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What is computer-science?

ossu/computer-science — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-20

203,601HTMLAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

In one sentence

A free, self-paced curriculum that maps out a complete undergraduate computer science education using open online courses from Harvard, MIT, and Princeton, structured study path, no university enrollment needed.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((OSSU CS))
    Curriculum stages
      Intro CS
      Core CS
      Advanced CS
      Final Project
    Core topics
      Programming
      Math and theory
      Systems
      Security
    Course sources
      Harvard courses
      MIT courses
      Princeton courses
    Community
      Discord study groups
      Peer evaluation
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Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Follow a structured CS learning path from beginner to advanced without enrolling in a university.

USE CASE 2

Use the curriculum as a checklist to find gaps in your self-taught CS knowledge and fill them systematically.

USE CASE 3

Find vetted free courses for specific CS topics like algorithms, systems theory, or computer security.

USE CASE 4

Prepare for software engineering interviews by completing the foundational CS theory sections.

How does it compare?

ossu/computer-sciencef/prompts.chatdigitalplatdev/freedomain
Stars203,601161,705160,522
LanguageHTMLHTMLHTML
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity1/51/51/5
Audiencedevelopergeneralgeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

So what is it?

This repository, called Open Source Society University, is a curated curriculum that lays out a path to a complete self-taught undergraduate-level education in computer science using free online materials. The README is clear this is not just career training but "for those who want a proper, well-rounded grounding in concepts fundamental to all computing disciplines." It is designed against the degree requirements of a computer science major, minus the general education courses, and the courses are pulled from sources like Harvard, Princeton, and MIT. The way it works is that the README is the curriculum itself. It is organized into Intro CS (a taster), Core CS (roughly the first three years of a CS major, with sub-areas for core programming, math, CS tools, systems, theory, security, applications, and ethics), Advanced CS (electives roughly equivalent to a final year, grouped into advanced programming, systems, theory, information security, and math), and a Final Project meant to consolidate everything and be peer-evaluated. Courses are chosen only if they are open for enrollment, run regularly, are high quality, and match the CS 2013 curricular guidelines, if no suitable course exists, a book is used. The README estimates the curriculum can be finished in about two years at around 20 hours per week. Someone would use this when they want a structured route through a CS education without enrolling in a university, a checklist of what to study, in what order, with vetted external courses for each topic. Most material is free, though some platforms charge for graded assignments. A Discord community supports learners.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I'm starting the OSSU CS curriculum with 20 hours per week available and basic programming knowledge. Make me a realistic 2-year weekly study schedule covering the Core CS sections.
Prompt 2
I finished the Intro CS section of OSSU. Which Core CS course should I take next, and how long should I expect it to take?
Prompt 3
The OSSU curriculum recommends MIT 6.042J for math. What topics does it cover and how do they apply to coding interviews?
Prompt 4
I want to work through the OSSU Core CS systems section. List the courses in order and summarize what each one teaches.

Frequently asked questions

What is computer-science?

A free, self-paced curriculum that maps out a complete undergraduate computer science education using open online courses from Harvard, MIT, and Princeton, structured study path, no university enrollment needed.

What language is computer-science written in?

Mainly HTML.

How hard is computer-science to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is computer-science for?

Mainly developer.

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