CS changing at USC?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>There was comment recently posted in another thread that CS department is going through overhaul, offering a warning about next couple years in CS. Anyone on the inside care to elaborate more? Anything incoming freshman should be aware of or concerned about?</p>

<p>The statement made was:
"I'll try to focus on the CS aspect. Georgia Girl is right as usual, USC CS (Games) is top-ranked in the country. As far as vanilla CS at each university, I'm sure they're good, but USC's CS curriculum is undergoing an overhaul that it will probably take a year or two to stabilize from. If that is your freshmen or sophomore year, I'd approach with caution."</p>

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<p>I’ve been told that the overhaul is very positive. USC is trying to break into the top 10 for Computer Science, and I think the current system is very limiting. I only see good coming out of this, to be honest.</p>

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<p>For anyone who didn’t see, I said that statement. The overhaul is aimed at being positive, and I hope they get into the top 10 (especially as an alum), but to think it happens over a summer is too optimistic for me. Good will come out of it though. I’ve been through the classes and they’re addressing a lot of the issues, but the biggest one, esp for new students is professors</p>

<p>[SheilaTejada</a> - University of Southern California - RateMyProfessors.com](<a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=1750317]Sheila*Tejada”>Sheila Tejada at University of Southern California | Rate My Professors)
[DavidWilczynski</a> - University of Southern California - RateMyProfessors.com](<a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=540943]David*Wilczynski”>David Wilczynski at University of Southern California | Rate My Professors)
[BillCheng</a> - University of Southern California - RateMyProfessors.com](<a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=913088]Bill*Cheng”>Bill Cheng at University of Southern California | Rate My Professors)
[ClaireBono</a> - University of Southern California - RateMyProfessors.com](<a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=18521]Claire*Bono”>Claire Bono at University of Southern California | Rate My Professors)
They need more of this - he is legend:
[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=18806]Michael*Crowley”&gt;Michael Crowley at University of Southern California | Rate My Professors]Michael*Crowley</a> - University of Southern California - RateMyProfessors.com<a href=“I%20or%20a%20friend%20have%20taken%20all%20these%20profs”>/url</a></p>

<p>To clarify, I’m not trying to be pessimistic, but I hope through discussing the overhaul, more students, alum, and parents will be knowledgeable of what’s going on and ask for positive change.</p>

<p>The takeaway is

  1. USC CS will be on the rise, in time
  2. Incoming students should be prepared to read the book, go to office hours, collab with classmates, read the book (seriously), and take more responsibility in their learning in order to make up for mediocre profs. </p>

<p>@Siddysidsid: I don’t understand what you mean. How is the current system very limiting?</p>

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<p>Here are the curriculum changes that were emailed out to CS majors:</p>

<p>Changes that impact all 4 programs (CSCI, CECS, CSGM, CSBA):
-CSCI 101 will now be for non-majors
-CSCI 101 for majors is now CSCI 103; students will take CSCI 109 as a co-requisite to CSCI 103.*
-CSCI 104L replaces CSCI 102L
-CSCI 200L and 20lL have formally been combined to CSCI 201L (4 units)
-CSCI271 is now 170 (4 units) and is a co-req of 104L (must be taken before or with)
-CSCI 303 is* now 270 (4 units)
-CSCI 377 has been formally dropped as a requirement
-CSCI 402 is now 4 units
*
Please note that these changes will only effect coursework you have not yet done.<em>You will not have to go back and repeat any course work.</em>For instance, if you’ve completed CSCI 101, they you will go to 104 (formally 102) and 170 (formerly 271). If you’ve completed through 102 and 271, you will go on to 201 (which now replaces the content of 200 and 201) and 270 (which replaces 303).
*
*
Additional changes by program:
*
CSCI
Effective this fall,
-Foreign Language - students can complete the foreign language if they want or update to new catalogue year where the foreign language is not required.
(You must request to update to the fall catalogue year in order to be able to waive foreign language)
*
CSGM
Effective this fall,
-CSCI 486 will be replaced by CSCI 492 (2 units)
*
CSBA
Effective this fall,**

  • ECON 203 and 205 are no longer acceptable. Students need to take 351/352. (Students who have already completed the sequence with USC or AP course work will not be required to take ECON 351/352. If you have completed one of the classes and not the other, you can take ECON 351 or 352 (whatever remains))
  • the 2nd lab science will no longer be required. *If you have already taken one course – regardless of discipline – you’re done.
    -CSCI 351 and 460/480/485 will be dropped as requirements and will become tech electives.
    -There will be a new requirement of BUAD 311 (Operations Management).
    (You must request to update to the fall catalogue year in order to be able to follow the upper division changes to this program)
    *</p>
5

<p>@NC Mom,
Wondering if there is any changes for CECS?
Also for CS103 replaces CS101, and based on the engineering course booklet we received, CS101L is currently placed on 1st semester. Does this mean freshman needs to take CS103 + CS109 on 1st semester?</p>

