Can I weasel my way into an EE degree through computer science?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>*<em>Note: Do not answer this post until you have read my entire post, or this thread will make no sense to you at all. *</em></p>

<p>Anyway, my question to you folks out there is, “Can I weasel my way into an electrical engineering degree by instead majoring in computer science?” Now I know what you are all thinking right now, you’re thinking, “This guy is an idiot. If this guy wants to be an EE major then why doesn’t he just study EE in college?” However, I assure you all that there is a perfectly rational explanation for me doing this, so allow me to explain…</p>

<p>I have been a psychology major for the last few semesters, and I just got my A.A. in psychology, however after doing extensive research I have decided that the field is probably not for me. Therefore I have now decided that I want to go into the engineering field because it will allow me to create technology and technology is my other passion. However there are three big obstacles that I have to find a way to overcome in order to do this…</p>

<p>The main obstacle that is in my way is the fact that I’m on financial aid and my financial aid will not pay for this degree. There is this stupid financial aid rule called, “The 150% rule” and it says that you can’t go over 150% of a degree or financial aid will not pay for your degree. I could finish maybe up to another A.A. in electrical engineering and financial aid really wouldn’t pay for much more than that. I would be stuck paying the rest of the tuition myself which I know that I couldn’t do with the jobs that I am currently qualified for. </p>

<p>The second obstacle that is in my path is the fact that I am very poor right now and to go back and get an EE degree would take forever and I wouldn’t be making money for a long time! I need something to do on the side at least to be able to make me money while I’m trying to get this degree. I can’t stand this poverty for much longer!</p>

<p>The third obstacle that I have to overcome is the fact that engineering degrees in the University that I’m transferring to are “limited access degrees”. Therefore I would have to go back to my old community college to finish the prerequisites for this degree then re-transfer back into my current university. </p>

<p>So here is the solution that I have come up with: Major in computer science instead. Why you ask? First, computer science has many of the same prerequisites that electrical engineering does, so it would be easy to go back later and get another Bachelor’s in EE. Next, computer science has a lot of computer classes and after I take many of these computer classes I can go back and get computer certifications like the A+ certification, C Net, and other certifications and can start working in the computer field and that would at least put a little bit more money in my pocket so I wouldn’t be so poor. Plus, I have enough financial aid to completely pay for a computer science degree with no problem and I’ve made sure of this. Finally, once I got my computer science degree it probably wouldn’t be too hard to go back and pay for classes in EE with the new salary that I’d be making. Do you think that this is a good idea or a lousy one?</p>

2

<p>Honestly, it is not a bad idea given your circumstances. Also you may find that CS puts more than “a little” money in your pocket and can be a really interesting field. There are quite a few CS folks on here so I will let them respond but, yeah, believe me finishing the psychology degree if your not in it for the PhD would be a huge waste of money (I did it and am now finishing a second BS in Engineering, lots of loans but luckily I had some GI Bill money left over)</p>

3

<p>Yeeeahhh, I really don’t see too much overlap coursewise between CS and EE. The time you spend going back to finish an EE BS would be better spent doing an MS. You can’t take out loans for school? By the way, are you in some deep red shotguns and hillbillies state? I have no idea what that 150% thing is supposed to be.</p>

4

<p>The 150% rule has applied at both colleges I have been to. What about this would be a hillbilly rule? Strange statement.</p>

5

<p>Yeah, so what is it?</p>

6

<p>Finish your CS degree. You can make money with that…tons. Get a masters later on, get a job that has tuition reimbursement to even lower your costs.</p>

7

<p>Art2cs, some states have a rule that you must complete your degree within a certain amount of credit attempts. If you take over this amount, then you will have to pay out of state tuition. In state tuition is obviously subsidized by taxpayers, so schools would get kids through college quicker and not spend a long time spending taxpayer money</p>

8

<p>@Chucktown</p>

<p>Yeah, I’ve heard that the computer science field pays pretty well? Also, would the classes that I would be taking allow me to obtain that knowledge that it takes to get some of the major certifications that many people in the I.T. field expect such as the A+ certification, C Net, etc, so that way I could begin a career in IT as I was working my way through the computer science degree?</p>

