Computer and Information Sciences
18 courses · San Diego City College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
CISC 150 Introduction to Computer and Information Sciences
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is a survey of computers, computer systems and information sciences. Emphasis is placed on the use of computers in business and technical fields. Topics include computer equipment and programming systems, systems study, design, development, and implementation. The course also explores careers in the computer science field. This course is intended for all students interested in computers and how to use them.
CISC 179 Introduction to Python Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Advisory
- CISC 181 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This is an introductory course in programming using the Python language and incorporating the fundamentals of object oriented programming. Topics include the use and programming of the mouse, windows, forms, menus, dialog boxes, icons, buttons, text fields, files, graphics, and other components of the Windows environment. Students learn to analyze user needs and requirements; design the user interface; assign properties to objects in the user interface; code event procedures; test and debug completed programs and applications; and complete final user documentation. This course is intended for Computer and Information Sciences majors or anyone interested in the Python programming language.
CISC 181 Principles of Information Systems
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
This course is an introduction to basic principles and theory relating to problem solving and analysis in business organizations using computers and software packages. Emphasis is placed on computer organization, data processing systems, decision support systems, and systems analysis. Business software is reviewed with an emphasis on spreadsheet systems including hands-on spreadsheet applications. This course is intended for the transfer student planning to major in business, economics, or social science.
CISC 183 Web Development with Ruby on Rails
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Advisory
- CISC 179 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 186 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 190 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 192 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is an introduction to creating dynamic web applications that interact with databases using Ruby on Rails. Topics include development of both static and dynamic web pages, user interaction, as well as database connectivity. This course is designed for students who are interested in web application development.
CISC 186 Visual Basic Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 181 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is an introduction to programming using Visual Basic employing the fundamentals of event oriented programming in a Windows environment. Topics include the use and programming of a mouse, windows, forms, menus, dialog boxes, icons, buttons, text fields, files, graphics, and other components of a Windows environment in Visual Basic. This course is intended for students majoring in computer science or anyone interested in computer programming.
CISC 187 Data Structures in C++
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 192 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course introduces students to data structures and object-oriented software engineering. Emphasis is placed on implementing basic data structures, including collections and linked structures (stacks, queues, lists, arrays, trees, and hash tables) from the perspective of object-oriented programming. Topics include algorithms, object-oriented analysis, and the design and implementation of data structures in C++. This course is designed for students majoring in computer information systems and professionals in the field who want to update their programming skills.
CISC 190 Java Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Advisory
- CISC 186 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 106 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 150 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 181 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 182 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is an introduction to programming using Java. The course covers the fundamentals of object-oriented programming utilizing the Java programming language for general purpose business programs and interactive games. This course is intended for students majoring in computer and information sciences or anyone interested in the Java programming language.
CISC 191 Intermediate Java Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 190 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is an intermediate level study of the Java programming language. Topics include single and multidimensional arrays; objects and classes; object-oriented programming; inheritance and polymorphism; exception handling and text input/output (I/O); abstract classes and interfaces; graphical user interfaces (GUIs); recursion; concurrency; and generic collections and data structures, such as linked lists, queues, and stacks. This course is intended for students majoring in computer and information sciences or anyone interested in learning more about the Java programming language.
CISC 192 C/C++ Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Advisory
- CISC 186 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course presents basic programming concepts using the C++ programming language. The organization of standard Input/Output (I/O) classes is emphasized. Structured- and object-oriented programming techniques are presented and used to design and implement a variety of programming problems. This course is intended for students majoring in computer science or anyone interested in computer programming.
CISC 201 Advanced C++ Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 192 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent and CISC 205 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is an advanced hands-on study of the C++ language programming best practices currently used in the industry. Emphasis is placed on generic programming through the use of templates and object-oriented programming. Robust and reliable coding practices are promoted through the disciplined use of exception handling and unit testing. This course is designed for computer science students and anyone interested in advancing their C++ programming skills.
CISC 205 Object Oriented Programming using C++
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 192 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course introduces students to Object Oriented Programming (OOP) using the C++ programming language. Emphasis is placed on essential concepts related to OOP, including use of classes and objects, inheritance, templates, polymorphism, pointers and references, and input/output (I/O) streams. This course is intended for students majoring in computer information technology and all students interested in OOP.
CISC 211 Computer Organization and Assembly Language
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 179 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 190 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 192 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 193 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
- Advisory
- MATH 116 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or MATH 141 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is an introduction to the organization of modern digital computers and assembly language programming. Topics include language syntax; instruction set mnemonics; and segment, index, pointer, general purpose, and flag registers. A variety of memory addressing techniques are covered, as well as stack operations, particularly those associated with passing parameters to subroutine calls. Additional topics include machine architecture; memory addressing; input/output; interrupts; control structures; compiling; linking; and printer and disk interfaces. This course is intended for students majoring in computer and information sciences.
CISC 220 Fundamentals of Computer Game Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Advisory
- CISC 179 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 187 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 190 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 192 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 193 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course introduces software programmers to the design and development of simple graphical computer-based games. The course may use Java or C# as the programming language of choice. Emphasis is placed on developing games in a team environment, designing logical games that satisfy player needs, and ensuring that games are of high quality through use of software engineering best practices and proper testing. This course is for students with some previous software programming experience.
CISC 221 Intermediate Computer Game Programming
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 220 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course covers the field of software game program development. Students work as a team to design and build a complex software game. Students learn more complex elements of game construction, constituent technologies that facilitate their development, and collaborative software development and integration methodologies. This course is designed for students interested in furthering their knowledge in software game development.
CISC 246 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- CISC 106 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 179 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 187 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 190 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 192 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 193 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or CISC 201 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
- Advisory
- MATH 245 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This is a course in discrete mathematics to include concepts and techniques in practical and theoretical computer science, and related disciplines. Topics include graph theory, algebras, probability theory, complexity analysis, and models of computation. This course is intended for transfer students planning to major in computer science.
CISC 270 Work Experience
- Units
- 1-4
- Hours
- 54 - 216 hours other
This course provides on-the-job learning experiences for students employed in a job or internship related to an occupational major. Students develop workplace competencies, critical thinking skills, and problem solving abilities through the creation and achievement of job-related behavioral learning objectives. One unit of credit may be earned for every 54 hours of work experience. A maximum of fourteen credit hours for all work experience subject areas may be earned during one enrollment period. This course is intended for students majoring or interested in an occupational field of study.
CISC 290 Independent Study
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- 48-162 hours other
This course is for students who wish to conduct additional research, special problems or projects, or other learning activities in the field of computer and information sciences. It is not intended to replace an existing course in the discipline. In this course students have a written contract with their instructor for activities such as: problem analyses, engaging in primary research, and preparing reports.
CISC 450 Security Analytics and Visualization
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 32 - 36 hours lecture/48-54 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- CISC 179 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
- Corequisite
- Completion of or concurrent enrollment in: STAT C1000 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is a study of the process of using data collection, aggregation, and analysis tools for security monitoring and threat detection. Emphasis is placed on essential technical knowledge used for predictive analytics and the visualization of information to detect behaviors that indicate malicious activity. Topics include predictive modeling, data analytics, machine learning, automation, and understanding data through graphical representation. This course is designed for students in the Cyber Defense and Analysis program.