Bachelor of Computer Science at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven

University Rank:#21

Yale University offers the Bachelor of Computer Science as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its main campus in New Haven , United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 4 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for computer science and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on August 31, 2027.

About Bachelor of Computer Science

Directors of undergraduate studies: Ruzica Piskac [Fall 2022], Y. Richard Yang [Spring 2023]; 432-6400, AKW 208A; cpsc.yale.edu

The Department of Computer Science offers both B.S. and B.A. degree programs, as well as four combined majors in cooperation with other departments: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Computer Science and Economics, Computer Science and Mathematics, and Computer Science and Psychology. Each major program not only provides a solid technical education but also allows students either to take a broad range of courses in other disciplines or to complete the requirements of a second major.

The Computer Science and combined major programs share a common core of five computer science courses. The first is CPSC 201, a survey that demonstrates the breadth and depth of the field to students who have taken the equivalent of an introductory programming course. The remaining core courses cover discrete mathematics (CPSC 202), data structures (CPSC 223), systems programming and computer architecture (CPSC 323), and algorithm analysis and design (CPSC 365, or CPSC 366). Together these courses include the material that every major should know.

The core courses are supplemented by electives (and, for the combined majors, core courses in the other discipline) that offer great flexibility in tailoring a program to each student's interests. The capstone is the senior project (CPSC 490), through which students experience the challenges and rewards of original research under the guidance of a faculty adviser.

Prospective majors are encouraged to discuss their programs with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) as early as possible.

Introductory Courses

The department offers a broad range of introductory courses to meet the needs of students with varying backgrounds and interests. Except for CPSC 200 and CPSC 201, none assumes previous knowledge of computers.

CPSC 100 is taught jointly with Harvard University, and teaches students majoring in any subject area how to program a computer and solve problems. No prior programming experience is required. Students with previous programming experience should consider taking CPSC 201 instead. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
CPSC 112 teaches students majoring in any subject area how to program a computer and solve problems using the language Java. No prior programming experience is required. Students with previous programming experience should consider taking CPSC 201 instead. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
CPSC 134 provides an introduction to computer music, including musical representations for computing, automated music analysis and composition, interactive systems, and virtual instrument design.
CPSC 150 explores how some of the key ideas in computer science have affected philosophy of mind, cognitivism, connectionism, and related areas. This humanities-style course requires a significant amount of reading and writing a paper, and satisfies the Writing and the Humanities and Arts distributional requirements.
CPSC 151 studies the history of the graphical user interface in an attempt to guess its future. This course also satisfies the Writing distributional requirement.
CPSC 183 explores the myriad ways that law and technology intersect, with a special focus on the role of cyberspace. This course satisfies the Social Science distributional requirement.
CPSC 184 focuses on the evolving and oftentimes vexing intellectual property regime of the new digital age. This course satisfies the Social Science and the Humanities and Arts distributional requirements.
CPSC 200, intended as a survey course for nonmajors, focuses on practical applications of computing technology while examining topics including computer hardware, computer software, and related issues such as security and software engineering. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
CPSC 201 teaches the basic concepts, techniques, and applications of computer science, including systems (computers and their languages) and theory (complexity and computability). Students with sufficient programming experience may elect CPSC 201 without taking CPSC 112. (These courses meet at the same time so that students are easily able to change levels if necessary.) This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
CPSC 202 presents the formal methods of reasoning and the concepts of discrete mathematics and linear algebra used in computer science and related disciplines. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
CPSC 210 examines the political challenges wrought by massive increases in the power of computational and communication technologies and the potential for citizens and governments to harness those technologies to solve problems. This course satisfies the Social Science distributional requirement.

Requirements of the Major

The B.S. and the B.A. degree programs have the same required five core courses: CPSC 201; CPSC 202 or MATH 244; CPSC 223; CPSC 323; and CPSC 365 or 366.

B.S. degree program The B.S. degree program requires a total of twelve term courses: the five core courses, six intermediate or advanced courses in Computer Science, and the senior requirement.