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<p>@psydent, I was just under the impression that if USC was going to do a complete overhaul, then something must have been limiting with the current system. Sorry, if that’s not the case =(</p>

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<p>@psystudent, are they bringing in new professors too? Or, do we still have to deal with those guys?</p>

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<p>Hellowworld, sorry, I don’t have any information about CECS. The information was provided by the Steve Schrader, the CS advisor to CS majors over spring break just prior to registering for fall classes. Perhaps he doesn’t advise CECS majors.</p>

<p>In terms of schedule for first semester first year, yes the required courses have changed. The information you are looking at is out of date!</p>

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<p>Excuse my ignorance, is the CECS program like UCLA’s CSE program? I was the poster of the other thread and I’m still deciding on which either UCLA or USC. I really hope that USC dethrones Berkeley. I despise Berkeley with a passion!</p>

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<p>@NC Mom: I didn’t know that they had emailed out those changes to CS majors, so thank you for posting them. </p>

<p>@Siddysidsid: They are in the process of bringing in new professors, but they’ve been doing that for years and having turnover. One example (note the poor rating is someone upset about their grade): [Brent Nash</a> - University of Southern California - RateMyProfessors.com](<a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=1433282]Brent Nash”>Brent Nash at University of Southern California | Rate My Professors)
I never took Nash but I heard he was great from students and other professors that I trust (and are highly rated too). This semester they started getting students involved in the hiring process and made potentials give a guest lecture for a class they would teach (such as 271, which will be 170). I think this is a great idea that the CS department is implementing. I haven’t heard anything about student’s thoughts of the guest lectures though so I don’t know much more on that front. </p>

<p>Part of the problem stems from CS thinking that anyone with a PhD can teach, so now they’ve revised to anyone with a PhD that can also teach well, but pickings are slim. If they were able to hire a great lecturer that only had a Masters, then they’d be able to get higher quality in the class room.</p>

<p>@hellowworld: Yes. All CS majors need to take 103 + 109 first semester (if you don’t you will be behind your entire class). 104 + 170 are second semester classes. The new CS curriculum aims to get at more theory earlier so after freshmen year students do not think CS = programming. CS is more mathematical than simply coding.</p>

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<p>Thanks psydent!
Do you know where to find the latest curriculum requirements?</p>

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<p>I don’t believe they’re posted anywhere right now. What NC Mom posted is as accurate as available. They’re still revising the syllabi and I believe creating two new classes.</p>

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<p>USC student majoring in CECS here. I’ve actually had a unique view of the curriculum change in the program here because I work closely with a lot of the professors helping revamp the curriculum, so maybe I can help.</p>

<p>To clarify, to me it seems the curriculum is more being “reorganized” than changed. There are only two new classes, and the rest are just being shifted to be more catered towards dedicated CS department programs. In the old CSCI 101, the pace was a little slow because of those other students. Professor Mark Redekopp has been teaching a section of CSCI 101 specifically for only CECS majors for a couple years now, and his class was amazing and put us way ahead. I’ve also seen him and Professor Michael Crowley teach a new and improved version of CSCI 102 (data structures, but now the number has changed to 104). The difference was that it was way more comprehensive, challenging students more and putting them far ahead of where I was after I took CSCI 102 this semester. The numbers are changing, but the professors know the quality they’re going for.</p>

<p>The only new classes are CSCI 109, which I’ve heard from the department chair is meant to get exposed to Computer Science theory more, and some technical electives. These are a great addition. I took one of those classes, Systems Security, this semester (first time it was offered). Hands down one of the best classes I’ve taken. They’re offering Intro to Cryptography next semester, and I think they plan to introduce a couple more specialized classes like that. And from my experience, it wasn’t a risk to take a class the first semester it was offered, because the syllabus was definitely well thought out and rewarding.</p>

<p>All this stuff is great, whether you want to end up in industry or academia. The theory classes like Discrete methods (now 170) and algorithms (now 270) are the biggest things you get asked in interviews, besides actual coding (which you couldn’t do without the theory anyways). </p>

<p>And psydent is right, there has been hiring going on. They’ve had quite a few applicants, and it sounds like the hiring process is very stringent. I think it’ll lead to some great additions.</p>

<p>I definitely wish I was an incoming freshman right now. While I think I’ve gotten a great education, I think the new curriculum would have made it even better. One things to consider, back to the point about it needing time to stabilize, I’ve seen the faculty at this school proceed very carefully but quickly. The curriculum was under design for at least 2 years to my knowledge, and professors do know how to vet a syllabus before a class starts. If you’re an incoming freshman, I think you have a bright future to look forward to.</p>

<ul>
<li>Rob</li>
</ul>

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<p>I don’t know who you are ViterbiStudent, but your posts on this forum have been insanely useful. Thanks for taking all that time to frequently post =)</p>

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<p>@ViterbiStudent: Thanks for adding in. It’s nice to get a current students opinion. And you’re right, overhaul is the wrong word, revised is better. The more Crowley and Redekopp are involved the better it will be (imo).</p>