<p>@art2CS </p>

<p>The computer science field has a lot of over lap with EE. Let’s take a look at the prerequisites that you need to get into EE…</p>

<p>1.Calculus 1
2. Calculus 2
3. Calculus 3
4. Diff. Equations
5. Chem 1
6. Calculus physics 1 with lab
7. Calculus physics 2 with lab
8. Intro to engineering 1
9. Intro to engineering 2
10. computer science 1
11. earth science/biology/general biology/intro to environmental studies. </p>

<p>Now let’s look at computer science prerequisites…</p>

<ol>
<li>Calculus 1</li>
<li>Calculus 2</li>
<li>Calculus physics 1 with lab</li>
<li>Calculus physics 2 with lab</li>
<li>computer science 1</li>
<li>public speaking</li>
</ol>

<p>That’s quite a few of the same prerequisites. Plus the fields are pretty easy to transition from one to the other. The fields are related. </p>

<p>Also the 150% rule states that financial aid will pay for up to 100% of an associates degree and up to 50% of another one. That way if you have a slight major change, financial aid allows you to still finish an associates. However, if you go from one major to another major completely with no similar prerequisites, then you are screwed and financial aid cuts you off. However, financial aid resets itself if once you get to a bachelor’s level.</p>

9

<p>@Looking4ward</p>

<p>That’s a great idea: Get a B.S. in computer science then go for a master’s in EE. I would have to investigate what the prerequisites there are first though for the MS program. However, I may be able to take out government loans in order to do this and wouldn’t have to pay for an EE degree out of pocket. Essentially I could wait to repay my loans until after I get my high paying job.</p>

10

<p>Dude, they’re not related enough to justify going to school for two BS’s as opposed to an MS in EE. Even at the lower division level you’d still need to go back and finish up the calc series/DE, plus a bunch of physics. At the upper division level, you’ll basically have zero overlap, aside from maybe a couple CS electives. CS doesn’t require anything remotely similar to what EEs have to study, aside from maybe a digital logic/machine language course. You really think CS and EE are pseudo-interchangeable? Go tell that to an EE. </p>

<p>There has to be another option for you as far as financial aid is concerned. What state are you in, anyway?</p>

<p>EDIT: Actually, some schools have some pretty rigorous requirements for their CS programs, so I guess it depends on your school. I think UCLA/UCB requires all the same lower division math/physics for CS as EE.</p>

11

<p>@art2cs</p>

<p>I’m in Florida. Also, I was wondering if maybe I could get a scholarship for this stuff and maybe they would pay for my education. I just finished my A.A. and I came out with a 3.39 GPA which isn’t too bad. The only thing is though, that I would have to find a way to try to make money with this while I was in college. I’m not sure how I would do that.</p>

12

<p>100% of an associates degree? Just tell us the name of the school so you can get good advice. I think you mean 150% of a BACHELORS. which means that if a program is 120 credits…then you can get funded up to 180 credits. </p>

<p>Thats how universities work for the most part, although each has their own policy. I don’t think you know what you are doing and I think a trip to the counseling office is the credited response.</p>

<p>If you just got your associates, then you should be fine because most of your credits are general education anyway.</p>

13

<p>@Looking4ward</p>

<p>Yeah I don’t understand the rule. I’ve been to the financial office several times about this. Several of the financial aid counselor’s have told me about this rule, and it made no sense to me at all. They can barely explain it and apparently most people don’t comprehend it well according to them. It’s like trying to explain rocket science. </p>

<p>However, I have talked to the office about an EE degree and they told me I definitely don’t have enough financial aid to finish it because there are so many prerequisites. Plus the University that I’m trying to attend won’t let me in that program without first getting an A.A. that satisfies all the prerequisites to transfer to the B.S. program because it’s what’s known as a “limited access” program. </p>

<p>However, they will let me into the computer science program without an A.A. that has satisfied all the prerequisites. Plus, they said that I have enough financial aid to finish that degree because there aren’t so many prerequisites. </p>

