Applied Computer Science - Post-Baccalaureate Bachelor of Science (BSACS)

The Applied Computer Science Program (CSPB) in the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder is a unique academic program designed for adult students to obtain a second bachelor’s degree in computer science. This post-baccalaureate program is an online-only degree for professionals with a prior non-computer science bachelor's degree.

Students who do not have a previous bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college should apply to one of the on-campus programs: the Computer Science - Bachelor of Arts (BA) or the Computer Science - Bachelor of Science (BS).  Only the latter degree program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

The second post-baccalaureate degree in computer science consists of 45 credit hours of computer science courses. Students can start any term—spring, summer or fall—and can study from anywhere in the world with an internet connection at any time of day.

For more information, visit the department's CS Online website. 

Course code for this program is CSPB.

Requirements

Program Requirements

Current curricular requirements may be found on the department's Applied Computer Science BS Degree Requirements website.

Students must complete 26 credits of required computer science courses, as well as a minimum of 19 credits of elective computer science courses. Currently, the courses below are offered online, with additional courses to be added in the future.

Note: The course prefix used for post-baccalaureate courses is CSPB. However, please be aware these courses are equivalent to the corresponding CSCI courses. 

Required Courses and Credits

Program Residency and Transfer Credits

Students are required to complete a minimum of 45 credit hours of computer science courses in order to graduate. The residency requirement for the program is that at least 30 credit hours must be taken from CU Boulder courses in the program (online courses) after the student has matriculated in the program as an Applied Computer Science student.

Students who have taken on-campus computer science courses at CU Boulder can receive credit for a maximum of 15 credit hours before matriculating into the program. Due to the degree residency requirement transfer credit cannot be accepted after a student has begun the program.

Students who have taken computer science courses from other universities can transfer a maximum of 9 credit hours to the program assuming that the courses are equivalent to the courses in the program.

Courses that have been taken over 10 years ago may not be transferred to the program. These courses are evaluated on a case by case basis.

Plans of Study

Students may begin this program in the spring, summer or fall term and have the freedom to customize their pathway to completion. 

The program recommends working students follow a 2–3 year plan. Post-baccalaureate students may petition to pursue an accelerated pathways. However, they require significant time commitments, and program approval. Once accepted into the program, students are encouraged to speak with their advisor to discuss options and whether an accelerated pathway is right for them. 

Visit the Post-Baccalaureate website to learn more about pathways to completion. 

Learning Outcomes

Program Educational Objectives

The post-baccalaureate BS program aims to produce alumni that, within three to five years after graduation:

• Are prepared to be valued individual contributors in a software-oriented organization, to be programmers and designers in an entrepreneurial pursuit, to lead small projects and generally begin preparation for a management career, or to succeed in rigorous postgraduate programs.
• Are able to focus their careers on pure computer science technology or to bring computer science expertise to a companion discipline.
• Are prepared, where appropriate, to specialize in a broad spectrum of computer science sub-disciplines, ranging across formal computer science (e.g., computational science, bioinformatics and theory), cognitive science (e.g., human/machine learning, human-computer interaction, collaborative work and human language technologies) and core computing (e.g., systems, networks and software engineering).

Student Outcomes

The post-baccalaureate BS degree program has as its primary educational outcome the production of students who have strong skills in computing and information technology that can be applied within a variety of business or research contexts, skills that allow these students to achieve rewarding careers in a variety of disciplines.

To achieve this outcome, the post-baccalaureate BS degree program aims to produce students who, upon graduation, are expected to be able to:

• Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
• Design, implement and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
• Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
• Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
• Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions. 

Post-baccalaureate Accelerated Master's Degree Program(s)

The post-baccalaureate–accelerated master's (PBAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time. Students receive the post-bacc degree first, but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates (typically two to three semesters before graduation). Because some courses are allowed to double count for both the bachelor's and the master's degrees, students receive a master's degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a stand-alone master's degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. Post-bacc students should discuss the requirements of the program carefully with their advisor, as there are both financial and relocation impacts to being accepted to the PBAM program.

The following PBAM programs are available with the BS in Applied Computer Science: 

• BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics
• BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Computer Science
• BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Data Science
• BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Network Engineering

Admissions Requirements

BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.
• Have completed all prerequisite courses with grades of B or better: CSPB 1300, CSPB 2270, CSPB 3104 (or CSPB 3022), LING 2000, CSCI 3832/CSCI 5832 (or CSPB 3202 or CSCI 4622) and one of the following during the semester they apply: LING 5430, LING 5420 or LING 5030.
• Have completed at least 15 credits in CSPB courses at CU Boulder.
• Provide two letters of reference, one written by the course instructor of the LING 5XXX course they are taking during the semester they apply, the other by the instructor from an upper division course in Computer Science. Letters should be sent directly to the CLASIC Program Coordinator.

BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Computer Science

In order to gain admission to the PBAM program named above, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.
• Have completed all prerequisite courses with grades of B or better: CSPB 1300, CSPB 2270, CSPB 2400, CSPB 3104 and CSPB 3155 (or CSCI 3753)
• Students who do not meet the first two criteria, must have one letter of reference from a faculty member or your undergraduate academic advisor outlining why they should be considered. The letter-writer should send their letter directly to gradadms@cs.colorado.edu.
• Have three semesters remaining in the bachelor’s degree program.
• Students who are interested in applying to the research-based MS option, must provide a letter of support from the faculty with whom they wish to do their research. (Upload that letter with the department application.)
• Graduate work is expected to be completed on the Boulder campus.

BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Data Science

In order to gain admission to the PBAM program named above, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher. 
• Have completed all prerequisite courses with grades of B or better: CSPB 1300, CSPB 2270, CSPB 2400, CSPB 3022 and CSPB 3308.
• Have at least three semesters remaining in the bachelor’s degree program
• Graduate work is expected to be completed on the Boulder campus.

BS in Applied Computer Science, MS in Network Engineering

In order to gain admission to the PBAM program named above, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.300 or higher.
• Have completed the following prerequisite courses with a B or better: CSPB 1300, CSPB 2270, CSPB 2400, CSPB 3308 and CSPB 3753. (If a student has transfer credit for one of the following courses, or has taken a commonly accepted course substitution for one of the above courses, their grade in that alternate course can be used to determine their eligibility for this BAM program.)
• Students who do not meet the first two criteria, must have one letter of reference from a faculty member or their undergraduate academic advisor outlining why they should be considered. The letter-writer should send their letter directly to: neteng@colorado.edu.
• Have at least three semesters remaining in the bachelor’s degree program.
• Graduate work is expected to be completed on the Boulder campus.

Program Requirements

Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program that can later be used toward the master's degree. However, only 6 credits may be double-counted toward the post-baccalaureate degree and the master's degree. Students must maintain a 3.000 cumulative GPA once accepted to the PBAM program. Students must apply to graduate with the post-baccalaureate degree, and apply to continue with the master's degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.

Please see the computer science accelerated master's webpage for more information.