Navigating the courses and requiirements for an undergraduate or graduate degree can be daunting. This page provides a quick overview of the expectations for meeting the requirements of your degree. We also included contact information for the people that can best help you understand your academic track.
Note that all courses will need a cutoff grade to be counted as "completed satisfactorily"; this is usually a B or a C, but note that it depends on the course in question, and occasionally on the instructor. For clarifications, you should ask your undergraduate advisor (they should have reached out to you, or you can see who they are on SPIRE).
If you plan to study Informatics and have questions about courses and requirements, Associate Director of Informatics, Dr. Michelle Trim is a great resource. Email her here: mtrim@cs.umass.edu
You have to start with three introductory programming courses -- CICS 110, 160 and 210. It is possible to place out of CICS 110 via a placement exam or AP CS A exam credit (score of 4 or 5). Next you have to take four (three for a BA) 200-level "core" CS courses, typically two each semester. These are 220, 230, 240, and 250. Concurrently, you're expected to finish your mathematical requirements.
Once these requirements are met, there are two tracks:
For a BS in Computer Science you need eight upper level elective CS courses to complete your course requirements. One of these must be CS 311, and the others are elected ones out of several options. There are a few other associated requirements such as the "residency requirement" (you need to take most of the courses at UMass, rather than using transfer credits), and the "lab requirement" (two of your courses must be approved as lab-based). There may be other university requirements not specific to the CS department. Here's a full list of requirements, and the BS tracking form for a ready, visual reference.
For a BA in Computer Science, you need to fulfill a writing requirement by taking CS 305, an integrative experience requirement by taking CS 320 and CS 326, and five electives out of a host of options. You also need to fulfill your math requirements, together with a "breadth requirement" of taking four courses demonstrating a focused study in another discipline. The residency requirement still applies, as does required proficiency in a foreign language. Here's a full list of requirements, and the BA tracking form for a ready, visual reference.
You can find the full list here. For any clarifications, ask Elizabeth Parolski, the MS advisor. An MS student needs to fulfill four core requirements, including one from each sub-area: theory (typically 514 or 611), systems (typically 532, 577, or 645), and AI (typically 585, 589, or 683). Sometimes you may demonstrate proficiency or credits to place out of a core requirement (use this form). In addition, you need to take enough coursework to satisfy 30 credits from the full list. A thesis is not required, but research is encouraged, through either a 6-credit course, or through an independent study. There are concentrations in Data Science and Security available as well.
You can find the full list here. For any clarifications, ask your advisor.
A PhD student needs to fulfill six core requirements, including one from each sub-area: theory (typically 611), systems (typically 630, 645, or 677), and AI (683 or 689). Sometimes you may demonstrate proficiency or credits to place out of a core requirement (use this form). In addition, you need to take enough coursework to satisfy 18 credits from the full list. These cannot be transferred, and at most two of them may be some combination of 500-level courses and/or independent studies.
You need to complete a synthesis project that combines two or more sufficiently different areas in CS, and you need corresponding readers for it. Once this is done, and you've taken four of your core courses (one from each sub-area), you apply for and pass the portfolio requirement, in place of qualifying exams. The portfolio consists of a full application including a statement of purpose, your course transcript, your synthesis project, other relevant material, as well three or more recommendations (typically your advisor, the other reader of your synthesis project, and someone else who can speak to your research skills).
After you pass the portfolio, typically in your third year, you are a candidate. Roughly a year later, you are expected to form a committee and submit a thesis proposal. Around 1.5 years after this, you are expected to defend your dissertation.
There is also an associated residency requirement, similar to the MS requirement, and a "teaching" requirement that expects you to be a TA for at least one semester. In order to fulfill this requirement you need to pass CS 891T as well.