Major Change to CS - Fall 2023 Revision

Overview

The Computer Science (CS) major is the largest academic program in the College of Information and Computer Sciences and includes two degree programs: the B.S. in Computer Science and the B.A. in Computer Science. The same application process is used for both degree programs. Starting with the Fall 2023 application cycle, the CS major will be instituting a capped on-campus admission process based on achieving required grades in predictor courses combined with a holistic review process. The cap for the maximum number of admitted on-campus students will vary each year depending on the availability of seats. The CS program will be able to admit only a small number of on-campus students each year, and may not be able to admit any on-campus students in some years. Successful applicants in the on-campus admissions process will typically be "discoverers" who develop an interest in computing after coming to the UMass Amherst campus.

While opportunities for on-campus student to join the CS major will be reduced, students from other majors will continue to have access to a range of introductory programming and computing courses as well other academic programs including the Informatics Major, CS minor and the IT minor.

This web page describes the requirements and processes for applying to join the CS major that are in effect for applications submitted starting in the 2023-2024 academic year. As available capacity for on-campus students to join the CS major changes over time, the requirements and processes for admission are also likely to change.

Application Deadlines

Students apply to join the CS major when they have completed or are enrolled in one programming predictor course and one math predictor course. Applications are considered for the major two times a year with deadlines preceding Spring and Fall registration periods. The deadlines for the 2023-2024 academic year are copied below. Applications are only accepted according to the this schedule. We will review submitted applications and current courses and will contact applicants (mid-to late-October or March depending on application cycle) to confirm a valid application semester. Then, at the end of the semester after grades are available, we will then verify records and students who meet application eligibility requirements will be considered for admission through the holistic review process described in more detail below.

Application Cycle	Application Deadline	When to apply*	Application Confirmation Period
Spring 2024	March 1, 2024	After Spring add/drop ~Feb 16 through Mar 1 11:59 PM EST	mid- to late-March
Fall 2024	October 1, 2024	After Fall add/drop ~Sep 20 through Oct 1 11:59 PM EST	mid- to late-October

Application Submission and Withdrawal Petition

When applications are open, students can use the "Apply" button below to submit an application. When applications are closed, the application form is disabled. All submitted applications count against a student's application limit. A student who is not able to meet pathway eligibility requirements due to extenuating circumstances can submit a petition using the "Withdraw" button below to request that an active application be canceled.

Apply

Withdraw

Admission Eligibility and APPLICATION Process

The Computer Science Undergraduate Program Director (CS UPD) determines the minimum performance required for all major changes to CS, and generally looks for successful completion of the predictor courses taken here at UMass Amherst. Admission standards for major changes into CS are up to the discretion of the Undergraduate Program Director, and are subject to change. These new rules on the CS major change process will be recognized starting on September 1, 2023 12:01 AM.

Note that normal restrictions on courses taken pass/fail do not apply to courses taken in Spring 2020 and Fall 2020. See the FAQ for Spring/Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.
Note that students admitted to some majors are not eligible to join the CS major as part of their admission conditions. This is currently the case for some students admitted to the Computer Engineering major.

Students can apply through two admission pathways, as described below. Students need to meet minimum eligibility requirements for one of the pathways to be eligible to be considered under the holistic review process. Pathway 1 is based on 100-level predictor courses. Pathway 2 is based on 200-level predictor courses. We expect to admit only a small number of students who meet minimum eligibility requirements under either pathway each semester. As a result, many students who meet minimum eligibility requirements will not be admitted.

The same holistic review process will be used for students who meet minimum eligibility requirements under either pathway. The holistic review is based on the student's academic record and responses to questions included on the application form. The eligibility requirements for Pathway 1, Pathway 2 and the holistic review questions are included on the sections below. Students are encouraged to apply once enrolled in appropriate predictor courses in a valid application semester and to answer the essay prompts in sufficient detail to give us a good picture of who you are.

