Computer Science (CSC)Courses

CSC 1000. Seminar in Computer Science (1). Prerequisite: Seeking a major in Computer Science or Web Programming and Development. This course is to be taken during the first spring semester after declaring Computer Science as a major. The seminar provides an orientation to the field of computer science and the study of computer science at Belmont. Students will learn about the computer science curriculum, computer science student organizations, research opportunities for faculty and students, careers for computer science graduates, and graduate study in computer science. 

CSC 1020. Inquiry Through Computer Science (3). Prerequisite: MTH ACT score greater than or equal to 22, Math SAT score greater than or equal to 520, Belmont Math Placement Test score greater than or equal to 20. An introduction to the fundamental skills necessary to understanding Computer Science and programming and other topics in Computer Science. Students will learn to program, solve problems and think in ways they can connect with and apply to other disciplines, entering them into a conversation with a methodology and a set of ideas that profoundly affect our modern world. Unless the student has prior written approval of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, credit is not allowed for this course if the student already has credit for any other computer science course. This course does not count for CSC major credit, is not a substitute for CSC 1110 (Programming I), and is not recommended for students who already know computer programming.

CSC 1110. Programming I (3). Prerequisite: Math ACT score greater than or equal to 27, Math SAT score greater than or equal to 610, Belmont Math Placement Test score greater than or equal to 27, CSC 1020, or MTH 1130. An introduction to computer organization, algorithm development, and programming.

CSC 1120. Programming II (3). Prerequisite: CSC 1110. A continuation of algorithm development and programming, including basic aspects of string processing, recursion, internal search/sort methods, and simple data structures.

CSC 1430. Web Site Development (3). Prerequisite: CSC 1110.  This course is a tutorial in creating and maintaining an internet host.  Topics include hardware/software compatibility, installation, bootstrap issues, IP addressing, planning and creation of accounts, local and remote maintenance, implementation of a backup policy, security, server-sided programming, implementation of a database, and implementation of a content-management system, and provision of other services.

CSC 1920. Peer Tutoring in Computer Science (1-3). Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor.  By invitation of a professor, a student may serve as a peer tutor for a course. Each peer tutor works with a professor to define the specific role in the class, which may include helping conduct the classes, leading a study or discussion sessions, and helping students master the course material. The Peer Tutor does not grade or keep other records for the class. The Peer Tutor will submit a paper of reflection on the work and the student's learning. This reflection paper will be expected to appear in the student's portfolio required in CSC 4710 (Senior Seminar course). The course will be pass / fail.

CSC 1950-4950. Studies Abroad (3-18) . This course provides an opportunity to study computer science in another country. Individual titles will be assigned to each course taken, indicating place of study and subject matter. Courses, if equivalent to Belmont requirements, may count toward major, minor, general education, or elective credit. Students must consult with their advisor prior to enrollment to determine credit within their program of study.

CSC 1990-4990. Special Studies (0-3).

CSC 2110. Computer Organization (3). Prerequisite: CSC 1120. An introduction to assembly language programming; includes an examination of basic computer architecture as well as the organization and structure of major computer components, both hardware and software.

CSC 2250. Discrete Mathematics (3). (See MTH 2250 for course description.)

CSC 3000. Research in Computer Science (1-3). Prerequisite: 12 hours completed toward the major. Students will conduct a research project and present their findings at the School of Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium (SURS), the Belmont Undergraduate Research Symposium (BURS), or a regional or national conference. All aspects of designing and carrying out the study will be the responsibility of the student: posing the original research question, presenting supporting computing systems, algorithmic proofs, literature review, abstract, and final paper (possibly submitted for publication). The course is open to all interested students who have satisfied the prerequisites and wish to design and conduct a research project in Computer Science.

CSC 3050. Internship in Computer Science (0-1). Prerequisite: 12 hours of Computer Science Courses.Students who are doing computing related work can apply to have one semester or summer of such work designated as an internship. The student will be required to convince the instructor that he/she will be working in a computing related job and will use principles, practices, and skills learned in Computer Science classes in order to enroll. To get credit, the student will submit a paper of reflection on the work and the student's learning. This reflection paper will be expected to appear in the student's portfolio required in CSC 4710 Senior Seminar course. This course will be pass/fail and will fulfill the internship category of Experiential Learning of the BELL core.

CSC 3110. Programming Languages: Principles and Practices (3). Prerequisite: CSC 1120. A comparison and analysis of programming languages, their characteristics and implementation.

CSC 3130. Data and File Structures (3). Prerequisites: CSC 1120 and either CSC 2250 or MTH 2250. A study of data structures and algorithms for their manipulation. Topics include: arrays, lists, files, stacks, queues, doubly-linked lists, trees, dynamic storage allocation, and organization of files.

CSC 3260. Graph Theory (3). (See MTH 3260 for course description.)

CSC 3270. Combinatorics (3). (See MTH 3270 for course description.)

CSC 3400. Artificial Intelligence (3). Prerequisite: CSC 1120. A survey of algorithms developed for artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on applications to cognitive science.

CSC 4150. Numerical Methods (3). (See MTH 4150 for course description.)

CSC 4170. Modeling and Simulation (3). (See MTH 4170 for course description.)

CSC 4180. Operating Systems (3). Prerequisite: CSC 2110. A study of hardware interrupt systems and concurrence of I/O operations, multiprogramming systems, memory management, protection, resource allocation and control, job management and task management, real time systems, time sharing systems, paging, virtual memory, schedulers, reliability, file management services and system accounting.

CSC 4610. Advanced Topics in Computer Science (3). Prerequisite: Will vary, depending on the topic being offered. (Note: A listing of prerequisites will appear in the schedule of classes.) Advanced computer science topics. This course may be repeated for credit for different topics.

CSC 4710. Senior Seminar (1). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. This capstone course will provide opportunities to assess student achievement of the departmental learning goals. Course content will include "topic days" using problems from the students' portfolios related primarily to the core calculus, probability/statistics, discrete mathematics, linear algebra, and computer programming courses. There will be a reading and presentation component.

CSC 4910. Independent Study in Computer Science (1 to 3). Prerequisites: Completed 20 hours in major and a 3.0 GPA in all computer science courses. This course provides an opportunity for upper-level students to pursue a topic of special interest at an advanced level. Topics must meet the approval of the instructor and the departmental faculty.