Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Science in Business + Computer Science

Students in this program will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge and perspectives of computer science and business and will have unique opportunities to converge these two disciplines.

The Bachelor of Science in Business and Computer Science is an integrated joint degree program offered through the Olin Business School and the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

Learn more at the Bachelor of Science in Business + Computer Science website 

General Degree Requirements

  • Complete at least 120 applicable units
  • Earn at least a C (2.0) cumulative grade point average in all applicable courses taken at WU
  • Earn at least a C (2.0) grade point average in each separate school of study
  • Complete a minimum of 60 units at Washington University (at least 30 units must be “B” courses and at least 30 units must be from “E” courses)
  • Complete the last 30 units at Washington University

Foundation Course Requirements (31 units)

Math 131 Calculus I (AP credit may satisfy this requirement) 3
Math 132 Calculus II (AP credit may satisfy this requirement) 3
Math 233 Calculus III 3
Math 309 Matrix Algebra (Prerequisite: Math 132) 3
DAT 120 Managerial Statistics I 3
or ESE 326 Probability and Statistics for Engineering
or Math 3200 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis
DAT 121 Managerial Statistics II 3
MGT 201 Management Communication 4
Engr 310 Technical Writing 3
One College Writing Program course (themed writing course) 3
One Natural Sciences course designated NSM (Natural Sciences and Mathematics) 3

Upon completing a course in the calculus sequence (Math 131-Math 132-Math 233) with a grade of C+ or better, the student may apply to receive credit for the preceding courses in the calculus sequence by following the mathematics and statistics department's back credit policy.

The Natural Sciences requirement is for 3 units designated NSM (Natural Sciences and Mathematics) from any of the following departments: Anthropology; Biology; Chemistry, Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences; Environmental Studies or Physics. These courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

The school's English proficiency requirement is satisfied only by a grade of C- or better in one of the themed college writing courses developed by the College Writing Program.

Breadth/Free Elective Course Requirements (24 units)

  • Humanities and Social Sciences (15 units): Any course with A&S attributes of Humanities (HUM), Language and Cultural Diversity (LCD), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSC). These courses must be taken with the credit grade option only (not pass/fail). At least one course must be an ethics course from the list of approved courses.

  • Free Electives (9 units): Any course from any day-school division, including prematriculation credit (e.g., AP credit). The free elective courses may be taken with the pass/fail grade option.

Capstone/Integrated Learning Experience Requirements (6 units)

  • 6 units of course work jointly approved by the faculty curriculum oversight committees of both Business and Engineering
  • Junior Year Capstone: MGT 401C CEL Entrepreneurial Consulting Team
  • Senior Year Capstone:  CSE 437S Software Engineering WorkshopCSE 439S Mobile Application Development II, or CSE 451A Video Game Programming II

Major Course Requirements (60 units)

  • Business Course Requirements (30 units) as listed in the section below
  • Computer Science Course Requirements (30 units) as listed in the section below
Business Analytics Cluster

Business Core Course Requirements (18 units):

Course List
Code Title Units
ACCT 2610 Principles of Financial Accounting (Prerequisites: Second-semester first-year standing) 3
DAT 220 Analytics and Modelling for Business Decisions (Prerequisites: DAT 120 and completion or concurrent enrollment in DAT 121) 3
FIN 340 Capital Markets and Financial Management (Prerequisites: Math 132, ACCT 2610, MEC 290 or ECON 1011, and completion or concurrent enrollment in DAT 121) 3
MEC 290 Microeconomics (Prerequisites: Math 131 or concurrent enrollment in Math 132 or Math 233) 3
MKT 370 Principles of Marketing (Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and MEC 290 or ECON 1011 or MGT 100) 3
 SCOT 356 Principles of Marketing (Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and MEC 290 or ECON 1011 or MGT 100) 3

Electives (choose 12 units):

Course List
Code Title Units
DAT 301E Data Analytics in Python (Prerequisite: Sophomore standing) 3
FIN 448 Advanced Financial Management (Prerequisites: FIN 340 and DAT 121) 3
FIN 451 Options, Futures and Derivative Securities (Prerequisite: FIN 340) 3
MEC 471 Empirical Techniques for Industry Analysis (Prerequisites: MEC 290, DAT 120, and DAT 121) 3
MKT 378 Marketing Research (Prerequisites: MKT 370, DAT 120, and DAT 121 or concurrent enrollment in DAT 121) 3
MKT 400G Digital Marketing and Analytics (Prerequisites: MKT 370 and either DAT 120, Math 2200, Math 3200, or ESE 326) 3
OSCM 458 Operations Analytics (Prerequisite: OSCM 356) 3
Strategy & Leadership Cluster 

Business Core Course Requirements (15 units):

Course List
Code Title Units
ACCT 2610 Principles of Financial Accounting (Prerequisite: Second-semester first-year standing) 3
FIN 340 Capital Markets and Financial Management (Prerequisites: Math 132, ACCT 2610, MEC 290, and completion or concurrent enrollment in DAT 121) 3
MEC 290 Microeconomics (Prerequisites: Math 131 or concurrent enrollment in Math 132 or Math 233) 3
MGT 100 Individual in a Managerial Environment (MGT 100 is only open to incoming freshmen and students must be concurrently enrolled in MGT 150A) 3
OB 360 Organization Behavior Within the Firm (Prerequisite: MGT 100 or sophomore standing) 3

Electives (choose 15 units):

Course List
Code Title Units
MGT 380 Business Strategy 3
MGT 402 Ethical Issues in Managerial Decision Making 1.5
MGT 421 Introduction to Entrepreneurship 3
or MGT 460L Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship
MGT 429E Management and Corporate Responsibility 1.5
MGT 450V Defining Moments: Lessons in Leadership & Character From the Top (Prerequisite: Senior standing or junior standing with permission of instructor) 1.5
MGT 460H Corporate and Global Strategy 3
MEC 370 Game Theory for Business (Prerequisite: MEC 290) 3
MEC 470 Industrial Economics (Prerequisite: MEC 370) 3
OB 431E Thinking Creatively and Leading Creative Teams (Prerequisite: OB 360) 1.5
OB 434E Talent Analytics 1.5
OB 435E People Metrics 1.5
OB 461 Negotiation 3
OB 462 Leadership in Organizations (Prerequisite: Sophomore standing) 3
OB 468E Mindfulness and Performance in the Workplace 1.5
Computer Science Course Requirements

Computer Science Core Course Requirements (9 units, C- grade required):

Course List
Code Title Units
CSE 131 Introduction to Computer Science 3
CSE 247 Data Structures and Algorithms (Prerequisites: CSE 131 and fluency with summations, derivatives, and proofs by induction) 3
CSE 332S Object-Oriented Software Development Laboratory (Prerequisite: CSE 247) 3

Electives (choose 21 units):

Course List
Code Title Units
Choose seven courses from any CSE courses with an S, M, T, or A suffix. CSE 132, CSE 240, and CSE 347 will count as electives in this category.
Please note that ESE 417 will be accepted as CSE elective. 

 

Notes: 

Students earning this degree will not be eligible to earn a second undergraduate degree or second major in computer science, computer science + math, computer science + econ, data science, or a minor in computer science.

Students earning this degree will not be eligible to earn a second undergraduate degree or second major in business. Students are eligible to earn a business minor.

Students earning this degree will not be eligible to earn a second major in financial engineering.