Pathway 1 Application Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply under Pathway 1, students must have taken, or must currently be taking, MATH 132 as a math predictor and one of COMPSCI 187, INFO 190T or CICS 160 as a programming predictor. Both courses must be taken at UMass Amherst. Students must have submitted no more than one previous application to Pathway 1 or have had no more than one previous equivalent admission contract. Note that the math and programming predictor courses may be taken in different semesters at UMass Amherst, but to be on track for a CS primary major, students should complete both predictor courses by the end of their second semester. AP credit for math MATH 132 may be used in place of MATH 132 taken at UMass Amherst.

The admission eligibility requirements for Pathway 1 are as follows:

Students must submit an application.
Students must earn a grade of B or better in one Pathway 1 programming predictor course taken at UMass Amherst. The programming predictor courses are COMPSCI 187, INFO 190T and CICS 160.
Students must earn a grade of B or better in MATH 132 taken at UMass Amherst or have AP Credit for MATH 132.
Students must achieve a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA during the application semester.
Students must achieve a C or better in all classes during the application semester.
Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits of letter-graded courses and/or mandatory pass-fail courses (such as a First Year Seminar or COMPSCI 198C). Courses that students elect to take pass-fail do not count towards the 12 credit requirement.
Students must have achieved a letter grade of C or better in all courses that can be used to satisfy CS major requirements taken in or prior to the application semester. In the case of repeated courses, only the most recent grade is considered. The letter grade underlying any courses taken pass/fail will be considered. In the case of CS major requirements that can be satisfied using multiple courses (for example, the requirement to take Stat 515 or Math 233), an exception may be allowed. Please contact csapply@cs.umass.edu prior to submitting an application.

Pathway 1 Admission Decisions:

Students who meet the Pathway 1 admission eligibility requirements will be considered for admission under the holistic evaluation process.
To be able to complete the CS degree within the 10-semester statute of limitations defined in Section III.J of the UMass Amherst Academic Regulations document, the CS program expects students to join the CS major by the end of their fourth full time semester. Students who seek admission to CS in their 5th full time semester or later are required to meet with the CICS Director of Advising as part of the holistic review process to determine if an exception to the 4th semester rule is appropriate given progress towards completing CS major requirements.
Students who meet all Pathway 1 admission eligibility requirements and are not selected for admission through the holistic review process may apply again under Pathway 2.
Students who earn the required grades in the math and programming predictor courses, but do not meet one of the other requirements (e.g., a grade below C in another class, a GPA below 3), can apply again in a later semester under Pathway 1.
Students who achieve a grade of C or better in either or both of the math and programming predictor courses, but are not eligible for admission under Pathway 1, may be able to apply under Pathway 2 in a later semester.
Students who earn a grade C- or lower in either or both of the math and programming predictor courses can re-take either or both courses as needed and apply again under Pathway 1 (assuming they have not exceeded the University limit on retakes or the two application limit).
Applicants are notified of admission outcomes via @umass email.

Pathway 2 Application Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply under Pathway 2, students must have taken or currently be taking one programming predictor course (COMPSCI 220 or COMPSCI 230 or CICS 210) and must have taken or currently be taking one math predictor course (COMPSCI 240 or 250) at UMass Amherst. The math and programming predictor courses may be taken in different semesters at UMass Amherst, but to be on track for a CS primary major, students should complete these two courses by the end of their third semester.

Note that students will need to submit override requests to get seats in required courses in this pathway. Seats for applicants are subject to availability. Students may only take a total of two different courses among CICS 210, COMPSCI 220, 230, 240 and 250 in the process of satisfying the Pathway 2 programming and math predictor requirements. Students who have met the Pathway 2 programming or math predictor requirements prior to a Pathway 2 application semester may submit override requests for seats in additional 200-level courses, but approval is subject to availability of seats. Students who are not eligible for admission under Pathway 1 are advised to apply under Pathway 2 as soon as they are eligible.

To apply to Pathway 2, students do not need to have previously applied under Pathway 1. However, students are limited to one of (a) two applications to Pathway 1, (b) one application to Pathway 1 and one application to Pathway 2, or (c) one application to Pathway 2. Importantly, only one application is allowed under Pathway 2. Note that previous admission contracts equivalent to Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 applications count as such for determining the number of prior applications.

