Mendoza School of Business

Business Computer Science Program


A student working on two laptops one with programming code and the other displaying an editor view of a website.

Shape the Future of Business & Technology

Mendoza College of Business is excited to partner with the College of Engineering at Notre Dame to offer a cutting-edge Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with dual majors in Business and Computer Science. The Business Computer Science Program (BCS) combines the technical rigor of computer science with the strategic insight of business, equipping you with the interdisciplinary skills needed to excel in today’s technology-driven industries. With a STEM-designated curriculum, this program prepares you to lead at the intersection of innovation and enterprise.

What You’ll Learn

As a student earning dual majors in Computer Science & Business, you will gain a strong foundation in both business and computer science.  The BCS program will challenge you with a combination of core courses in business, computer science, and math, preparing you to excel in interdisciplinary careers at the intersection of technology and business.

Key Areas You’ll Study:

  • Business Foundations: You will master core business disciplines, including a focus in your selected business major in accounting, business analytics, finance, marketing, leadership, and strategic management to build the business acumen necessary for success in the modern corporate world.
  • Computer Science Skills: You’ll dive into fundamental programming and computer science concepts, such as data structures, systems programming, and algorithm design, equipping you with the technical expertise needed to innovate and solve complex problems.
  • Mathematical and Analytical Thinking: Courses like calculus, discrete mathematics, and advanced linear algebra will strengthen your problem-solving and analytical skills, essential for tackling both business and technical challenges.

Students must complete both the BCS major and their business major within eight semesters, with summer courses available as an option. All students are required to complete the following courses:

Eligibility

To pursue the Dual Majors in Business and Computer Science, students must:

  • Be a current First-Year undergraduate student in the Mendoza College of Business.
  • Select a Mendoza major as their primary/first major: Accountancy, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing, or Strategic Management.

Prerequisite Courses
Students must complete the following courses as prerequisites for the program:

    • ITAO 20200: Foundations of Statistics
    • ITAO 20210: Foundations of Coding

Course Number: ITAO 20210
Credit Hours: 3

It is very important in the current age of automation and data-driven business models to have a basic understanding of coding, and to acquire some of the skills of programming. This course introduces students to Python, a widely used programming language among data scientists, with the goal of cleaning, modeling, transforming and analyzing data. Students will learn fundamentals of coding, use python packages for acquiring data from various sources, learn skills to slice and dice the data and produce data visualizations. They will gain experience in Python and apply these skills in generating reproducible reports in business contexts. In addition, students will have opportunity to apply programming skills and work on various projects/datasets that are pertinent to all the majors in the business school.

Course Number: ITAO 20200
Credit Hours: 3

Statistical Inference in Business focuses on using data to make sound inferences about a population based on sample data, especially in business contexts. More specifically, students will learn how to make inferences using test statistics and confidence intervals in contexts of multiple groups and/or multiple variables, with multiple regression and related methods heavily emphasized. Throughout the course, issues of sampling variability, research design, causality, and the assumptions and limitations of the methods are discussed. Students will supplement their conceptual understanding of the material using statistics software.

Admissions

The Business Computer Science Program has two points of entry: direct admission from high school, and the spring BCS application for enrolled Notre Dame students. For students already on campus, the path into the program depends on whether they have been admitted to the Mendoza College of Business.

Enrollment in the program is limited to 15-20 students each year.

High School Students Applying to Notre Dame

A limited number of students are admitted to the BCS Program before they arrive on campus. To be considered when you apply to Notre Dame:

•       Indicate your interest in the Mendoza College of Business.

•       List a business major as your first-choice major and Computer Science as your second choice.

Applicants who select this combination are automatically reviewed for direct admission, and a small number of seats are reserved each year for these incoming students.

If you are admitted to Mendoza but not selected for direct admission to BCS, you remain eligible for the program. You may apply through the spring BCS application during your first year, as described below.

Current Mendoza First-Year Students

First-year students in the Mendoza College of Business are eligible to apply for admission to the BCS program during the major selection process that takes place during the Spring semester.

Current Notre Dame Students (Non-Mendoza)

First-year students at Notre Dame who are not currently enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business must apply for transfer into Mendoza concurrently with their application to the BCS program.  Applicants entering BCS from outside Mendoza submit a single application that undergoes two reviews.

•       You submit one BCS application that also requests a transfer into Mendoza, declaring a Mendoza primary major: Accountancy, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing, or Strategic Management.

•       Your request to transfer into Mendoza is reviewed first. You are considered for BCS admission only if your transfer into Mendoza is approved.

Students seeking to pursue this path should consult with their academic advisor.

Program Prerequisites

Students must have taken at least one Calculus course to apply to the program. We strongly encourage completing Calculus I, in preparation for the required Calculus II course.  Students who have already completed Calculus A may use it to satisfy the Calculus II prerequisite in place of Calculus I.

No other specific coursework is required to apply. However, we do strongly encourage current Mendoza students to take the following Mendoza core required courses during their first year of study:

•       ITAO 20200: Foundations of Statistics

•       ITAO 20210: Foundations of Coding

Application Timeline

The application opens once each year during the month of February.  Additional details will be posted here when the application process nears.  Students will be asked to provide:

•       Academic credentials demonstrating your readiness for coursework in both business and computer science.

•       A personal statement, submitted as an essay or video, describing how you intend to integrate technology and business.

 

  • 3 courses in the General Liberal Arts – 9 Credits
(University requirement is six, but Statistics satisfies WKQR, Economics satisfies WKSS, and Calculus I satisfies the second WKQR)
  • 4 courses exploring Catholic Dimensions – 12 credits
  • 2 courses in Writing – 6 credits
  • Moreau Seminar – 2 credits
  • Microeconomics – 3 credits
  • Calculus I or Calculus A – 4 credits
  • Foundations of Accountancy – 3 credits
  • Foundations of Finance – 3 credits
  • Foundations of Statistics – 3 credits
  • Foundations of Coding – 3 credits
  • Foundations of Marketing – 3 credits
  • Foundations of Leadership – 1.5 credits
  • Foundations of Strategy – 1.5 credits
  • Foundations of Ethical Behavior (Cohort-specific version) – 3 credits
  • Business Broadening Electives – 9 credits

Computer Science Core Requirements (19.5 credits)

  • Fundamentals of Computing – 4 credits
  • Data Structures – 3.5 credits
  • Software Systems – 3 credits
  • Theory of Computing – 3 credits
  • Design and Analysis of Algorithms – 3 credits
  • Computer Organization – 3 credits

Computer Science Math Requirements (10 credits)

  • Calculus II – 4 credits
  • Discrete Mathematics – 3 credits
  • Three credits from the following list:
    • Math 20550 (Calculus III)
    • Math 20610 (Linear Algebra)
    • Math 20580 (Linear Algebra with Differential Equations)
    • ACMS 20620 (Applied Linear Algebra)
    • Petitions to accept other Math or ACMS courses will be considered, but introductory courses are generally not approved. (Note: Credit cannot be granted for both Math 20610 and Math 20580) – 3 credits

Computer Science and Engineering  (CSE) Electives Requirements

  • Approved CSE electives (30000 level or higher).

Mendoza students are required to complete the academic requirements for one of the business majors offered in the Mendoza College of Business. The BCS Course Plan offers a detailed guide to the pathways for fulfilling each major’s requirements, including a comprehensive credit breakdown for the BCS dual major.

For specific questions about major requirements or additional guidance for the BCS dual major, please reach out to Mendoza’s Undergraduate Advising Office.