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<div align="center" style="text-align: center"> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/kYYCXtC.png" alt="Open Source Society logo"/> <h3>Open Source Society University</h3> <p> Path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science! </p> <p> <a href="https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome"> <img alt="Awesome" src="https://cdn.rawgit.com/sindresorhus/awesome/d7305f38d29fed78fa85652e3a63e154dd8e8829/media/badge.svg" ></a> <a href="https://github.com/ossu/computer-science"> <img alt="Open Source Society University - Computer Science" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/OSSU-computer--science-blue.svg" ></a> </p> </div>

Contents

Summary

The OSSU curriculum is a complete education in computer science using online materials. It's not merely for career training or professional development. It's for those who want a proper, well-rounded grounding in concepts fundamental to all computing disciplines, and for those who have the discipline, will, and (most importantly!) good habits to obtain this education largely on their own, but with support from a worldwide community of fellow learners.

It is designed according to the degree requirements of undergraduate computer science majors, minus general education (non-CS) requirements, as it is assumed most of the people following this curriculum are already educated outside the field of CS. The courses themselves are among the very best in the world, often coming from Harvard, Princeton, MIT, etc., but specifically chosen to meet the following criteria.

Courses must:

When no course meets the above criteria, the coursework is supplemented with a book. When there are courses or books that don't fit into the curriculum but are otherwise of high quality, they belong in extras/courses or extras/readings.

Organization. The curriculum is designed as follows:

Duration. It is possible to finish within about 2 years if you plan carefully and devote roughly 20 hours/week to your studies. Learners can use this spreadsheet to estimate their end date. Make a copy and input your start date and expected hours per week in the Timeline sheet. As you work through courses you can enter your actual course completion dates in the Curriculum Data sheet and get updated completion estimates.

Warning: While the spreadsheet is a useful tool to estimate the time you need to complete this curriculum, it may not be up-to-date with the curriculum. Use the spreadsheet just to estimate the time you need. Use the OSSU CS website or the repo to see what courses to do.

Cost. All or nearly all course material is available for free. However, some courses may charge money for assignments/tests/projects to be graded. Note that both Coursera and edX offer financial aid.

Decide how much or how little to spend based on your own time and budget; just remember that you can't purchase success!

Process. Students can work through the curriculum alone or in groups, in order or out of order.

Content policy. If you plan on showing off some of your coursework publicly, you must share only files that you are allowed to. Respect the code of conduct that you signed in the beginning of each course!

How to contribute

Getting help (Details about our FAQ and chatroom)

Community

Warning: There are a few third-party/deprecated/outdated material that you might find when searching for OSSU. We recommend you to ignore them, and only use the OSSU CS website or OSSU CS Github Repo. Some known outdated materials are:

Curriculum

Curriculum version: 8.0.0 (see CHANGELOG)


Prerequisites

Intro CS

Introduction to Programming

If you've never written a for-loop, or don't know what a string is in programming, start here. This course is self-paced, allowing you to adjust the number of hours you spend per week to meet your needs.

Topics covered: simple programs simple data structures

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Introduction to programming10 weeks10 hours/weeknonechat

Introduction to Computer Science

This course will introduce you to the world of computer science. Students who have been introduced to programming, either from the courses above or through study elsewhere, should take this course for a flavor of the material to come. If you finish the course wanting more, Computer Science is likely for you!

Topics covered: computation imperative programming basic data structures and algorithms and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming using Python9 weeks15 hours/weekhigh school algebrachat

Core CS

All coursework under Core CS is required, unless otherwise indicated.

Core programming

Topics covered: functional programming design for testing program requirements common design patterns unit testing object-oriented design static typing dynamic typing ML-family languages (via Standard ML) Lisp-family languages (via Racket) Ruby and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Systematic Program Design13 weeks8-10 hours/weeknonechat: part 1 / part 2
Programming Languages, Part A5 weeks4-8 hours/weekSystematic Program Design (Hear instructor)chat
Programming Languages, Part B3 weeks4-8 hours/weekProgramming Languages, Part Achat
Programming Languages, Part C3 weeks4-8 hours/weekProgramming Languages, Part Bchat
Object-Oriented Design4 weeks4 hours/weekBasic Javachat
Design Patterns4 weeks4 hours/weekObject-Oriented Designchat
Software Architecture4 weeks2-5 hours/weekDesign Patternschat

Core math

Discrete math (Math for CS) is a prerequisite and closely related to the study of algorithms and data structures. Calculus both prepares students for discrete math and helps students develop mathematical maturity.

