<p>I'm considering applying to Columbia University and Boston College next year. I'll be applying to Columbia College and for BC, to its Arts and Sciences College. Both colleges only offer BA degrees for CompSci. Taking into consideration the fact that I'm planning to go into Business aspect (Manager, VP, or CTO) of the CompSci field by age 25, is doing a BA in CompSci acceptable or should I stick to completing a BS in CompSci?</p>
<p>There is no difference between a BA and a BS, except perhaps if one college offers a choice between the two. In that case, the BS usually requires more technical classes and is more rigorous.</p>
<p>I have not checked, but you can probably get a BS at Columbia's Engineering Division; it's called SEAS/FU Foundation</p>
<p>A BS in any technical field will be more respected than a BA, IMO</p>
<p>Getting a BA signifies that you don't have a real interest in the field and are trying to cut corners. It signifies you might not have the stuff to succeed and may not be able to get a BS. Why would you want competent technical people to think you are inferior? (especially since getting a BS degree is probably not that much more work)</p>
<p>Well you might want to get a BA so you can fit in some business/econ classes for a minor or even a major. But I agree, especially in CS, you should probably do the BS.</p>
<p>I suggest you go to Columbia's SEAS rather than the College for Computer Science. </p>
<p>From Columbia's Site:
[QUOTE]
Degree requirements for a BA in Computer Science (CC)</p>
<p>Courses: 41 or 44 points. Required computer science courses- 19 points: W1007 or W1009, W3203, W3137 or W3139, W3156, W3261, and W3824. Required mathematics courses- 3 points: one term of calculus. Each student must also fulfill the track elective requirement by selecting either a 12-point area track or the 15-point self-defined track option. Supplemental elective requirement- 6 points: any 6 points in computer science courses numbered at the 3000 level or higher, with the exception of W3101 and W3133 or W3134, not including those courses used to fulfill the track selection. The faculty advisor may approve one upper-level, highly relevant non-computer science course to fulfill part of the supplement elective requirement.</p>
<p>Degree requirements for BS in Computer Science (SEAS)</p>
<p>Selections of technical electives require approval by the advisor, to ensure adequate focus. Students are strongly encouraged to select one of the following four pre-approved groupings of electives: general CS track, theory track, systems track, and intelligent systems track. The following courses are required in all tracks: CS W1007, CS W3137, CS W3156, CS W3203, CS W3210, CS W3251, CS W3261, CS W3824, CS W4115, CS W4701, and STAT-IEOR W3600. Collectively, they are called the "CS Core Curriculum".
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>As you can see, the SEAS BS is much more rigorous than the BA (no offense to CCers, but it's just the truth)</p>
<p>If you wanna be a manager and leader in a technical field, you probably want to have the most rigorous training in that field, right? Wouldn't want some hotshot underling making you look dumb one day ;p</p>
<p>Entering management doesn't sound possible at age 25... that's pretty young. Graduating at 22, how can anyone begin management with 3 years of experience? With BSchool, you'd need several years of experience and then 2 years MBA... get into real management at around 27</p>
<p>As was previously noted,</p>
<p>There is absolutely NO difference between a BA and a BS unless the school has both for the same major. BS are a reasonably new convention and really do not mean anything more. It's a a misconception to perceive a BS as superior to a BA and the same with an MA and MS. Many of the top Universities retain their original degree policies (from centuries ago) and only award BA degrees or even AB degrees. It's very frustrating because it's particuarly prevalent in less distinguished schools which often attempt to make their program look "better" by making it a BS. This is why it is not possible to receive BS degrees in Physics at Berkeley or Princeton, but you can receive a BS in Education at many cal states (which is a total joke). Columbia's school of arts and sciences only offers BA/MA also. So if you study chemistry, biology, physics etc. you receive a BA because that's what degrees were called before trade schools tried to sound fancier adding Science to the end of their degree. In fact when BS degrees first began being offered at many schools it meant you received a more limited education and didn't receive any general ed, and you could generally graduate faster because you were a trade person so it was closer to a vocational degree.</p>
<p>This issue is pretty grey now because many institutions are giving in to the S mentality due to pressure from students who were getting misconstrued perceptions from laymen people industry.</p>
<p>Well we are talking about schools that offer both the BA and BS, no?</p>
<p>The vast majority of people do not know about BA and BS degrees offerred from such schools as Princeton or other elites. Instead they have absorbed the common perception that artsy folks get BA degrees and hard science people get BS degrees. A BA in computer science is just going to be perceived as an inferior degree that you'll be toting around with you for 50 years...get a BS.</p>
<p>By the way, an analogous situation from Northwestern's MBA program...they stopped giving MBAs and started giving MMs (Maters in Management) degrees in place of MBAs. How many times have I had to explain this fact to people (I have one)? Far too many...</p>
<p>Go with the flow. Get a BS.</p>
<p>"The Kellogg School offers three full-time MBA programs leading to a master's degree: the traditional Two-Year MBA program, the accelerated One-Year MBA program and the Master of Management and Manufacturing (MMM) program, a joint program with Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering."</p>
<p>You mean MMM?</p>
<p>Don't concern yourself with the exact words on your diploma. The distinction between B.S. and B.A. is generally unimportant, as employers will look at your transcript to evaluate whether you've taken--and done well in--relevant technical courses (compilers, algorithms, data structures, operating systems, networking, databases, computer architecture, logic, discrete math, etc.). If you take extra electives in mathematics, computer science, and engineering while in the B.A. program, you'd be just as well prepared for job interviews and the like as someone in the B.S. program.</p>
<p>Don't believe me? Compare the median salary for the Berkeley B.A. Computer Science graduate, $63,000 (<a href="http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/CompSci.stm%5B/url%5D">http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/CompSci.stm</a>) to that of the Berkeley B.S. EECS graduate, $62,000 (<a href="http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/EECS.stm%5B/url%5D)--a">http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/EECS.stm)--a</a> statistically insignificant difference. (Note that EECS is a superset of computer science and graduates from both programs tend to get similar jobs).</p>
<p>That said, a B.S. would probably require more technical courses--and especially more coursework in computer hardware--than a B.A. would. (But again, you could take those classes as electives while in the B.A. program).</p>
<p>if your not sure I think your best bet would be just go for a BS.</p>