Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about the CS major/minor
Questions about registration
Questions about CS Requirements
Questions about Summer courses
Questions about Graduation
Miscellaneous Questions
How do I leave the major/college?
Go and talk to an advisor in the department in which you want to declare your new major. If you haven't decided which department you want to switch to, but think you want to stay in CEPS, you can transfer to Undeclared CEPS. If you're sure you want to leave CEPS but don't know yet what you want to major in, you can transfer to undeclared liberal arts (provided you have had at least two years of a foreign language in high school). In any case, you'll need to meet with your advisor or our Undergraduate Studies Coordinator Brian Johnson to make your change official. You will also have to fill out a change of program form for the University and an exit survey from the department - both of which can be obtained in the CS office.
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Are there minimum requirements to stay in the major/college?
You must have a GPA of 2.0 overall and a 2.0 GPA in the major. For further information go to the requirements page. The university does have a 2.0 GPA average minimum as well. If you're worried about your GPA, you should check with your advisor or the Dean's Office.
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How do I declare a minor and/or a double major?
Minor requirements vary. Some have very specific rules while others don't. Talk to an advisor in the minor department to make sure you understand the guidelines.
There are two options for declaring two majors:
Second Major: simply an annotation on your diploma.
Dual Degree: two separate diplomas/degrees.
In both cases, you have to satisfy the requirements of both majors and there is an overlap restriction. The dual degree requires a number of extra credits.
A second major/dual degree in Math/CS is possible. Check with the Math Department to learn about their specific requirements.
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How do I minor in Computer Science?
The department recently added a minor option in computer science. Click here for more information. The department also offers a Minor in Computer and Information Technology.
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How do I become "Honors in Major"?
For more information on declaring honors in major, click here.
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Which courses should I take now?
The department has created some sample schedules for general guidance. These schedules are not set in stone, but if you wish to deviate from these schedules greatly, we strongly encourage you to talk to an advisor to make sure you're on the right track. In any case, you need to pick a track that will ultimately fulfill the degree requirements.
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Is there a minimum/maximum number of courses I can take in a semester?
You need to take 12 credits per semester to be considered full time. If you take between one and 11 credits, you're considered part time. Note that becoming part time may result in issues with loans, scholarships, health insurance, etc. If you decide to cut back to part-time, be sure to discuss this with your advisor. He or she will have to work with you to create the proper course sequence.
If you take no courses during a semester, your status will be changed to inactive. In that case, you may have to reapply to the program to get readmitted. The maximum number of credits you can preregister for is 18. The maximum that you can actually take (by adding a course at the beginning of the semester) is 20, unless you have the Dean's permission. Whether you take 12 or 20 credits, your tuition will remain the same price. There is a per credit add on fee for those who take more than 20 credits.
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Can one course fulfill several requirements?
In some cases, yes. For instance, writing intensive courses can fulfill two slots (i.e. our requirements and a WI or a GenEd and a WI). On the other hand, a course filling a GenEd requirement can not be used to fulfill our Liberal Arts elective. Whatever you do, keep in mind that you need to obtain 128 credits before you can graduate.
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How do I find out if the course and section I want are still open?
You should check the open/closed list available online from the Registrar's Office. You are also advised to check during the semester break or during the summer when Webcat reopens, as a lot of seats free up.
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What if one of my major's courses is already full and I can't get in?
You should always be able to get into any one of the CS core courses (especially 415, 416, and 515), however, you might not have the choice of a particular section. If you find that one of the core CS courses is full, report this to your advisor. In terms of CS electives, the CS Department makes no guarantees as to which courses will be offered when; nor can we guarantee space in any particular course.
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What do I do to sign up for an Independent Study (CS 696)?
You must find a faculty member who is willing to give you an Independent Study. There are two basic approaches:
1. Have a project in mind; talk to faculty whose research interests are similar.
2. Go to a faculty member and see if he/she has a project which could be used for an independent study.
Generally, a faculty member won't agree to an independent study unless that student has taken at least one course with him/her and has proven to be a hard worker, etc. Independent studies are not guaranteed; they are always at the discretion of the faculty member.
