Academics

Major and Minor Programs and Tracks

We offer majors in computer science and software engineering, a minor in computer science, and jointly with the Mathematical Sciences department, a major in data science. With any of these programs you can choose to specialize in one or more tracks. We offer tracks in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and game design. We also have a minor in data science.

For each program named above, below we include a link for a one-page PDF listing specific requirements and four-year plans, and we include a Bulletin link that goes to a page where each required course is clickable so that you can get course descriptions and prerequisites if you desire.

You can also find 3-year course plans for computer science and software engineering majors.

Courses

All the courses in our department have a prefix of “CS” or “SE” (like CS142 or SE132), and you can get a list of all such courses, with descriptions and prerequisites, from the online bulletin:

PIcture of 5 CSSE graduates in regalia with a snoopy plush toy

Graduation Requirements

In addition to your major, there are other graduation requirements. We will not describe them in complete detail here, but instead point you to where they are listed. We strongly encourage you to discuss these with your academic advisor, especially if you have questions.

  • 120 Total Credit Hours (includes all coursework such as transfer and AP credit)
  • College foreign language requirement — two courses at the 200-level or higher
  • The Core Curriculum
    • The ICR requirement is satisfied by our EPICS course
    • Our students are exempt from the AR area requirement
  • 40 credit hours of courses numbered 300 or higher — this includes courses that count for other requirements like your major or language or core.

Current students can look up their requirements at any time through their Student Center portal on my.butler.edu.

Advising and Class Registration

All first-year and incoming transfer students are assigned an academic advisor, who is one of our faculty members. To register for classes for an upcoming semester, you will receive an email (check your Butler email regularly!) inviting you to make an appointment to meet with your advisor, during which you will discuss what classes are best to take. You can also request to meet with your advisor any time you have questions. Don’t be shy!

We keep documents and information for current students on our departmental Canvas site.

If you are interested in graduate school or study abroad, reach out to your advisor.

Code Jam finals week coding project event
Students working between classes

Help and Support

There are many ways you can get help, depending on the issue. The list below is not comprehensive, but a good place to start:

  • Your Advisor: for questions about classes or really any problem. They may not have answers, but they know where to point you to get them.
  • Peer Tutors: We have dedicated tutors in the department to help with homework and projects. The Mathematical Sciences department has tutors for your math classes, the Writer’s Studio gives help for writing papers, and the Speaker’s Lab is ready to help with presentations and interviews.
  • Student Success Center: They offer classes to help with time and work management, adapting to college life in general, and if you are considering changing your major.
  • The Registrar: They help with technical details like transfer credit, deadlines for adjusting your schedule, applying to graduate, and many more.
  • Counseling & Consultation Services: If you are feeling stressed, they have an UNWIND relaxation room. If you are struggling with anxiety or other problems, whether minor or serious, they are happy to help.