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Last
updated: Friday 9th July 2010, 7:14 PT by AD
Which computer course should you
take?
Current course offerings are here:
http://www.annedawson.net/courses.html
Course Outlines are here:
http://www.annedawson.net/available_courses.html
For SFU/UBC transfer agreements, see below.
For all other institutions, see here.
Introduction to Computers
for Arts and Business Students
and
Computer Programming
for Science and Computer Science
Students
Please read ...
As you're
no doubt aware, computer technology changes rapidly.
The need
for people who are able to understand and
keep up
with these changes is increasing.
Universities
offer a selection of degrees
covering
a variety of computer technology content.
Course
content can vary widely between universities,
and new
courses are offered every year...
So which
course should you take at
Consider
your ultimate goal.
Do you
want to be a website designer?
Do you
want to run your own online business?
Do you
want to be a video games programmer?
Do you
want to sell flowers on the road side?
Whichever
path you choose to take
will
involve computer technology in some way.
Before
you select a computer science course,
please
take the following six steps:
1.
Select your chosen university.
2. Select your degree subject.
3.
Talk to the university admission's advisor.
4.
Consult this website: BC Transfer Guide
for details of course transfer agreements in BC.
5.
Talk to a
6.
Register for the course.
Current course
offerings
Students with no previous exposure to
computers may consider a general introduction to computers and computer science
provided by CSCI100,
CSCI110,
CSCI120 or CSCI165 - and for business students - courses BUSI237, CSCI110
and CSCI165. These courses are described below:
Computing Courses for Business and
Arts Students
For a good general introduction to
computers and their applications, students should consider the CSCI100
course. The course provides an overview of the fundamentals of hardware and
software. There are hands-on tutorials on the use of software packages for word
processing, spreadsheet applications, databases and presentations. Students are
introduced to website design using online tutorials on HTML. There is also a
gentle introduction to computer programming. This course is suitable for
students interested in continuing their studies in business and arts subjects.
As an alternative to CSCI100,
business students should also consider course CSCI165. This course is an elementary
introduction to the Internet and the World Wide Web. Students will study the
fundamental concepts and terminology of the Internet and acquire elementary
programming skills to generate well-designed static and dynamic web
pages. There are no prerequisites for this course; no prior computing
science background is required and all course materials are supplied online.
If you're considering further
studies in business, then BUSI237 (Introduction
to Computers and Information Systems in Business) is the course for you. BUSI237 will introduce you to computers and to
business information systems, emphasizing spreadsheets, databases and website
design. The course includes group discussions on the issues involved in the use
of information systems and the Internet in business and society. Guest speakers from the local business community talk to students about
their own experiences with information technology. This course is a hands-on
tutorial and team project based course, supplemented by guided reading and
online videos. This is a popular course and space is limited, so sign up early!
For a gentle introduction to
computer programming, you should consider taking CSCI110
(Event-driven programming in Visual Basic). Visual Basic is often used for commercial and business
applications because the language was designed to facilitate rapid development
of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) - in other words, windows programming. To achieve the same results with other
programming languages would require considerably more effort.
Computing Courses for
Computer Science, Math, Science and
Engineering Students
For those of you considering further
studies in computer science, math, engineering or science, you should consider
the CSCI120 course (Introduction to Computer Science
and Programming I - using Python 3). This course is an elementary introduction
to computers, computer science and computer programming. Students will study
the history of computers and computing. They will be exposed to a range of user
applications and programming languages. The current and future impact of
computers on society will be discussed. Students will learn the fundamental
concepts and terminology of computer science, and acquire elementary
programming skills in the Python 3 programming language. Treatment is informal
and no prior computing background is required. Students who have already obtained credit for CSCI100
may be able to take CSCI120 for further credit at some
institutions.
After completing the CSCI120 course (Introduction to Computer
Science and Programming I - using Python 3), students may continue on to the the
CSCI125 course (Introduction to Computer Science
and Programming II - using Java).
The older alternative route for students
persuing a computer science degree was to select
either CSCI101
or CSCI102 as the first computer science course. The two courses
cover similar material, but CSCI101
uses the programming language C++, and CSCI102 uses Java.
Most computer science departments are currently using
either C++ or Java as the programming language for a first level programming
course. If you take CSCI101,
you will still be able to do further studies using Java. The two languages have much in common,
particularly at an introductory level. Many universities and colleges are using
Java as the language of choice for students programming for the first
time. In many respects Java is a
simpler language. However, most computer science degrees include a C++ (and
usually a C) component.
Most people find the switch from C++ to Java
straightforward, but the reverse is a bit more difficult. The switch from the C
language (CSCI103)
to C++ is also straightforward because the C language is a subset of C++. You
should talk to the advisor at your chosen transfer university before deciding
on which courses to take.
Computing Courses for Math, Science and Engineering
Students
For those interested in following a career in math,
science or engineering, CSCI103
(Introduction to Scientific Programming) would be the best choice. This is a
3-credit course with Math102 as co-requisite (see details below). If you've
already taken CSCI101 or CSCI102, you cannot take CSCI103
for more credit at SFU or UBC, although you may get further credit at other
institutions.
Students transferring to Computer Science at UBC
Students who are interested in applying to UBC should contact
UBC Enrolment Services, Undergraduate Admissions.
The phone number is 604-822-3014.
Here is the link for UBC: http://www.ubc.ca/students/
For academic information, please refer to the UBC
Calendar at: http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm
Transfer agreements with UBC change every year. You
should check with the admissions advisor at UBC before deciding on which
courses to take at
At Friday 9th July 2010, the
following agreements were true:
Always check the BC Transfer
Guide for the latest transfer agreements.
Students transferring to Computer Science at SFU
Information for students applying for transfer to SFU
SFU currently runs a number of first and second level 3
credit computer science courses including:
CMPT100: Software Packages and Programming (equivalent
to CSCI100)
CMPT102: Introduction
to Scientific Programming (equivalent to CSCI103)
CMPT110: Event-driven programming in Visual Basic
(equivalent to CSCI110)
CMPT120: Introduction to Computing Science and
Programming I (CSCI120)
CMPT150: Introduction to Computer Design (equivalent
to CSCI150)
CMPT165: Introduction to Multimedia and the Internet
(equivalent to CSCI165)
CMPT125: Introduction to Computing Science and Programming II (equivalent to CSCI125)
CMPT225: Data Structures and Programming (see below)
CMPT120 is equivalent to CSCI120, the material of CMPT120 and
CMPT125 is covered in CSCI101
(or CSCI102), CMPT125 is equivalent to CSCI125 and the material of CMPT225 is
covered in CSCI201. Note that CSCI101, CSCI102 and CSCI201
are 4 credit courses. Students who have obtained credit for CSCI100 may not
take CSCI120 for further credit at SFU.
Transfer agreements with SFU change
every year. You should check with the admissions advisor at SFU before deciding
on which courses to take at
At Friday 9th July 2010, the
following agreements were true:
Always check the BC Transfer
Guide for the latest transfer agreements.
Students considering a transfer to Computing
Science at SFU should consult an SFU
Undergraduate Advisor.