<p>I'm a Cuesta College student interested in transferring into either UC Davis or UC Berkeley in Fall 2009; I want to major in Electrical Engineering (I'm also half considering the idea of Computer Engineering at Davis, but am still trying to decide.) In December of this year, I'll be eligible to receive a A.S. degree in Computer Science, I just have to complete a 'health requirement' over the summer. My question is, do UCs factor this into their decision, or would it not matter? Also, does anyone know if having an A.S. can help in any meaningful way with internships after you transfer?</p>
<p>For the most part, an AA/AS is very worthless. BUT…</p>
<p>After you leave school, you may occasionally encounter employers who rigorously enforce minimum qualifications for jobs, which is very common with government and education employers. Your AA/AS degree may keep the HR screener from throwing away your application for not meeting minimum qualifications. For example, a job requirement may require a “AA/AS in Information Systems or a closely related field.” If your AA/BA is in “General Studies”, your resume goes to the trash. Beyond that, the AA/AS (or even the BA/BS/MA/MS/etc.) isn’t that helpful in getting a job. Your skills and experience are far more important which means you should try very hard to get work experience while in school.</p>
<p>If your bachelor’s degree is worded any differently than a BS in Computer Science (like BS in EE), I would get the AS in CS. If you’re aiming for BS CS, I would hold off unless you failed to graduate with a BS CS.</p>