B.A. degree program The B.A. degree program requires a total of ten term courses: the five core courses, four intermediate or advanced courses in Computer Science, and the senior requirement.

Combined B.S./M.S. degree Exceptionally able and well-prepared students may complete a course of study leading to the simultaneous award of the B.S. and M.S. degrees after eight terms of enrollment. General eligibility requirements are described in the Academic Regulations, section L, Special Academic Arrangements, â€œSimultaneous Award of the Bachelor's and Master's Degrees.â€ Specific requirements for the combined degree in Computer Science are as follows:

Candidates must satisfy the Yale College requirements for the B.S. degree in Computer Science.
At the end of their fifth term of enrollment candidates must have earned at least nine of their Computer Science required course credits, which together with three additional Computer Science required course credits, satisfy the requirements for the B.S. in Computer Science. Candidates must also have achieved A grades in at least three quarters of these courses.
Candidates must also complete eight graduate courses from the approved list, up to two of which may, with the permission of the DUS and the director of graduate studies, also be applied toward completion of the B.S. degree. At most, one of these eight courses may be CPSC 690, 691, or 692. All eight graduate courses must be completed in the final four terms of enrollment, and at least six of them must be completed in the final three terms of enrollment.

Credit/D/Fail Courses taken Credit/D/Fail may not be counted toward the major. All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Roadmap See visual roadmap of the requirements.

Senior Requirement

In the senior year students must take CPSC 490, an independent project course, in which a student selects an adviser to conduct original research with substantial work in a subfield of computer science. With permission of the DUS, students may enroll in 490 more than once or before their senior year.

Advising

All Computer Science majors in the sophomore, junior, and senior years should review their programs with their class advisers and the DUS. Students majoring in Computer Science are advised to complete CPSC 201 and 223 by the end of the sophomore year.

Electives The field of computer science has broadened substantially in the last few decades and the Computer Science department advises its majors to choose intermediate and advanced electives covering the breadth of computer science, including theoretical computer science; computer systems and languages (e.g., operating systems, database, networking, systems security, programming languages); and computer applications (e.g., artificial intelligence, computer graphics, computer vision, natural language processing, robotics).

The Computer Science department encourages interdisciplinary study in which computer science plays a major role. Advanced courses in other departments that involve concepts from computer science and are relevant to an individual program may, with permission of the DUS, be counted toward the requirements, but no more than two such courses may be counted toward the B.S., and no more than one toward the B.A.

Students interested in using computers to solve scientific and engineering problems are advised to take CPSC 440 as well as computational courses offered in Applied Mathematics and in Engineering and Applied Science.

The core mathematical background necessary to complete the Computer Science major is provided in CPSC 202. However, many advanced courses in graphics, computer vision, neural networks, and numerical analysis assume additional knowledge of linear algebra and calculus. Students who plan to take such courses as electives and who are unsure whether they have the appropriate mathematical background are encouraged to take MATH 222 or 225, MATH 226, and MATH 120.

Typical programs For students who already know how to program, typical B.S. programs starting in the first and sophomore years are indicated below. For typical B.A. programs, two of the electives would be omitted.

Typical Sequence of CoursesTypical Sequence of Courses no First-Year
First-Year	Sophomore	Junior	Senior
CPSC 201	CPSC 202 and CPSC 323	Two electives	CPSC 490
CPSC 223	CPSC 365 or 366	Two electives	One elective
	One elective

Typical Sequence of CoursesTypical Sequence of Courses no First-Year
Sophomore	Junior	Senior
CPSC 223	CPSC 365 or 366	Two electives
CPSC 201	CPSC 323	CPSC 490
CPSC 202	Two electives	Two electives

REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR

Prerequisites None

Number of courses B.S.â€”12 term courses taken for letter grades (incl senior project); B.A.â€”10 term courses taken for letter grades (incl senior project)

Specific courses required B.S. and B.A.â€”CPSC 201; CPSC 202 or MATH 244; CPSC 223; CPSC 323; and CPSC 365 or 366

Distribution of courses B.S.â€”6 addtl intermediate or advanced Comp Sci courses; B.A.â€”4 addtl intermediate or advanced Comp Sci courses

Substitution permitted Advanced courses in other depts, with DUS permission

Senior requirement Senior project (CPSC 490)

Disciplines

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Computer Science at Yale University

Entry Requirements

$80 application fee or fee waiver
Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor
School Report with transcript
Standardized test results (ACT or SAT) - not required for fall 2023 admission. (See below)
English proficiency test results - required for non-native English-speakers (See below)
Mid-Year Report & Final Report

See additional details about these required application components below.

