Cross-campus CS Students

Welcome to the information page for CMC, Pitzer and Scripps students who are interested in pursuing a major in CS or CS/math at Harvey Mudd College. There is extremely high demand for CS courses and CS majors 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.

CS and CS/Math Major

The selection of students who will be able to major in CS and CS-math 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 CS-math major at HMC requires satisfying the CS and mathematics prerequisites described below.
  • Intended CS or CS-math majors must apply to become a CS or CS-math major between December 1 and February 1 of their second year.

Applications for the Class of 2027 are now open!

  • 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 CS-math at HMC.
  • All math classes taken at The Claremont Colleges in preparation for the CS or CS-math major must be taken for a letter grade.
  • CS 5, CS 60, and CS 70 must be taken 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.

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, and unfortunately students who are not enrolled in CS 5 at HMC in the spring of their first year will not be able to 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 very unlikely to be available for off-campus non-CS majors.

Math Requirements

By the end of the sophomore fall semester, applicants must also have completed, with a passing letter grade (or have officially placed out of these courses with authorization from the Mathematics Department at their home institution):

  • Calculus I (Math 30 CM / PO / PZ / SC)
  • Calculus II (Math 31 CM / PO / PZ / SC, Math 31H PO, Math 31S PO)
  • Calculus III (Math 32 CM / PO / PZ / SC, Math 32S PO) or Vector Calculus (Math 67 PO)
    • Math 67 has a pre-requisite of Math 60 PO.

By end of the sophomore spring semester, applicants must also have completed, with a passing letter grade (or have officially placed out of these courses with authorization from the Mathematics Department at their home institution):

  • 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 73 HM, Math 60 CM / PO / PZ / SC)
    • Math 73 HM has a pre-requisite of Math 19 HM.
    • 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 upon resources from Pomona, Scripps and Pitzer. If we learn of any changes to prerequisites or course numbering, we will update this information.

Advisor Contact Info

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

CMC advisor:

Pitzer advisor:

Scripps advisor: scrippsadvisor@cs.hmc.edu

Math and CS Bio Major (MCB)

There is extremely high demand for CS courses and unfortunately we do not have the resources to meet all of that demand. MCB majors are not, by default, provided priority access to CS courses.

To be eligible for priority access to CS courses, a prospective MCB major should submit a PERM request:

  • In the fall of their first year to enroll in CS 5 at HMC in the spring of their first year.
  • In the spring of their first year to enroll in CS 60 at HMC in the fall of their second year.

If both of these PERM requests are approved, an MCB major from CMC, Pitzer, or Scripps will then have priority access to CS courses similar to an MCB major who attends HMC. If these PERM requests are not submitted and approved at these times, no priority access to CS courses will be provided.

The MCB major requires just one full CS course beyond CS 5. Most MCB students will take CS 60 at HMC to fulfill this requirement. CS 5 is a prerequisite for CS 60.

Given current demands for CS courses, it is unlikely that students who do not have priority access will be able to take CS courses beyond CS 5 and CS 60. An MCB major without priority access who wishes to take CS 60 should submit a PERM. We guarantee that such students can take CS 60 before they graduate and thus complete the MCB major.

Even if a student’s PERM request for CS 5 or CS 60 is approved, the student may decide to postpone enrolling in the course. Whether or not a student accepts the approved PERM does not affect the rules governing whether a student has priority access to CS courses beyond CS 60. However, seats in CS 5 and CS 60 may not be available in every semester and we encourage students to enroll if their PERM request is approved.

Other Majors Needing CS

Some major programs at The Claremont Colleges (other than HMC’s computer science, CS-math, and MCB 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 to take these courses from the CS department chair.

Students at all of The Claremont Colleges 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 do 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.