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If I take two CS theory electives, will one of them count as a CS elective?
Yes.
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Can I use any UNH statistics course (i.e. PSYC 402) to fulfill the statistics elective?
No. The ones from other departments are lower level courses. You have to take either MATH 644 or MATH 539 even if you have already taken a statistics course from another department.
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Is MATH 531 writing intensive? Is it a writing intensive course "in the major"?
MATH 531 counts as a writing intensive course. The writing intensive course "in the major," however, has to be a CS course (one of the CS writing intensive electives).
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Can any course be a free elective?
The purpose of the two free elective credits is to bring you up to 128 credits. Any combination of courses which bring you up to 128 will do.
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Can any course be a liberal arts elective?
Liberal Arts electives must be at least 3 credits, be offered by the College of Liberal Arts, and not be a math or science course. The only non-liberal arts courses that can be used to fill this elective are ECON 401 and 402.
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Can I take CLAS 401 to fulfill GenEd category 8?
No. CS majors must take PHIL 424 which fulfills category 8.
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The university says I would fulfill my group 3 gen ed requirements with 3 courses, why does the CS Department make me take 4?
The CS Department requires an additional science course. This requirement was added under the guidance of Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET), the national accreditation body for Computer Science. The accreditation process is also why CS majors must choose group 3 courses from a restricted list. The accreditation body feels that CS majors should have more extensive laboratory experience.
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Can I take ZOOL 402 to fulfill GenEd category 3?
No. Your GenEd category 3 course must be one that's on the approved list.
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I preregistered for MATH 426, but I'm not 100% sure I'm going to pass MATH 425. What happens if I don't?
When you get your grades, you can go onto Webcat and switch your registration. You will have to do this when Webcat registration officially reopens during summer/semester break.
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Can I/should I take summer courses?
Summer courses are available at UNH Durham and UNH Manchester. If you are falling behind in your courses, talk with your advisor to see if taking summer courses is a viable option. Although advisor approval is not necessary to register for summer courses, it's always a good idea to talk with your advisor before you sign up for summer courses.
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Can I take summer classes at other schools?
You need to get a preapproval form from the Dean's office or the Registrar's office and fill it out for the course(s) you want to take. You should get all the info you can about the course: description, syllabus, book titles (chapters covered), number of assignments, etc. All of that information is needed to determine how the course can be counted.
The procedure is then the following:
1. The Registrar's office determines if the course credits are transferable and usually whether the course can be used as a GenEd or not. They may send it to the equivalent UNH department for determination.
2. The major department determines if the course can be used for major requirements (see Undergraduate Studies Coordinator).
3. The Dean's office signs off on the form and it goes back to the Registrar's office and to you.
This means you have to decide that you want to take a summer course early (if not at UNH), but you the benefit of doing is that you'll know if you can use the course prior to actually taking it. It is not safe to assume that a course taken somewhere else can be counted even just for credits, and it's possible that a course cannot be transferred at all. To avoid ending up taking courses that won't fill any slot, be sure to obtain preapproval first. Note: UNH Manchester is part of UNH and courses taken there are automatically transferred. You don't need a preapproval form in that case.
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I have to retake a CS course. Can I still graduate on time?
Probably, yes. Although the closer you are to graduating, the harder it may be. You can take one extra course during any semester, as well as courses over the summer.
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I'm hoping to graduate this semester. What do I need to do?
You must file an intent-to-graduate form prior to the required deadline, which is usually the end of the 4th week of the semester.
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I'm a foreign student. Is the foreign culture requirement waived for me?
You should check with the Registrar's office. If they do not waive it for you, then you can fill out a petition to have it waived. If the requirement is waived you will notreceive credit for it, so you will have to pick up extra credits.
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Where can I find additional information?
For CEPS-specific information: The CEPS Advising Handbook
For general advising information: The UNH Advising Handbook
Other important student information: The Student Rights, Rules and Responsibilities Handbook
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