Computer Science AAS
Here is a general overview of what your classes will look like following each quarter. This information may change. Please contact your adviser for more information regarding the courses. To see which materials are needed for your courses, click this bookstore link Links to an external site. and enter the course information.
You also may be interested in the Computer Science AAS-T Transfer Degree.
General Overview
As of Spring 2025 we are no longer accepting new students into the Computer Science program.
How long is the program?
- 3 quarters (9 to 11 months) with 47 total credits for the IT Fundamentals Certificate
- 6 quarters (22 to 24 months) with 92 total credits for the Computer Science AAS Degree
When do classes meet? Mornings and early afternoons with some online options; there also may be evening classes that meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Are summer classes required? No
In this program, you will learn to design, develop, and test client-server applications. You also will practice more advanced database tasks before completing a capstone project or an internship.
You can learn more about the Computer Science program in our $25 class CCP 046 Bridge to Information Technology Programs.
What does a computer programmer do?
What is the average salary?
$139,160 annually Links to an external site. in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area. Most computer programmers earn at least $82,530; there is a wide salary range. Jobs with higher pay often require a bachelor's degree.
Who can I contact with questions?
- New students, please visit our Zoom lobby (Links to an external site.) to talk with someone by video chat, or e-mail our advising department.
- For current students, please visit RTC's advising page (Links to an external site and look for the faculty counselor assigned to Computer Science.
Overall Materials Needed:
- Functioning, recent Windows laptop or computer, not an Apple or Chromebook (you must be able to install software)
- USB drive (thumb drive)
- Webcam
- Headset with microphone
- Working internet connection
- Textbooks for class (may range from $20 - $50 per general education class)
Key Course Icons (learn more)
green means the class has expensive materials
red means the class has lots of assignments
purple means the class has a lot of technical vocabulary
orange means the class has complex content
blue means the class moves at a fast pace
gold means that this is the most challenging quarter in the whole program
Fall 2024
Quarter 1 Classes 
Description: This quarter introduces you to computer programming and networking. This quarter has four classes, including two in General Education. What are your placement options for ENGL&101?
You may wait to take your social science class in the summer after Quarter 3 and enroll in just 12 credits this quarter. Please talk with an adviser before you choose this option, to make sure that financial aid will cover summer.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL 101 | College Success | NO | 2 |
| IT 101 | Fundamentals of Information Technology | NO | 5 |
| ENGL& 101 | English Composition or other communication or humanities class | varies by class | 5 |
| ANTH& 106 | American Mosaic or other social science class | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,062 | |||
Quarter 2 Classes
Description: You will create simple applications with object-oriented programming and use HTML and CSS for web design. Please consult your adviser about the best math class for your goals; you can learn more about math placement here.
Prerequisite note: You cannot take CSI 120 or CSI 140 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in IT 101.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 120 | Computer Programming I |
NO | 5 |
| CSI 140 | Web Development I | varies | 5 |
| AMATH 190 | Financial Algebra |
NO | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,941 | |||
Quarter 3 Classes
Description: coming soon! Please consult your adviser about the best math class for your goals; you can learn more about math placement here.
Prerequisite note: You cannot take CSI 122 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 120, and you cannot take CSI 142 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 140.
It's time to apply for the IT Fundamentals certificate! What is this certificate?
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 122 | Computer Programming II |
NO | 5 |
| CSI 142 | Web Development II | varies | 5 |
| --- | any elective from General Education, Cloud Network Technology (CNT), or Cybersecurity Analyst (CYA) | varies | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,941 | |||
Quarter 4 Classes
Description: coming soon!
Prerequisite notes: You cannot take CSI 224 or CSI 230 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 122. You cannot take CSI 244 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 142.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 224 | Computer Programming III | NO | 5 |
| CSI 230 | Database Development I | NO | 5 |
| CSI 244 | Web Development III | NO | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,991 | |||
Quarter 5 Classes
Description: coming soon!
Prerequisite notes: You cannot take CSI 226 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 224. You cannot take CSI 234 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 230, and you cannot take CSI 246 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 244.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 226 | Computer Programming IV | varies | 5 |
| CSI 234 | Database Development II |
NO | 5 |
| CSI 246 | Web Development IV | TBD | 5 |
|
Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,991 |
|||
Quarter 6 Classes
Description: In your final quarter, you create a functional computer science project, or learn some game development skills, or work as an intern. You also study data structures and algorithms.
