Next Steps

Computer Science and Data Science majors and minors

The "Value of a Computer Science Minor" describes how through a CS minor you will improve your problem solving skills, you'll be more marketable and will stand out in your job hunt.

You may have some questions, such as: Why a CS minor? How do I apply? What courses will I need? What about Data Science? These are answered in the FAQs, which includes information on the Data Science major. Still have questions? Email us at btt@uic.edu

Sign me up!

CS minor:

See the description of what you need for a CS minor (and be sure to read the section below on changes to requirements to the minor). If you decide a CS minor is for you, fill out the Minor/concentration form (for College of Engineering students) or the Minor request form (for students in other UIC colleges) on the College of Engineering resources page. Once you submit this form, we will be in touch by email to help you take the next steps. Although it isn't written there, Math 165 (Calculus for Business) or Math 170 (Calculus for the Life Sciences) can be substituted for Math 180 (Calculus) for CS minors .

CS major:

If you already are a UIC College of Engineering student, fill out the Change of major form on the College of Engineering resources page. If you are a student in another UIC college, fill out the Intercollege Transfer Petition on the College of Engineering resources page and make note of the requirements.

Data Science major (There is currently no minor):

The form to fill out is the same as the ones above for the CS major, except select "Data Science" as your desired major, and select from among these eight flavors of Data Science: Bioinformatics, Business analytics, Computer Science, Data processing, Health, Industrial Engineering, Social technology studies, Statistics, or Urban policy analytics.

Let's Talk

Maybe you're not sure about all this, or want to pursue it on your own, or just want more information or perspective. Feel free to talk to your instructor or to a peer mentor or staff member at Break Through Tech. Stop in to see us at EIB 273 or email us at btt@uic.edu.

Changes to the Requirements for CS Minor (4/6/22)

It used to be that you had to have completed Math 180 (Calculus) before getting admitted into the CS minor. We negotiated a change. It is now supposed to be:


All non-College of Engineering (CoE) students who are currently enrolled in either:

  • CS 111/112/113 or

  • Any of Math 165 (Business Calc) / 170 (Life Sciences Calc) / 180 (Calc I)

should be admitted to the minor without waiting for the end of the semester. Students must additionally:

  • Not be on probation, and

  • Meet the CoE GPA minimum requirement of 2.5 for Illinois residents and 2.75 for non-residents, both overall as well as for Math and Science classes.

BTT Chicago Membership

Sign up here to receive the benefits of BTT Chicago membership. As a BTT member you can apply for our 3-week Sprinternships. CS minors are prioritized for Sprinternship spots. (Sprinternship participation requires work authorization in the US.)

Recommendations if you are moving ahead into CS/DS:


The next step for you is to take is likely taking CS 141 and CS 151, as illustrated on the CS prerequisites diagram on the CS Web site. Be aware that if you take them in the summer, you should "clear the decks" in your schedule so you have enough time to devote to them.


If you want a sneak peak of what CS 141 is all about, take a look at past versions of CS 141, linked at bit.ly/dalereed.


For students who are in the midst of their transfer, we try to set up special permission for you to register for CS 151 and 141 ahead of time. Try to register yourself (once registration opens up) for those courses, and if you can't, then please see the folks in the CS undergraduate student affairs office in 905 SEO, showing them this email and identifying yourself as a BTT member.


For CS minors, advising for BTT students who become CS minors is being provided in the CS Undergraduate Student Affairs office (905 SEO) by Christina Martinez <cmarti46@uic.edu>

For CS majors, once officially in the CS Department, you will be assigned a CS advisor, though you should always feel free to come and talk to me / us at BTT.


Try and position yourself so that you can have the best possible experience in CS 251: Data Structures. That is the single most important class in the curriculum, and is the basis for most technical/coding interview questions. After taking CS 251, I strongly recommend you buy and use the book "Cracking the Coding Interview" ($17 on Amazon) by Gayle McDowell.


Following are some tech electives that I recommend for you, further down the line.


  • CS 440: Software Engineering. Lots of interview questions come from this.

  • CS 411: Artificial Intelligence

  • CS 480: Databases. This is a foundation for lots of computing in the business world.

  • CS 412: Machine Learning

  • CS 418: Data Science. See the different Data Science concentrations on the CS Department page.

  • CS 474: Object Oriented Languages. This is arguably the last course in the programming sequence.

  • CS 484: Mobile Development. Lots of computing is moving to our phones. Learn how to make apps.


I also recommend you:

  1. Create a LinkedIn profile for yourself

  2. Register yourself with the engineering career center

  3. Create a resume, and update it regularly with what you're learning and projects you've done

  4. Do an outstanding job on 1 assignment in 1 CS course each semester, working to set yourself up for a good teacher recommendation later.

  5. Write down a draft of your multi-year plan of which courses you will take when.

  6. Go to the twice-yearly career fairs, and work really hard at getting an internship for sure after your Junior year, and if possible also after your Sophomore year.