If you successfully complete a major in computer science at Williams, you will have an excellent grounding in many of the fundamental ideas of the discipline. However, if you plan a career involving computing, there are some things you should consider. Williams College places a limit on the number of courses that a department may require students to take to fulfill the requirements for a major. You should not interpret this as a limit, but a foundation from which to expand your understanding. Students contemplating graduate school, are strongly encouraged to take more than the minimum number of computer science courses required for the major. They are also strongly encouraged to take more mathematics courses than required for the major. Those students who are considering a career in a computer-related industry should seriously consider taking one or more courses in a discipline related to that industry. For example, a student interested in a career in computer graphics should consider taking one or more art courses. A student interested in hardware issues should consider taking PHYS 204, Electronics or other courses from that department.
All majors are strongly urged to take more mathematics than is required for the major. In particular, MATH 104, MATH 105 and MATH 143 are important in many computing applications. Those students planning advanced study or careers in computer science are also urged to take one or more of the following mathematics courses:
- MATH 243: Statistics and Data Analysis
- MATH 312: Abstract algebra
- MATH 330: Numerical Methods
- MATH 341: Probability
- MATH 348: Mathematical Statistics
- MATH 360: Mathematical Logic
- MATH 452: Combinatorics
- MATH 454: Graph Theory with Applications
See members of the department for more specific advice on selecting courses.
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