Double major in CompE and CS?

<p>I'm thinking about double majoring in Computer Engineering and Computer Science. Is it worth it? I can still graduate in four years, it's just it will be more workload.</p>

<p>However, on most job requirements, they say B.S in CE or CS. I have never seen a job that required CS, but not CS, or vice-versa.</p>

<p>What do y'all think? Should I go for it?</p>

<p>Also, thinking about minoring in psychology or economics.</p>

<p>CS and CompE are too similar for a double major to be meaningful. Choose whichever of the two you are most interested in, and give it 100%. They are similar enough in terms of material, feel and job expectancy that the choice is almost arbitrary.</p>

<p>Depending on the school, one might have more recognition/better faculty/more specialized opportunities. I guess what I’m saying is that you should do your homework and pick the better program that you will enjoy more… but just one of them.</p>

<p>You’d be better off double-majoring in one of the computer fields and either economics or psychology… although if you want to minor (for the right reasons; see another thread where this is discussed), that may be a better option.</p>

<p>First ask yourself: what do I want from the double majors? What is my goal after receiving my bachelors? What do I enjoy the most? </p>

<p>Secondly, can you please provide links to the CS and CpE departments of your current school? We have to take a look into the two curriculum (as well as the EE). Last time I checked some CpE programs are more EE-sided. Also some CS programs are more compact than others, for example, putting Data Structure and Algorithm Analysis in one single course is not unusual (at my school they are two separate courses). This will also allow you and us to estimate how difficult it is to double major…</p>

<p>Third, and most importantly, are you sure you can double major both CpE and CS at your school? CCNY (that’s my school) DOES NOT allow double major in CS and CpE or CpE / EE (last time I checked… I could be wrong now…). It is also not rare because the way our curriculum designed balances out CS and EE for CpE majors. That is, you take as many core courses as a Cs and as an EE (with a few core exceptions). </p>

<p>====
Minor is often useless, unless you can integrate this minor knowledge into your major, or future work. Psychology and CS, not bad idea. Economics and CS? Pretty good idea if you want to enter the financial industry (modeling, analysis, simulation, financial engineering). Sometime you can almost earn a minor by just fulfilling some of your general ed requirements (i.e. the liberal arts).</p>

<p>Minors: I have to take six Social Studies to fulfill general ed requirements. Psychology minor requires five SS courses, and Economics minor requires six SS courses. So I can do one of these two. I genuinely like these subjects.</p>

<p>They both are in the same department, so recognition, faculty, opportunities are the same.</p>

<p>I like CS more. However, I would like to earn B.S in CompE also in case I might feel like working in a more technical-side of computers as opposed to business/application side of computers (CS). Also, since they are very similar and doable, I’m like why not get two degrees?</p>

<p>It is pretty much impractical to double CS with anything else other than CompE and graduate in four years. </p>

<p>The website and the student handbook doesn’t say anything about doubling majoring in these subjects.</p>

<p>Curriculum:
CS - <a href=“http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3458.php[/url]”>http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3458.php&lt;/a&gt;
CompE - <a href=“http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3459.php[/url]”>http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3459.php&lt;/a&gt;
EE - <a href=“http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3460.php[/url]”>http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3460.php&lt;/a&gt;
CS/CE Handbook - <a href=“http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3460.php[/url]”>http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/3460.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Assuming I have AP Credits for Calc 1, Calc 2, Chem1, Stats, Macro, and Micro, I can fulfill all the requirements for CompE and CS in four years.</p>

<p>Seems like CS is more software oriented, while Computer Engineering is more hardware oriented (chip design and the like).</p>

<p>You may want to include CSCE4753 Computer Networks in your program of study.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t double major if I were you. Do what you like best.
If you are interested in working with hardware, do CompE.
If you are not interested in working with hardware, do CS.
If you want something mostly practical, do CompE.
If you want a mix of software and theory, do CS.</p>

<p>Based on the given information, both CS and CpE has a large amount of CSCE electives. </p>

<p>In my opinion, your CpE program is very CS oriented (and toward embedded system). Just compare your CpE with EE, you don’t have that many electrical engineering courses. You don’t have to take Electronics and Labs, or Electromagnetism. I guess they could be in the electives. I don’t know. But operating system and computer organization are very typical courses in any CpE and CS program. The embedded system course in your senior year makes a difference, however.</p>

<p>Unless you can provide us more information about the electives, otherwise your CpE seems like a trade off of CS. It even has programming pradigms! </p>

