BS Computer Science | Software Development

Bachelor of Science 2024 through2025

Computer Science

About the Program Untitled 1

Software Development Concentration

Students majoring in the Computer Science program are forbidden from double-majoring in the BS Game Programming, BS Information Technology, and BS Math and Computer Science programs; as well as from minoring in Computer Science and Information Technology.

Curriculum Requirements

Displaying Spring 2024-2025 Course Availability
  • In-Class
  • In-Class and Online
  • Online Only
  • Not Offered This Quarter
Untitled 1

First Year

  • CSC 241 Introduction to Computer Science I 1
  • CSC 242 Introduction to Computer Science II 1
  • CSC 300 Data Structures I
  • IT 223 Data Analysis
  • MAT 140 Discrete Mathematics I
  • MAT 141 Discrete Mathematics II
  • 1 Students with one (1) semester programming experience may take CSC 243 and one (1) additional Major Elective in lieu of CSC 241 and CSC 242.
Liberal Studies Requirements
  • LSP 110 Discover Chicago
    OR LSP 111 Explore Chicago
  • LSP 112 Focal Point Seminar
  • WRD 103 Composition and Rhetoric I
  • WRD 104 Composition and Rhetoric II
  • 1 Arts & Literature
  • 1 Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry

Second Year

Liberal Studies Requirements
  • LSP 200 Seminar on Race, Power, and Resistance
  • CSC 208 Ethics in Technology
  • 1 Religious Dimensions
  • 1 Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry
  • 1 Historical Inquiry




Third Year

  • CSC 343 Introduction to Operating Systems
    OR CSC 344 Automata Theory and Formal Grammars
    OR CSC 348 Introduction to Compiler Design
    OR CSC 363 Theory and Practice of Safe Systems Programming
    OR CSC 389 Theory of Computation
    OR CSE 351 Embedded Systems I
  • CSC 355 Database Systems
  • CSC 376 Distributed Systems
  • SE 333 Software Testing
    OR SE 359 Agile Software Development
    OR SE 371 Practices of Global Software Development
  • SE 350 Object-Oriented Software Development
  • 1 Major Elective
Liberal Studies Requirements
  • 1 Arts & Literature
  • 1 Experiential Learning
  • 1 Historical Inquiry
  • 1 Philosophical Inquiry





Fourth Year

  • CSC 394 Software Projects (Capstone)
  • Sixteen (16) credit hours of Major Electives
Liberal Studies Requirements
  • 1 Arts & Literature
  • 1 Religious Dimensions
  • 1 Scientific Inquiry Lab
  • 1 Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry


Major Electives

Major Electives courses must be selected from the Introductory and Advanced Major Field Course lists below.  At least 16 of the 20 Major Field Elective Credit Hours must be taken from the list of Advanced Major Field courses.

