Computer scientists are experts in computation – both in terms of the theory of computation and its innumerable practical applications. A computer scientist understands how to design and analyze algorithms, how to store and retrieve information, how computers function, and how to develop software systems that solve complex problems. Specialists within computer science might have expertise in developing software applications, in designing computer hardware, or in analyzing algorithms, and in many other current and emerging specializations.
The Computer Science Major available through the College of LSA will prepare you for a world of incredible opportunities. Our world-class faculty will challenge you to deepen your intellectual curiosity, and our curriculum will allow you to tailor your computing studies to your specific areas of interest. Along the way, you will develop both algorithmic fundamentals and a framework for understanding that will enable you to keep pace with the ever-changing world of computer science.
The computer science program requires students to have a solid foundation in computer software, hardware, and theory, but also gives each student ample opportunity to take advanced electives in areas of computer science such as databases, architecture, networks, artificial intelligence, and graphics, or in emerging interdisciplinary areas such as electronic commerce, web information systems, and computer game design.
Open to students enrolled in the College of LSA, this program is administered by the CSE Division of the EECS Department.
The department offers two program paths to a degree in computer science. One is available to students enrolled in the College of LSA and the other is for students enrolled in the College of Engineering. The program requirements are almost exactly the same for both majors, but if you’d like to know the differences you can find out here.
Please watch this video about declaring before you proceed further.
Declaration requirements are listed in the CS-LSA program guide. If you meet ALL of these requirements and are ready to declare, please fill out our declaration request form. A staff member will check your eligibility and let you know the outcome. For more detailed questions about the major, students can schedule an advising appointment or come to virtual drop-in advising.
Due to capacity constraints, students who are admitted to the University of Michigan in Fall 2023 or later must first be selected for the CS major before they can declare the major.
For students interested in completing an original research project and a culminating thesis and presentation at the end of their U-M career, CS-LSA majors may opt to pursue the CS Honors program. See the PDF below for more information about this pathway, including deadlines, eligibility, and instructions for proposal submission.
EECS Course List (links to Michigan Engineering Bulletin)
Students who enroll in this program and plan to obtain a master’s degree could be eligible for the Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS) program, which enables completion of both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five (to five and a half) years. More information is here. Questions about the program should be directed to [email protected] .