Major in Computer Science
All Computer Science major must complete 66-67 units of shared major requirements and an additional 15-22 units of either elective courses or track required courses for a total of 81-89 units. A minimum of 30 major units must be taken at Towson University. Students cannot double major in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems, or in Computer Science and Information Technology.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Computer Science Courses | ||
| CIS 377 | INTRODUCTION TO CYBERSECURITY | 3 |
| COSC 236 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I 1, 2 | 4 |
| COSC 237 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE II 2 | 4 |
| COSC 290 | PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER ORGANIZATION | 4 |
| COSC 336 | DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHM ANALYSIS | 4 |
| COSC 350 | DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING | 3 |
| COSC 412 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING | 3 |
| COSC 439 | OPERATING SYSTEMS | 3 |
| COSC 455 | PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES: DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION | 3 |
| COSC 457 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | 3 |
| Required Math Courses | ||
| MATH 263 | DISCRETE MATHEMATICS | 3-4 |
| or MATH 267 | INTRODUCTION TO ABSTRACT MATHEMATICS | |
| MATH 273 | CALCULUS I | 4 |
| MATH 274 | CALCULUS II | 4 |
| MATH 330 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| Science Requirement | ||
| Select two lab science courses from the following (the courses do not need to form a sequence): | 8 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO ASTROPHYSICS | ||
| BIOLOGY I: INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS [LECTURE] and BIOLOGY I: INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS [LAB] | ||
| BIOLOGY II: INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION [LECTURE] and BIOLOGY II: INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION [LAB] | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LECTURE and GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LECTURE and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY | ||
| PHYSICAL GEOLOGY | ||
| GENERAL PHYSICS I CALCULUS-BASED | ||
| GENERAL PHYSICS II CALCULUS-BASED | ||
| Other Requirements | ||
| Must be completed with a grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher. | ||
| COMM 131 | PUBLIC SPEAKING (Core 5) | 3 |
| COSC 418 | ETHICAL AND SOCIETAL CONCERNS OF COMPUTER SCIENTISTS (Core 14) | 3 |
| ENGL 317 | WRITING FOR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY (Core 9) | 3 |
| Elective Computer Science Courses or Track Coursework | ||
| Select from the following lists; or complete the requirements for one of three available tracks, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Operations, or Software Engineering. | 15-22 | |
| Select at least two of the following: | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE THEORY OF COMPUTING | ||
| REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS & MODELING | ||
| OBJECT-ORIENTED DESIGN & PROGRAMMING | ||
| COMPUTER SIMULATION & MODELING | ||
| ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||
| MACHINE LEARNING & DATA MINING | ||
| COMPUTER GRAPHICS | ||
| COMPUTER VISION AND IMAGE PROCESSING | ||
| DESIGN & ANALYSIS ALGORITHMS | ||
| Select at least two of the following: | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN COSC | ||
or COSC 495 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | |
| SELECTED TOPICS COMPUTER SCIENCE | ||
| MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT | ||
| OPERATING SYSTEMS SECURITY | ||
| SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TESTING | ||
| CYBER AI | ||
| NETWORK SECURITY | ||
| APPLICATION SOFTWARE SECURITY | ||
| GENERATIVE AI AND LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS (LLM'S) | ||
| ROBOTICS | ||
| WEB-BASED PROGRAM | ||
| CRYPTOCURRENCIES & BLOCKCHAIN | ||
| Elective Math Course | ||
| Select one from the following: | ||
| ELEMENTARY LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| CALCULUS III | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOGRAPHY | ||
| APPLIED COMBINATORICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ABSTRACT ALGEBRA | ||
| DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | ||
| MATHEMATICAL MODELS | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL MATHEMATICS | ||
| NUMERICAL ANALYSIS I | ||
| OPERATIONS RESEARCH | ||
| GRAPH THEORY | ||
| Total Units | 81-89 | |
Artificial Intelligence Track
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Artificial Intelligence Track Courses | ||
| COSC 461 | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | 3 |
| COSC 467 | MACHINE LEARNING & DATA MINING | 3 |
| COSC 443 | CYBER AI | 3 |
| COSC 491 | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING CAPSTONE | 3 |
| Required Mathematics Courses | ||
| MATH 265 | ELEMENTARY LINEAR ALGEBRA | 4 |
| Elective Artificial Intelligence Courses | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| INTERNSHIP IN COSC | ||
| GENERATIVE AI AND LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS (LLM'S) | ||
| ROBOTICS | ||
| COMPUTER VISION AND IMAGE PROCESSING | ||
| DESIGN & ANALYSIS ALGORITHMS | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY | ||
| Total Units | 22 | |
Cyber Operations Track
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Cyber Operations Track Courses | ||
| COSC 340 | SYSTEMS PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| COSC 440 | OPERATING SYSTEMS SECURITY | 3 |
| COSC 450 | NETWORK SECURITY | 3 |
| COSC 458 | APPLICATION SOFTWARE SECURITY | 3 |
| COSC 481 | CASE STUDIES IN COMPUTER SECURITY | 3 |
| COSC 485 | REVERSE ENGINEERING AND MALWARE ANALYSIS | 3 |
| Required Math Courses | ||
| MATH 314 | INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOGRAPHY | 3 |
| Total Units | 21 | |
Software Engineering Track
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Software Engineering Track Courses | ||
| COSC 432 | REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS & MODELING | 3 |
