Poly Computer Science Courses
The Computer Science curriculum at Poly is centered on two core classes, with additional curriculum available to serve students of all interest levels.
| Course | Content | Length | Prerequisites, Grade levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro to Computer Science | Introduction to CS principles and programming using the Python language. Includes basic use of the Terminal to navigate file systems, interact with servers. | 1 semester | None, Grades 10-12 |
| AP Computer Science A | Follows the College Board's curriculum with some addition: use of the Terminal, an intro to git and GitHub version control, and class-based inheritance. | 1 year | None for Grades 11-12 Consent of instructor for Grade 10 |
Additional courses offered include the following, subject to enrollment and staffing.
| Course | Content | Length | Prerequisites, Grade levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Topics in Computer Science | Expands on topics covered in the Intro and AP Computer Science courses. Subjects of study include sorting and searching, algorithm analysis with "Big-O notation," stacks, queues, and linked lists, recursion, trees, and graphs. | 1 semester | Completion of either Intro or AP course, consent of instructor |
| Introduction to Machine Learning | Introduce machine learning at a fundamental level, including neural network principles, training and stochastic gradient descent, image classification and large language models. Student projects apply deep learning analysis on large datasets. | 1 semester | Completion of either Intro or AP course, consent of instructor |
| Creative Coding: Generative Art | Introduces students to the use of programming and mathematics in an art/design context. Students create 2- and 3-dimensional designs and animations, and use transformations to generate artistic pieces. | 1 semester | None; grades 10-12 |
| Exploring Math with Programming | Uses the Python language and math concepts to explore geometric shapes, Mandelbrot and Julia shapes, cryptography, and more. | 1 semester | Completion of Intro to CS preferred; grades 10-12 |
As part of our commitment to openness, further information about these courses is available here.