You have some options for your computer science classes:
- take CSI 248 (5 credits)
- take CSI 255 (5 credits)
- take CSI 294 (5 credits, with 165 intern work hours required)
For CSI 294, you must find an internship and get it approved by program faculty.
Prerequisite note: You cannot take CSI 248 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 246, and you cannot take CSI 255 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 224. You cannot take CSI 260 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 226.
It's time to apply for your degree!
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 248 or CSI 255 or CSI 294 | Cross Platform Development or Game Development or Internship | NO | 5 |
| CSI 260 | Introduction to Data Structures & Algorithms | NO | 5 |
| --- | any elective from General Education, Cloud Network Technology (CNT), or Cybersecurity Analyst (CYA) | varies | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,941 | |||
Grand Total Estimate for Your Computer Science AAS Degree: $11,867
2022 - 2023 Starts
Quarter 1 Classes
Description: This quarter introduces you to computer programming and networking. This quarter has four classes, including one social science class. You may wait to take your social science class in the summer and enroll in just 12 credits this quarter. Please talk with an adviser before you choose this option, to make sure that financial aid will cover summer.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL 101 | College Success | NO | 2 |
| CNT 156 | CompTIA A+ Core I | NO | 5 |
| CSI 120 | Computer Programming I |
NO | 5 |
| ANTH& 106 | American Mosaic or other social science class | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,003 | |||
Quarter 2 Classes
Description: You will create simple applications with object-oriented programming and also design databases using SQL. This quarter has two computer science classes and one communication or humanities class with ENGL& 101 recommended. What are your placement options for ENGL&101?
Prerequisite note: You cannot take CSI 122 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 120.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 122 | Computer Programming II | NO | 5 |
| CSI 130 or CSI 230 |
Database Design or Database Development I, effective fall 2023 |
NO | 5 |
| ENGL& 101 | English Composition or other communication or humanities class | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,836 | |||
Quarter 3 Classes
Description: You will use HTML and CSS for web design and develop more advanced applications with object-oriented programming. This quarter has two computer science classes and one math class. Please consult your adviser about the best math class for your goals; you can learn more about math placement here.
Prerequisite note: You cannot take CSI 124 or until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 122.
It's time to apply for the IT Fundamentals certificate! What is this certificate?
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 124 or CSI 224 |
Computer Programming III |
NO | 5 |
| CSI 140 | Front-End Web Dev / Web Development I | varies | 5 |
| AMATH 190 | Financial Algebra |
YES | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,836 | |||
Quarter 4 Classes
Description: You will refine your skills in object-oriented programming with multi-threaded applications, distributed applications, and asynchronous programming. You also will build on your knowledge of SQL. This quarter has two computer science classes and one limited elective. You can see General Education choices here, and Cloud Network Technology (CNT) and Cybersecurity (CYA) options are in the final tab on this page.
Prerequisite notes: You cannot take CSI 226 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 124. You cannot take CSI 234 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 130.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 226 | Computer Programming IV | NO | 5 |
| CSI 234 | Applied Database Development or Database Development II |
NO | 5 |
| --- | CNT, CYA, or General Education elective | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,836 | |||
Quarter 5 Classes
Description: In this quarter, you build more sophisticated web applications with Javascript and jQuery, and you look at time efficiency for different algorithms and structures. This quarter has two computer science classes and one limited elective. You can see General Education choices here, and Cloud Network Technology (CNT) and Cybersecurity (CYA) options are in the final tab on this page.
Prerequisite notes: You cannot take CSI 242 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 140. You cannot take CSI 260 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 226.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSI 242 or CSI 142 |
Client-Side Scripting or Web Development II, effective fall 2023 |
varies | 5 |
| CSI 260 | Introduction to Data Structures & Algorithms | NO | 5 |
| --- | CNT, CYA, or General Education elective | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,836 | |||
Quarter 6 Classes
Description: In your final quarter, you create a functional computer science project and/or work as an intern. In the old program, you had three options for your computer science classes:
- take CSI 250 (5 credits) and CSI 293 (5 credits), or
- take CSI 250 (5 credits) and CSI 294 (5 credits, with 165 intern work hours required), or
- take CSI 294 (10 credits, with 330 intern work hours required)
Starting in fall 2023, you have different options:
- instead of CSI 250, take CSI 244 Web Development III
- instead of CSI 293, take CSI 248 Cross Platform Development or CSI 255 Game Development or CSI 294 Internship
For CSI 294, you must find an internship and get it approved by the program faculty.
