An Analysis of the Math Requirements of 199 CS BS/BA Degrees at 158 U.S. Universities

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the math course requirements across 199 CS degrees at 158 U.S. universities, highlighting inconsistencies and their impact on student access, retention, and timely graduation.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of math prerequisites in CS degrees and offers recommendations for curriculum improvements.

Findings

Consensus on the importance of discrete math and calculus in CS degrees.

Significant variation in when math courses are required relative to CS courses.

Math requirements influence student access, retention, and graduation timelines.

Abstract

For at least 40 years, there has been debate and disagreement as to the role of mathematics in the computer science curriculum. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the math requirements of 199 Computer Science BS/BA degrees from 158 U.S. universities, looking not only at which math courses are required, but how they are used as prerequisites (and corequisites) for computer science (CS) courses. Our analysis shows that while there is consensus that discrete math is critical for a CS degree, and further that calculus is almost always required for the BS in CS, there is little consensus as to when a student should have mastered these subjects. Based on our analysis of how math requirements impact access, retention and on-time degree completion for the BS and the BA in CS, we provide several recommendations for CS departments to consider.