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Undergraduate FAQs

Questions?

Check out the undergraduate FAQs below or the Undergraduate Curriculum and Program Committee site.

If you are unable to locate a resource or need assistance with an undergraduate academic program, please contact:

cis-ugradprgm@udel.edu

How can I find out who my advisor is?

A: Check on the UDSIS system. The CIS department no longer keeps separate advisor records. More information about advisors can be located at Advisor info.

I'm having trouble reaching my teacher/advisor. What can I do?

A: There are several ways you can reach your Professor, Instructor or Advisor:

  1. Send an email.
  2. Call on the phone.
  3. Drop by his/her office.
  4. Visit during office hours.

Faculty members often receive a huge volume of email. Sometimes they will reply promptly to email and sometimes they are unable to reply as promptly as you would like. If you don’t get a response in the time frame you need, please use one of the options above to reach your teacher/advisor. Finally, in desperation, you can contact the CIS Undergraduate Coordinator, Samantha Fowle at 302-831-2712 or samfowle@udel.edu and she will help you to try to contact your teacher/adviser.

PS. When leaving a message on someone’s voice mail, enunciate your name and phone number clearly and slowly.

Please give me permission to take a UD online course this term.

A: The CIS department policy is not to authorize online courses during fall and spring semesters. The added benefits to learning from live interactions outweigh the convenience online courses may provide.

Can I get a bachelor's degree and master's degree in computer science in 5 years?

A: If you are up to the challenge, yes! The MS degree requires 10 courses beyond the undergraduate work. Normally this is done over 1.5 to 2 years. Graduate students typically take 2 or 3 courses per term, depending on such variables as teaching assistant or research assistant work. Two things allow you to design a 5 year program: (1) With permission and prerequisites, you can take some graduate courses while still an undergraduate. (2) You can take 4 courses a term as a graduate student. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is allowed and doable. A 5 year program requires advanced planning. You should start discussing it with your advisor at end of sophomore year. Consult the catalog and dept web page about the MS program. Admission to the graduate program isn’t determined until spring of your senior year. If there is serious doubt about getting admitted, you probably shouldn’t be packing it into 5 years anyway. Note: a graduate course taken in place of a related undergraduate course to meet a major requirement cannot also count toward the graduate program.

What minimum grade must I get in Math 210?

A: BS in CS majors must get C- or better in Math 210, because that grade level is an enforced prerequisite to the required course CISC303. INSY majors and BA in CS majors must get D- or better. The BA requires a C- or better in major courses. This applies to the CISC required courses, but not to the required Math courses(210 and 241).

A student in any major who wishes to take CISC 303/304 must have the C- or better in Math 210.

Can I take MISY 160 as a free elective?

A: No. Students in CISC (or any student who takes any CISC course beyond 101) can no longer take MISY 160, CISC 101, or FREC 135 for credit. If you took one of these courses BEFORE changing majors or taking an advanced CISC course, then it will still count as a free elective.

(Current Students) How do I apply for a Major in CIS?

Prior to applying for a CIS major (BS in Computer Science, BA in Computer Science, and BS in Information Systems), students must have earned a grade of C or better in CISC-106 or CISC-108 or CISC-181 and a grade of C or better in Math-117 or Math-241. To have a good chance of success in a Computer Science major, students should have a B- or better in each of the CISC courses taken so far.

The CISC Department processes all applications for the computer science major and the information systems major through the online application form at http://www.udel.edu/udsis-student. An advisor from the Department of Computer and Information Sciences will be assigned as part of the form processing and you will be notified of your new advisor.

How do I add a minor?

The CISC Department processes all applications for the computer science minor and the bioinformatics minor through the online application form at http://www.udel.edu/udsis-student.

Before applying for a computer science or bioinformatics minor, students must have earned a grade of B- or better in CISC-106 or CISC-108 or CISC-181. The minor is restricted due to program capacity limitations. For advice on the the elective course choices of the minor, contact cis-ugradprgm@udel.edu.