CS50 concentration guide

8/17/2019 CS50 concentration guide

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THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO

DESIGNED BY CS50

Haven’t taken CS50 yet?

Visit cs50.harvard.edu for FAQs.

COMPUTER

SCIENCE

HARVARD

C S. H A R V A

R D

. E D U

VERSION 13


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What is CS?We like to say that CS teaches you how to thinkmore methodically and how to solve problems moreeffectively. As such, its lessons are applicable wellbeyond the boundaries o CS itsel.

But CS is also, more generally, the study o inormation.

How do you represent it? With what methods (akaalgorithms) can you process it?

Perhaps the most liberal answer, though, is that CS “hasno exclusive domain o its own, and that its importancecomes rom the problems to which it is applied.” Andtherein lies the excitement. CS empowers you withtools and ideas that can be applied to practically anydomain o interest to you, both in college and beyond.

What is CS not?Contrary to popular belie, CS is not really aboutprogramming, even though you do learn how toprogram. Programming languages are tools thatComputer Scientists use or create in order to solveproblems o interest to them.

How can I get a secondary in CS?ake any our courses numbered 50 or higher. See page9 or popular study cards. See Computer Science under

Secondary Fields in the Handbook for Students.

How do I concentrate in CS?ake at least two o CS50, CS51, and CS61; take CS121and another “theory” course; take our technical electives

and take Math 21a and Math 21b. Plus take any oMath 1a, Math 1b, and CS20 as needed. See page 8 orpopular study cards. See Computer Science under Fields

o Concentration in the Handbook for Students.

Can I change my concentration to CS?Yes, so long as you still have time to satisy the requirementsEven David J. Malan ’99, who now teaches CS50, didn’take his first CS course until his sophomore year, when he

switched rom Government to CS.

Does CS require a thesis?No, not or non-Honors or Honors, but or High Honors andHighest Honors, it’s expected. See Computer Science under

Fields o Concentrationin the Handbook for Students.

Is a thesis just a big program?No, a thesis is a research paper. You might end up writingprograms in order to evaluate your ideas, but those programsare ordinarily means to an end, not an end in themselvesVisit cs.harvard.edu/thesis or examples.

Photograph by Joseph Ong

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO CS @ HARVARD2


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UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO CS @ HARVARD 3

How do I graduate with Honors in CS?

ake six technical electives instead o our and have aconcentration GPA in the top hal o your class. SeeComputer Science under Fields o Concentration inthe Handbook for Students.

How do I graduate with High Honors in CS?High Honors are decided by aculty vote. You mustordinarily write an “excellent thesis” to be considered.See Computer Science under Fields o Concentrationin the Handbook for Students.

How do I graduate with Highest Honors in CS?

Highest Honors are decided by aculty vote. You mustordinarily write an “outstanding thesis” to be considered.See Computer Science under Fields o Concentration

in the Handbook for Students.

Do any CS courses count for Gen Ed?

Yes! o satisy Empirical & Mathematical Reasoning,take CS1, CS20, CS50, or CS171. (Note that CS1does not count toward a concentration or secondaryin CS.) o satisy Culture & Belie, take CS105.

Should I study CS even if I don’t want to be

a programmer?

Yes! CS concentrators head off in all sorts o directions

afer graduation. See Figure 1 or titles that alumnisince 1984 now hold. See Figure 2 or fields in whichalumni since 1984 can now be ound.

Should I activate Advanced Standing and

get a fourth-year master’s degree in CS?

Maybe! I you are eligible or Advanced Standing andthink you could handle eight (mostly) 200-level CScourses, it’s a great opportunity. Your bachelor’s degreedoesn’t even need to be in CS, so long as you can stillsatisy the prerequisites or the 200-level courses. SeeOther Academic Opportunities in the Handbook forStudents.

Can I do a joint concentration between CS

and another field?

Yes, but you probably shouldn’t. Joint concentrationsare really or students who want to write a thesis onsome research problem in the intersection o two fieldsI you simply want to study both fields, it’s generally

best to get a secondary or simply take courses in CS orthe other field.

