Pick the Right Course

CS 1110 is a 4 credit course designed for freshmen and sophomores. While it offers an introduction to computer programming concepts, it goes a lot deeper than that. It also emphasizes techniques of problem analysis and the development and analysis of algorithms. Depending on your needs, you may find that other classes are a better fit.

CS 1133: The Short Course

CS 1110 is not an ideal class for students who just want to learn a little Python. It involves a significant amount of work both in and out of class. Because of enrollment demand, CS 1110 no longer allows students to take the course S/U; this can be stressful for students who just wish to explore the material.

CS 1133 is a 2-credit course that covers the first half of CS 1110. It focuses on the basics in programming in Python, but does not include a lot of the computer science material in CS 1110. This course is also S/U and therefore a more forgiving experience.

CS 1112: Intro Computing in MATLAB

CS 1112 is the primary alternative to CS 1110. Both courses are designed to prepare students for CS 2110 and future computer science courses. CS 1110 has a slight emphasis on software application development. CS 1112, which uses MatLab, has a slight emphasis on scientific computation. While CS 1112 assumes no programming experience, it does require a firm background in mathematics and at least one semester of calculus. If you are engineering student whose interests lie outside the digital major cluster (CS, ECE, ORIE, ISST), you might consider that course instead.

INFO 1300: Web Design & Programming

If you are shopping around for a “first course” to take in programming or computer science, it is worth examining some of the course offerings in the Information Science department.
INFO 1300 is a course on design and programming for the web. This course does not cover as many computer science concepts as either CS 1110 or CS 1112. However, it does an excellent job emphasizing design, and is one of the best courses available for this.