Cross-campus CS Students

About

Welcome to the information page for CMC, Pitzer and Scripps students who are interested in pursuing a major in CS or one of the CS joint majors at Harvey Mudd College. There is extremely high demand for CS courses and CS majors H, and unfortunately, we do not have the resources to meet all of that demand. We wish that this were not the case and strive to provide a clear timeline so that you can pursue a different program of study if necessary.

Pomona vs HMC

HMC’s introductory computer science sequence comprises CS 5, CS 60 and CS 70, while Pomona and CMC’s introductory sequence comprises CS 51, CS 52 and CS 62. 

Both introductory sequences prepare students for the shared upper-division curriculum comprising courses numbered 81 and above. However, since these two sequences present material in different orders and with different emphases, students may not mix-and-match these introductory courses. 

Students from CMC, Pitzer and Scripps who are interested in majoring in CS at HMC must take the HMC introductory sequence.

Process for becoming a CS Major at HMC

The selection of students who will be able to major in CS or one of the joint majors supported by HMC CS depends primarily on a lottery for seats in CS 5 and CS 60. To participate in either lottery, students must submit a PERM request for the course by the end of their preregistration time.

  • Students must take CS 5 in their second semester and CS 60 in their third semester in college.
  • Declaring a CS or a joint CS major at HMC requires satisfying the CS and mathematics prerequisites described below.
  • Students interested in one of the joint CS majors supported by HMC Cs must also receive approval of the other HMC department(s) who adminster the joint major.

  • A student whose second and third semesters do not coincide with the spring and fall semesters, respectively, should submit a petition to the CS department to be considered for admission into CS 5 or CS 60.
  • CS 42 at HMC is not open to off-campus students.
  • Introductory CS courses offered at Pomona cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements when majoring in CS or one of the joint majors at HMC.
  • All math classes taken at The Claremont Colleges in preparation for the CS or a joint CS major must be taken at The Claremont Colleges for a letter grade.
  • CS 5, CS 60, and CS 70 must be taken from HMC for a letter grade.
  • Due to CMC restrictions, CMC students are not eligible to major in CS-math at HMC but are eligible to major in CS at HMC.

Cross-Campus Computer Science Application

Applications to become a CS or a joint CS major will open on the first day of the spring semester and close on the deadline for adding spring semester courses.

(Closed) Class of 2027 Application: Click here for the Cross-Campus Computer Science Application

CS Courses

CS 5: Students interested in the HMC CS major should submit a PERM request by the end of their preregistration window in the fall of their first year to enroll in CS 5 at HMC in the spring of their first year.

  • Fall CS 5 is only open to HMC students and non-CS majors. 
  • Enrollment in spring CS 5 will be by PERM only. CS 5 has strict caps on enrollment. Unfortunately, students not enrolled in CS 5 at HMC in the spring of their first year cannot major in CS at HMC. 
  • It is not possible for intended majors to place out of CS 5 or transfer credit for CS 5 from another institution. 
  • AP CS courses cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. 
  • Taking CS 5 in a different semester or summer session cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. 
  • Receiving a failing grade in CS 5 will prevent a student from being able to major in CS. 
  • CS 5, if taught at other institutions, is intended for non-CS majors and cannot be used to meet the requirement to become a CS major. 
  • Students who take CS 5 at HMC before their first semester at any Claremont College (e.g., as high school students at a local high school), should submit a PERM request in the fall of their first year for CS 5 at HMC offered in the spring of their first year.
    • If approved, they will not enroll, but will be eligible to submit a PERM request for CS 60 the following semester. As above, if a student’s PERM request for CS 5 is not approved, that student will not be able to major in CS at HMC.

CS 5 is offered in three color-coded sections: CS 5 “Gold” is for students with no prior computing background. CS 5 “Green” is a biologically-themed version of CS 5 “Gold”. CS 5 “Black” is for students with prior computing background in any programming language. These courses typically have some seats available for off-campus students. While demand for these courses often exceeds the number of available seats, most students are able to get into CS 5 eventually.

