Computer Science Transfer Pathway Associate of Science

Program Overview:

The Computer Science Transfer Pathway AS offers students a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Science degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated Computer Science bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State universities. The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to a Minnesota State system university will enter with junior-year status with all courses applying to the designated bachelor’s degree programs.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Computer Science Transfer Pathway program at RCTC, students will achieve the following outcomes:

• Analyze problems systematically and design algorithmic solutions using appropriate data structures, control structures, and programming paradigms.
• Use modern IDEs and industry-standard tools, including version control systems, to design, implement, test, debug, and secure software.
• Design and query relational databases using SQL, and use diagrams to show how data is organized, stored, and retrieved in computing systems.
• Describe the capabilities and limitations of AI tools—including large language models—and use AI-assisted tools responsibly while critically evaluating their outputs.
• Identify and analyze ethical issues in computing, including privacy, security, bias, intellectual property, and the societal impact of technology.
• Collaborate effectively in teams using structured project management practices to plan, develop, document, and present computing solutions in response to stakeholder needs.
• Explain computer organization and architecture, including instruction execution, memory hierarchy, and concurrency.
• Apply mathematical foundations — including discrete mathematics, calculus, and linear algebra — to formalize and reason about computational problems.

Career Opportunities:

For Computer Science, the Department of Labor predicts that employment is expected to increase much faster than the average as organizations continue to adopt increasingly sophisticated technologies.

Additional Information:

All courses in the Transfer Pathway associate degree will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor’s degree programs in a related field.

Students should choose courses depending on the transfer university destination. Students should consult with their advisor before selecting courses for satisfying MnTC goal areas.

COMPUTER SCIENCE TRANSFER PATHWAY AS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTSS (30 CREDITS)

Complete at least 30 credits in courses from the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC), including all courses listed. You must complete at least one course in six of the ten goal areas.

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (11 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114 – Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3 cr)
• ENGL 1117 – Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)
• ENGL 1118 – Reading and Writing Critically II (4 cr)

GOAL 4: MATHEMATICS/LOGICAL REASONING (5 CREDITS)

• MATH 1127 – Calculus I (5 cr)

MnTC ELECTIVES (14 CREDITS)

• Select credits from MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10*

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (16 CREDITS)

• COMP 2243 – Programming and Problem Solving (4 cr)
• COMP 2247 – Algorithms and Data Structure (4 cr)
• COMP 2275 – Computer Architecture (4 cr)
• MATH 2218 – Discrete Mathematics (4 cr)

GENERAL ELECTIVES (14 CREDITS)

• Select credits from MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10*
• COMP 1140 – Introduction to Database and SQL (3 cr)
• COMP 1150 – Computer Science Concepts (3 cr)
• COMP 1731 – Programming for the Internet (3 cr) OR COMP 1741 – Java Script (3 cr) OR COMP 1751 – Mobile Application Development (3 cr)
• MATH 1128 – Calculus II (5 cr) OR MATH 2350 – Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (4 cr)

* Credits need to be completed from four other goal areas. Students should choose the goal areas depending on the transfer university destination. Students should consult with their advisor before selecting courses for satisfying the goal areas.

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCES

FULL-TIME

Semester 1 – Fall (16 CREDITS)

• COMP 1140
• COMP 1150
• ENGL 1117
• MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 Electives

Semester 2 – Spring (16 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114
• COMP 2243
• ENGL 1118
• MATH 1127

Semester 3 – Fall (14 CREDITS)

• COMP 1731 OR COMP 1741 OR COMP 1751
• COMP 2247
• MATH 2218
• MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 Elective

Semester 4 – Spring (14 CREDITS)

• COMP 2275 (Spring only)
• MATH 1128 OR MATH 2350
• MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 Elective

PART-TIME

Semester 1 – Fall (7 CREDITS)

• COMP 1140
• ENGL 1117

Semester 2 – Spring (9 CREDITS)

• COMP 1150
• MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 Electives

Semester 3 – Fall (8 CREDITS)

• COMP 2243
• ENGL 1118

Semester 4 – Spring (8 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114
• MATH 1127

Semester 5 – Fall (7 CREDITS)

• COMP 2247
• MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 Elective

Semester 6 – Spring (7 CREDITS)

• COMP 1731 OR COMP 1741 OR COMP 1751
• MATH 1128 OR MATH 2350

Semester 7 – Fall (7 CREDITS)

• MATH 2218
• MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 Elective

Semester 8 – Spring (7 CREDITS)

• COMP 2275 (Spring Only)
• MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 Elective

Course descriptions can be found at: RCTC course descriptions