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ossu logocomputer-science

🎓 Path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science!

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Top Related Projects

Video discussing this curriculum:

A complete computer science study plan to become a software engineer.

Interactive roadmaps, guides and other educational content to help developers grow in their careers.

323,302

😎 Awesome lists about all kinds of interesting topics

:books: Freely available programming books

Learn how to design large-scale systems. Prep for the system design interview. Includes Anki flashcards.

Quick Overview

OSSU/computer-science is a comprehensive, open-source curriculum for studying computer science. It provides a complete undergraduate-level education in computer science using online materials and courses, all freely available. The curriculum is designed to be self-paced and covers a wide range of topics from introductory programming to advanced subjects like machine learning and computer graphics.

Pros

  • Free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection
  • Comprehensive curriculum covering a broad range of computer science topics
  • Regularly updated with new courses and materials
  • Supported by a large community of learners and contributors

Cons

  • Requires significant self-discipline and time management
  • Lacks formal accreditation or official degree
  • Some courses may become outdated or unavailable over time
  • Limited direct interaction with instructors compared to traditional education

Competitor Comparisons

Video discussing this curriculum:

Pros of open-source-cs

  • More concise curriculum, easier to follow for beginners
  • Includes practical projects and coding exercises
  • Focuses on modern, industry-relevant technologies

Cons of open-source-cs

  • Less comprehensive coverage of computer science fundamentals
  • Fewer advanced topics and specialized courses
  • Limited community support and updates compared to computer-science

Code Comparison

While both repositories primarily contain curriculum outlines rather than code, open-source-cs includes some project suggestions. Here's an example from the Web Development section:

# open-source-cs project suggestion
def fibonacci(n):
    if n <= 1:
        return n
    else:
        return fibonacci(n-1) + fibonacci(n-2)

computer-science doesn't typically include code snippets, focusing instead on course listings and resources.

Both repositories aim to provide free, self-paced computer science education. computer-science offers a more traditional, academically-oriented curriculum, while open-source-cs takes a more practical, project-based approach. The choice between them depends on individual learning goals and preferences.

A complete computer science study plan to become a software engineer.

Pros of coding-interview-university

  • More focused on interview preparation and algorithmic problem-solving
  • Includes specific advice for getting a job at large tech companies
  • Provides a structured study plan with estimated time commitments

Cons of coding-interview-university

  • Less comprehensive coverage of general computer science topics
  • May not provide as much depth in theoretical concepts
  • Primarily geared towards software engineering roles, potentially limiting for other CS career paths

Code Comparison

While both repositories primarily focus on learning resources rather than code, coding-interview-university does include some code examples for data structures and algorithms. For instance:

# coding-interview-university example (Binary Search Tree)
class Node:
    def __init__(self, data):
        self.left = None
        self.right = None
        self.data = data

computer-science, on the other hand, doesn't typically include code snippets directly in the repository. Instead, it links to external resources that may contain code examples.

Summary

coding-interview-university is more tailored for those preparing for software engineering interviews, with a focus on practical skills and problem-solving. computer-science offers a broader, more academic approach to learning computer science fundamentals. The choice between the two depends on your specific goals and learning preferences.

Interactive roadmaps, guides and other educational content to help developers grow in their careers.

Pros of developer-roadmap

  • Provides visual roadmaps for different tech roles (frontend, backend, DevOps)
  • Regularly updated with current industry trends and technologies
  • Offers a broader overview of various tech career paths

Cons of developer-roadmap

  • Less structured learning path compared to computer-science
  • Focuses more on technologies and tools rather than fundamental CS concepts
  • May lack depth in theoretical computer science topics

Code comparison

Not applicable for these repositories, as they primarily contain educational content and roadmaps rather than code samples.

Summary

computer-science offers a more structured, academic approach to learning computer science fundamentals, while developer-roadmap provides a visual guide to various tech career paths and current industry technologies. The former is better suited for those seeking a comprehensive CS education, while the latter is ideal for professionals looking to navigate their career development in specific tech roles.

Both repositories serve different purposes and can be complementary. computer-science provides a solid theoretical foundation, while developer-roadmap offers practical guidance on industry-relevant skills and technologies. Depending on your goals, you might benefit from using both resources in conjunction.

323,302

😎 Awesome lists about all kinds of interesting topics

Pros of awesome

  • Broader scope covering various tech topics beyond computer science
  • More community-driven with contributions from a large number of developers
  • Frequently updated with new resources and categories

Cons of awesome

  • Less structured learning path compared to computer-science
  • May be overwhelming due to the sheer volume of resources
  • Quality of resources can vary as it's a community-curated list

Code comparison

While both repositories primarily consist of markdown files, awesome includes a small amount of JavaScript for its website:

// awesome
const awesome = require('awesome-lint');

awesome().then(function (result) {
  console.log(result);
});

computer-science doesn't contain any code samples, as it focuses on curriculum structure and course links.

Summary

awesome is a vast collection of curated lists covering various tech topics, offering a wide range of resources but potentially overwhelming for beginners. computer-science provides a more structured approach to learning computer science, with a clear curriculum path but a narrower focus. Both repositories serve different purposes and can be complementary for learners depending on their goals and experience level.

