Computer Science & Information Technology Field of Study, Certificate

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Effective January 25, 2024, this award is no longer eligible to be declared as an intended program/major due to the expiration, by law, of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (THECB) approval of the curriculum. Students that have already declared this intended program/major prior to January 25, 2024 MUST complete the award no later than August 31, 2025. The courses in this program will continue to be offered by Collin College, but Collin College will no longer be able to award the Certificate after August 31, 2025. Please see a Collin College advisor if you have questions.

A Field of Study is a set of courses that will transfer and apply to a corresponding bachelor’s level degree at a Texas college or university. Both the Field of Study and the Core Curriculum courses are transferrable for full academic credit to any public college or university in Texas. Students who complete the Field of Study block of courses will earn a certificate in that Field of Study.

FIELD OF STUDY (FOS) CERTIFICATES

For program information and descriptions, see Areas of Study section.

The recommended course sequences for the Field of Study (FOS) Certificates shown below only show those courses required to complete the indicated Field of Study certificate. Some courses required for a Field of Study certificate may have prerequisites that are not included in the course sequences because the prerequisite courses are not included in the block of courses guaranteed to transfer as the Field of Study curricula. In any semester students may take additional classes, such as core curriculum courses or electives, to complete an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree. (Please see the Associate of Arts (AA) General Studies and Associate of Arts with Field of Study Degrees and the Associate of Science (AS) General Studies and Associate of Science with Field of Study Degrees sections of the Catalog for specialized associate degrees that incorporate many Field of Study disciplines.)

Before registering for classes, students should always:

Consult with an academic advisor.
Verify if prerequisites are necessary for courses.
If needed, check with the department on availability of courses as some may be offered on a limited basis.
If planning to transfer, confirm requirements for the specific degree sought at the transfer institution.
Plan out your courses beyond one semester.

*In July 2020, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) voted to further review the new Field of Study curricula that were scheduled to go into effect in Fall 2020. Collin College has five FOS Certificates that were affected by this action. The THECB action may limit the applicability toward the corresponding majors at state-supported colleges or universities. Students enrolled in one of these Field of Study certificates are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor and/or contact their transfer institution to make sure courses in the certificate will be degree applicable to their bachelor’s degree at the transfer university.

Below is a recommended course sequence that will allow a student to earn the certificate. Please consult with an advisor to examine alternate sequences to meet individual academic goals.

First Year

First Semester

MATH 2413 - Calculus I Credits: 4 ¹
COSC 1436 - Programming Fundamentals I Credits: 4 ²

Second Semester

COSC 2325 - Computer Organization Credits: 3 ³
COSC 1437 - Programming Fundamentals II Credits: 4 ²
MATH 2414 - Calculus II Credits: 4 ¹
MATH 2305 - Discrete Mathematics Credits: 3

Second Year

First Semester

COSC 2436 - Programming Fundamentals III Credits: 4 ²
PHYS 2425 - University Physics I Credits: 4 ¹

Second Semester

PHYS 2426 - University Physics II Credits: 4 ¹

Total Credit Hours: 34

1. It is recommended that students complete the math sequence, physics sequence, and computer science sequence at the same institution to reduce the likelihood of potential gaps in the curriculum. Students should consult with an academic advisor since one or more mathematics courses may be required before enrolling in MATH 2413 .
2. COSC 1436 and COSC 1437 are preparatory and sequential in nature; however, not all courses are required for the Computer Science major at all universities but may apply to general degree requirements.

a) COSC 1436 is not part of the Computer Science major requirements at The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Texas A&M University.
b) COSC 1437 is not part of the Computer Science major requirements at The University of Texas at Austin. Preparatory courses such as COSC 1436 and COSC 1437 will assist students who need additional background but do not apply toward the computer science major requirements.

3. COSC 2325 is not part of the Computer Science major requirements at The University of Texas at Austin, or Texas A&M University but may be applied to general degree requirements.