<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I recently reviewed the computer science programs for the two schools that I'm deciding on: Texas Tech Honors or UT - Austin (CAP program - 30 hours at another UT school, get a 3.2 and auto transfer to UT). </p>
<p>I don't really understand why they are so different.</p>
<p>Texas Tech requires 60 hours of CS courses, 15 hours of mathematics, 8 hours of physics and 4 hours of chemsitry.</p>
<p>UT requires 45 hours of CS courses, 14 hours of mathematics, 16 hours of natural sciences (bio, Chemistry, math or EE)</p>
<p>TT is a lot more rigid, courses are set and don't have choices. So, why do you think TT requires more CS courses than UT? Would I be better prepared at TT or just burnt out?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>You may want to check the content of the CS courses.</p>
<p>Sometimes, a less selective school gives the same content more instructional time and/or more credit than a more selective school, since the more selective school may assume that the students are more capable of learning the course content at a faster pace. I.e. what may be a single 4 credit-hour course at a highly selective school may be spread into two 3 or 4 credit-hour courses at a less selective school.</p>
<p>Introductory level CS courses also tend to have considerable variation between different schools, though (at least in theory) they should all prepare students from junior and senior level CS courses that tend to be more similar.</p>
<p>Yes, you are right.</p>
<p>Looks like the Data Structures and Algorithms are one class at UT and are two classes at TT. Addiitonal classes required at TT and not UT are: Software Engineering, Concepts of Database Systems, a Senior Project Design and one more CS elective. </p>
<p>Also, there are two intro classes at TT and just one at UT.</p>
<p>I guess I always thought that a higher ranked school would be more rigid in their classes but it seems they are more flexible in class selection. Classes must be at a faster pace! This could have advantages and disadvantages!</p>
<p>Thanks for you help!</p>
<p>There are some math and computer science academic areas that are sometimes combined courses and sometime separate courses, depending on the school. A few of the CS courses/areas that fall into this are:</p>
<p>Data Structures and Algorithms - Some schools combine these topics into one course while others create separate courses for each topic. Furthermore, the Algorithms area may be a sophomore-level course or can be a junior/senior/first year grad course called “Analysis of Algorithms”. Add to that, the area of computational complexity may be added to the upper-level Algorithms course or be a course to itself.</p>
<p>Discrete Mathematics/Structures - Some schools give a sophomore-level “discrete structures” course, some schools give a sophomore-level “discrete math” course and some schools will give junior-level separate courses in combinatorics and graph theory.</p>
<p>Programming Languages and Automata Theory. Most of the time these two areas are separate courses but I have seen a few school combine these areas. Some will even merge Programming Languages and Compiler Design into one course.</p>
<p>Systems Programming and Operating Systems - I don’t see too many solo systems programming courses anymore, but it is an area that is taught just before operating systems. It seems like systems programming is now covered within the operating systems course nowadays.</p>
<p>Other courses - Numerical analysis and database systems are courses that are sometimes each solo courses or each area may have a I & II…like Numerical Analysis I,II or Database Systems I, II. Probability and Statistics may either be separate courses or the combined “Prob & Stats for Engineers” course.</p>
<p>All of the above varies per school. I have actually heard professors debating how to split courses (I was visiting a professor for another matter) so I think these decisions are pretty intense.</p>