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ossu/computer-science

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TLDR

Free, self-taught computer science curriculum with courses from top universities, structured like a four-year degree but completable in two years on your own schedule.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Curated course list
      Structured learning path
      Peer evaluation system
    Curriculum stages
      Intro CS
      Core CS
      Advanced CS
      Final Project
    Learning support
      Discord community
      GitHub collaboration
      Worldwide peer review
    Course sources
      Coursera
      edX
      MIT OpenCourseWare
      Harvard materials

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Complete a full computer science education without paying tuition or attending a traditional university.

USE CASE 2

Learn programming, algorithms, systems design, and theory at your own pace with courses from Harvard, MIT, and Princeton.

USE CASE 3

Build a portfolio and get peer feedback on a capstone project to demonstrate your skills to employers.

USE CASE 4

Join a global community of self-taught learners and collaborate on Discord while working through the curriculum.

Tech stack

HTMLMarkdown
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice and share improvements under the same license.

In plain English

OSSU's Computer Science is a free, self-taught curriculum that lets anyone get a complete undergraduate-level computer science education using online materials. Instead of paying tuition for a degree, learners follow a structured path of courses chosen from top universities like Harvard, Princeton, and MIT, plus supplementary books, all picked to match the academic standards of recognized computer science guidelines.

The curriculum is organized into four stages: Intro CS to test whether the field is right for you, Core CS covering roughly the first three years of a CS major (programming, math, systems, theory, security, applications, and ethics), Advanced CS for elective specialization in your final-year area of interest, and a Final Project where you validate everything you've learned and have it evaluated by peers worldwide. Courses are selected on criteria like being open for enrollment, running regularly, and high pedagogical quality.

You'd use this if you want a proper grounding in computer science fundamentals on your own schedule, with support from a worldwide community of fellow learners through a Discord server and GitHub. Most material is free, though some courses charge for graded assignments. The curriculum can be completed in roughly two years at about 20 hours per week of study. The repository itself is the curriculum index — primarily HTML and Markdown organizing links to external course providers like Coursera and edX, rather than software you install. The full README is longer than what was provided.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I want to teach myself computer science from scratch. Walk me through the OSSU curriculum structure and what I should do in the first month.
Prompt 2
Which courses in the OSSU Core CS section should I prioritize if I want to focus on backend development and systems programming?
Prompt 3
How do I submit my final project to OSSU and get it evaluated by the peer review community?
Prompt 4
What's the time commitment for OSSU's computer science curriculum, and can I do it part-time while working?
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