Is CS part of Mind, Brain, and Behavior?

Yes! See Computer Science under Fields oConcentration in the Handbook for Students.

Does a grade of SAT in CS50 count toward

concentration or secondary credit?

I you intend to concentrate in or do a secondary inCS, you should take CS50 or a letter grade. But shouldyou decide to concentrate in or do a secondary in CSonly afer taking CS50, a SA in CS50 would count orconcentration or secondary credit.

Figure 1: itles that alumni since 1984 now hold.


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Should I concentrate or minor in CS even if

I don’t want to work in tech?Yes! CS empowers you to solve problems in all sortso domains. Here’s where alumni since 1984 can be

ound:

Figure 2: Fields in which alumni since 1984 can now be ound.

ACME Labs • AECOM • A& • AXA Equitable• Abercrombie and Fitch • Addison-Wesley PublishingCo • Administration or Children & Families • AdobeSystems • Adult Cardiovascular Consultants, P.A.• Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy U.S.Department o Energy • Agilex echnologies, Inc. • AirForce Research Laboratory • Airbnb.com • AlbertoCampari Knoepffler, Architect • Amazon.com• American Express • Amgen Inc. • Ancestry.com• Angelynn Grant Design • Angle Assoc • AppNexus,Inc • Apple Inc. • Apple, Inc. • Arbor Scientia • ArgosyPartners • Associates International, Inc. • Atco PlasticsInc • Athens University o Economics • Autodesk, Inc.• BBN • BBW echnologies • BC Partners • BMOCapital Markets • Babcock & Wilcox Alliance ResearchCenter • Bain Capital Sankaty Advisors • Banaras

Hindu University • Bank o America • Bay ImagingConsultants • Bechtel Limited • Bell Laboratories• Bellcore • BlackBerry • Blue Mountain CapitaManagement • Boeing Satellite Systems • BogazicUniversity • Boston Common • Boston Public Schools• Bradley Woods & Co. Ltd. • Brickhouse Freigh• Bridgewater Associates • Bridgewood Design• Brooktrout echnology • Bungie, LLC • C A McNaryand Associates • C S Draper Laboratory • CBCS• CISCO Systems Foundation • CB/McGraw-Hill• Cambridge Innovation Center • Canadian ConsulateGeneral • Cancer Services o New Mexico • Cane &Boniace, PC • Canon Inc. • Capital One • Center MgCo • Charles Schwab • Chelmsord Public Schools• Chevron Corporation • Chrysler/JE • Cisco Systems• Citibank • Citigroup • Citigroup Inc. • City Gas PteLtd • Code.org • Cohera Medical, Inc. • College oEngineering • Comcast • CommonMind LLC • CornelUniversity • Craig aylor Equipment • Creare Inc • Ctror Sustainability and Global Environment University oWisconsin-Madison • D. E. Shaw & Co. • DAVAOncology • Dalberg Global Development Advisors• Damtp Center or Mathmatical Sciences • Davidson



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Kempner Capital Management • Davis Polk & Wardwell• Dell, Inc. • Demdex • Department o Deense• Department o Environmental Health • DiagnosticIncs • Dimagi, Inc. • Downtown Associates • EMCCorporation • EAK Inc. • EUtrek Ltd • Earthwatch Inc• Edward H Comort CPA • Ellington Management

Group • Elysium Digital • Em Sofware, Inc. • EnerNOC• Epoch Investment Partners • Erler Film A S • Ernst &Young • Evidence.com • Expense Reduction Analysts• ExxonMobil • Facebook • Family Dermatology• Federal Communications Commission • Federalrade Commission • First Databank • Flybridge CapitalPartners • Food and Drug Administration • FordMotor Company • Fore Research and Management• Fortress Investment Group • Frankel & Associates,Incorporated • Franklin empleton Investments• Fujitsu Limited • GFZ German Research Centre or

