Computer Science Minor

New! Math/BSFM/Actuarial Science/statistics majors are now allowed to pursue the CS minor.

An understanding of programming is useful for a wide variety of careers: strong programming abilities are vital to securing employment in the tech industry, and can also prove extremely useful in marketing, finance, and the sciences. These are rapidly growing fields, with careers that are intellectually rewarding and well-compensated. The minor is also a valuable step for students who are considering pursuing graduate study in computer science.

The CS minor is focused on both fostering practical skills and introducing the fundamental ideas of computer science. Students who complete the minor will have exposure to widely used programming languages and develop a mindset for solving challenging problems. Both are essential for those who wish to engage with the most exciting modern topics in computer science, such as machine learning.

The minor consists of

1. A programming course (MTH 3300).
2. Discrete Math: An Invitation to Computer Science (MTH 3150)
3. A choice of a capstone course out of
   • An advanced programming course (MTH 4300)
   • Algorithms and data structures (MTH 4320)
   • Machine learning (MTH 4330)
   • Cryptography (MTH4250)
   • Computer architecture (MTH4350)
   • Operating Systems (MTH 4355)
   • Complexity and Computational Models (MTH 4360)
   • Natural Language Processing (MTH4335)
   • Software Engineering (MTH4370)
   • Applied Data Privacy (MTH4375)
   • New courses are regularly introduced.

Students who need a second 4000-level course may also take graph theory (MTH 4140)

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Are all Baruch students eligible to take the CS minor?

Answer: The minor is available to all Baruch students, including Zicklin students and students whose major is in the math department.

Question 2: How do I declare a CS minor?

Answer: Fill out this form, and submit it to registrarmajorminor@baruch.cuny.edu.

Question 3: Do I have to take more math courses for the CS minor?

Answer: 

• All CS courses have calculus as a prerequisite. In particular, you need to take either MTH3006 or MTH2610.
• The system states that MTH4320 requires more advanced calculus courses as prerequisites. However, anyone with at least a C+ in MTH3150 will be able to take this course.
• Some CS topics are more mathematical and have additional prerequisites.

In general, the field of computer science involves a lot of math. As an example, consider machine learning. One does not require a lot of math to learn machine learning concepts and run machine learning algorithms on data. However, to learn how these algorithms work and do more technical work, one needs an understanding of probability and linear algebra.

Question 4: I already took MTH3300 (or the equivalent CIS2300) for my major. What do I do?

Answer: The minor consists of three courses and the same course cannot go towards both your major and your minor. In this case, your minor will consist of MTH3150 and two 4000-level CS courses.

Question 5: I already took the discrete math course MTH2301. Do I still need to take the discrete math course MTH3150?

Answer: Yes – you still need to take MTH3150. While the two courses cover similar topics, the level of MTH2301 is not sufficient. After taking only MTH2301, you won’t be ready for more advanced courses such as MTH4320 and MTH4330.

Question 6: I already have a different minor or am ineligible to take the CS minor. Can I still take CS courses?

Answer: Sure! All are welcome to study some basic computer science.

Question 7: Does the CS minor count as a liberal arts minor?

Answer: Yes. The CS minor is based at the Weissman school, which makes it a liberal arts minor.

Question 8: The MTH3150 and MTH3300 prerequisite is MTH2610 or MTH3006. I see that MTH2610 is Calculus 1. I took MTH2205 / MTH2207, which is also Calculus 1. Can I take MTH3150 and MTH3300?

Answer: MTH2205 is only part of Calculus 1. It contains only some of the material of MTH2610. The goal of MTH3006 is to complete the missing material. That is why the prerequisite is either MTH2610 or the equivalent MTH2205+MTH3006.

Question 9: I took MTH4000 for my major, so I am not allowed to take MTH3150. What should I do?

Answer: Instead of MTH3150, you take another 4000-level CS course. In particular, for BSFM majors, the CS minor consists of three 4000-level courses.

For any questions or comments, please write to Adam Sheffer at Adam.Sheffer@baruch.cuny.edu or to Evan Fink at evan.fink@baruch.cuny.edu.