Enrollment for Spring 2026
Updated Oct 27, 2025
Regarding requirements
The current Brown Bulletin URL goes to the 25-26 Bulletin, meaning that those requirements took effect in Fall 2025. If you started at Brown in Fall 2025 (or later), you must follow those requirements. If you started at Brown in Fall 2024 (mot current sophomores), you can use either the 25-26 Bulletin or the 24-25 Bulletin. For CS requirements, in particular, the 24-25 Bulletin lists more courses as satisfying the foundations courses. Also, APMA made significant changes to their requirements starting in Fall 2025.
You may find the CS-maintained requirements pages easier to navigate, as we have tried to summarize multiple years on one page. If you need an earlier version of the official Brown Bulletin, go to the 25-26 link and edit the years to get the version you need.
- CS concentrations for Fall 2024 and Fall 2025 (the so-called "new" requirements, classes of 2029, 2028, and some 2027)
- CS concentrations from 2020 (the "old" requirements, class of 2026 and some 2027)
- APMA-CS (Fall 2024 and 2025, see the pages for links to the earlier requirements)
- CS-ECON (Fall 2024 and 2025, see the pages for links to the earlier requirements)
- MATH-CS (Fall 2024 and 2025, see the pages for links to the earlier requirements)
Notes on Prerequisite Changes taking affect in Fall 2025-Spring 2026
CS 500 and CS 1570 are getting stricter about math prerequisites. Both courses will assume that you have experience with proofs, such as through CS 220 or MATH 540 (but NOT MATH 520 or APMA 0260). Starting in Fall 2026, CS 500 will be a prereq for undergrads to take CS 1570.
For undergrads, the 1000-level AI courses will start requiring CSCI 0410 or 1411 in Fall 25/Spring 26. Rising seniors/juniors (current juniors/sophomores) will be able to use existing 1000-level AI courses as a replacement (through overrides this fall). If you have not yet taken 1000-level AI courses (this semester or earlier), you will need to take CSCI 410 first.
Graduate students will be able to register for 1570 and 1000-level AI courses through the standard prereq WAIVE, but you should be aware that the 1000-level AI courses will start assuming that you have already had an introduction to AI.
Starting Spring 2026: A Placement Exam option for CSCI 0220
In January 2026, CS will offer a placement exam for those who believe they have already covered the content of CSCI 0220. Here are the rough details while we prepare a proper webpage:
- When: We are still deciding between the day before classes start (Jan 20, late afternoon) or the first day of classes for Spring semester (Jan 21, evening). No makeups or alternative dates will be available.
- Format: A 3 hour exam, in person and on paper. SAS accommodations will be supported.
- Content: The full content of CSCI 0220. The exam will be challenging, and a strong performance (not just "passing") will be required to receive placement. Details forthcoming. The CAB entry for 220 shows a topic listing.
- Who can take it?: Any current Brown undergraduate. Registration will be required (with a deadline roughly two weeks before the exam date). Details forthcoming.
- How many times can someone take it? Just once during your time at Brown. If you don't achieve placement, you'll need to take CSCI 0220.
- Will achieving placement check off the 0220 requirement for the concentration?: If you get placement, you can use it to satisfy prereqs for other courses. You cannot count it towards the total number of CS courses needed for the concentration. You will simply take any other CSCI course numbered 0200 or higher in its place. For joint-concentrators that include 0220 as one of several alternatives, you'll use other alternatives to satisfy requirements (and still have the prereq checked off).
- How often will it be offered?: At least every January. We will decide about whether to also offer it in the fall after we see how this first offering goes.
New Courses for Spring 2026
Entries for these courses are making their way into CAB in time for pre-registration.
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Adriana Schulz will offer CSCI 1953B (Computational Design and Fabrication). It will have CSCI 1420 as a prereq
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George Kondaris will offer CSCI 1952D (Intelligent Robotics)
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Ritambhara Singh will offer CSCI 1851 (Machine Learning for Health). It will have CSCI 1420 as a prereq
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Will Crichton will offer CSCI 1377 (Tools for Thought)
Academic Year 2026-2027 Courses
The current draft schedule for 2026-2027 is available in a Google Sheet. If a cell is solid gray, that means the course is not currently planned for that semester. If it says TBD, we will definitely offer the course, but we are still figuring out the instructor.
We are still updating CAB to match the sheet. The sheet has the most accurate information.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I didn't get a seat before the cap was reached. What do I do?
Every semester, there is a lot of turnover in who enrolls throughout shopping period. Seats are likely to open up in most courses as shopping period plays out. Keep an eye out during pre-registration, and try for a seat again when the semester starts if you still need one at that time. Some faculty maintain their own waitlists: see the CAB entry to find out of this applies to you.
- I didn't get into a course that I needed to graduate. What do I do?
Reach out to your academic advisor to figure out alternate arrangements. If your advisor isn't sure what to do, reach out to the Director of Undergrad Studies (Kathi Fisler) or the Director of Masters Studies (Nikos Triandopoulos).
- I requested an override but haven't heard anything. What do I do?
Each instructor decides how to handle overrides for their own courses. Many faculty will not issue any overrides until shopping period begins.