<p>Notice that for CS you have to take “CSCE 2114 Digital Design” too. This course will cover topics in switching (digital) system, i.e. number systems conversation (binary, hex, dec, etc), combinational logic design principles, basic gates and components, flipflops and etc. These are fundamental concepts in switching (digital) system. At my school civil engineers have to take this course too. </p>

<hr>

<p>I am not sure what other requirements do you need to receive a second major in CS if your primary is CpE, because it seems to me that you are taking almost all CS core courses, in addition to the general eds. </p>

<p>[Computer</a> Science and Computer Engineering (CSCE) | 2011-2012 Catalog of Studies | University of Arkansas](<a href=“http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/2948.php]Computer”>http://catalogofstudies.uark.edu/2948.php)</p>

<p>Here describe the courses. So for electives you can choose something like computer graphic, computer vision. It is totally up to you. </p>

<p>If you want to be practical, you have to DO things. Homework assignments won’t get you too far. If you want to be able to write something (not just filling out blanks), you have to start now. Pace yourself to write some programs regularly. Get to know what open source projects are. Google stuff and get involve with some of them :] </p>

<p>If you want to touch on more hardware, fill up your electives with classes like Computer Architecture, Software Architecture, Integrated Circuit Design Laboratory I, just to name a few that might be interesting. </p>

<p>ICDL seems like a cool class that may lead you toward chip design!</p>

<p>So</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Given that CS and CpE are 90% alike, I don’t think it is possible to double major in both CS and CpE. But do find out how many courses you need to complete in CS in addition to those required by CpE. </p></li>
<li><p>Instead of doubling major in CS and CpE, consider CpE and EE. If you combine these two majors together (except there are too many electives needed) you would get my school’s CpE (we don’t need that many electives because we have enough EE and CS courses).</p></li>
</ol>

<p>That should be more practical. However, given that you have to take so many EE and CSCE electives, I will warn you that it is better not to do the double major at all. You are better off saving your time [1] start projects on your own, [2] join a research lab / find an internship. I’d recommended this route instead of any double major.</p>

<p>At this point, you should try CpE. It follows CS curriculum too.</p>

<p>I don’t even see numerical issues in CSCE. It is an important portion of computer science!</p>

<p>===
As far as minor goes - you have to find out the answer from your adviser. I think it is possible, and if you really like one of those minors, choose one. I think economics is very helpful - more practical than psychology in general. But will that help you getting a job? Most likely no. It can be a plus if you are going to write codes for a financial firm, which they still prefer to find financial engineers instead. In fact, most people don’t have a clue about the economy. Most people probably don’t even know how to calculate compound interest, or what is a good stock or bad stock. Hence, I will pick economics over psychology.</p>

<p>CS is my primary. CS requires 5 CSCE electives and 5 Free electives. If I take 5 CompE requirements as CS electives, and 5 more CompE requirements as Free electives, I can complete requirements for both degrees.</p>

<p>But now, I’m starting see why double majoring in CompE and CS might be a waste of time. I’m not interested in EE at all.</p>

<p>In case I choose to major in CS only, I have no idea what I want to take for those 5 free electives.</p>

<p>

Do I need to have prior physics knowledge for this course? It doesn’t say so in prereq. I was planning on taking this in my freshman year.</p>

<p>Also

Does this indicate anything? Like prestigious or something.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Free electives are slots where you can take any course you want, whether in or out of your major.</p>

<p>If you want to maximize coverage of concepts commonly used in industry software jobs, try to include the following (especially the first one) in your electives within the CS major:</p>

<p>CSCE4753 Computer Networks
CSCE4433 Cryptography
CSCE5323 Computer Security</p>

<p>ABET is similar to a stamp of approval. I doubt that it benefits you except assuring that your CS department is legit. From their website:
“It is important to understand, however, that accreditation is not a ranking system. It is simply assurance that a program or institution meets established quality standards.”</p>

<p>In UA, the following programs are accredited:
Institution OrganizationID OrganizationWebSite
University of Arkansas ,AR, United States
Commission Accredited Program Program Criteria Date of Next General Review
Computing (CAC) Computer Science(BS)[2005] Computer Science 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Biological Engineering(BS)[1955] Agricultural Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Biomedical Engineering(MS)[2007] Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Chemical Engineering(BS)[1952] Chemical Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Civil Engineering(BS)[1936] Civil Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Computer Engineering(BS)[1991] Computer Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Electrical Engineering(BS)(Fort Smith)[1936] Electrical and Electronics Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Environmental Engineering(MS)[2003] Environmental Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Industrial Engineering(BS)[1955] Industrial Engineering 2014-2015<br>
Engineering (EAC) Mechanical Engineering(BS)(Fort Smith)[1936] Mechanical Engineering 2014-2015</p>