forrestknight/open-source-cs

Open Source Computer Science Degree is a curated reading list that maps out a complete, self-directed computer science education using free online courses from universities like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Duke. The idea is that someone could follow this curriculum and cover the same core subjects as a traditional undergraduate CS degree, without paying tuition. The curriculum is organized into subject areas: basics, programming, mathematics (calculus, linear algebra, statistics), systems (how computers work at a hardware level), theory (algorithms), software applications, and Unix command-line skills. Each entry links to a specific online course, notes which university offers it, how long it takes, how many hours per week are expected, and what prior knowledge is needed. The courses span platforms like edX, Coursera, and Udacity, and most are either free or free to audit. They build on each other in a logical sequence, for example, calculus is listed as a prerequisite for machine learning, which mirrors how a real degree program would be structured. You would use this repository if you are teaching yourself software development or computer science and want a structured path through the fundamentals rather than picking random tutorials. It is aimed at self-learners who want academic-quality content without enrolling in a degree program.