CSE 130Principles of Computer Systems Design
Covers the principles governing computer-systems design and complexity; familiarity with memory, storage, and networking; concurrency and synchronization; layering (abstraction and modularity); naming; client-server and virtualized system models; and performance. Requires significant programming projects demonstrating mastery of these concepts.
Prerequisite(s): CSE 12; and CSE 101, or CSE 15 and CSE 15L; and knowledge of C programming language.
- Enroll in lecture and associated discussion section.
- Enrollment restricted to Computer Science BS and Computer Engineering BS during First Pass enrollment. Restriction lifted after the First Enrollment pass.
Find a section and add it to your scheduleLive seat counts, time-conflict checks and the walk from your previous class.
When it runs
Winter 2027Open Winter 2027
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture | Mon Wed Fri 12:00pm–1:05pm | ClassroomUnit 002 | K. S. Veenstra | Open 0/190 |
Fall 2026Open Fall 2026
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture | Mon Wed Fri 4:00pm–5:05pm | Thim Lecture 003 | K. S. Veenstra | Open 189/190 |
Spring 2026Open Spring 2026
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture | Mon Wed Fri 4:00pm–5:05pm | Thim Lecture 003 | K. S. Veenstra | Open 187/193 |
| 02 | Lecture | Mon Wed Fri 1:20pm–2:25pm | Media Theater M110 | S. A. Brandt | Closed 60/60 |
Winter 2026Open Winter 2026
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture | Mon Wed Fri 2:40pm–3:45pm | Humn Lecture Hall | K. S. Veenstra | Open 173/190 |
Fall 2025Open Fall 2025
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture | Mon Wed Fri 4:00pm–5:05pm | Earth&Marine B206 | K. S. Veenstra | Closed 60/60 |
| 02 | Lecture | Mon Wed Fri 1:20pm–2:25pm | J Bask Aud 101 | A. Quinn | Open 173/190 |
Who teaches it
| Instructor | Rating | Difficulty | Would take again | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry Veenstra | 4.1 / 5 | 3.2 / 5 | 86% | 81 |
| Scott Brandt | 3.8 / 5 | 2.9 / 5 | 100% | 16 |
| Andrew Quinn | 4.5 / 5 | 3.7 / 5 | 85% | 26 |
From RateMyProfessors, which is student-submitted and not a survey. Small review counts move a long way on one bad quarter.
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