Roux Program

Bates College and the Roux Institute (affiliated with Northeastern University) are excited to offer this partnership, allowing current Bates students to take computer science (CS) or data science (DS) courses within the Roux Align Program.

About the Bates / Roux Align Program

The Roux Align Program is intended for students who have little or no background in CS or data science.

In the Align CS Program, the Roux offers four Align courses intended to capture the most important elements of an undergraduate CS major, such that a student from any background completing those courses will be well-prepared to take further Masters-level courses in CS.  (Visit the Roux Align Masters in CS web page for more information.) Similarly, the Align DS Program is intended for students “without any prior programming experience” and provides “a comprehensive foundation for processing, modeling, analyzing, and working with data”. (Visit the Roux Align Masters in DS web page for more information.)

Bates College seeks to nominate students — who will have second-semester sophomore, junior, or senior standing — to enroll in one (1) Roux Align course during the next semester.  (Note:  Students must be enrolled in at least 3 credits of courses at Bates to be considered full-time.  Enrolling in a Roux course does not count as part of this 3-credit minimum.)  Students will complete an application form linked below, and their application will be reviewed by the faculty of Digital and Computational Studies (DCS).  Students will be supported and advised before and during the course by DCS and by the Roux Institute.  Coursework completed at the Roux Institute will be eligible to be applied to a graduate degree program at the Roux Institute.

Course Options

Based on their experience and course availability, students will be able to apply to enroll in one of the following Align courses at the Roux Institute. (Details about the Align CS courses can be found here, while details about the Align DS courses can be found here.)

  • CS 5001: Intensive Foundations of Computer Science
    • Note:  Successful completion of DCS 109 at Bates will allow the student to exempt from Roux’s CS 5001.
  • CS 5002: Discrete Structures
    • Note: If you have successfully completed MATH 221 (or equivalent), please contact the DCS Chair to discuss options.
  • CS 5004: Object-Oriented Design
  • CS 5008: Data Structures, Algorithms, & their Applications within Computer Systems
  • DS 5010: Introduction to Programming for Data Science
  • DS 5020: Introduction to Linear Algebra and Probability for Data Science

The schedule for Roux courses for Winter 2025 is provided below:

Note:

  • For all courses listed below, you must take the accompanying recitation section (if any).
  • For any course numbered 5500 or higher, contact the DCS chair in advance about prerequisites.

    • Winter 2025
    Course Name Course Title Day Time
    CS 5001 Foundations of CS Tue 6:00-9:20pm
    CS 5003 Recitation for CS 5001 Thu 6:00-7:30pm
    CS 5002 Discrete Structures Wed 6:00-9:20pm
    CS 5004 Object Oriented Design Mon 6:00-9:20pm
    CS 5005 Recitation for CS 5004 Thu 6:00-7:30pm
    CS 5008 DS & Alg & Systems Tue 6:00-9:20pm
    CS 5009 Recitation for CS 5008 Wed 6:00-7:30pm
    DS 5010 Programming for Data Science Mon 6:00-9:20pm
    DS 5020 LinAlg & Prob for Data Science Tue 6:00-9:20pm
     
    CS 5500 Foundations of S/W Eng Mon 1:00-4:20pm
    CS 5520 Mobile App Dev Tue 1:00-4:20pm
    CS 5540 Game Programming Mon 1:00-4:20pm
    CS 5800a Algorithms (graduate level) Mon 6:00-9:20pm
    CS 5800b Algorithms (graduate level) Tue 1:00-4:20pm
    CS 5800c Algorithms (graduate level) Thu 1:00-4:20pm

    Roux courses are typically taken in sequence.  So, for example, if you have completed DCS 109 or equivalent, you can begin enrolling in CS 5002 or DS 5010.

       
    • Computer Science: CS 5002 is a prerequisite to CS 5004, and CS 5004 is a prerequisite to CS 5008.
    • Data Science: DS 5010 can be taken after DCS 109 (or CS 5001). DS 5010 is a prerequisite to DS 5020.

    (If you have a compelling reason to take a course out of order, speak first with the DCS Chair, Barry Lawson: blawson@bates.edu.)

    Note: Bates students may take Roux courses either virtually (synchronously) from Bates or in person at the Roux. (Most students have chosen the virtual-synchronous option.)

    Application Process

    Students interested in participating in this unique program must meet the following criteria:

    • Second-semester sophomore, junior, or senior class standing at time of enrollment, with priority given to higher-level students.
    • Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher
    • For courses numbered 5002 and above, students must have completed DCS 109 Intro to Computing and Programming or another entry-level computer science course.  (Direct related questions to the Chair of DCS, Barry Lawson: blawson@bates.edu.)
    • For courses numbered 5550 and above, contact the Chair of DCS in advance to talk about expected prerequisites.
       Application Deadline:         5pm Thu 12 Dec 2024
       Deadline to Commit to Enroll: 5pm Tue 17 Dec 2024

    To apply, by the deadline of 5pm Thu 12 Dec complete the appropriate application form linked below:

    To apply, complete the appropriate application form linked below:

    Expectations of Students

    Given the unique nature of this program, there are some expectations and commitments asked of students.  These include:

    • The student will enroll in three (3) Bates credits, while taking one (1) Roux Institute course. (Please enroll in 4 Bates credits until after acceptance into the program.)
    • Although the Roux Align courses cover undergraduate CS or DS material, the delivery of the course will be unlike a typical Bates course.  That is, courses meet twice per week for a longer period (separate lecture and recitation meetings), and most courses will have less-structured assignments (more design input required of the student).  In addition, you will be taking courses alongside other members of the broader Maine community, many of whom will be older and have full-time employment and/or family obligations.
    • The academic semester and breaks may not match the Bates academic calendar. Students must plan to adhere to both calendars and participate in finals.
    • Courses at the Roux Institute will be offered remotely and in-person. Please consider the transportation of about 1 hour each way if you would like to take the course in person. Transportation can be organized by the Roux Institute for those that need it.
    • The student is expected to engage with the Instructor and TA support offered through the Roux.
    • The Roux course will count as transfer credit toward the 32 credits necessary for graduation, subject to the overall transfer limits.
    • Up to two Roux courses can count towards the DCS Minor, subject to the total “up to two of the six [DCS Minor] courses” stipulation described in enumeration #2 at the Bates DCS Minor web page.
    • Students need to earn a C- or better in the course in order for it to transfer.  The course name will not show on the Bates transcript but it will indicate a course taken at the Roux Institute.