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Engineering and Computing

Students with interests in engineering, information sciences and technology may pursue UCSC majors in bioengineering, bioinformatics, computer engineering, computer science: computer game design, electrical engineering, robotics engineering, network and digital technology, and information management. All of the majors in this cluster are offered through the Jack Baskin School of Engineering (BSOE). Beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year, only students who were admitted to UCSC as a proposed Computer Science major can pursue Computer Science.

In addition to the college core course, first quarter UCSC students enroll in two or more lower-division courses (1 - 99), for a total of 15-19 credits, their first term.

Qualification for Majors in this Cluster:

In order to declare most School of Engineering majors (except for Network and Digital Technology and Technology and Information Management), students must meet the BSOE's Proposed Major status policy.  More information about the Proposed Major Status policy and how to change your status to proposed can be found on this website:  https://ua.soe.ucsc.edu/proposed-majors. It is recommended that all cluster students interested in pursuing a School of Engineering major change to a proposed major.  

In addition to being a proposed major, students must meet the Major Qualification Requirements for their intended major prior to being able to declare. New qualification policies will be implemented for the 2018-2019 incoming class - information on the new policies will be available in the 2018-19 General Catalog when it is published in September (look up departments you are most interested in under Programs and Courses in catalog).  This information will also be available on the BSOE Undergraduate Advising Major Qualification website: https://ua.soe.ucsc.edu/major-qualification

INITIAL PLACEMENT:
Students in this cluster should assess their placement in the following subjects prior to enrolling for their first term:

  • Mathematics: Determine your math placement by completing an assessment in ALEKS as soon as possible, and by July 16 at the very latest. See https://mathcoach.sites.ucsc.edu for information about ALEKS. If you completed a college-level math course, or scored 3 or better on an AP calculus exam, or 5 or better on an IBH mathematics exam, you may be able to use that for placement instead of the ALEKS assessment. See https://mathcoach.sites.ucsc.edu/courses/course-credit/ for information on placement based on college courses or AP/IBH. Assessment indicates the mathematics course where you should begin: MATH 2, MATH 3, or MATH 19A.
  • Chemistry Self-Assessment: Students interested in majors in bioengineering or bioinformatics can take the Chemistry Self Assessment for assistance in determining where to begin in general chemistry.

FIRST YEAR COURSES:
The majors in this cluster are course-intensive and the curriculum is highly sequential. You must begin these majors early in your academic career, and must take courses in the correct order. Information about getting started in each major will be available at Summer Orientation.

Mathematics:
Mathematics is an important foundation for all majors in this cluster. Students in this cluster should begin taking mathematics their first term; earning A or B grades in mathematics courses will better prepare students for success in these majors.

The online mathematics assessment will indicate your starting point in mathematics:

  • MATH 3, Precalculus, OR
  • MATH 19A, Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics

Students in this cluster should not take MATH 11A: Calculus.

If you place into MATH 11A, you should instead take MATH 3, Precalculus, before moving to MATH 19A: Calculus for Science, Engineering and Mathematics.

Other First Year Courses:
A list of suggested courses for students undecided on which major in this cluster to pursue is below. If you have questions about getting started in these majors, we highly recommend that you contact an adviser in the Baskin School of Engineering (advising@soe.ucsc.edu).

Suggested Courses for Students who are Undecided:

  • BME 5: Introduction to Biotechnology
  • BME 80G: Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society
  • CMPS 5J: Introduction to Programming in Java (requires no programming experience)
  • CMPS 5P: Intro. to Programming in Python (students interested in Bioengineering should take this programming
    class instead of CMPS 5J)
  • CMPM 80K: Foundations of Interactive Game Design
  • CMPE 8: Robot Automation: Intelligence through Feedback Control
  • CMPE 12/L: Computer Systems and Assembly Language and Laboratory (programming experience required)
  • CMPE 80A: Universal Access: Disability, Technology, and Society
  • EE 80S:  Sustainability Engineering and Practice
  • EE 80T: Modern Electronic Technology and How It Works
  • TIM 50: Business Information Systems (best to take after completing at least one lower division Econ course first)
  • TIM 80C:  Starting a New Technology Company
  • TIM 101: Management of Technology (2-credits)

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Baskin School of Engineering
advising@soe.ucsc.edu, (831) 459-5840
225 Baskin Engineering Building
http://ua.soe.ucsc.edu

Related Majors:
Art and Design: Games and Playable Media
Contact information:
Program Adviser, juanmr@ucsc.edu, (831) 459-1554
Digital Arts Research Center 302
http://games.arts.ucsc.edu/

 

Last updated on 7/2018.