<p>I'm applying to Cal and was wondering about the Computer Science major in Letters and Sciences. It seems like an attractive option for me since I'd rather be able take a broader range of courses, I might possibly try to double major, and I'm not really interested in EE. Are there any disadvantages? How does it affect my chances for employment or getting into graduate program? Also, is it at all possible to get into a Comp Sci graduate program with a major in something like Cognitive Science? And if I were to get a graduate degree in Comp Sci, would employers be less enthusiastic if I had a bachelor's in Cognitive Science or double-majored in Comp Sci and Philosophy?</p>
<p>Apply for L&S. Your chances at getting into L&S are always higher than the chance at getting into CoE.</p>
<p>Go EECS. It's one syllable compared to cee-es.</p>
<p>I don't think CS will hurt your chances for employment or graduate school at all. If you're not interested in EE, there's no point in studying EECS. I would certainly recommend a computer science major, rather than cognitive science, if you are worried about employability. You can always take cog sci classes in addition, or philosophy classes in addition, or whatever. A CS degree is a nice thing to have.</p>
<p>I actually asked pretty much the same question a while ago and got a wealth of information:</p>
<p>Just to let you know. Statistics from careeer.berkeley.edu show that the median starting salary is considerably higher for CS L&S Career</a> Center - What Can I Do With a Major In...? than EECS Career</a> Center - What Can I Do With a Major In...?</p>
<p>I'm not quite sure that this reflects that L&S CS is necessarily a better or more prestigious degree. Notice that 3% of CompSci majors are going to graduate school while 25% of EECS majors are. I'm assuming the people going to graduate school performed better, on average, than those who did not. If the top EECS people aren't entering the workforce immediately, I'm not surprised that the median salary is a little lower than CS.</p>
<p>Christopher546 addresses one side of the dichotomy -- we can also argue that the industries saw EECS majors less fit for a job and these students sought graduate school as the more appealing option. Employers often find academically-centered students unfit for the office, and these students are often self-selected into academic career choices. This doesn't apply so much to Berkeley students as it does to some private schools, but the general idea is still there.</p>
<p>I mean, grad school for comp sci is pretty irrelevant beyond a MS, so there's not that big of an advantage in going to grad school. If college graduates can earn a decent amount of money with their starting job, considering upward mobility in the job market, earning after graduation is a much more lucrative option that attending school again. </p>
<p>L&S CS and EECS is fundamentally the same in terms of computer science we learn. EECS is definitely more rigorous due to EE and CoE requirements, but L&S is equally frustrating for tech-y students who are forced to enroll in humanities courses. I am by no means lobbying towards L&S CS, but between EECS and L&S CS, the only thing you should consider is whether you enjoy physics as much as you like CS or if you're rather take other courses in other studies. </p>
<p>Besides, statistics like median income have a horrible response bias. Students who get jobs that are low-paying would opt out of surveys and stuff. This isn't a good indicator of which concentration is better.</p>
<p>well if students who are low paying on both ends(eecs, cs) opt out, then your just getting a higher average, but the difference will still be the same. i think the major reason why cs has a higher average than eecs is cause starting ee salaries are lower than cs.</p>