<p>I just got my A.A. from a community college called, “Florida State College at Jacksonville” and I am transferring to a 4 year University called, “University of North Florida”.</p>

14

<p>thats BS. I’m from Florida. How many psych classes did you take? Im guessing maybe 3?</p>

<p>the problem is being admitted to the engineering program. Ppl change majors all the time. You have a max of 180 credits to take to finish your degree…any degree. Gordon rule is what 48 credits?</p>

<p>Enter the computer science program. If you are saying you havent taken math at all, then just do the CS program and minor in math. You will get a good job even at engineering companies if you take the right electives. If you DO have some of the math and science you can change your major and still grad on time. I would take some of the pre reqs at CC out of your pocket over the summer (cheap). </p>

<p>The question is, what math and science courses have you taken that fill the requirements?</p>

<p>(I went to USF my freshman year)</p>

15

<p>I’m going chime in and agree that a CS bachelor’s and then potentially an MS in EE is the best option. CS has fantastic career options on its own, of course. If you’re more than halfway competent, you can get at the very least $65-75k as a starting salary; add $25k + bonuses to that if you’re really good (think top-tier tech companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft). If you’re more interested in EE, though, then that’s what you’re more interested in. You should probably gear your CS curriculum towards classes that are more hardware-focused, as those will tie into EE better. Keep an open mind, though. If you suddenly find yourself super into artificial intelligence, for example, go forth and explore it.</p>

16

<p>Throw in the physics series(mech, E&M, relativity), math series(calculus I/II/III, LinAlg, DiffEq), circuits, electromagnetism, and signals/systems, and I think you should be able to manage pretty handily. Realistically, that’s about an extra semester worth of course work given overlap. If you have enough free electives, you can definitely get this all done within a reasonable schedule.</p>

17

<p>@Jnelsonmarka,</p>

<p>Perhaps you should look into the certifications you’re interested in and see if (1) you have enough money to pay for them now and (2) if after earning them, you will be eligible for the types of jobs you believe you need.</p>

<p>If you have no choice but to pursue a CS degree, just keep in mind that you might not get a job after graduation, or the job you get may not pull you out of your current financial situation.</p>

<p>You may just have to take some other job just to cover the costs of whatever education you pursue.</p>

