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UdemyBestseller on UdemyIntroduction to Computer SciencePaid courseBeginner levelCertificate

Computer Science 101: Master the Theory Behind Programming (Udemy.com)

Computer Science 101: Learn Computer Science to become a better Programmer and Software Engineer.

4.5
6,859 reviews

Created by: Kurt Anderson

Last updated May 2026

Our take

Based on the ratings of 6,859 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in May 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.

Kurt Anderson's course is a language-free introduction to the theory behind programming. The syllabus shows 103 lectures and about 12 hours, covering Big O, arrays, linked lists, stacks and queues, sorting, trees, heaps, graphs and hashing. There are no coding exercises, only nine quizzes and 21 articles. It has 41,702 students and a Bestseller badge. It fits people who want the concepts first, whether they are brand new or coming back after years away.

Reviewers like how plainly things are explained. One says it covers computer science concepts without having to understand code, and a returning learner called it a useful refresher after 30 years away. Of 6,859 ratings, about 90 percent are four or five stars. The complaints are consistent, though. Some find the instructor's language too complicated or his delivery stressed, the blackboard handwriting is hard to read, and one reviewer says the binary lessons make no sense to them. A couple of low scores are about refunds and certificates, not teaching. One reviewer wants written definitions for every video.

The last update was May 2026, which is fine for theory that has barely changed since the course launched in 2017. Expect to pair it with a language course for hands-on practice, because nothing here has you write code. Our reading is that it is a good first pass for nervous beginners and much less useful once you have already built a linked list yourself. Sample the binary lessons first, since one reviewer found them confusing and another picked them up in ten minutes.

Best forBeginners who want data structures and Big O explained without code, before they touch a programming language.
Skip it ifYou want coding exercises or interview practice, or you already know Big O and the basic data structures.

Pros

  • Covers linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, heaps, graphs and hashing in one 12-hour course
  • Reviewers call the explanations simple and say no coding background is needed
  • Typed notes come with the lessons, which one reviewer says they like having
  • Last updated May 2026, and about 90 percent of 6,859 ratings are four or five stars

Cons

  • No coding exercises or projects, so the ideas are never applied in real code
  • Blackboard handwriting is hard to read, and some reviewers find the delivery stressed
  • Some reviewers find the wording too complicated, and one says the binary lessons make no sense
This provides a lot of good concepts of computer science without having to understand code.
Dylan Christiansen, a student

Truly beginner level: no coding or prior knowledge is required, and the audience list includes anyone curious about computer science.

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What you will learn

  • Understand the Fundamental Theories of Algorithm Analysis
  • Be able to Compare Various Algorithms
  • Understand When to use Different Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Understand the Fundamentals of Computer Science theory
  • Understand the Core Sorting Algorithms

Course content

12 sections · 103 lectures · 12 hours of video 9 quizzes, 21 articles

  1. 1Introduction 2 free previews4 lectures · 1 quiz · 25 min
  2. 2Analyzing Algorithms12 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.3 hours
  3. 3Arrays 1 free preview13 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.7 hours
  4. 4Linked Lists10 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.1 hours
  5. 5Stacks and Queues11 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.3 hours
  6. 6Sorting Algorithms21 lectures · 3 quizzes · 2.6 hours
  7. 7Trees7 lectures · 1 quiz · 57 min
  8. 8Heaps4 lectures · 24 min
  9. 9Graphs7 lectures · 43 min
  10. 10Hashing9 lectures · 55 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Anyone who wants to become a Good Programmer
  • Anyone interested in the Computer Science Discipline
  • Anyone who wants to learn how to problem solve like a Computer Scientist

What you need before you start

  • A Willingness to Learn New Topics!
  • No Prior Experience or Knowledge is Needed!

How it compares

Against the other 58 rated Udemy courses in Introduction to Computer Science on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 44% of them
  • Reviews6,859#2 of 59 by number of reviews
  • Length11.9 hourslonger than 81% of them
  • Last updatedMay 2026more recently than 91% of them

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Course Description

Master the Theory to Becoming a Good Programmer! 

If you're looking to learn the theory that makes great programmers, you've come to the right place! This course is perfect for anyone interested in learning the fundamentals to Computer Science Theory. 

No Previous Experience Necessary! 

Computer science and technology are often thought of as things only for "analytical minds". I believe however that technology and it's theory are for everyone. So I designed this course to teach each topic in a variety of easy to digest ways. Through these multiple reinforcing steps, I believe anyone can follow along and succeed! 

Why is the Theory of Programming Important? 

Understanding Computer Science theory is what sets apart Great programmers from average ones. Programming theory is something that transcends a single programming language. It gives you skills and techniques you can apply to any programming language you touch. Learning the theory behind programming is just as important, if not more important than learning a singular programming language like Java or C++.

Programming is all about problem solving. Analyzing a problem, and being able to figure out a way that a computer can help with that problem. Computer Science is the practice of this analysis process. It goes over the techniques and knowledge necessary to design efficient and sustainable code. 

So if you want to begin setting yourself apart from the average programmers, this is the course for you! 

