BS in Computer Science (BSCS)

Instructor lecturing to a group of students in front of a whiteboard

About the BS in Computer Science

The Computer Science department at Bellevue College offers a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – the first 4-year computer science degree available at a community or technical college in Washington State. Since its launch in 2017, the program has welcomed new cohorts annually and built a strong record of preparing students for careers at leading technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft, T-Mobile and more.

Program Highlights

  • Hands-On Learning – Complete a senior capstone project that integrates your skills and prepares you for real-world challenges.
  • Specializations – Choose between the standard track, data science concentration, or cybersecurity concentration to focus your studies.
  • Community – Build connections through small classes (maximum 28 students), a cohort-based learning experience, and dedicated student spaces like a lounge and makerspace.
  • Personalized Support – Receive support from faculty mentors and academic advisors, with opportunities to connect with industry professionals.
  • Affordability – Pay significantly lower tuition than many four-year universities in Washington, with financial aid available for eligible students.
  • Flexible Learning – Study full- or part-time, with most courses offered in a hybrid format and a few available fully online.

Senior Capstone Project Examples

As part of the program, students complete a Senior Capstone Project where they work in teams to plan, implement, and deliver a computing project that applies the technical skills they’ve gained across the curriculum.

View examples of senior capstone projects created by BSCS students:

Project poster for TutorBot.me, an AI tutoring app that provides personalized help with STEM subjects.

TutorBot.Me

TutorBot.me is a personal AI tutoring application designed to help students with subjects such as math, biology, chemistry, and engineering.

Students built the application using a serverless AWS architecture that connects an AI-powered chat interface with tools for processing questions, generating responses, and remembering previous conversations to provide more personalized tutoring.

Project poster for Pineapple Expense, an app that uses AI to simplify employee expense reporting and receipt processing.

Pineapple Expense

Pineapple Expense is an Android app that streamlines expense reporting by allowing company users to capture receipt images and record expense data using a cloud-based backend powered by AWS services.

Project poster for a web-based speech therapy app that analyzes speech and provides personalized feedback.

Interactive Speech Therapy Web App

The Interactive Speech Therapy App is a web-based application crafted to support speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and those receiving speech therapy services, such as individuals with dysarthric speech, post-stroke difficulties, or traumatic brain injury.

This app facilitates speech therapy exercises aimed at enhancing vocal volume and clarity by providing personalized feedback.

Project poster for ControlCognizant, a cybersecurity application that streamlines business security audits across different frameworks.

CONTROLCOGNIZANT

ControlCognizant is a cybersecurity compliance application designed to streamline business security audits. Students built the application to identify mappings between different security frameworks, upload evidence of compliance, communicate about compliance through chat logs, and view compliance across relevant frameworks.

Project poster for the BitLearns Dashboard, a tool for tracking student progress and support needs.

BitLearns Dashboard

The BitLearns Dashboard addresses a critical challenge educators face: understanding how students are engaging with course material.

Using Agile methodology, students built a full-stack application with React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL that provides interactive data visualizations, making it easy for educators to track student progress, identify who needs support, and improve teaching strategies based on classroom results.

Project poster for Virtual Keys, a VR/AR application that uses interactive gameplay to help users learn piano.

Virtual Keys

Virtual Keys is a VR/AR piano-learning application designed to make learning piano more accessible and engaging. The project uses visual cues and interactive gameplay to help users learn without needing to read sheet music right away.

Project poster for SilentSentinel, an iOS app that provides accessible alerts for important events in the home.

SilentSentinel

Alert systems for hearing-impaired individuals can be prohibitively expensive, making essential safety features like smart smoke detectors, visual alarms, and vibrating notifications inaccessible to many who need them most.

SilentSentinel is an iOS application that makes home safety alerts more accessible for people with hearing impairments. Students built the app using SwiftUI and Apple’s HomeKit API to connect with smart home devices and provide visual, phone, and vibration alerts for events such as smoke alarms and doorbell notifications.

Project poster for BeMyGuest, a vacation rental app that helps guests plan stays and hosts manage their properties.

BeMyGuest

BeMyGuest is a vacation rental planning app designed for both guests and hosts. Students built the web application using React.js, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and AWS cloud services.

The platform includes tools for managing properties and reservations, guest communication, travel recommendations, and an AI-powered feature that analyzes property photos to suggest amenities.

Sponsor: Expedia

Project poster for Autonomous Garden Monitoring, an IoT app that uses drones and machine learning to monitor garden conditions.

Autonomous Garden Monitoring

Empower your gardening with our advanced IoT app. Leveraging drone technology for data capture, cloud-based machine learning for analysis, and a user-friendly interface for personalized garden insights. Experience smart, simplified gardening today.

Degree Information

The B.S. in Computer Science is a fully accredited, 180 quarter-credit program that prepares students to apply mathematical foundations, algorithmic principles, and computer science theory to design complex computer and software systems. Through a combination of theoretical foundations and practical skills, students learn in a supportive environment with dedicated faculty, small class sizes, and resources designed to support their academic and career goals.

For the most up-to-date information on degree requirements and course descriptions, refer to the Academic Catalog.

Admissions

Students are admitted twice per year for Fall and Winter entry, with Fall as the primary intake. Applications are typically due in mid-September for Fall entry and mid-December for Winter entry. For detailed application information, visit the Admissions tab.

Academic Resources

Three students face each other while sitting together at a table within a campus building. They have their laptops open and appear to be engaged in conversation. There is a view of campus through the large window behind them.

Advisors at Bellevue College are available to support students in planning their academic path, selecting courses, exploring transfer options, and connecting with campus resources to help them succeed.

Connect with a STEM Pathway Advisor in the Advising Center.

See when a particular CS course may be offered and a sample education plan for the BS in Computer Science degree.

100/200-Level CS Courses

For students completing introductory courses in computer science (e.g. CS 101, 209, 210, 211, 212, 250), students can use their own laptop or utilize Bellevue College’s Laptop Loan Program, which loans laptops to students quarterly on a first-come, first-served basis.

BSCS

All students enrolled in the BS in Computer Science program must have a laptop computer that meets the following operating system requirements:

  • For Windows PC: Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, Windows 8 or 8.1, Windows 10 Home or Pro, Minimum Core i5 Processor, 8 GB RAM, 250 GB storage
  • For Apple Macintosh: Macintosh OS 10.14 or higher, Minimum Core i5 Processor, 8 GB RAM, 250 GB storage
  • (Optional) Recommended specifications for those who wish to enhance their experience: Core i7 Processor, 16 GB RAM, 500 GB or higher storage

Track your degree progress on ctcLink (see tutorial). In ctcLink, click on “Academics” and then “What If Report”. Follow instructions to select your major. For catalog year, select the quarter/year that matches your BS admission quarter (e.g. Fall 2024, Fall 2025). The What If Report will show your completed classes and the classes you have remaining for your major.

While helpful, these degree audit reports are not 100% accurate. Please review them carefully. If you have questions about your report and overall progress on the BSCS degree, contact an adviser

Upper division CS courses have unique prerequisites that are satisfied by specific courses. The prerequisite chain provides a visual of these requirements for each CS course.

CS Prerequisite Chain

Please visit the Bellevue College Catalog for the up to date information about CS curriculum and course prerequisites.

BSCS students can receive academic credits for participating in qualifying work experience related to the computer science field. Earning academic credit involve will involved completing a set of assignments related to the work experience.

Assistance with finding internships or work opportunities is available through Bellevue College’s Center for Career Connections.

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Last Updated September 10, 2026