Geosciences Helmholtz Centre Potsdam • GeneralElectric Commercial Finance Capital Solutions- EFS• General Electric Global Research Center • Gifs.com

• GitHub, Inc. • Goldman, Sachs & Co. • Good ShepherdMedical Center • Google, Inc. • Greater GreaterWashington • Hanover Insurance Company • HartmanBlackstock & Moore • Harvard Club in Beijing• Harvard College Office o Admissions & Financial Aid• Harvard-Smithsonian CFA • Hasbro, Inc

• Healthpoint Group • Hermes Fund Managers Limited• Hewlett-Packard Co • Highland Capital • Hong KongUniv. o Science & ech. Dept. o Electronic &Computer Engineering • Hughes Aircraf Co • Hulu• Hunton & Williams • IBM • IBM Center or AdvancedLearning • IBM Research • IBM Research Division• ING • Icahn School o Medicine at Mount Sina• Illustrator • Imara (Wynord Drive) Limited• Industrial Light & Magic • Inflection, LLC • IngAngelo Giuseppe • Institute or Quantum ComputingUniversity o Waterloo • Integrant Consulting • Inte

Corporation • InterMed Advisors, Inc. • InteractiveGame Products • JP Morgan Chase • Jackson MemoriaHospital • Jawbone • Johns Hopkins University • K & S



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C

CS141

ComputingHardware

CS146

ComputerArchitecture

CS148

Design o VLSICircuits and Systems

CS20Discrete Mathematics

or Computer Science

CS124

Data Structuresand Algorithms

CS121

Introduction to theTeory o Computation

CS127Introduction toCryptography

CS187

ComputationalLinguistics

CS181

Machine Learning

CS182

Intelligent Machines:Reasoning, Actions,

and Plans

CS136

Economics andComputation

CS189r

AutonomousMulti-Robot Systems

Life after 50You can head off in all sorts o directions afer CS50, but here are some popular routes. See Computer Science inthe Courses of Instruction or prerequisites.


FALL

SPRING

CS125

Algorithms andComplexity

CS134

Networks


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50

CS61

System Programming &Machine Organization

CS152

ProgrammingLanguages

CS165

Data Systems

CS143

Computer Networks

CS153

Compilers

CS161

Operating Systems

CS144r

NetworksDesign Projects

CS105

Privacy andechnology

CS109

DataScience

CS179

Design o UsableInteractive Systems

CS171

Visualization

CS175

Computer Graphics

CS51

Introduction toComputer Science II


CS108

Intelligent Systems:Design and Ethical

Challenges


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Laboratories • KKR 1996 GP LLC • Kahn International• Kaiser Permanente • Karr uttle Campbell • KhanAcademy • King Abdullah University o Science andechnology • Kirkland & Ellis LLP • Kohlberg KravisRoberts & Co. • Kotzias-Stamatopoulos • Langdale E3Pte Ltd • Larkspur Marketing • Lava Bear Films • Law

Office o David A. Kahne • Learning Objects • LeviStrauss & Co. • Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith• Lexington Sofware Consulting • LinkedIn • Lockheed-Martin • Lumosity • MA New York City ransit• Macquarie Capital • Magma Design Automation• Marin Sofware • Mass Bay ransportation Authority• Massachusetts Dept. o Enviro. Quality Engineering-- SERO • Materials Development Corp • Mattel, Inc• McKinsey & Co. • McKinsey & Company • Medouch• Medicine in Need • Merrill Lynch • Micro OfficeSolutions • Micromega Corp • Microsof Corp.