Enroll Now and you'll Learn: 

  • Binary Number System

  • N Notation

  • Big O Notation

  • How to Analyze a Program

  • Arrays and their Advantages

  • Nodes and their Importance

  • Linked Lists and their Advantages and Implementations

  • Stacks implemented with Arrays and Linked Lists

  • Queues Implemented with Arrays and Linked Lists

  • Various Sorting Algorithms and Their Comparisions

  • Trees and Binary Search Trees

  • And Much Much More! 

My Guarantee

I am so confident you will enjoy this course, I offer a 100% 30-day money-back guarantee through Udemy. If you are not happy with your purchase, I have no problem with giving your money back! 

Are You Ready to Get Started? 

I will be waiting for you inside the course! 

Remember, this is an online course, so you can take it at your own pace. Are you busy right now? That's okay. Enroll today, and take the course at your own pace.

Thanks so much for your interest in this Computer Science 101 Course! 

See you inside!

Kurt
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 11.9h

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Instructor Details

Kurt Anderson

I am a self-taught multi-media designer and computer scientist who has helped bring the creative vision of clients all around the world to life. Having 12+ years of experience in the Adobe Production Suite has given me a strong tool-set to create anything from videos to websites. Along with this, having a degree in Computer Science has given me a strong analytical mind for dealing with complex problems. Through these two disciplines I create a unique blend of efficiency and creativity. I believe anyone can become a designer or programmer. All it takes is practice. 

I am also a world traveler and have lived in and learned from many different countries. During a 6 month stay in Japan, I became fascinated with their people's drive and craftsmanship. I try to incorporate that same level of energy, passion and detail-oriented work as much as possible in to my own life.

Being self-taught in many of my endeavors, I know how important it is to have high quality content. I learned most of my Adobe skills through countless hours of YouTube videos by the greats like FreddieW and Andrew Kramer. I decided to start giving back to the community that helped me so much, and created my YouTube Channel, AdobeMasters. Through this YouTube channel, I am able to create tutorials for anyone who wants to teach themselves these amazing products, just like I wanted to so many years ago. 

Read More

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Reviews

4.5

6,859 ratings on Udemy

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By Bobbie Cheatham on 5/26/2026

This course was fantastic for explaining the basics of programming. The way each topic is broken down initially and then added upon in the next section is very helpful. The real-life examples are excellent for understanding what we just learned.

By Dylan Christiansen on 3/27/2026

This provides a lot of good concepts of computer science without having to understand code.

By Suzanne Flynn on 3/17/2026

I am learning a lot, but sometimes I can’t understand the teacher’s explanations. Teacher’s hand-writing is terrible. Letters should be written from left to write so that people can read them. I should not have to ask ChatGPT to re-explain something the teacher is teaching. I like having the typed notes. It is very hard to follow the blackboard examples in real time because of the illegible hand-writing.

By Kristie Wade on 3/14/2026

I have enjoyed the refresher on basic computer science. It's been 30 years since I've taken anysort of computer science courses and lately have been immersed in it. This refresher is helping and is moving me toward an end goal of learning Python, SQL, Data weave and eventually becoming Mulesoft qualified.

By Gianne Nicole Juson on 3/8/2026

I learned a lot about the fundamentals of computer science which is exactly what I need. The teaching method was also easy to digest although, sometimes I need to research a little bit more about the concept in order to fully grasp and understand it a bit more.

By Anonymized User on 2/2/2026

its pretty beginner friendly the way they r explaining complex concepts with such an ease its mind blowing

By Alfonso Castro on 12/14/2025

The instructor could make the teaching style more beginner-friendly by using simpler language. That said, the session was very enjoyable! I learned how to convert binary to decimal in just 10 minutes. I highly recommend practicing on scratch paper to reinforce the concepts. .

By Valerie Johnson on 12/6/2025

After his very first video i knew i was going to master this class! His close and tiny attention to detail is exactly what i needed! He's a Keeper!!!!

By Heidi Lowe on 8/29/2023

Really thorough course on computer science theory, I liked the quick introductions, code examples, real examples etc. I think the visual graphics of the course could be improved, I am not a fan of paint, it's messy and confusing :-D

By Loris Matevosyan on 7/29/2023

This course was very informative, understandable and very helpful. Wish to be more lectures in this course which includes AVL trees and red-black trees. Thanks for great lectures which was very easy to understand thanks to Kurt

By Manuel Gutierrez Morin on 11/26/2020

El contenido es muy interesante y te ayuda a entender mejor la ciencia detrs de la programacin. Tambin aprendes cosas muy tiles con las cules podrs ser mejor programador y que te ayudarn a escribir cdigos ms eficientes. Aprendes a utilizar los recursos de memoria y procesamiento de una mejor manera.
El instructor es bueno explicando y simplificando los temas. El nico detalle que necesita mejorar es la plataforma que usa para presentar e ir haciendo anotaciones, ya que a veces que no se entiende bien lo que escribe. A pesar de esto ltimo, de cualquier forma recomiendo el curso.

By Robert Graber on 11/23/2020

Way too fast. Need roadway, not freeway. Making more sense, but still a little fast, but not annoyingly so

Showing 12 of 321 reviews

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Overall Score : 90 / 100

Computer Science 101: Master the Theory Behind Programming
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 11.9h
  • Price: $13.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon May 2026
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:103 in 12 sections
  • Practice:9 quizzes
  • Students:41,700
  • Subtitles:7 languages
  • Udemy badge:Bestseller
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