Fundamentals of Computing

Prepare for Advanced Computer Science Courses

Learn how to program and think like a Computer Scientist

About This Specialization

This Specialization covers much of the material that first-year Computer Science students take at Rice University. Students learn sophisticated programming skills in Python from the ground up and apply these skills in building more than 20 fun projects. The Specialization concludes with a Capstone exam that allows the students to demonstrate the range of knowledge that they have acquired in the Specialization.

Created by:

7 courses

Follow the suggested order or choose your own.

Projects

Designed to help you practice and apply the skills you learn.

Certificates

Highlight your new skills on your resume or LinkedIn.

Courses

Beginner Specialization.: No prior experience required.

COURSE 1
An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Part 1)
Upcoming session: Nov 13
Commitment
5 weeks of study, 7-10 hours/week
Subtitles
English, Italian, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified)
About the Course
This two-part course is designed to help students with very little or no computing background learn the basics of building simple interactive applications. Our language of choice, Python, is an easy-to learn, high-level computer language that is
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 2
An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Part 2)
Upcoming session: Nov 13
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 7-10 hours/week
Subtitles
English, Turkish, Chinese (Simplified)
About the Course
This two-part course is designed to help students with very little or no computing background learn the basics of building simple interactive applications. Our language of choice, Python, is an easy-to learn, high-level computer language that is
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 3
Principles of Computing (Part 1)
Upcoming session: Nov 13
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 7-10 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
This two-part course builds upon the programming skills that you learned in our Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python course. We will augment those skills with both important programming practices and critical mathematical problem
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 4
Principles of Computing (Part 2)
Upcoming session: Nov 13
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 7-10 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
This two-part course introduces the basic mathematical and programming principles that underlie much of Computer Science. Understanding these principles is crucial to the process of creating efficient and well-structured solutions for computational pr
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 5
Algorithmic Thinking (Part 1)
Upcoming session: Nov 13
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 7-10 hours/week
Subtitles
English, Spanish
About the Course
Experienced Computer Scientists analyze and solve computational problems at a level of abstraction that is beyond that of any particular programming language. This two-part course builds on the principles that you learned in our Principles of Computin
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 6
Algorithmic Thinking (Part 2)
Upcoming session: Nov 13
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 7-10 hours/week
Subtitles
English, Spanish
About the Course
Experienced Computer Scientists analyze and solve computational problems at a level of abstraction that is beyond that of any particular programming language. This two-part class is designed to train students in the mathematical concepts and pr
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 7
The Fundamentals of Computing Capstone Exam
Upcoming session: Jan 8
Subtitles
English
About the Capstone Project
While most specializations on Coursera conclude with a project-based course, students in the "Fundamentals of Computing" specialization have completed more than 20+ projects during the first six courses of the specialization. Given that much of the mat
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.

Creators

The creators of this Specialization are the instructors for the first-year Computer Science classes at Rice University. Their goal is to provide a learning experience that is both challenging and fun.
Rice University is consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in the U.S. and the top 100 in the world. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy.