Paths to Computer Science (CMSC198C, D and E) is a programming in Python course for non-majors. It provides a path for students with a broad diversity in backgrounds to learn programming and computer science, including those considering a computer science major. Students will learn at their own pace with a combination of technology-based and face-to-face class structure. Students will use a problem-driven approach to build complex, interactive software systems. The course includes an introduction to a wide variety of issues relating to software, including design, problem-solving, development processes, and broader issues such as security, performance, and ethics.
This course is unusual in that it is self-paced and "mastery-based". This means that students can register for 1, 2 or 3 credits, depending on how fast they plan on moving through the material. They won't move to the next step until they have mastered the current one. In this way, we hope to enable people without a computing background to succeed where they might have otherwise been intimidated by the fast-paced technical culture of computing.