• Microsof Corporation • Minnesota Council oGIfed&alented • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency• Mitsubishi Corporation • Morgan Stanley • MotorolaMobility/Google • Mozilla Corporation • Multimodalechnologies, Inc • Museum o Science • MySpace• N.Y. University Stern School o Business • NASAGoddard Space Flight Center • NASA Jet PropulsionLaboratory • NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center• National Institute o Standards & echnology• National Institutes o Health • National JewishMedical & Resarch Center • Netflix • Network Appliance

• New York City Department o Education• Northeastern University • Northrop Grumman• Northwest Center or Public Health Practice• OkCupid.com • Old Dominion University • OracleCorporation • Oregon Independent College Foundation• Osborn Architects • Oxy Systems, Inc. • PacificNorthwest National Lab • Palo Alto Research Center• Parums Christian Dior • Patch & Associates• Pearson Education • Pearson Knowledge echnologies• Pegasystems • PerkStreet Financial • Pixar AnimationStudios • PlayFab, Inc. • Pleco Sofware • Policy

Development & Review Department InternationalMonetary Fund • Popcap • Preab Sofware Inc• PricewaterhouseCoopers • Princeton Health CareSystem •Princeton University Department o Chemistry• Procter and Gamble • Prophet • Pushtribe• Quantitative Support Services • Quantopian • RREVentures LLC • Radiological Associates o Sacramento• Rain Wine • Raytheon • Raytheon Co • Regas• Renaissance Interests, LP • Richard A Fay & Company• Robbins Russell Englert Orseck & Untereiner, LLP• Robert Howard Law Office • Royal Tai Airorce

Academy • Russell Investments • SLC Consultants Inc• SLH Inc • SNiP • Sae Horizon • Samuel Wong, MD• Saudi Aramco • Schlumberger • ScholarPRO • SearsHoldings, Inc. • Seatwave • Security Mail • Shell OiCompany • Siam Commercial Bank • Siemens PLM• Silicon Graphics Computer Systems • Siu On Realty

Company Ltd • SolidWorks • Sony ComputerEntertainment America • Southern CaliorniaPermanente Medical Group Neonatal Intensive CareUnit • Spiegel Liao & Kagay LLP • SquareR Partners• St. Edward’s University • Star Trower EducationalMultimedia • Starbucks Coffee Company • State StreetAssociates • Stem Cell Source, LLC • StonebridgeAssociates LLC • Strake Jesuit College PreparatorySchool • Stratis, LLC • Sughrue Mion PLLC • SullivanCounty Community College • Sun Micro Systems Inc• Sun Microsystems • Sun Microsystems Laboratories

• SunGard Higher Education • Susman Godrey LLP• Sutherland Associates • Swarthmore College • SynaxisCorp • System Services • arr echnology Consulting• echPar Group LLC • eradici Corporation • eslaMotors • etrad Digital Integrity • exas Instruments• eza echnologies • Te 1636 Group • Te BoeingCompany • Te Boston Company Asset Management• Te Bridgespan Group • Te Container Store • TeInvus Group LLC • Te Oregon Clinic • Te ResearchBoard • Te River Farm • Te Walt Disney Company• Te World Bank • Toreau Society Shop at Walden

Pond • icketmaster Inc • ilera Corporation • ischSchool o the Arts New York University • own oAndover • U S Postal Service • U.S. Department oHomeland Security • U.S. Federal Government • USDepartment o Housing and Urban Development • USSecret Service • UW Department o Biomedical andHealth Inormatics • Undercover Culture Music• Unibios Holdings • Union Park Capital • UnitedLearning Paddington Academy • United States AirForce • United States Navy • Univ Cal • University oCaliornia Berkeley • University o Caliornia at Davis

• University o Caliornia, San Francisco School oMedicine • University o Chicago Booth School oBusiness • University o Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignDept. o Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering• University o Stuttgart • University o Washington• University o Waterloo • VMware, Inc • VMware, Inc• Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc • Varbra S.A. • Venmo• Viacom • Vital Arts Inc • Vogue Plastic Surgery• Vulcan Inc. • Wells Fargo Home Mortgage • WilliamBlair & Company • Windward Mark Interactive• Woods Hole Group • Yahoo, Inc. • Yelp • Zipcar, Inc



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Can I do research in CS?

