring a minor in CS will not give you an advantage in registering for CS courses.
Guaranteed Admission to the Online MCS or MCS-DS
If you complete any CS or CS+X major or a CS minor at Illinois with a GPA of 3.0 or better in the last two years of your undergraduate degree and a GPA of 3.2 or better in CS courses, you are guaranteed admission to our Online MCS or MCS in Data Science (MCS-DS) programs.
Minor in CS Requirements
New Requirements:
These requirements apply to students who will not have credit for CS 225 prior to Spring 2022. All students starting the CS minor in Fall 2021 or later should follow these requirements.
The following four courses are specifically required:
|
Hours |
Course |
|---|---|
|
3 |
CS 124 Intro to Computer Science I* (substitute: CS 125) |
|
3 |
CS 128 Intro to Computer Science II* (substitute: CS 199-128, CS 126) |
|
3 |
CS 173 Discrete Structures (substitute: MATH 213, MATH 347, MATH 412, MATH 413)** |
|
4 |
CS 225 Data Structures |
|
|
*EE students will substitute ECE 120 and ECE 220 for CS 124 and CS 128. |
|
|
Credit for CS 124, CS 128, CS 173, and/or CS 225 can be earned through transfer or proficiency credit. |
|
|
**MATH 347, MATH 412 or MATH 413 are not approved substitutes for CS 173 for advanced CS course prerequisites, including CS 233 and CS 374. Plan accordingly. |
Students must take two upper level course, each from CS at the 300- or 400-level, with the following limitations:
|
Level |
Course Limitations (Cannot count towards CS minor) |
|---|---|
|
300 |
CS 397 and CS 398 |
| 400 | CS 400, CS 401, CS 402, CS 403, CS 413, CS 491, CS 492, CS 493, CS 494, CS 497, CS 499 |
|
|
These courses must be taken at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One may be taken from a study abroad program, with department approval. |
|
|
MATH 347, MATH 412, and MATH 413 will not count as upper level courses for this minor. |
|
16-19 |
Minimum Total Hours for New CS Minor |
Old Requirements:
These requirements apply to students who have earned credit for CS 225 by Fall 2021 or who will register for CS 225 in Fall 2021.
The following three courses are specifically required:
|
Hours |
Course |
|---|---|
|
4 |
CS 125 Intro to Computer Science (substitutes: ECE 190 or ECE 220) |
|
3 |
CS 173 Discrete Structures (substitute: MATH 213) |
|
4 |
CS 225 Data Structures |
Students must take three additional courses from among the following approved courses. These courses must be taken at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, though one may be taken from a study abroad program. At least one of the three courses must be at the 400-level. Students may apply two or even all three of the additional courses from among the 400-level offerings.
Declaring a Minor
To declare the CS minor, submit a request here: https://go.illinois.edu/MinorDeclaration.
Note that declaring a minor in CS will not give you an advantage in registering for any CS courses. However, once declared, you will receive emails that apply to your minor.
To cancel the minor, submit an online request here: https://go.illinois.edu/MinorCancellation. You do not need approval from the CS Department to cancel a CS Minor.