<p>Well, how tough is the program? I know that programming can be time consuming, but is it killer grade wise? How different is the difficulty BSE vs BAS?</p>
<p>Also, what are the classes a Computer Science major takes first semester (I'm in SAS so my advisor won't know much about this probably)?</p>
<p>Although all previous CSE### courses are now CIS###, the degree is still called CSE, i.e. Computer Science and Engineering.</p>
<p>The main difference between the BSE and the BAS is that the BAS doesn't include some engineering courses like CIS371/372 (Digital System Organization and Design) and CIS380/381 (Operating Systems), which are not easy subjects, so I guess this can make the BAS a little easier. I think the BAS also requires less courses overall. Still, the BAS leaves a lot of room for optional courses, so in the end it really depends on the courses you take (if you use your optional courses to take hardcore math, then your BAS may as well be harder).</p>
<p>The class you usually take first semester is either CIS120 if you have a strong programming background or CIS110 if you don't. See
<a href="http://www.cis.upenn.edu/ugrad/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cis.upenn.edu/ugrad/</a> for more info.</p>
<p>CIS 110 is now the de facto standard for the first class. They've retooled the curriculum, and they now included additional information. </p>
<p>The CIS change from CSE reflects a move to meet ABET's "Computer Science" accreditation instead of the "Computer Science Engineering" label. They want labs with science courses, and statistics courses (in practice, no real difference). </p>
<p>Venkat, if you are legitimately interested in CIS feel free to PM me and I'll discuss anything with you. I sit in on the faculty meetings and I'm pretty knowledgeable about the curriculum.</p>
<p>I'm also in SAS, but I'm thinking about getting a dual degree, probably majoring in biochem with cs. I've heard that Penn is pretty flexible with interdisciplinary/cross-school stuff, but how difficult will this be?</p>
<p>A dual degree with engineering can be quite challenging, especially for someone in a college major that may not have all of the math prerequisites. If you're into biochem and CS you may want to look into the mathematical/computational biology programs, or perhaps a minor in CS. Biology is a very broad field, as is computer science, and there are many options for interdisciplinary study. I believe the names you're going to want to talk to are Sue Davidson and a someone Kim in the bio department. I would recommend meeting with a biology adviser right off the bat in the fall to talk about the options.</p>
<p>I went through a stint where I was interested in these fields, but I found many of the programs to be too new to have any real structure available. Things may have changed since then.</p>