Will I get transfer credit for first year CS courses?

[Drew416]

I have sent my university course description to UW, so far I haven't heard anything back from them regarding what transfer credits I'll be getting but I was wondering if there a chance I could be given credit for first year CS courses? The school I'm transferring from did the first year courses primarily in java, since waterloo does first year in scheme there isn't a chance that I'll get credit for that, is there? Secondly, if I do infact get a credit for it and they give me 115/116 credit instead of 135/136 is there a way I could refuse the 115/116 credit and take 135/136? From what I've heard 115/116 are the black sheep of computer courses and I'm afraid that 115/116 courses would look bad to co-op employers.

Edit: One more question: Is STAT considered to be a 'math' course?

[Prabhakar Ragde]

You may get a generic credit but not an exemption from the first-year CS courses. If you are majoring in CS, 115/116 is not an option for you, but anyone who claims they know what employers think about 115/116 is making things up, since the first offering of 116 is not even over yet. STAT is a math course (as are all the CS courses, these being in the Faculty of Math).

[Tony]

You could take CS145 + CS 3xx/4xx instead of 135/136. Check the degree requirements for your plan though.

[Prabhakar Ragde]

145 requires instructor consent (that's me). And you're forgetting about the 2xx courses, Tony.

[Tony]

I'm not sure what you mean regarding 2xx. I was referring to 08/09 BCS (latest one posted on cs.uw) checklist:

Quote:

CS 115, 135, 3xx or 4xx
CS 136 or 145

[md]

Tony @ 2009-03-12, 1:35 pm wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean regarding 2xx. I was referring to 08/09 BCS (latest one posted on cs.uw) checklist:

Quote:

CS 115, 135, 3xx or 4xx
CS 136 or 145

IIRC, the 2xx courses are prerequisites for the 3xx courses. 'Course not being a UW student any more I could be off my rocker.

[Prabhakar Ragde]

Tony @ Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:35 pm wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean regarding 2xx. I was referring to 08/09 BCS (latest one posted on cs.uw) checklist:

Quote:

CS 115, 135, 3xx or 4xx
CS 136 or 145

That's a concise summary of core requirements because of the different paths through the program.

The normal path is 135 -> 136 -> 2xx.

If you go 145 -> 2xx then you're short one required CS course, which could (much later on) be a 3xx or 4xx. Remember these are graduation requirements we're talking about.

You can also go 115 -> 116 -> 136 if you start out not in CS but change your mind.

And you can go 135 -> 116 -> 136 if you start out in CS but just barely pass 135 and can't get into 136 immediately (60% gateway requirement).

Now do you see why it's written that way?

md is right; most if not all of the 3xx and 4xx courses have 2xx requirements. So anyone with transfer credits will at best be starting with 2xx courses. --PR

[Tony]

Prabhakar Ragde @ Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:20 pm wrote:

which could (much later on) be a 3xx or 4xx

This is what I had in mind.

[Drew416]

Thanks for the help. I have no intention of taking CS145, and anyways I highly doubt I'm smart enough for that course. I'm actually hoping that I don't get credit for my first year cs courses as if I do I'll be forced to choose coop sequence B.

[Prabhakar Ragde]

You have the option of refusing any of the transfer credits they offer you.