Getting CS electives at UCLA Math in Computation major and UCSD Math-CS major

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
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Anyone have experience with these majors and know how hard it is get CS electives (upper division) since these majors are in the math dept and not CS dept? I always hear how hard it is to get CS classes for non-majors generally, is that true for these specific majors at UCSD and UCLA?

DS is interested in taking more CS classes (than the required amount for major) and has some room (due to credit for APs) but am wondering if it is even possible. I assume you can get the CS classes required for the major but what about electives? UCLA requires 3 upper division CS classes that you choose but are these classes hard to get? If he wants to take more than three, is that possible? UCSD has a statement about “subject to enrollment restrictions”.

Any knowledge about these majors is appreciated. Thanks!

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At UCLA, AP units can not be used for General Education requirements so he might not have as much room as you expect.

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https://web.cs.ucla.edu/classes/enroll/

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Thanks. I heard from some students who used their AP credits at UCLA so I just assumed some were applicable. Per the chart, doesn’t it look like Calc BC scores can be used for Calc 31a/b? AP English can be used too? And foreign language. I don’t think AP Physics gets anything…

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That chart is for GE credit. Here is the math department page.

It looks like you will need 27 courses for your major. If Calc BC eliminates two, you will still need 25 courses for your major plus your GE requirements. Most students take an average of 4 courses/quarter (3 quarters/year).

Edit: Looks like there are 10 GEs, a diversity requirement, foreign language and a writing courses. Some of the courses may (not sure) fulfill more than one category.

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This is mainly for general viewing as I already answered your DM. Your son, I’m not up on the meaning of DS – to me it looks like it can be daughter or son, can go over 200 units, but Chancellor Block wants people to graduate timely, at ≤ 4 years, which he’s achieved with 84.5% from high school who’ve done so.

But for the other readers too, UCLA’s Mathematics courses and Statistics have a lot of built-in programming in them; I’m sure UCSD has this also. There’s a lot of middle-to-upper-level numbered upper-division classes which fit in nicely with Mathematics of Computation if you’d look at the 140s-160s classes.

If he studies Mathematics with CS, then he’ll be able to better grasp programming concepts, and he’ll have better ins to grad school for MSCS, MSCD, MS Financial Engineering, etc. I’m not sure of UCSD, but the analysis classes 131 series, etc., are enablers towards grad school also.