There are two sets of technical elective guidelines for computer science majors based on the catalog the student plans to graduate under. The first criteria are for students graduating on the 1998-1999 through the 2001-2003 catalogs. The second criteria are for students graduating on the 2003-2005 and 2005-2007 catalogs. Previously approved technical elective forms are not transferable or valid for the 2003-2005 and 2005 2007 catalogs. When selecting your technical electives, make sure you will graduate with 60 units of upper-division coursework.

1b. t least 3 units (not to exceed 5 units) must be selected from science courses typically taken by science or engineering majors, or with a strong emphasis on quantitative method. This is a one course requirement. Approved courses in this area include: ASTR 326, BIO 151 (or 161), CHEM 124, MCRO 221, MCRO 224, PHYS 131, PHYS 206+256, PHYS 211, PHYS 315, any 300-400 level PHYS or CHEM course (with PHYS 131 or 132 or 133 or CHEM 124 or 125 or 129 as a listed prerequisite in the Cal Poly catalog and the content is science-based--PHYS X455 does not meet the 1B criteria nor will other courses that focus on computer programming). Reminder: technical electives cannot be used to satisfy other major, support, or general education requirements (for example, you can't count BIO 151 towards this requirement and the life science requirement).

2. Courses from other math, science and engineering majors that are at least as technically substantive as upper-division CSC/CPE courses may be used as technical electives. Approved courses in this area include: CHEM 316, CHEM 317, CHEM 318, EE 201+251, IME 251, IME 301, IME 335, MATH 206, MATH 242 (this is a valid technical elective only if the course is completed prior to Summer 2003), MATH 244, MATH 248, MATH 306, ME 211, ME 212, STAT 322

3. Courses with a clearly technical orientation and content, but less technically substantive than upper-division CSC/CPE courses may be selected as technical electives up to a maximum of 8 units. Approved courses in this area include: BUS 320, BUS 491, BUS 492, BUS 494, BUS 496, BUS 498 "Software Testing" only, BUS 499, CSC 400 via a COOP experience

4. A single course without clear technical orientation may be taken in exceptional circumstances. The student must request and obtain written permission in advance. The CSC Course Request Checklist Form may be picked up in the Advising Center. The procedures listed on this form were developed by the CSC Curriculum Committee and must be followed to request technical elective credit. Courses approved or denied will be added to the respective lists. This process can take up to three months to complete depending on the time of the year the request is submitted.

• Technical electives cannot be used to satisfy other major, support, or general education requirements (e.g. If the CSC 453/454 sequence is selected, only CSC 454 counts toward technical elective credit). NO DOUBLE-COUNTING IS ALLOWED. .

• Credit/No Credit grading is not an option.
• All CSC/CPE 400 courses require an approved Special Problems form (available in the Engineering Advising Center) or a CSC coop form (available in the CSC Department) to be attached to the technical elective form.
• This form must be approved by the Engineering Advising Center for official technical elective credit (verbal approval is not valid).
• This form should be completed, signed, and forwarded to the Evaluations Office no later than four quarters prior to your expected graduation date. If needed, a revised form may be submitted due to a change in area interest or course availability.

The following courses have been looked at in great detail by the CSC curriculum committee and they have not been approved as technical electives:

        Any 100 level course (freshmen level course) except for those listed for the science requirement, ART 483, BUS 291, 391, 392, 393, 394, 396, 397, 398, 493, CSC 302, X303, 310, 494, 495, ENGL 318, 319, 411, 419, 518, 519, LIB 302, PHIL 331. Some of the above courses may be listed as experimental (they have an X prior to the number) before they appear in the next catalog.

CPE/CSC X317 or CSC/CPE 250 may be used for technical elective credit for students planning to graduate on the 1998-99 through 2001-03 catalogs.

CSC 490 will count as a technical elective for a total of 2 units only.

CSC Technical Elective Requirement: Total 24 technical elective units (previously approved technical electives *under previous catalogs* will not automatically meet the 2003-05 and 2005-07 catalogs requirements--a new technical elective statement must be submitted and it must meet the criteria listed below--no exceptions).

Category 1: 16 units total

Category 1a: Prerequisites and Individual Courses (8 units)
Courses in this category are mainly prerequisites to courses in Category 1b.  Choose 8 units from the following list:

CSC/CPE 305, 341**, 342**†, 365, 369, 448*†, 464, 471, 477*†, 480, 484, 488*†, 587*†

* not a prerequisite to another course
** Students may only take one of the courses 341 and 342 for credit. (numerical methods)
† indicates a course that is infrequently offered or no longer taught. Students are advised to check with the department before selecting any of these courses.