Topics covered: discrete mathematics mathematical proofs basic statistics O-notation discrete probability and more

CoursesDurationEffortNotesPrerequisitesDiscussion
Calculus 1A: Differentiation (alternative)13 weeks6-10 hours/weekThe alternate covers this and the following 2 courseshigh school mathchat
Calculus 1B: Integration13 weeks5-10 hours/week-Calculus 1Achat
Calculus 1C: Coordinate Systems & Infinite Series6 weeks5-10 hours/week-Calculus 1Bchat
Mathematics for Computer Science (alternative)13 weeks5 hours/week2015/2019 solutions 2010 solutions 2005 solutions.Calculus 1Cchat

CS Tools

Understanding theory is important, but you will also be expected to create programs. There are a number of tools that are widely used to make that process easier. Learn them now to ease your future work writing programs.

Topics covered: terminals and shell scripting vim command line environments version control and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
The Missing Semester of Your CS Education2 weeks12 hours/week-chat

Core systems

Topics covered: procedural programming manual memory management boolean algebra gate logic memory computer architecture assembly machine language virtual machines high-level languages compilers operating systems network protocols and more

CoursesDurationEffortAdditional Text / AssignmentsPrerequisitesDiscussion
Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: From Nand to Tetris (alternative)6 weeks7-13 hours/week-C-like programming languagechat
Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: Nand to Tetris Part II 6 weeks12-18 hours/week-one of these programming languages, From Nand to Tetris Part Ichat
Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces10-12 weeks6-10 hours/week-Nand to Tetris Part IIchat
Computer Networking: a Top-Down Approach8 weeks4–12 hours/weekWireshark Labsalgebra, probability, basic CSchat

Core theory

Topics covered: divide and conquer sorting and searching randomized algorithms graph search shortest paths data structures greedy algorithms minimum spanning trees dynamic programming NP-completeness and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Divide and Conquer, Sorting and Searching, and Randomized Algorithms4 weeks4-8 hours/weekany programming language, Mathematics for Computer Sciencechat
Graph Search, Shortest Paths, and Data Structures4 weeks4-8 hours/weekDivide and Conquer, Sorting and Searching, and Randomized Algorithmschat
Greedy Algorithms, Minimum Spanning Trees, and Dynamic Programming4 weeks4-8 hours/weekGraph Search, Shortest Paths, and Data Structureschat
Shortest Paths Revisited, NP-Complete Problems and What To Do About Them4 weeks4-8 hours/weekGreedy Algorithms, Minimum Spanning Trees, and Dynamic Programmingchat

Core security

Topics covered Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability Secure Design Defensive Programming Threats and Attacks Network Security Cryptography and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Cybersecurity Fundamentals8 weeks10-12 hours/week-chat
Principles of Secure Coding4 weeks4 hours/week-chat
Identifying Security Vulnerabilities4 weeks4 hours/week-chat

Choose one of the following:

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Identifying Security Vulnerabilities in C/C++Programming4 weeks5 hours/week-chat
Exploiting and Securing Vulnerabilities in Java Applications4 weeks5 hours/week-chat

Core applications

Topics covered: Agile methodology REST software specifications refactoring relational databases transaction processing data modeling neural networks supervised learning unsupervised learning OpenGL ray tracing and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Databases: Modeling and Theory2 weeks10 hours/weekcore programmingchat
Databases: Relational Databases and SQL2 weeks10 hours/weekcore programmingchat
Databases: Semistructured Data2 weeks10 hours/weekcore programmingchat
Machine Learning11 weeks9 hours/weekBasic codingchat
Computer Graphics (alternative)6 weeks12 hours/weekC++ or Java, linear algebrachat
Software Engineering: Introduction4 weeks8-10 hours/weekCore Programming, and a sizable projectchat

Core ethics

Topics covered: Social Context Analytical Tools Professional Ethics Intellectual Property Privacy and Civil Liberties and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Ethics, Technology and Engineering9 weeks2 hours/weeknonechat
Introduction to Intellectual Property4 weeks2 hours/weeknonechat
Data Privacy Fundamentals3 weeks3 hours/weeknonechat

Advanced CS

After completing every required course in Core CS, students should choose a subset of courses from Advanced CS based on interest. Not every course from a subcategory needs to be taken. But students should take every course that is relevant to the field they intend to go into.

