Universal Curriculum Requirements
To be awarded a degree from the College of Arts & Sciences, students are required to complete universal curriculum requirements in addition to the program requirements provided below. The school universal curriculum requirements can be found on the school Degree Programs page .
Declaring the Major and Application Process
Students must have successfully completed the pre-requisites described below in order to declare the major.
Due to prerequisite dependencies, it is difficult for students who have not completed CS 2100 by the end of their fifth semester to complete the major in their three remaining semesters. Ability to complete the degree in a timely manner is a factor in acceptance into the major.
Second Majors: Because the goals of the degree are integrated with the study of the liberal arts, students from outside the College of Arts and Sciences who have not taken significant coursework in the College will not be allowed to declare the BA in CS degree as a second major. Students enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Science are not allowed to declare the BACS as a second major.
Transfer Students from Outside the University: Students transferring into the University from other institutions must apply to the department to be allowed to declare the BA in CS major. This should take place during the summer before a transfer student begins classes, and the overall process will be discussed during the summer orientation session. If an incoming transfer does not attend summer orientation, they must meet with a CS advisor before classes begin to discuss their request. Transfer students who start in the spring semester should contact the department when they begin to register for courses.
Transfer students who have not completed courses equivalent to the degree’s pre-requisites described below before their first semester in residence cannot be accepted into the major until those are completed. We strongly recommend that students transferring to the University as third-years complete the equivalent of CS 2100 before coming to UVA. Due to prerequisite dependencies, it is difficult for students who do not complete CS 2100 or its equivalent by the end of their fifth semester to complete the BA in CS in the three remaining semesters.
Concentration in Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The department offers a concentration in Artificial Intelligence for the BA in Computer Science. Majors who complete its requirements will have the concentration reflected on their transcript. (This is not case for the “focal path” in Cybersecurity available to CS majors. See the department’s website for full details on the Cybersecurity focal path.)
For the concentration in Artificial Intelligence, students are required to complete four courses (12 credits) as described below. (Each course also satisfies a major requirement for the BACS, so the concentration can be completed without taking courses beyond what is required to complete the major.)
Additional Information
For more information about the major of the Department of Computer Science, please see our website at http://www.cs.virginia.edu/, email: cs-office@virginia.edu, or call the CS office at 434-982-2200.
