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Bachelor of Arts in Information and Computer Sciences (BA ICS)

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree allows you to combine computer science with another discipline. You might find the BA degree of interest if you are also interested in biology, entrepreneurship, game design, graphic arts, financial engineering, foreign languages, or other disciplines.

Students must complete the Bachelor of Arts General Education Core, which is described in the General and Graduate Information Catalog, and an advising sheet available from the College of Arts and Sciences Student Academic Services office.

Course Outline

Students must complete the following courses for the BA ICS degree (51 credits, total of 17 courses):

  • ICS 111, ICS 141, ICS 211, ICS 212, ICS 241, ICS 311, ICS 314, ICS 321, ICS 332
  • One course in two of the following pairs: (ICS 312 or ICS 331), (ICS 313 or ICS 361), (ICS 351 or ICS 451), (ICS 222 and ICS 355)
  • At least one ICS courses at the 400-level or above
  • Four upper division (300-level or above) courses in some area of concentration. The area of concentration courses DO NOT have to be from the same department and they may include ICS courses as long as they meet the minimum total of 12 credit hours.

Students wishing to enroll in ICS courses above ICS 241 must meet the prerequisite grade requirement of C (not C-) or higher in ICS 111, ICS 141, ICS 211 and ICS 241 prior to registering for the course.

Here is a diagram illustrating some possible paths through the BA ICS degree program:

B.A. Information and Computer Sciences Course Flowchart
B.A. Information and Computer Sciences Course Flowchart

Proposal Requirement

The intent of the Bachelor of Arts degree is to allow computer science to be combined with another discipline. Students pursuing a B.A. in Information and Computer Science are required to submit a short proposal listing the courses they intend to take to complete for their ICS major. The proposal should explain how these courses form a coherent plan of study combining computer science with another field. Some examples of reasonable proposals are:

  • I want to work in computer games programming, which requires 3D animation, computer graphics, and software engineering skills. ICS electives: ICS 485 Video Game Design and Development, ICS 462 Artificial Intelligence for Games, ICS 481 Intro. to Computer Graphics. Area electives: ACM 315 Narrative Game Design, ACM 316 3D Character Animation, ACM 415 Computer Game Production, ICS 414 Software Engineering II.
  • I want to do machine translation of Japanese and English, which requires artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and Japanese language skills. ICS electives: ICS 461 Artificial Intelligence I, ICS 661 Artificial Intelligence II(3.0 GPA required), ICS 464 Intro. to Cognitive Science. Area electives: JPN 301 Third-Year Japanese, JPN 302 Third-Year Japanese, JPN 350 Intro. to Japanese Linguistics, JPN 425 Japanese Translation.
  • I want to create web pages, which requires hypermedia, databases, and graphic design skills. ICS electives: ICS 465 Intro. to Hypermedia, ICS 665 User Interfaces & Hypermedia (3.0 GPA required), ICS 421 Database Systems. Area electives: ART 363 Design: Studio 2, ART 364 Design: Studio 3, ART 465 Design: Typography 3, ART 322 Advanced Color.
  • I want to use computers to predict the stock market, which requires statistics, databases, and business skills. ICS electives: ICS 442 Analytical Models & Methods, ICS 471 Probability, Statistics, & Queuing, ICS 421 Database Systems. Area electives: BUS 310 Statistical Analysis for Business Decisions, BUS 311 Information Systems for Global Business Environment, BUS 316 Quantitative Business & Economic Analysis, BEC 389 Applied Business Economics: Forecasting.

This course proposal must be approved by an ICS undergraduate advisor and can be modified later with written approval to account for availability of courses or changes in the student’s interests (which may require a new proposal and rationale).