CS 60: Intended CS majors must enroll in CS 60 in the fall of their second year and should submit a PERM request by the end of their preregistration window in the spring of their first year. 

  • CS 60 will have strict caps on enrollment, and unfortunately, students who are not enrolled in CS 60 in the fall of their second year will not be able to major in CS at HMC. 
  • If a student’s PERM is approved to take CS60 in the fall of their second year, they may elect to take CS60 over the summer when the course is offered. 
  • Otherwise, taking CS 60 in a different semester or summer session cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. 
  • It is not possible for intended majors to place out of CS 60 or transfer credit for CS 60 from another institution. 
  • Receiving a failing grade in CS 60 will prevent a student from being able to major in CS.

CS 70: Intended CS majors must enroll in CS 70 in the spring of their second year. 

  • Seats in CS 70 will be reserved for students who took CS 60 in the fall of their second year. 
  • Seats in CS 70 are unlikely to be available for off-campus non-CS majors.

Math Requirements

By the end of the sophomore fall semester, applicants must have taken  Calculus III from The Claremont Colleges with a passing letter grade. Options include:

  • Calculus III (Math 32 CM / PO / PZ / SC, Math 32S PO)
  • Vector Calculus (Math 67 PO)
    • Math 67 has a pre-requisite of Math 60 PO.
  • Students who have officially placed our of Calc III with authorization from the Mathematics Department at their home institution may instead fulfill this requirement by passing a Math course at The Claremont Colleges with Calc III as a pre-requisite (e.g., Differential Equations).

By end of the sophomore spring semester, applicants must also complete the following Math courses at The Claremont Colleges for a passing letter grade:

  • Discrete Math (Math 55 CM / HM / PZ / SC)
    • Math 55 HM has a pre-requisite of Math 73 HM.
    • Math 55 CM has no pre-requisites or co-requisites.
    • Math 55 SC has a pre-requisite of Math 31 and a co-requisite of Math 60 SC.
    • Math 55 PZ has a co-requisite of Math 40 HM or Math 60 CM/PO/PZ/SC or Math 73 HM.
  • Linear Algebra (Math 60 CM / PO / PZ / SC)
    • Math 60 CM has a pre-requisite of Math 31 CM.
      • Math 60C CM Linear Algebra with Computing is also approved to fulfill the Linear Algebra requirement.
    • Math 60 PO requires at least one of Math 31 PO or Math 32 PO.
    • Math 60 PZ requires Math 31 PZ.
    • Math 60 CM / SC requires Math 32 SC.

The details above are based on resources from Pomona, Scripps, and Pitzer. We will update this information if we learn of any changes to prerequisites or course numbering.

Advisor Contact Info

Questions can be directed to the following campus-specific advisors:

CMC advisor:

Pitzer advisor:

Scripps advisor: scrippsadvisor@cs.hmc.edu

Other Majors Needing CS

Some major programs at The Claremont Colleges (other than HMC’s computer science or one of the HMC joint CS majors) may recommend or even require a CS course (e.g., a self-designed major). Off-campus students who wish to take a CS course at Mudd towards such a major must obtain written permission from the CS department chair.

All Claremont College students are welcome to take computer science courses at Harvey Mudd. However, due to high demand for computer science courses, access to our courses for non-majors is limited.

Minors and Sequence in CS

All departments at HMC have a designated “minor” program that is intended for HMC students who choose the HMC off-campus major program. HMC students who are CS minors have the same registration priority for HMC CS courses as majors.

Other Claremont Colleges students pursuing a CS minor or sequence through their home college are welcome to take HMC CS courses as space permits and have the same registration priority as all other non-major students from off campus. HMC CS faculty are currently unable to serve in any official capacity as advisors for off-campus students pursuing minors or sequences in computer science.