Network and Digital Technology

Graduates of the network and digital technology B.A. program will be prepared to contribute to engineering design teams, work with technology development, or join the computer network workforce. The major is designed for students looking to combine technology with other fields as a double major, or concentrate on digital design or computer networks in preparation for professional employment.

The UCSC B.A. in network and digital technology provides students with in-depth knowledge of the underlying structure and function of network and computer technology and the design processes that make those technologies function. The program is tailored to students wishing to combine technology with other fields or have a general focus on digital design or computer networks. The B.A. in network and digital technology will prepare graduates to work with technology development in other capacities, or to join the computer network workforce. Students interested in graduate study should pursue a B.S. program.

Please see the current UC Santa Cruz General Catalog  for a full description of the BSOE admissions policy.

Freshman Applicants: Once at UCSC, students will be accepted into the major based on grade-point average in selected lower-division mathematics, physics, and programming courses required for the major.

High School Preparation

It is recommended that high school students applying to the BSOE have completed four years of mathematics and three years of science in high school, if possible one year each of chemistry, physics, and biology. Comparable college mathematics and science courses completed at other institutions may be accepted in place of high school preparation. 

• By the end of the fall term in which you are applying, you must have completed at least four (4) of the lower-division course requirements below.
• By the end of your last spring term in community college, you must complete an additional two (2) lower-division course requirements below.
• The GPA of all lower-division requirement courses attempted must be at least 2.30.

Requirements

1. CSE 12 and CSE 12L
2. CSE 13E or CSE 13S
3. CSE 16
4. CSE 30
5. MATH 19A
6. MATH 19B
7. MATH 23A
8. MATH 21 or AMS 10
9. AMS 20
10. PHYS 5A and PHYS 5L; or PHYS 6A and PHYS 6L
11. PHYS 5C and PHYS 5N; or PHYS 6C and PHYS 6N

• Assistive technologies
• Communications design
• Environmental monitoring
• Multimedia
• Network administration and security
• Remote sensing

These are only samples of the field’s many possibilities.

Many students find internships and fieldwork to be a valuable part of their academic experience. They work closely with faculty and career advisers in the UC Santa Cruz Career Center to identify existing opportunities and often to create their own internships with local companies or in nearby Silicon Valley. For more information about internships, visit intern.ucsc.edu.

BSOE students may wish to develop their cross-cultural competency, typically via the Education Abroad Program (EAP). Interested students must work very closely with the faculty and academic advisers in their major very early during the freshman or sophomore year to create a plan for transferability of coursework towards graduation.

Computer Science and Engineering Department

Computer Science and Engineering Department information

Undergraduate Advising Office
Jack Baskin School of Engineering
University of California, Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, California 95064
(831) 459-5840
ua.soe.ucsc.edu/admissions
soeadmissions@soe.ucsc.edu