The admission eligibility requirements for Pathway 2 are as follows:

Students must submit an application.
Students need to earn a grade in their programming predictor course (CICS 210 or COMPSCI 220 or COMPSCI 230) as specified below depending on their performance in prerequisite courses:
- Students will need to earn a B in the Pathway 2 programming predictor course if:
  - they earned a grade of C, C+ or B- in a Pathway 1 programming predictor course taken at UMass Amherst
  - they have approved transfer credit for a Pathway 1 programming predictor course or otherwise have not taken a Pathway 1 programming predictor course at UMass Amherst
- Students will need to earn a C in the Pathway 2 programming predictor course if:
  - they earned a grade of B or higher in a Pathway 1 programming predictor course taken at UMass Amherst.
  - they earned a grade of B or higher in a another programming course taken a course at UMass Amherst that is deemed equivalent to a Pathway 1 predictor course for application purposes. Students must contact the CS UPD to petition for consideration of an alternate course before submitting an application.
Students need to earn a grade in the math predictor course (COMPSCI 240 or 250) as specified below depending on their performance in prerequisite courses:
- Students will need to earn a B in the math predictor course if:
  - they earned a grade of C, C+ or B- in MATH 132 taken at UMass Amherst
  - they have approved transfer credit for MATH 132
- Students will need to earn a C in the math predictor course if:
  - they earned a grade of B or higher in MATH 132 taken at UMass Amherst
  - they have AP credit for MATH 132.
Students must achieve a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA during the application semester.
Students must achieve a C or better in all classes during an application semester.
Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits of letter-graded courses and/or mandatory pass-fail courses (such as a First Year Seminar or COMPSCI 198C). Courses that students elect to take pass-fail do not count towards the 12 credit requirement.
Students must have achieved a letter grade of C or better in all courses that can be used to satisfy CS major requirements taken in or prior to the application semester. In the case of repeated courses, only the most recent grade is considered. The letter grade underlying any courses taken pass/fail will be considered. In the case of CS major requirements that can be satisfied using multiple courses (for example, the requirement to take Stat 515 or Math 233), an exception may be allowed. Please contact csapply@cs.umass.edu prior to submitting an application.

Pathway 2 Admission Decisions:

Students who meet the Pathway 2 admission eligibility requirements will be considered for admission under the holistic evaluation process.
To be able to complete the CS degree within the 10-semester statute of limitations defined in Section III.J of the UMass Amherst Academic Regulations document, the CS program expects students to join the CS major by the end of their fourth full time semester. Students who seek admission to CS in their 5th full time semester or later are required to meet with the CICS Director of Advising as part of the holistic review process to determine if an exception to the 4th semester rule is appropriate given progress towards completing CS major requirements.
Students who do not meet all Pathway 2 requirements on their first attempt will not be eligible for admission or for additional applications.
Applicants are notified of admission outcomes via @umass.edu email.

Exceptions to Pathway Eligibility Requirements

Transfer students and others who can not become eligible to submit a first application under either admission pathway described above (for example, due to having transfer credit for all predictor courses) should contact csapply@cs.umass.edu to discuss your individual circumstances.
Transfer students and others who upon entry to UMass Amherst could only be eligible for a single application may contact csapply@cs.umass.edu to discuss the possibility of an exception to the application limit rule.
There are exceptions to pass/fail and grade requirements for courses taken in Spring/Fall 2020 or Spring 2021. Contact csapply@cs.umass.edu for information on how these exceptions affect application requirements.

Holistic Review Questions

The holistic review portion of the application process asks students to provide information related to their academic history and activities at UMass Amherst, their academic goals, their career goals and their community involvement. There is a limit of 200 words in each section. The specific prompt for each section is described in more detail below.

