Quick Navigation

Northern Illinois University

Computer Science

Choosing a Catalog Year

Contents

Catalog Regulations

When you enter NIU, you are normally assigned that year’s major/minor catalog. Nonetheless, you do have some choice in catalogs, which may allow you to request a different catalog if you think it will benefit you. For a complete listing of the rules, check the index of the current NIU catalog, under “Catalog, choice of.” Here’s a quick and non-legally-binding summary:

  • You may not graduate under a catalog that is more than five years old, unless specific permission is obtained from your major college.
  • Entering freshman use the catalog that is current at the time they take their first courses at NIU.
  • Transfer students are usually assigned the catalog current at the time they take their first courses at NIU, but they may elect the NIU catalog in effect at the time they became freshmen at their original school or any later NIU catalog, providing they were enrolled during the catalog year of their choice. However, they cannot choose an NIU catalog which was in effect more than three years before their admission to NIU.
  • Students reentering NIU after an interruption of more than three years are subject to catalog provisions in effect at the time they reenter.
  • Any student may shift to any more recent catalog, as long as the student was enrolled at the time the catalog was in effect.
  • General education requirements can come from one catalog, while all major and minor requirements may come from a second catalog. If you need to change your major/minor catalog to satisfy our requirements, first check to see if the change would cause problems in any other majors or minors you might have declared. If it does, consult with the Computer Science Undergraduate Advisor before proceeding.

Check near the end of your Degree Progress Report on MyNIU (a few lines after the start of your Computer Science major requirements) to see which major/minor catalog you are currently assigned. It is your responsibility to make sure that the plan we assign you matches with the major/minor catalog assigned to you. If you would like to change your catalog, email your request to regrec@niu.edu . Also notify us immediately if your catalog change affects the plan we have on file for you. If you have any concerns about how catalog issues affect you, please fill out a green form at the front window of the Department of Computer Science and we will address your specific questions.                    

The following pages summarize the currently available catalogs for Computer Science, organized by emphasis. See NIU's Catalog Archives for the formal description of catalog requirements by year.

Emphasis I: Software Development (formerly the General Emphasis)

 

2002-2003
through
2004-2005

2005-2006
through
2007-2008

2008-2009
through
the present
CSCI 240 required required required
CSCI 241 required required required
CSCI 330 required required required
CSCI 360 required required required
CSCI 340, 440, or 464
(CSCI 440 renumbered 340 effective Fall 2008) 		Choose between
CSCI 440 and 464 		Choose between
CSCI 440 and 464 		CSCI 340 required
CSCI 463 required required required
CSCI 465 required required  
CSCI 466 required required required
CSCI 467 required required required
CSCI 468 or 480 1 required 1 required CSCI 480 required
CSCI 300 and above electives 1 required 2 required 1 required
CSCI 400 and above electives     2 required
Hours required inside department 43 hours 46 hours 44-48 hours
 

Extra-departmental Courses

STAT 301 or 350 1 required 1 required 1 required
MATH 206     required
Choose 1 sequence:
  • MATH 206 + 211, or
  • MATH 210 + 211, or
  • MATH 229 + 230
 1 sequence required 1 sequence required  
Choose 1 sequence:
  • MATH 211, or
  • MATH 229 + 230
    1 sequence required
Hours required outside department 9-12 hours 9-12 hours 10-15 hours
Total hours required 52-55 hours 55-58 hours 54-63 hours

 

Emphasis II: Enterprise Software (formerly the Applied Emphasis)

2002-2003
through
2004-2005

2005-2006
through
2007-2008

2008-2009
through
the present
CSCI 240 required required required
CSCI 241 required required required
CSCI 330 required required required
CSCI 360 required required required
CSCI 340, 440, or 464
(CSCI 440 renumbered 340 effective Fall 2008) 		Choose between
CSCI 440 and 464 		Choose between
CSCI 440 and 464 		CSCI 340 required

CSCI 463 required required required
CSCI 465 required required required
CSCI 466 required required required
CSCI 467 required required required
CSCI 468 or 480     CSCI 480 required
CSCI 300 and above electives 1 required 2 required 1 required
CSCI 400 and above electives     1 required
Hours required inside department 39 hours 42 hours 45-48 hours
 

Extra-departmental Requirements

STAT 301 or 350 1 required 1 required 1 required
MATH 206     required
Choose 1 sequence:
  • MATH 206 + 211, or
  • MATH 210 + 211, or
  • MATH 229 + 230
 1 sequence required 1 sequence required  
Choose 1 sequence:
  • MATH 211, or
  • MATH 229 + 230
    1 sequence required
Choose three from the following:
  • ACCY 288
  • MGMT 333
  • MKTG 310
  • FINA 320
 3 required 3 required 3 required
Hours required outside department 19-21 hours 19-21 hours 18-24 hours
Total hours required 58-60 hours 61-63 hours 63-72 hours

 

Emphasis III: Computational Software (formerly the Theoretical Emphasis)

 

2002-2003
through
2004-2005

2005-2006
through
2007-2008

2008-2009
through
the present
CSCI 230 required required  
CSCI 240 required required required

CSCI 241 required required required
CSCI 330   required required
CSCI 360 required required required
CSCI 340, 440, or 464
(CSCI 440 renumbered 340 effective Fall 2008) 		Choose between
CSCI 440 and 464 		Choose between
CSCI 440 and 464 		CSCI 340 required

CSCI 462 required required required
CSCI 463 required required required
CSCI 466     required
CSCI 467     required

CSCI 468 or 480 1 required 1 required CSCI 480 required
CSCI 300 and above electives 1 required 2 required 1 required
CSCI 400 and above electives     1 required
Hours required inside department 37 hours 41 hours 44-47 hours
 

Extra-departmental Requirements

STAT 350 required required required
MATH 206     required
MATH 229, 230, 232, & 240 required required required
Choose 2:
  • MATH 434
  • MATH 435
  • MATH 444
  • STAT 473 + 473A
 2 required 2 required 2 required
PHYS 250A or 253
(PHYS 250A was renumbered PHYS 253 effective 2005-2006) 		required required required
Hours required outside department 29-30 hours 29-30 hours 32-33 hours required
Total hours required 66-67 hours 70-71 hours 76-80 hours required