Undergraduate Studies in Computer Science
Office Hours
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Victoria Hilford (visit http://www.cs.uh.edu/~vhilford for details) Tel. 713-743-3342.
Undergraduate Admission Requirements
High School Graduates
Admission for students who graduated from an accredited high school, but have never attended college is based on an acceptable total or composite score on the College Entrance Examination Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) in relation to their rank in their high school graduating class. For the SAT, the total score is the sum of the verbal and mathematics scores. A minimum score of 480 on the verbal section of the SAT or a minimum score of 19 on the english usage section of the ACT is required for admission. The SAT score for tests taken prior to April 1995 are scored differently (minimum verbal score 400).
Freshman Admission Requirements Computer Science Department
No additional requirements are needed apart from the standard Freshman Admission Requirements.
High School Preparation Required High School Courses
| Subject | Units/credits |
|---|---|
| English | 4 |
| Social Studies | 2 |
| Laboratory sciences | 2 |
| Mathematics (must include at least one-half unit in either elementary analysis or precalculus) | 3 |
Transfer of Credits
Students transfering into the Department of Computer Science Undergraduate Program may submit for approval Computer Science courses taken at other institutions as substitutes for Computer Sceince courses at the University of Houston. Once a student has been admitted to the University of Houston, all subsequent Computer Science courses must be completed in the University of Houston. Students requesting exceptions from this policy must obtain written permission in advance from the Director of Undergraduate Studies, No such approval will be given for students who are within 30 hours of graduation, as stated in university policy.International Students
International Students must score a minimum of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), as well as meet the GPA requirements that apply to all transfer students, to be considered for admission.
Postbaccalaurate Status
Postbaccalurate status allows students to take courses at the undergraduate level in the Department. This classification does not permit students to take any graduate courses, except COSC6301-COSC6304. Students interested in earning a second bachelor's degree may be admitted to postbaccalaureate status in the Department of Computer Science if meet the same undergraduate requirements for admissions as those who have over 30 semester hours. Applications may be obtained from:
Office of Admissions
University of Houston
Houston, Texas 77204-2161
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Prerequisites and Corequisites
The following general prerequisites apply for all students who wish to enroll in 3000-or 4000-level courses:
- Students cannot have three or more previous enrollments in the course at the University of Houston. Any case in which a W, an F, an I, or a passing grade was awarded counts as a previous enrollment (see section on withdrawal and course repetition).
- Completion of ENGL 1304 and MATH 1310 or approved equivalents are prerequisites for all 3000-and 4000-level courses at the university.
- Completion of TASP (Texas Academic Skills Program) requirement is a prerequisite for all 3000- and 4000-level courses at the university.
- All prerequisites for a course must be taken before students enroll in that course. The Director of Undergraduate Studies or course instructors may drop students from any course for which they lack a prerequisite or corequisite. Completion of MATH 1431 Calculus I is a prerequisite for enrollment in any COSC course, except for COSC1301-COSC1304.
- A course that is a prerequisite or corequisite for another course cannot be dropped unless students drop both courses. Students also should be aware that prerequisites are cumulative. If course A is listed as prerequisite to course B, then any course that is a prerequisite to A must also be completed before the enrollment in B.
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Special Problems Courses
A student who wants to do an independent study or a special project may make arrangements to work individually with a faculty member for credit by signing up for a special poblems course (4198,4298, or 4398). No more than six semester hours of special problems courses may count toward the Computer Science degree plan. It is the student's responsibility to seek a faculty member to help design the special problems course and supervise it.
Special problems course are available to juniors and seniors with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. To take a special problems course, the student must first obtain a general petition, complete the form, and have it signed by the faculty member who will be supervising the course. The petition must include a description of the course and indicate whether the course will be for one, two, or three semester hours of credit. It must also include information how the final grade for the course will be assigned. This course is graded S/U only. The signed petition form must be returned to the Office at least two weeks prior to the registration or add/drop period period of the semester, in which the course will be taken to assign a section number required for registration. Students who do not officially register for special problems courses will not receive credit for them.
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Withdrawal and Course Repetition
The following college rules limit course withdrawals and repetitions for all students taking COSC courses. Students are limited to three enrollments in any 3000-or 4000-level course. Any case where a W, an F, an I, or a passing grade was awarded counts as an enrollment.
Students are expected to withdraw from courses only for legitimate nonacademic reasons. Accordingly, students with excessive withdrawals may be placed on probation, retained on probation, or suspended.
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Grade Point Averages for Graduation
Minimum grade point averages for graduation with a bachelor's degree are a 2.00 cumulative, 2.00 in major and no more than 6 semester hours with grades below C- in Computer Science courses.
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Graduation Under a Particular Catalog
Students are entitled to graduate under the degree provisions of the catalog in effect at the time of their first completed semester of enrollment in the Department of Computer Science. The following exceptions apply:
- A catalog more than seven years old may not be used.
- Students who interrupt enrollment for more than one calender year for reasons other than involuntary military service are governed by the program requirements in effect at the time they reenter the University of Houston. For these purposes, enrollment is defined as registration for and successful completion of at least one course during an academic term. Sucessful completion is defined as a grade of at least D-. Grades of F,I or W are not indicative of successful completion. Students forced to withdraw for adequate cause before completion of a course may petition for waiver of this provision at the time of withdrawal.
- Students who change majors and/or degree objectives from one college to another at the University of Houston are governed by the degree requirements in effect at the time the change becomes effective. Those changing from one major or degree objective to another within the Department are also governed by the requirements in effect at the time the change becomes effective.
- With the exception of programs for which another termination date has been specified, no degree will be granted for an undergraduate program not completed within five years after it has been deleted from a catalog.
- Students must meet the time limitation requirements as well as grade requirements. Students are expected to complete all degree requirements in a timely fashion.
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