:books: Freely available programming books

Pros of free-programming-books

  • Extensive collection of free resources covering a wide range of programming languages and topics
  • Regularly updated with community contributions
  • Available in multiple languages, making it accessible to a global audience

Cons of free-programming-books

  • Lacks a structured curriculum or learning path
  • Quality of resources may vary, as it's a curated list rather than a designed course
  • May overwhelm beginners due to the sheer volume of resources

Code comparison

Not applicable, as both repositories are primarily resource collections and don't contain significant code samples.

Summary

computer-science offers a structured curriculum for self-taught computer science education, while free-programming-books provides a vast collection of free programming resources. The former is better suited for those seeking a comprehensive, guided learning experience, while the latter is ideal for reference and supplementary materials across various programming topics.

computer-science focuses on depth and structure, whereas free-programming-books emphasizes breadth and accessibility. Both repositories serve different purposes and can be complementary for learners at various stages of their programming journey.

Learn how to design large-scale systems. Prep for the system design interview. Includes Anki flashcards.

Pros of system-design-primer

  • Focused specifically on system design and scalability concepts
  • Includes visual aids and diagrams to illustrate complex topics
  • Provides practical examples and case studies of real-world systems

Cons of system-design-primer

  • Narrower scope, covering only system design rather than a full CS curriculum
  • Less structured learning path compared to computer-science's comprehensive course list
  • May require more prior knowledge in computer science fundamentals

Code comparison

While both repositories primarily focus on educational content rather than code, system-design-primer does include some code snippets for illustrative purposes:

# system-design-primer example (Python)
def get_user(request):
    user_id = request.GET.get('user_id')
    user = User.objects.get(id=user_id)
    return JsonResponse({'user': user})

computer-science doesn't typically include code snippets, as it's more of a curriculum guide.

Summary

system-design-primer is an excellent resource for those specifically interested in system design and scalability, offering in-depth coverage with visual aids and practical examples. However, computer-science provides a more comprehensive computer science education covering a broader range of topics in a structured curriculum format. The choice between the two depends on the learner's specific goals and prior knowledge.

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README

Open Source Society logo

Open Source Society University

Path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science!

Awesome Open Source Society University - Computer Science

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:

  • Be open for enrollment
  • Run regularly (ideally in self-paced format, otherwise running multiple times per year)
  • Be of generally high quality in teaching materials and pedagogical principles
  • Match the curricular standards of the CS 2013: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Science

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:

  • Intro CS: for students to try out CS and see if it's right for them
  • Core CS: corresponds roughly to the first three years of a computer science curriculum, taking classes that all majors would be required to take
  • Advanced CS: corresponds roughly to the final year of a computer science curriculum, taking electives according to the student's interests
  • Final Project: a project for students to validate, consolidate, and display their knowledge, to be evaluated by their peers worldwide

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.

  • We recommend doing all courses in Core CS, only skipping a course when you are certain that you've already learned the material previously.
  • For simplicity, we recommend working through courses (especially Core CS) in order from top to bottom. Some students choose to study multiple courses at a time in order to vary the material they are working on is a day/week. A popular option is to take the math courses in parallel with the introductory courses. Course prerequisites are listed to help you determine if you are prepared for a given course.
  • Courses in Advanced CS are electives. Choose one subject (e.g. Advanced programming) you want to become an expert in and take all the courses under that heading. You can also create your own custom subject; the Discord community may provide feedback on your planned subject.

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

  • We have a Discord server! Discord This should be your first stop to talk with other OSSU students. Why don't you introduce yourself right now? Join the OSSU Discord
  • You can also interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
  • Add Open Source Society University to your Linkedin profile!

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:

  • An unmaintained and deprecated firebase app. Read more in the FAQ.
  • An unmaintained and deprecated trello board
  • Third-party notion templates

Curriculum

Curriculum version: 8.0.0 (see CHANGELOG)


Prerequisites

  • Core CS assumes the student has already taken high school math, including algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus.
  • Advanced CS assumes the student has already taken the entirety of Core CS and is knowledgeable enough now to decide which electives to take.
  • Note that Advanced systems assumes the student has taken a basic physics course (e.g. AP Physics in high school).

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
Class-based Program Design13 weeks5-10 hours/weekSystematic Program Design, High School Mathchat
Object-Oriented Design13 weeks5-10 hours/weekClass Based Program Designchat
Software Architecture4 weeks2-5 hours/weekObject Oriented Designchat

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: Introduction6 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:

  • Look for a job as a developer!
  • Check out the readings for classic books you can read that will sharpen your skills and expand your knowledge.
  • Join a local developer meetup (e.g. via meetup.com).
  • Pay attention to emerging technologies in the world of software development:
    • Explore the actor model through Elixir, a new functional programming language for the web based on the battle-tested Erlang Virtual Machine!
    • Explore borrowing and lifetimes through Rust, a systems language which achieves memory- and thread-safety without a garbage collector!
    • Explore dependent type systems through Idris, a new Haskell-inspired language with unprecedented support for type-driven development.

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