Advanced programming

Topics covered: debugging theory and practice goal-oriented programming parallel computing object-oriented analysis and design UML large-scale software architecture and design and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisites
Parallel Programming4 weeks6-8 hours/weekScala programming
Compilers9 weeks6-8 hours/weeknone
Introduction to Haskell14 weeks--
Learn Prolog Now! (alternative)*12 weeks--
Software Debugging8 weeks6 hours/weekPython, object-oriented programming
Software Testing4 weeks6 hours/weekPython, programming experience

(*) book by Blackburn, Bos, Striegnitz (compiled from source, redistributed under CC license)

Advanced systems

Topics covered: digital signaling combinational logic CMOS technologies sequential logic finite state machines processor instruction sets caches pipelining virtualization parallel processing virtual memory synchronization primitives system call interface and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesNotes
Computation Structures 1: Digital Circuits alternative 1 alternative 210 weeks6 hours/weekNand2Tetris IIAlternate links contain all 3 courses.
Computation Structures 2: Computer Architecture10 weeks6 hours/weekComputation Structures 1
Computation Structures 3: Computer Organization10 weeks6 hours/weekComputation Structures 2

Advanced theory

Topics covered: formal languages Turing machines computability event-driven concurrency automata distributed shared memory consensus algorithms state machine replication computational geometry theory propositional logic relational logic Herbrand logic game trees and more

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisites
Theory of Computation (alternative)13 weeks10 hours/weekMathematics for Computer Science, logic, algorithms
Computational Geometry16 weeks8 hours/weekalgorithms, C++
Game Theory8 weeks3 hours/weekmathematical thinking, probability, calculus

Advanced Information Security

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisites
Web Security Fundamentals5 weeks4-6 hours/weekunderstanding basic web technologies
Security Governance & Compliance3 weeks3 hours/week-
Digital Forensics Concepts3 weeks2-3 hours/weekCore Security
Secure Software Development: Requirements, Design, and Reuse7 weeks1-2 hours/weekCore Programming and Core Security
Secure Software Development: Implementation7 weeks1-2 hours/weekSecure Software Development: Requirements, Design, and Reuse
Secure Software Development: Verification and More Specialized Topics7 weeks1-2 hours/weekSecure Software Development: Implementation

Advanced math

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisitesDiscussion
Essence of Linear Algebra--high school mathchat
Linear Algebra14 weeks12 hours/weekcorequisite: Essence of Linear Algebrachat
Introduction to Numerical Methods14 weeks12 hours/weekLinear Algebrachat
Introduction to Formal Logic10 weeks4-8 hours/weekSet Theorychat
Probability15 weeks5-10 hours/weekDifferentiation and Integrationchat

Final project

Part of learning is doing. The assignments and exams for each course are to prepare you to use your knowledge to solve real-world problems.

After you've completed Core CS and the parts of Advanced CS relevant to you, you should identify a problem that you can solve using the knowledge you've acquired. You can create something entirely new, or you can improve some tool/program that you use and wish were better.

Students who would like more guidance in creating a project may choose to use a series of project oriented courses. Here is a sample of options (many more are available, at this point you should be capable of identifying a series that is interesting and relevant to you):

CoursesDurationEffortPrerequisites
Fullstack Open12 weeks15 hours/weekprogramming
Modern Robotics (Specialization)26 weeks2-5 hours/weekfreshman-level physics, linear algebra, calculus, linear ordinary differential equations
Data Mining (Specialization)30 weeks2-5 hours/weekmachine learning
Big Data (Specialization)30 weeks3-5 hours/weeknone
Internet of Things (Specialization)30 weeks1-5 hours/weekstrong programming
Cloud Computing (Specialization)30 weeks2-6 hours/weekC++ programming
Data Science (Specialization)43 weeks1-6 hours/weeknone
Functional Programming in Scala (Specialization)29 weeks4-5 hours/weekOne year programming experience
Game Design and Development with Unity 2020 (Specialization)6 months5 hours/weekprogramming, interactive design

Congratulations

After completing the requirements of the curriculum above, you will have completed the equivalent of a full bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Congratulations!

What is next for you? The possibilities are boundless and overlapping:

keep learning

Code of conduct

OSSU's code of conduct.

How to show your progress

Fork the GitHub repo into your own GitHub account and put ✅ next to the stuff you've completed as you complete it. This can serve as your kanban board and will be faster to implement than any other solution (giving you time to spend on the courses).

Team