Category 1b: Specialization Areas (8 units)

Courses in this category have as a prerequisite an upper division course required for the CSC major or a course in Category 1a.  Choose 4 units from each of two separate areas:

 Graphics: 473, 474, 475†, 476, 478, 572
 Databases: 366, 466, 468, 560
 Networks: 465, 564
 Distributed Computing: 469, 569
 OS: 454, 456, 458, 550, 556
 Architecture: 316, 416, 459†, 482 "Robotics", 520
 Languages/Compilers: 434†, 530
 Software Engineering: 402, 405, 406, 409, 437, 508, 509
 GUI/HCI: 435, 483, 486, 487†
 Artificial Intelligence: 416, 481, 482 "Autonomous Mobile Robots or Multi-Robot Systems", 489, 580, 581
 Computational Sciences/Theory:  343†, 449, 540, 541, 588†

† indicates a course that is infrequently offered.  Students are advised to check with the department before selecting any of these courses.

Category 2:

2003-05, 2005-07 and 2007-09 catalogs: 8 units required

2009-11 catalog: 12 units required

Category 2a: Additional CSC/CPE Electives (up to 8 units on the 2003-05, 2005-07 and 2007-09 catalogs -and- up to 12 units on the 2009-11 catalog)

--Any courses from Categories 1a and 1b that were not used to satisfy the requirements for those categories.

--CSC 309 can count for technical elective credit for students following the 2005-07 and the 2007-09 catalogs only.

Category 2b: Auxilary CSC/CPE Electives (up to 4 units)

--CSC 358 Computer System Administration
--CSC 400 Special Problems
--CSC 479 Computer Graphics Seminar (maximum 2 units)
--CSC 490 Selected Advanced Topics

Category 2c: External Electives (up to 4 units)

AERO 450

ART 335

BUS 320

CHEM 312, 316, 317, 318

EE 201/251, 314, 336 (course no longer offered), 424

ECON 339

ENVE 542

GRC 315, 316, 331, 338

IME 301, 314, 356

MATH 206, 241, 242, 244, 248, 304, 341, 350, 412

ME 211, 212, 405

PHIL 412, 422

PSY 329, 333, 351, 429, 457 (was 307)

STAT 322, 323, 324, 330

These courses are not acceptable for technical elective credit (and they have been previously reviewed by the CSC curriculum committee):
Any 100 level course (freshmen level course) except for those listed for the science requirement, ART 483, BUS 291, 391, 392, 393, 394, 396, 397, 398, 493, CSC 302, X303, 310, 494, 495, ENGL 318, 319, 411, 419, 518, 519, LIB 302, PHIL 331. Some of the above courses may be listed as experimental (they have an X prior to the number) before they appear in the next catalog.

This form must be used when CSC students are requesting Category 2c credit for technical elective courses that have not been previously reviewed.
 

Student's Name ________________________________  SS # ___________________

E-mail address _______________________  Phone Number ____________________
 

Deliver to the College of Engineering Advising Center:

1. A copy of the course syllabus.
2. A loaned copy of the text or a Xerox of the table of contents.
3. A copy of one of the mid-term exams.
4. A copy of the final.
5. Copies of representative homework assignments/projects.
 

This information will be delivered to the CSC Curriculum Chair for review by the Advising Center staff. The College of Engineering Advising Center staff will notify you of the outcome of the review. This process may take up to three months for review depending on the time of year the request is submitted (i.e. summer quarter).
 

General Rules:

1. Courses that are used by a student to satisfy any other major, support, or general education requirement are not allowed to be counted toward fulfilling the Technical Elective requirement (no double counting is allowed).

2. Credit/No Credit grading is not allowed in any Technical Elective course.

3. Students may obtain up to 4 units of Technical Elective credit in Category 2b for Co-op experience.  This credit is obtained via enrollment in CSC 400.  Before enrolling in CSC 400 for Co-op credit, students must obtain approval from the CSC Department by filling out an Application for Credit for Co-op Experience form.  Students are advised to consult with the CSC Co-op Director before seeking this credit.

4. All CSC/CPE 400 courses require an approved Special Problems form (available in the Engineering Advising Center) or a Credit for Co-op Experience form (available in the CSC Department).

5. The Special Problems form used to support credit for CSC 400 must be accompanied by a written justification from the student and signed by the faculty member(s) teaching the CSC 400 course, affirming that the subject material was as technically substantive as a standard upper-division CSC/CPE course and that the credit was not given for Co-op experience.