Academic History and Activities (200 words)
- Tell us about your academic career at UMass Amherst to date.
- Describe any extracurricular activities you have been involved in that relate to your academic interests.
- If you have experienced any significant barriers or challenges you had to overcome in your academic career, what impact have they had on your college experience?
Academic Goals (200 words)
- Describe your motivation for wanting to pursue a computer science degree.
- Are you planning to pursue other undergraduate programs (minors or majors) along with computer science?
- If joining the computer science major will require you to take more than four years to graduate, please briefly explain why and discuss your plan for graduating efficiently.
Career Goals (200 words)
- Tell us about your post-graduation plans and future career goals, and what you intend to do towards them as a CS major.
Community Involvement (200 words)
- Tell us about any communities (community groups, volunteer organizations, student clubs, etc.) that you have been actively involved with.
- What motivated you to get involved with these communities and how have you contributed to them?
- How do you see your identities, perspectives, or life experiences shaping your contributions to the CICS community and the computing field?

Frequently asked questions

Where can I ask questions about the application process?

For CS Advising help and general questions, visit the CICS Advising office. If you have submitted an application, bring your contract email and be sure to identify yourself as a CS major applicant. If you have additional questions, email the CICS Undergraduate Programs Staff at csapply@cs.umass.edu.

How do I register for Pathway classes?

Overrides are needed to enroll in most CS and CICS courses that are restricted to majors. Prospective applicants who meet prerequisites need to request overrides for pathway courses via an on-line form in order to gain access to classes. Availability of seats for non-majors in pathway courses depends on available space after CICS students haver registered.

Can I withdraw my application?

All students can withdraw their application up to the end of the application period. An application that is not withdrawn prior to the application deadline will be considered active and will count against a student's application limit. Students who experience extenuating circumstances resulting in a significant impact on academic performance may submit a late withdrawal petition if the application deadline has passed. If the late withdrawal petition is granted, the student's application will be removed from consideration and will not count against the application limit.

Can I withdraw from a course during an application semester?

If you drop below 12 credits of letter-graded courses and/or mandatory pass-fail courses (such as a First Year Seminar or COMPSCI 198C) your application will not be accepted. Note that courses that students elect to take pass-fail do not count towards the 12 credit requirement. Students can withdraw from a course during their application semester with no impact on the application process if it is still possible for them to meet all application requirements. If it is not possible to meet all application requirements when withdrawing from a course, the application can not be successful and the student would need to have their application withdrawn for it not to count against the application limit.

If I take a course Pass/Fail (P/F) during the Spring/Fall 2020 semesters how does that impact my required courses during this application period?

Grades of P in Spring 2020 or Fall 2020 will be accepted in place of the required grades for admission to the CS major. See the FAQ for more details. Please also note that if you would have received a grade below that normally required, we strongly suggest reviewing the course material for further mastery, to ensure your success in future CICS courses.

If I take a course Pass/Fail (P/F) during the Spring 2021 semester how does that impact my required courses during this application period?

In Spring 2021, P grades earned in MATH 132 and COMPSCI 187, 220, 230, 240 and 250 will only satisfy admission criteria if the underlying letter grade is C- or higher. See the CICS webpage for more information about Spring 2021 grade accommodations. Please also note that if you would have received a grade below that normally required, we strongly suggest reviewing the course material for further mastery, to ensure your success in future CICS courses.

If I have an incomplete grade on my record, can I be admitted to the CS major?

Students need to clear any incomplete grades before the first day of the semester following their application semester so that the admission eligibility criteria can be evaluated. Students who apply in the Spring semester must clear incomplete grades before the first day of the following Fall semester. Students who apply in the Fall semester must clear incomplete grades before the first day of the following Spring semester. Students who are unable to clear incomplete grades before the deadline will be considered for admission to the CS major the semester after they clear the incomplete grade provided that they maintain a level of academic performance consistent with the pathway requirements.

When do successful CS Applicants become CS Majors?

Students selected through the holistic review process are not considered to be CS Majors until paperwork is processed to change your major to CS (generally closer to the start of the fall or spring semester). Selected students should continue to follow the advising protocol of their current primary major until they become CS majors. For questions about the CS major following a successful application, but before you have a CS advisor assigned, visit the CICS Advising office.