CSCI0111 is an introductory course for both concentrators and non-concentrators who want to understand computing through the lens of data. It covers the fundamentals needed for additional CS courses, while also being designed as a useful stopping point for students who want to use a bit of computing, data analysis, or programming in other disciplines.

The course expects no prior programming experience. It is paced more gently than CSCI 0150 or CSCI 0170 (which also assume no prior experience), while also focusing on styles of programming that are in common practice across many disciplines. The course uses two programming languages (initially Pyret and later Python), with the first explicitly designed to transition into the second.