Introductory Major Field Courses

Advanced Major Field Courses

Artificial Intelligence
Computational Sciences
Computer Game Development
  • CSC 361 Optimized C++
  • CSC 386 Real-Time Networking (Formerly GAM 390)
  • GAM 350 Physics for Game Developers
  • GAM 353 Tool Programming for Game Development
  • GAM 372 Object-Oriented Game Development
  • GAM 374 Game Engine Programming I
  • GAM 376 Artificial Intelligence for Computer Games
  • GAM 377 Game Engine Programming II
  • GAM 378 Strategy Games Programming
  • GAM 380 Console Game Development Environments
  • GAM 382 Serious Games
  • GAM 386 Game Programming for Mobile Devices
  • GAM 394 Game Development Capstone I
  • GAM 395 Game Development Project II
Computer Graphics
  • GPH 321 Computer Graphics Development I
  • GPH 325 Survey of Computer Graphics
  • GPH 329 Computer Graphics Development II
  • GPH 339 Advanced Rendering Techniques
  • GPH 358 Computer Graphics Automation
  • GPH 372 Principles of Computer Animation
  • GPH 389 Real-Time Graphics Techniques
Computer Networks
  • NET 362 Principles of Data Communications
  • NET 363 Introduction to Local Area Networks
  • NET 365 Network Interconnection Technologies
  • NET 371 Wireless Communications Networks
  • NET 372 Wan Services
  • NET 375 Network Protocols
  • NET 377 Fundamentals of Network Security
  • NET 379 Telecommunication and Network Security Practicum
Computer Systems
  • CSC 343 Introduction to Operating Systems
  • CSC 348 Introduction to Compiler Design
  • CSC 361 Optimized C++
  • CSC 362 Optimized C++ Multithreading
  • CSC 364 Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  • CSC 366 Introduction to Program Analysis
  • CSC 371 Mobile Application Development for iOS
  • CSC 372 Mobile Application Development for Android
  • CSC 391 Mobile Application Development for iOS II
  • CSC 392 Mobile Application Development for Android II
  • CSE 314 Networking for Cyber-Physical Systems
  • CSE 316 Cyber-Physical System Security
  • CSE 331 Cyber-Physical System Engineering I
  • CSE 332 Analog and Digital Circuits
  • CSE 333 Digital Signal Processing
  • CSE 351 Embedded Systems I
  • CSE 352 Embedded Systems II
  • CSE 361 Mathematical Foundations of Autonomous Systems
  • CSE 362 Foundations of Cyber-Physical Computing
  • CSE 375 Introduction to Robotics
  • IT 372 Introduction to Android Development
  • NET 368 Network Programming
Computer Vision
  • CSC 381 Introduction to Digital Image Processing
  • CSC 382 Applied Image Analysis
Data Analysis and Data Mining
Data Storage
Human-Computer Interaction
  • CSC 360 Web Applications
  • IT 330 User Interface Development for Interactive Systems
  • UXD 360
Security
  • CSC 333 Cryptology
  • CSEC 320 Computer Forensic and Incident Response
  • CSEC 340 Fundamentals of Information Assurance
  • CSEC 388 Security Testing and Assessment
  • CSEC 389 Cyber Defense Exercises and Attack Responses
Software Engineering
  • SE 325 Introduction to Software Engineering
  • SE 333 Software Testing
  • SE 341 Continuous Delivery and Devops
  • SE 352 Object-Oriented Enterprise Application Development
  • SE 359 Agile Software Development
  • SE 371 Practices of Global Software Development
Theory of Computation
  • CSC 327 Problem Solving for Contests
  • CSC 344 Automata Theory and Formal Grammars
  • CSC 389 Theory of Computation
Web Development
  • CSC 308 Frameworks for Web Application Development
  • CSC 360 Web Applications
  • ECT 330 Advanced Internet Application Development
  • ECT 360 Introduction to Xml
  • IT 320 Content Management Systems

Open Electives

Open Elective Credit Hours are required to meet the minimum graduation requirements of 192 hours. Open electives may be taken from any unit at DePaul.


Liberal Studies

The Liberal Studies program is the general education portion of the curriculum at DePaul University. Students must earn a grade of D or better in all courses taken to satisfy these requirements. The only exception is the Capstone course which is considered also a major requirement and WRD 103 and WRD 104 in which students need to earn a C- or better.

Students may choose to take some CDM courses that carry Liberal Studies credit but they cannot double count them if they are part of the major requirements. A complete list of courses that carry Liberal Studies credit can be found on the Liberal Studies website along with an overview of the Liberal Studies requirements for this program. Students can search for courses that satisfy a particular Liberal Studies requirement on campusconnect.

Note: Students must complete CSC 208 Ethics in Technology as one of the two required Philosophical Inquiry learning domain requirements.

Although students are free to take course requirements in any order they choose, provided they have mastered the course-specific prerequisites, it is strongly recommended that students follow these year-by-year suggestions, especially regarding the first-year major courses.

Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements.

Degree Requirements

Students in this degree must meet the following requirements

  • Complete a minimum of 192 credit hours (generally 48 courses)
  • Earn a grade of C- or higher in WRD 103, WRD 104, and all Major and Minor courses
  • Earn a grade of D or higher in all other Liberal Studies and Open Elective courses
  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

Students who earn a cumulative DePaul University GPA

  • Between 3.500 and 3.699 will graduate cum laude
  • Between 3.700 and 3.849 will graduate magna cum laude
  • of at least 3.850 will graduate summa cum laude

For DePaul's policy on repeat courses and a complete list of academic policies see the DePaul Undergraduate Handbook in the Course Catalog.