Please note that if your application materials include any documents that are not in English, you must provide an official English translation in addition to the original documents.

$80 application fee or fee waiver

Applicants should pay the $80 application fee via the Common Application or Coalition Application website.

Applicants using the Common Application or Coalition Application may request that the application fee be waived. Learn more on the fee waiver page. The fee waiver scale is based on family size and income in US dollars but is applicable to all international students.

Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor

Request recommendations from two teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects (e.g. English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your final or next-to-final year of secondary school.

Also request a recommendation from your school’s college counselor. If your counselor does not know you well, the recommendation may still provide helpful contextual information about your school and its academic programs. If your school does not have someone serving as a college counselor, please request a recommendation from a school administrator such as a house master, principal, or academic advisor.

School Report with transcript

Your counselor or other school official should submit a School Report with an official transcript that includes all your secondary school courses. If a question on the School Report form is not applicable to your secondary school, leave it blank.

Recommendations and transcripts should be submitted electronically through the Common Application or Coalition Application website. If necessary, teachers and counselors may also submit their recommendations and transcripts via mail or digital upload. Recommendations may be sent before or after you submit your application; materials that arrive before your application will be kept on file. The admissions office will make reasonable allowances for late school documents in situations where it is not possible for teachers and counselors to meet the application deadlines.

Standardized test results

In response to the extraordinary circumstances associated with the pandemic, Yale has temporarily suspended its requirement that first-year and transfer applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT. The change will be in effect during the 2022-23 admissions cycles for applicants who intend to matriculate in fall 2023.

More information on Yale’s test policies is available on the standardized testing page. Standardized tests are just one component of a student’s application and are viewed within the context of the student’s entire file. There is no minimum score required for admission, nor is there a score that will guarantee admission.

English proficiency exams

Yale requires that non-native English-speakers who have not taken at least two years of secondary education where English is the medium of instruction submit the results from any of the proficiency tests listed below.

The TOEFL requires pre-registration for available testing dates. Yale’s most competitive applicants have scores of at least 100 on the internet-based TOEFL.

The IELTS offers proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have IELTS scores of 7 or higher.

Cambridge English exams are available at testing locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have Cambridge English scores of 185 or higher on the C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, or B2 First exams.

Applicants may submit the Duolingo English Test (DET), which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows applicants to complete the test at any time or place with internet access. Yale’s most competitive applicants have DET scores of at least 120.

InitialView provides live, unscripted video interviews that candidates may submit to colleges for consideration with other application materials. Interview times must be reserved in advance. There is no scoring associated with these interviews.

Mid-Year Report & Final Report

Students who do not receive new secondary school grades by February 1, including students who have already completed secondary school, are not required to submit a Mid-Year Report. This includes many international students. Applicants who receive new grades by February 1 should submit a Mid-Year Report.

Only admitted students are required to submit the Final Report, which provides final secondary school grades and examination marks. Admitted students submit the Final Report in the summer before fall matriculation.

If your secondary school provides predicted results for external exams such as A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, and other international or national testing organizations, they should be submitted by your school alongside your transcript or Mid-Year Report.

Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Computer Science at Yale University

Application Fee 80

How to Apply for Bachelor of Computer Science at Yale University

All applicants for first-year admission must submit one of the following:

The Coalition Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The Common Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The QuestBridge National College Match Application

Yale will accept any one of these applications, without preference for one over another. Students should submit one—and only one—application per admissions cycle.

Bachelor of Computer Science at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven