In fall 2000, the Department of Computer Sciences will introduce a new student status, Pre-Computer Science. All freshmen and transfer students admitted for fall 2000 and subsequent semesters will be assigned this new code. These students must complete a four-course basic sequence before applying for admission as CS majors in either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences program. The four courses are: CS307, CS315, M408C, and Phl313K. Students must have a UT GPA 2.45 or better in these courses to apply. Only the top 300 students in each admission class will be accepted as CS majors. Applications will be processed every January and August.

The process for transferring into the department for other UT students has also changed. In the past, any student who had credit for M305G and some programming background and who earned a UT GPA of 2.0 or better, was allowed to change into the CS major. Our new policy will mandate completion of M408C and CS303E before a student can apply for a change of major. Admission will again be limited to as few as 50 students each year.

These new programs were developed in response to the continuing growth of enrollment in our department. In fall 1999, there were 2,306 students who were declared CS majors-that number was up from 1,195 five years earlier. Ten years ago, in fall 1989, our enrollment was 947. Our faculty, facilities, and staff have all increased during the last 10 years, but have not approached the pace of our population growth.