This quarter has two computer science classes and one elective from Cloud Network Technology (CNT) or general education. If you plan to apply to a BAS program, take general education this quarter instead of CNT (class options are listed in the third tab).
Prerequisite note: You cannot take CSI 250 until you earn a 2.0 or higher in CSI 242. You may need special permission to enroll in CSI 248 or CSI 255.
It's time to apply for your degree and graduation!
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CSI 250 (replaced by CSI 244) |
Rich Internet Applications (Web Development III) |
NO | 5 |
|
CSI 293 (not offered after spring 2023) |
Capstone Design and Development Project (take CSI 248 or CSI 255 or CSI 294 instead) |
NO | 5 |
| --- | CNT, CYA, or General Education elective | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,876 | |||
Grand Total Estimate for Your Degree: $11,183
Crosswalk for old to new classes
Here is a list of all of the old CSI classes and their new versions starting in fall 2023. This should help you find the correct classes when you register.
If the old and new classes are the same, you will see "no change" on the right side.
| Requirements before fall 2023 | Classes starting in fall 2023 |
|---|---|
| CSI 120 Computer Programming I | no change |
| CSI 122 Computer Programming II | no change |
| CSI 124 Computer Programming III | CSI 224 Computer Programming III |
| CSI 130 Database Design | CSI 230 Database Development |
| CSI 140 Front-End Web Development | CSI 140 Web Development I |
| CSI 226 Computer Programming IV | no change |
| CSI 234 Applied Database Development | CSI 234 Database Development II |
| CSI 242 Client-Side Scripting | CSI 142 Web Development II |
| CSI 250 Rich Internet Applications | CSI 244 Web Development III |
| CSI 260 Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms | no change |
| CSI 293 Capstone Design | CSI 248 Cross Platform Development or CSI 255 Game Development |
| CSI 294 Co-op Education / Internship | no change |
| CNT 156 Bits and Bytes of Cloud Computing | IT 101 Fundamentals of Computing |
Cloud (CNT) and Cybersecurity (CYA) Electives
You get to select some electives for your AAS degree.
You can choose classes from any of the five General Education areas: this is very strongly recommended if you plan to apply to the BAS in Application Development, because that degree requires 60 credits of general education.
You also can use one or more classes from Cloud Network Technology (CNT) and, starting fall 2023, Cybersecurity Analyst, the other associate programs in the Information Technology area of study. If you switched from CNT or CYA to CSI, you may have some electives completed already.
Cloud Network Technology Classes
All classes are 5 credits each. You must follow the prerequisite requirements; if you do not have the prerequisite class, you cannot enroll in that CNT option.
- CNT 160 Foundations and Operations of Cloud Computing (prerequisite = IT 101, which you took in Quarter 1)
- formerly called Core Networking and Cloud Computing
- CNT 140 Routing and Switching I (prerequisite = IT 101)
- formerly CNT 240
- CNT 150 Routing and Switching II (prerequisites = IT 101 and CNT 140)
- formerly CNT 250
- CNT 254 Network Infrastructure (prerequisite = CNT 160)
- CNT 256 Cloud Solutions Architect
- formerly called AWS Cloud Foundations
- CNT 259 Secure Enterprise Networks (multiple prerequisites)
- CNT 262 Introduction to Databases with SQL (no prerequisites)
- CNT 263 CompTIA Linux+ (no prerequisites)
Cybersecurity Analyst Classes
All classes are 5 credits each. You must follow the prerequisite requirements; if you do not have the prerequisite class, you cannot enroll in that CYA option.
- CYA 110 Cybersecurity Fundamentals I
- CYA 111 Introduction to Cybersecurity
- CYA 140 Cybersecurity Fundamentals II (prerequisite = CYA 110)
- CYA 141 Linux Fundamentals for Cybersecurity
- CYA 220 Security+ (prerequisite = CYA 140 or CNT 160)
- CYA 205 Securing the Internet of Things
- CYA 210 Security, Compliance, and Identity