/ Computer Science Department

Fall 2026 Registration Recommendations

Special Course Offerings

The department will be offering two special courses for Fall '26:

  • CSCI 195, User Interface Design: 

    This course covers the fundamental principles of user interface design. Through coursework and a term project, students analyze the problem domain, practice iterative prototyping, and conduct usability and interface evaluations. No programming experience is required. 

    Understanding how people perceive, interpret, and respond to tools is crucial for designing thoughtful interfaces that center on user needs and expectations. Whether you are interested in visual design, media, user research, marketing, product development, or behavioral science, this course provides practical tools for analyzing and improving real-world interactive experiences.

    There are no pre-requisites for this course.
  • CSCI 395, AI: Search, Logic, & Learning: This course introduces the principles and techniques underlying artificial intelligence, emphasizing computational methods that enable systems to perceive, reason, and act intelligently. Topics include agents, intelligent search, game playing, logic and knowledge representation, constraint satisfaction, decision making under uncertainty, probabilistic reasoning and machine learning. Ethical and societal implications of AI, including fairness, bias, and responsible use, are integrated throughout. Programming assignments and projects emphasize the design and implementation of intelligent systems that solve well-defined problems. 

    Prerequisites are MATH 160 or equivalent and CSCI 235.  This course will count towards the Foundations 300-level course category.

CSCI 342, Computer Graphics, will not be offered.

MATH MAJORS

Due to scheduling constraints it is difficult to avoid scheduling CSCI 481 and MATH 341 at the same time.  MATH 341 is required for a Mathematics major and is only offered in the Fall.  If you are majoring in both Math and Computer Science, you should complete MATH 341 before your senior year.

Recommendations

Here are some recommendations for courses to take based on the highest-numbered course you will have completed after spring 2026.

No Computer Science

You should sign up for ONE of:

No prior programming experience is required for either course; however, CSCI 125 moves at a slightly faster pace.  If you are comfortable with that faster pace, sign up for CSCI 125, otherwise we'd recommend CSCI 115 first.

Whichever course you sign up for, you might consider leaving one of the time slots where the other course is offered open in case you decide to switch.

Other courses to consider

CSCI 112

You should sign up for ONE of:

No prior programming experience is required for either course; however, CSCI 125 moves at a slightly faster pace.  If you are comfortable with that faster pace, sign up for CSCI 125, otherwise we'd recommend CSCI 115 first.

Whichever course you sign up for, you might consider leaving one of the time slots where the other course is offered open in case you decide to switch.

You can also consider CSCI 195, User Interface Design.

CSCI 125

You can sign up for Loading course information for CSCI 235 or Loading course information for CSCI 245.  You'll probably find it easier to continue on with 235.

  • CSCI 235 is a continuation of learning to program using Java
  • CSCI 245 focuses on several other languages

It's not recommended that you sign up for both of these courses at the same time. 245 is only offered in the fall semester, while 235 will also be offered in the spring.  If you're considering studying off-campus in Fall '27, you should take 245 in Fall '26 and 235 in Spring '27.

CSCI 235

You should sign up for Loading course information for CSCI 245.

Other courses to consider

  • Loading course information for CSCI 112  This class is a prerequisite for all 300-level courses, so if you have not had it, this will be a good time to take it.
  • CSCI 195, User Interface Design
  • Loading course information for CSCI 255.: Some students have found it difficult to complete CSCI 245 and CSCI 255 concurrently, while others have been successful doing so. You should talk with your advisor or any computer science faculty member who knows you to help you decide what's best for you.

Planning for future 300 level courses

Loading... requires both CSCI 235 and CSCI 245 as pre-requisites, so if you want to take 376 in spring 2027, you'll need to ensure you've completed both pre-requisite classes. 

376 is offered spring of odd years, so it will not be offered again until Spring 2029.

CSCI 245

You should take Loading information for CSCI 255.

Other courses to consider

  • Loading information for CSCI 112: This class is a prerequisite for all 300-level courses, so if you have not had it, this will be a good time to take it.
  • CSCI 195, User Interface Design
  • One of the 300-level courses (Loading information for CSCI 321 or CSCI 395, AI: Search, Logic and Learning) but you might find this challenging. Talk with your academic advisor or a computer science faculty member who knows you to decide if this would be a good idea for you

Planning for future 300 level courses

If you plan to graduate before December 2028 and want to take CSCI 321, you should take it Fall 2026 since it is an every other year course.

CSCI 255

One or both of the 300-level courses (Loading information for CSCI 321 or CSCI 395, AI: Search, Logic and Learning).

You can also consider taking Loading information for CSCI 470. This class is required for students completing the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

If you haven't yet completed Loading information for CSCI 112 ..., you must do so before completing any of the 300-level courses or CSCI 470.

Planning for future courses

If you plan to graduate before December 2028 and want to take CSCI 321, you should take it Fall 2026 since it is an every other year course.

Loading information for CSCI 470 will not be offered again until Fall 2028f.

Completed all of CSCI 235, 245, and 255

One or both of the 300-level courses (Loading information for CSCI 321 or CSCI 395, AI: Search, Logic and Learning).

If you haven't yet completed Loading information for CSCI 112 ..., you must do so before completing any of the 300-level courses.

You can also consider taking Loading information for CSCI 470. This class is required for students completing the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

Planning for future courses

If you plan to graduate before December 2028 and want to take CSCI 321, you should take it Fall 2026 since it is an every other year course.

Loading information for CSCI 470 will not be offered again until Fall 2028.

Students planning to graduate in May or December 2027

You must sign up for Loading information for CSCI 481 You will also be required to take Loading information for CSCI 482 in Spring 2027.

You can also consider taking Loading information for CSCI 470. This class is required for students completing the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

If there is room in your schedule, consider completing CSCI 195, User Interface Design. The knowledge gained in this course will be helpful in designing your capstone projects.

We also recommend these courses from other departments if you have room in your schedule:

Have questions not covered here?

Please discuss them with your academic advisor — or if you're not a declared major, talk with any computer science faculty member.

Hope CollegeComputer Science Department

VanderWerf Hall27 Graves PlaceRoom 204Holland, MI 49423

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