| COSC 436 | OBJECT-ORIENTED DESIGN & PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| COSC 442 | SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TESTING | 3 |
| COSC 490 | SOFTWARE PROJECT PRACTICUM | 3 |
| Elective Software Engineering Courses | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| INTERNSHIP IN COSC | ||
| MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT | ||
| WEB-BASED PROGRAM | ||
| Elective Math Course | ||
| Select one math course from the list below: | 3-4 | |
| ELEMENTARY LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| CALCULUS III | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOGRAPHY | ||
| APPLIED COMBINATORICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ABSTRACT ALGEBRA | ||
| DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | ||
| MATHEMATICAL MODELS | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL MATHEMATICS | ||
| NUMERICAL ANALYSIS I | ||
| OPERATIONS RESEARCH | ||
| GRAPH THEORY | ||
| Total Units | 21-22 | |
Major in Computer Science
Sample Four-Year Plan
The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COMM 131 (Core 5) | 3 | COSC 2372 | 4 |
| COSC 2361, 2 | 4 | MATH 274 | 4 |
| MATH 273 (Core 3) | 4 | Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 7) | 4 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 336 | 4 | COSC 290 | 4 |
| MATH 263 or 267 | 3 | COSC 412 | 3 |
| Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 8) | 4 | MATH 330 | 4 |
| Core 6 | 3 | Core 10 | 3 |
| Core 12 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 14 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| CIS 377 | 3 | COSC 439 | 3 |
| COSC 350 | 3 | COSC 455 | 3 |
| COSC 457 | 3 | Math Elective | 4 |
| ENGL 317 (Core 9) | 3 | Core 13 | 3 |
| Core 11 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC Elective (from approved list) | 3 | COSC 418 (Core 14) | 3 |
| COSC Elective (from approved list) | 3 | COSC Elective (from approved list) | 3 |
| Core 4 | 3 | COSC Elective (from approved list) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 2 | Elective | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Total Units 120 | |||
- 1
COSC 175 and (MATH 119 or MATH 231 or a qualifying score in the Math placement test) is needed as a prerequisite to COSC 236.
- 2
COSC 236 and COSC 237 must be taken together at the same institution.
Major in Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence Track
Sample Four-Year Plan
The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 2361, 2 | 4 | COSC 2372 | 4 |
| MATH 273 (Core 3) | 4 | MATH 274 | 4 |
| Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 7) | 4 | Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 8) | 4 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| CIS 377 | 3 | COSC 290 | 4 |
| COSC 336 | 4 | MATH 265 | 4 |
| MATH 263 or 267 | 3-4 | Elective | 3 |
| COMM 131 (Core 5) | 3 | Core 4 | 3 |
| Core 6 | 3 | ||
| 13-14 | 17 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 350 | 3 | COSC 439 | 3 |
| COSC 412 | 3 | COSC 443 | 3 |
| COSC 461 | 3 | COSC 455 | 3 |
| ENGL 317 (Core 9) | 3 | COSC 457 | 3 |
| Core 10 | 3 | MATH 330 | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 467 | 3 | COSC 491 | 3 |
| COSC 418 (Core 14) | 3 | AI Elective | 3 |
| AI Elective | 3 | Core 11 | 3 |
| Core 13 | 3 | Core 12 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Units 120-121 | |||
- 1
COSC 175 and (MATH 119 or MATH 231 or a qualifying score on the Math Placement test) is needed as a prerequisite to COSC 236.
- 2
COSC 236 and COSC 237 must be taken together at the same institution.
Major in Computer Science - Cyber Operations Track
Sample Four-Year Plan
The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COMM 131 (Core 5) | 3 | COSC 2372 | 4 |
| COSC 2361, 2 | 4 | MATH 274 | 4 |
| MATH 273 (Core 3) | 4 | Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 7) | 4 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 336 | 4 | CIS 377 | 3 |
| MATH 263 or 267 | 3 | COSC 290 | 4 |
| Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 8) | 4 | COSC 412 | 3 |
| Core 4 | 3 | MATH 330 | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | Core 6 | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 340 | 3 | COSC 439 | 3 |
| COSC 350 | 3 | COSC 455 | 3 |
| ENGL 317 (Core 9) | 3 | COSC 457 | 3 |
| MATH 314 | 3 | Core 10 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Core 13 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 440 | 3 | COSC 418 (Core 14) | 3 |
| COSC 450 | 3 | COSC 481 | 3 |
| COSC 458 | 3 | COSC 485 | 3 |
| Core 11 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Core 12 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Total Units 120 | |||
Major in Computer Science - Software Engineering Track
Sample Four-Year Plan
The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 2361, 2 | 4 | COSC 2372 | 4 |
| MATH 273 (Core 3) | 4 | MATH 274 | 4 |
| Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 7) | 4 | Lab-Science (from approved list) (Core 8) | 4 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| CIS 377 | 3 | COSC 290 | 4 |
| COMM 131 (Core 5) | 3 | COSC 412 | 3 |
| COSC 336 | 4 | MATH 330 | 4 |
| MATH 263 or 267 | 3 | Core 4 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 13 | 17 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 350 | 3 | COSC 455 | 3 |
| COSC 436 | 3 | COSC 457 | 3 |
| COSC 439 | 3 | COSC 418 (Core 14) | 3 |
| ENGL 317 (Core 9) | 3 | MATH Elective | 3 |
| Core 6 | 3 | Core 10 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| COSC 432 | 3 | COSC 442 | 3 |
| Software Engineering Track Elective (from approved list) | 3 | COSC 490 | 3 |
| Core 11 | 3 | Software Engineering Track Elective (from approved list) | 3 |
| Core 12 | 3 | Core 13 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Units 120 | |||
- Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
- Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
- Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
- Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
- Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
- Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.