Yes! Many CS courses offer opportunities or research,particularly 200-level courses. And you can takeCS91r to work one-on-one with aculty. Students andaculty do research in all sorts o areas, including, butnot limited to:

• Architecture• Artificial Intelligence

• Computational and Data Science• Computational Neuroscience• Graphics, Vision, and Interaction• Inormation and Society • Programming Languages• Systems, Networks, and Databases• Teory o Computation

Will everyone in CS know more than me?

No! Contrary to popular belie, not every ComputerScientist has been programming since childhood! Inact, 72% o the students who took CS50 in Fall 2014 hadnever taken a CS course beore. Only 20% had takenone, and only 8% had taken two or more, per Figure 3.



Figure 3: CS50 is most students’ very first course in CS. 72% othe students who took CS50 in Fall 2014 had never taken a CScourse beore, 20% had taken one, and 8% had taken two or more

None 72%

One20%

wo or more 8%


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Popular Study Cards for

Concentrators

Plenty o other combinations are possible.Graduate-level (200-level) courses are also allowed!

For late converts to CS

• Math 1a: Introduction to Calculus• Math 1b: Calculus, Series, and Differential Equations• AM21b: Mathematical Methods in the Sciences• CS20: Discrete Mathematics or Computer Science• CS50: Introduction to Computer Science I• CS61: Systems Programming and Machine Organization• CS109: Data Science• CS121: Introduction to the Teory o Computation• CS124: Data Structures and Algorithms

• CS141: Computing Hardware• CS171: Visualization• CS179: Design o Usable Interactive Systems

For those without prior college-level math,

interested in human-computer interaction

• Math 1a: Introduction to Calculus• Math 1b: Calculus, Series, and Differential Equations• AM21a: Mathematical Methods in the Sciences• AM21b: Mathematical Methods in the Sciences• CS20: Discrete Mathematics or Computer Science

• CS50: Introduction to Computer Science I• CS51: Introduction to Computer Science II• CS61: Systems Programming and Machine Organization• CS105: Privacy and echnology • CS108: Intelligent Systems: Design and Ethical Challenges• CS121: Introduction to the Teory o Computation• CS124: Data Structures and Algorithms• CS171: Visualization• CS179: Design o Usable Interactive Systems• CS182: Intelligent Machines: Reasoning, Actions, & Plans

For those with stronger math backgrounds,interested in hard-core systems

• AM21a: Mathematical Methods in the Sciences• AM21b: Mathematical Methods in the Sciences• CS50: Introduction to Computer Science I

• CS51: Introduction to Computer Science II• CS61: Systems Programming and Machine Organization• CS125: Algorithms and Complexity • CS127: Introduction to Cryptography • CS143: Computer Networks• CS144r: Network Design Projects• CS152: Programming Languages• CS153: Compilers• CS161: Operating Systems• CS165: Data Systems

For budding theorists writing theses• Math 25a: Honors Linear Algebra and Real Analysis I• Math 25b: Honors Linear Algebra and Real Analysis II• AM106: Applied Algebra• AM107: Graph Teory and Combinatorics• CS50: Introduction to Computer Science I• CS51: Introduction to Computer Science II• CS91r: Supervised Reading and Research• CS121: Introduction to the Teory o Computation• CS124: Data Structures and Algorithms• CS134: Networks• CS141: Computing Hardware• CS152: Programming Languages• CS175: Computer Graphics

For those interested in machine intelligence

• AM21a: Mathematical Methods in the Sciences• AM21b: Mathematical Methods in the Sciences• CS20: Discrete Mathematics or Computer Science• CS50: Introduction to Computer Science I• CS51: Introduction to Computer Science II• CS61: Systems Programming and Machine Organization• CS121: Introduction to the Teory o Computation

• CS124: Data Structures and Algorithms• CS136: Economics and Computation• CS141: Computing Hardware• CS146: Computer Architecture• CS181: Machine Learning• CS187: Computational Linguistics• CS189r: Autonomous Multi-Robot Systems



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Documents

CS50 concentration guide