18

<p>@Lookin4ward</p>

<p>This is an exact copy of my transcript…</p>

<p>Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20101 2009-10 (20101 ) 001484 BEGINNING 08/31/09 ENDING 12/18/09
PROG: (2213 ) AS BUSINESS ADMINISTRA
ENC1101 ENC1101 ENGLISH COMPOSTN I C 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
INP1390 INP1390 HUMAN RELATIONS A 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
MAT0024 MAT0028 ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA B 04.0 04.0 04.0<br>
SLS1103 SLS1103 STRATEGIES/SUCCESS A 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
Term Totals: Att: 9.00; Ern: 9.00; For GPA: 9.00; Pts: 30.00; GPA 3.33
Cuml Totals: Att: 9.00; Ern: 9.00; For GPA: 9.00; Pts: 30.00; GPA 3.33</p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20102 2009-10 (20102 ) 001484 BEGINNING 01/11/10 ENDING 05/07/10
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
BSC2010C BSC2010 PRINC OF BIOLOGY I W 04.0 0. 0.<br>
ECO2013 ECO2013 PRIN OF ECONOMICS I B 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
HUM2210 HUM2210 HUMANITIES: FNDTNS B 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
MAT1033 MAT1033 INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA D 04.0 0. 0. T
Term Totals: Att: 6.00; Ern: 6.00; For GPA: 6.00; Pts: 18.00; GPA 3.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 15.00; Ern: 15.00; For GPA: 15.00; Pts: 48.00; GPA 3.20</p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20103 2009-10 (20103 ) 001484 BEGINNING 05/10/10 ENDING 07/02/10
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
PSY1012 PSY1012 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY B 03.0 03.0 03.0 </p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20103 2009-10 (20103 ) 001484 BEGINNING 06/07/10 ENDING 08/01/10
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
AMH2020 AMH2020 U S HIS TO PRES B 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
SPC2608 SPC2608 FUND PUBLIC SPEAKING A 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
Term Totals: Att: 9.00; Ern: 9.00; For GPA: 9.00; Pts: 30.00; GPA 3.33
Cuml Totals: Att: 24.00; Ern: 24.00; For GPA: 24.00; Pts: 78.00; GPA 3.25</p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20121 2011-12 (20121 ) 001484 BEGINNING 08/29/11 ENDING 12/16/11
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
ARH1000 ARH1000 ART APPRECIATION A 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
ENC1102 ENC1102 WRITING NON-FICTION A 03.0 03.0 03.0 </p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20121 2011-12 (20121 ) 001484 BEGINNING 09/26/11 ENDING 12/16/11
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
DEP2004 DEP2004 HUMAN GROWTH/DVLPMNT A 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
ESC1000 ESC1000 EARTH & SPACE SCI B 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
Term Totals: Att: 12.00; Ern: 12.00; For GPA: 12.00; Pts: 45.00; GPA 3.75
Cuml Totals: Att: 36.00; Ern: 36.00; For GPA: 36.00; Pts: 123.00; GPA 3.41
PRESIDENT’S LIST</p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20122 2011-12 (20122 ) 001484 BEGINNING 01/09/12 ENDING 05/04/12
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
BSC1005 BSC1005 LIFE IN BIO ENV B 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
BSC1005L BSC1005 BIOLOGY LABRTRY A 01.0 01.0 01.0<br>
MAT1033 MAT1033 INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA A 04.0 04.0 04.0 R
SPN1120 SPN1120 BEG SPANISH I B 04.0 04.0 04.0<br>
Term Totals: Att: 12.00; Ern: 12.00; For GPA: 12.00; Pts: 41.00; GPA 3.41
Cuml Totals: Att: 48.00; Ern: 48.00; For GPA: 48.00; Pts: 164.00; GPA 3.41</p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20123 2011-12 (20123 ) 001484 BEGINNING 05/14/12 ENDING 08/17/12
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
SPN1121 SPN1121 BEGIN SPANISH II A 04.0 04.0 04.0 </p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20123 2011-12 (20123 ) 001484 BEGINNING 05/14/12 ENDING 08/05/12
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
MAC1105 MAC1105 COLLEGE ALGEBRA C 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
Term Totals: Att: 7.00; Ern: 7.00; For GPA: 7.00; Pts: 22.00; GPA 3.14
Cuml Totals: Att: 55.00; Ern: 55.00; For GPA: 55.00; Pts: 186.00; GPA 3.38</p>

<p>Florida State College
Course ID Course Equivalent Course Title Grade Attempt Hours Earned For GPA<br>
20131 2012-13 (20131 ) 001484 BEGINNING 09/24/12 ENDING 12/14/12
PROG: (1108 ) AA ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
STA2023 STA2023 ELEMT STATISTICS B 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
SYG2430 SYG2430 MARRIAGE AND FAMILY A 03.0 03.0 03.0<br>
Term Totals: Att: 6.00; Ern: 6.00; For GPA: 6.00; Pts: 21.00; GPA 3.50</p>

<p>DEGREE AWARDED: ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
GRADUATION DATE 12/14/12
GPA: 3.39 CREDIT HOURS: 61.00</p>

<p>Overall Cum: Att: 61.00; Ern: 61.00; For GPA: 61.00; Pts: 207.00 ; GPA 3.39
BACHELOR PGM GPAtt: 61.00; Ern: 61.00; For GPA: 61.00; Pts: 207.00 ; GPA 3.39</p>

19

<p>Take the CS Degree, and who knows you might like it enough to stick with it.</p>

20

<p>yea its your math. You haven’t taken pre-calc yet. I agree take the CS degree. You will know after you complete Calc I/II and Physics I / II if you want to pursue an engineering degree in the future. </p>

<p>Also keep in mind internships are really easy to get after you have taken the base CS classes. Just do well on your grades. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>