CS100J and CS100M offer an introduction to elementary computer programming concepts. The courses emphasize techniques of problem analysis and the development of algorithms and programs. To enroll in CS100, you must register for either CS100J or CS100M, which both use Java and MATLAB in different amounts to teach the same concepts:

• CS100J: 12 weeks of Java and 2 weeks of MATLAB.
• CS100M: 7 weeks of MATLAB followed by 7 weeks of Java.

Neither course presumes previous programming experience. To take CS100M, you must have a firm background in mathematics and at least one semester of calculus. Refer to http://www.cs.cornell.edu/ugrad/FirstCourse.html#CS100 for more information about both courses.

Alternatives

If you are shopping around for a "first course" to take in computer science, the CS department offers both programming and non-programming courses. Refer to http://www.cs.cornell.edu/ugrad/FirstCourse.html for more information about the courses that may suit your needs better than CS100. You might be interested in CS/ENGRI 172: Computation, Information, and Intelligence, which is a non-programming introduction to computer science through the lens of artificial intelligence (fall only).