CS2013-final-report

It is well-known that students often make undergraduate major choices with highly varied levels
of actual knowledge about different programs. As a result some students choose to not pursue a
major in computer science simply as a result of knowing neither what computer science actually
entails nor whether they might like the discipline, due to lack of prior exposure. A minor in
computer science allows such students to still gain some credential in computing, if they
discover late in their academic career that they have an interest in computing and what it offers.
To give students the ability to major in computer science, “taster” courses should seek to reach
students as soon as possible in their undergraduate studies.
Mathematics Requirements in Computer Science
There is a deep and beautiful connection between mathematics and many areas of computer
science. While nearly all undergraduate programs in computer science include mathematics
courses in their curricula, the full set of such requirements varies broadly by institution due to a
number of factors. For example, whether or not a CS program is housed in a School of
Engineering can directly influence the requirements for courses on calculus and/or differential
equations, even if such courses include far more material in these areas than is generally needed
for most CS majors. Similarly, restrictions on the number of courses that may be included in a
major at some institutions—for example, at many liberal arts colleges—may lead to mathematics
requirements that are specially circumscribed for CS majors. As a result, CS2013 only specifies
mathematical requirements that we believe are directly relevant for the large majority of all CS
undergraduates (for example, elements of set theory, logic, and discrete probability, among
others). These mathematics requirements are specified in the Body of Knowledge primarily in
the Discrete Structures (DS) Knowledge Area.
We recognize that general facility with mathematics is an important requirement for all CS
students. Still, CS2013 distinguishes between the foundational mathematics that are likely to
impact many parts of computer science—and are included in the CS2013 Body of Knowledge—
from those that, while still important, may be most directly relevant to specific areas within
computing. For example, an understanding of linear algebra plays a critical role in some areas of
computing such as graphics and the analysis of graph algorithms. However, linear algebra would
not necessarily be a requirement for all areas of computing (indeed, many high quality CS
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