2025-2026 General Catalog
Source: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/computer-science-engineering/computer-science-minor/ Parent: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/#programsanddegreestext
The Major Program
The Department of Computer Science administers two majors: Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) and Computer Science (CS). It also administers two minors: Computer Science and Computational Biology. For information on the Computer Science & Engineering curriculum and the minor in Computational Biology, see Computer Science Engineering.
The primary differences between the CSE and CS majors are the extent of hardware coverage and curricular flexibility. The CSE major develops a solid understanding of the entire machine, including hands-on experience with its hardware components. The CS major teaches some hardware, at the digital-design level, on simulators. The CSE major has fewer free electives. The CS major's more generous electives make it easier to complete a minor or double major.
Students in the CS major receive a solid grounding in the fundamentals of computer languages, operating systems, computer architecture, and the mathematical abstractions underpinning computer science. Students are prepared for both industry and postgraduate study.
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