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. 

Cumulative GPA of at least 2.3 is required for transfer students who have completed all of the courses listed below. For transfer students who have not completed courses in the list below, a cumulative GPA of at least 2.8 is required and before transferring students must have completed at least five of these courses and their associated labs as well as one programming course.

Math19A
Math 19B
Math 23A
AMS 10/Math 21
AMS 20/Math 24
CMPE 12/L
CMPE 13/L
CMPE 16
CMPS 12B/M
PHYS 5A/L or 6A/L
PHYS 5C/N or 6C/N

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

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. For more EAP information, visit eap.ucop.edu/ourprograms/pages/default.aspx.

www.soe.ucsc.edu/departments/computer-engineering/undergraduate

registrar.ucsc.edu/catalog/programs-courses/program-statements/cmpe.html