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Honors Program

 

 

  PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS  

The advantages of a private education at a fraction of the cost!

  1. Attend small classes
  2. Speed through the core sequence
  3. Participate in personalized academic advising sessions
  4. Get priority registration for computer science courses
  5. Take advanced special topics courses
  6. Enjoy honors social events with other students and faculty
  7. Interact with other like-minded students

The advantages of a world famous research university!

  1. Receive personal attention from award winning faculty
  2. Obtain preferential admission to the joint B.S./M.S. program in CS
  3. Participate in internships and research projects
  4. Get help finding academic scholarships
  5. Graduate with the degree B.S. with Honors in Computer Science

  ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM  

For incoming freshmen, admission is based on your academic record. A strong interest in mathematics and natural sciences is helpful, but high school computer science is not required. Minimum requirements are:

  1. Combined SAT score on two traditional components (critical reading and math) of at least 1430
  2. Unweighted high school average of 93% or better in a rigorous program of study

For current computer science (CSE) students at Stony Brook University, admission is based on:

  1. Completion of at least two technical CSE courses
  2. A minimum GPA of at least 3.5 both overall and in computer science

Continuing Computer Science (CSE) majors may apply for admission to the Computer Science Honors Program (CSHP) by completing this application. Note, the application requires the following documentation:

- an unofficial transcript (can be downloaded from SOLAR)
- a letter of recommendation from a CSE faculty member
Questions? Email csugcommatcs.stonybrook.edu with the subject line: CSHP Inquiry

  ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS  

Students must satisfy the standard computer science graduation requirements, however, the core curriculum is accelerated for honors students. Additional requirements include:

  1. Senior honors project, CSE495 and CSE496, under the close supervision of a computer science faculty member.
    • Project defense to the honors committee, which assigns grades in consultation with the project advisor.
    • A grade of B+ or higher for the Senior Honors Project
    • To request enrollment in CSE 495, please complete this form.
    • To request enrollment in CSE 496, please complete this form.
  2. A GPA of 3.50 or higher, both overall and in computer science courses.
  3. Three additional computer science honors courses or graduate courses. The Teaching Practicum CSE475 may be substituted for one honors course.
    • With a GPA of 3.75 or higher, both overall and in CSE classes, only one honors or graduate course is required (helping students entering the program later in their SBU career)

Comparison of the Core Curricula
Topic Honors CS Sequence Regular CS Sequence
Theory CSE150, CSE350, CSE385 CSE215, CSE303, CSE373
Programming CSE160, CSE260 CSE114, CSE214, CSE216
Senior Project CSE495, CSE496 –

  HONORS COURSES AND ACTIVITIES  

The honors curriculum offers students a small, caring environment inside a large research university, with all the advantages of both. Students attend small classes taught by award-winning faculty and have the opportunity for personal attention from faculty both in classes and through research projects. Students meet and interact with like-minded students from diverse backgrounds. Experience with computer science at the high school level is not required for the program, only an interest in this exciting and continually growing field.

Honors courses include:

  • CSE150 - Foundations of Computer Science – Honors (4 credits)
  • CSE160 - Computer Science A – Honors (4 credits)
  • CSE260 - Computer Science B – Honors (4 credits)
  • CSE350 - Theory of Computation – Honors (4 credits)
  • CSE385 - Analysis of Algorithms – Honors (4 credits)

CSE Honors Sample Course Sequence 1 (For students that have no Calculus requirements and have already satisfied WRT 101)

CSE Honors Sample Course Sequence 2 (For students that have need to take AMS 151, AMS 161 and WRT 101)

Other advanced courses are offered on selected topics such as Robotics, Computer Security, Gaming, Visualization, and more. The curriculum can be combined with the five year B.S./M.S. program.

 AFFILIATED PROGRAMS  

Undergraduate Programs