Computer Science - General Information


Computer Science encompasses both the theoretical and the practical aspects of the study of computers and algorithmic processes. Students majoring in computer science at Oberlin are prepared both for further graduate studies in the discipline and also for careers in the industries and businesses that actively recruit computer scientists with a liberal arts background. Computer Science at Oberlin is taught within the context of a liberal arts degree, with emphasis on the lasting principles of the discipline rather than on specific training in particular tools and techniques. The CS Program stresses the fundamentals of computer science while maintaining a highly current and relevant curriculum utilizing state-of-the-art methodologies and tools.

In addition to the major and minor in computer science the department also offers an innovative minor in "Third Stream Computing" which stresses computer application development and information technology management in support of academic majors other than traditional computer science. Some courses in the Computer Science curriculum qualify for inclusion in the Cognitive Sciences Concentration. More detailed information about the Computer Science major and minors can be found below and information about the Cognitive Sciences Concentration can be found in that section of this course catalog.

Advanced Placement. Students who have received a score of 4 or higher on the Advanced Placement AB examination in Computer Science will be awarded four hours of Oberlin College credit. Students seeking credit or placement for established computer science experience are encouraged to discuss their situation with the Program Chair.

Entry-Level Course Sequence Suggestions. Students who wish to begin their study of computer science will normally elect Computer Science 150, the first course counted toward the major or minor in computer science. Since the requirements for the major in computer science are substantial, students planning to major in the discipline are encouraged to begin their course work as freshmen, taking Computer Science 150 and 151 during that year along with Mathematics 133 and 220.
Students who are interested in developing significant computer skills but are not interested in computer science per se are advised to start with one of the 100-level courses listed in the section "Courses in Third Stream Computing."

Major. Computer Science courses that are applicable to the major are listed below in the section "Courses in Computer Science." The major consists of 10 such courses, including Computer Science 210, 275, 280, and 383 and at least three other computer science courses numbered 300 or above. Private Reading courses for fewer than three hours do not normally count toward the major. Each Private Reading course that is meant to count toward the major is subject to prior approval by the CS faculty. In addition, a student is required to successfully complete Mathematics 133, 220, and 232. Students may substitute Mathematics 331 for one of the elective 300-level computer science courses. More information about the Computer Science major can be found on the CS Web server (http://www.cs.oberlin.edu/).

Please Note: The future of Third Stream Computing is currently under discussion. Students taking CS235 are not guaranteed a minor in Third Stream Computing. Please contact the CS Department for more information 775-8043.

Minors. The Computer Science Program offers two minors, one in Computer Science and one in Third Stream Computing. The Compuer Scienceminor consists of five such courses as specified below. One of these courses must be at the 300 level.
The minor in Third Stream Computing is especially designed for students from all departments and programs in the College who want to use computers as a tool in support of some academic major other than computer science. It is meant primarily for the student who is interested in developing significant computer application development skills - particular web site design and development skills - but who does not have the time or desire to take the more technical and complex course of studies needed for the computer science major. "Third" in "third stream" comes from designating traditional computer science per se as first stream and computer literacy as second stream. Third Stream courses offer more substantial computing skills than is usually the case with "second stream" courses while not being as technically and mathematically rigorous as with "first stream" courses.
The Third Stream minor consists of 15 credit hours selected from the courses listed below. Three of these courses (nine hours total) are required: CSCI 100 or 101, 235, and 339. The CSCI 100 or 101 requirement can be waived if the student can demonstrate that he or she has learned a high level of HTML coding and significant Javascript programming skills. A fourth course, CSCI 221, is also highly desirable, but not required, of all students planning to take CSCI 339. A student can transfer three to six additional credit hours into the minor from another department or program (a) if the instruction involved is computer intensive, (b) if it is relevant to the student’s area of expertise, and (c) if the Computer Science Program approves the transfer. Three credits earned in more advanced courses from the major curriculum in computer science may also be transferred to the minor with Program approval. Advanced Placement credit may be applied to this minor in appropriate situations. More detailed information on this minor is available from the Third Stream WWW web site (http://www-ts.cs.oberlin.edu/) or from Mr. Koch.

Honors Program. In the spring of the junior year, students may apply for admission to the Computer Science Honors Program by submitting a proposal for a project they will undertake in their final year. Admission to the program will be based on performance in classes as well as the quality and feasibility of the proposal. Those admitted to the program will normally elect three or four credit hours of independent work (Computer Science 401) each semester under the direction of a faculty supervisor. Both theoretical investigations and actual implementations are appropriate as honors projects.Honors students take a comprehensive examination, with both written and oral parts, at the end of the senior year. This examination is normally administered by a scholar from outside the College and is designed to test the candidate’s mastery of undergraduate computer science.


Winter Term. Some members of the computer science faculty will be available during Winter Term to sponsor student projects. Winter Term is an ideal time to learn new computer languages, to work on major programming projects, or to approach areas of computer science that are not covered by regular courses. Students are encouraged to begin thinking about Winter Term projects early in the fall semester.


Computing Equipment. In addition to using the computer laboratories maintained by the College Computing Center, the Computer Science Program maintains two computer teaching labs of its own in the King Building exclusively for the use of CS students. Both of these labs feature late model Pentium-class computers running both Linux and Windows operating systems. Altogether there are 45 workstations in two labs, 25 in one lab and 20 in the other. Students receive accounts on the CS Program's Alpha 1200 5/400 Unix server and the CS Program's NT servers thereby affording them complete access to all College and CS networking services.