<p>I just spoke with a very unhelpful woman in the admissions department at the School of General Studies. Now, I was under the impression that, when the website says GS students can participate in any programs offered to "regular" Columbia students, they actually meant "any programs". She informed me (very rudely, I might add) that you cannot study engineering through the GS program. Is that right? </p>
<p>Laura</p>
<p>P.S. I'm really annoyed right now.</p>
<p>yes, as far as i know this is true...you have to be in SEAS (school of engineering and applied science) to do an engineering program though I think a good number of the classes are open to GS students if they wanna take them but you cant take it on as a major.</p>
<p>My understanding is that General Studies mirrors Columbia College. It is always a possibility to do the 3-2 combined program through GS. That's what I'm hoping to do. :)</p>
<p>Well, I think I've gotten a satisfactory answer to my question. The only way I can study Engineering through GS is to start at GS and then transfer to SEAS later on, correct?</p>
<p>Has anyone actually done this? I really want to study engineering--not biology, or physics, or math--so I don't want to go this route and get stuck in GS, unable to transfer.</p>
<p>There's a section in there about transfers within Columbia.</p>
<p>I am well aware of what the web site says about it ;-)
I'm just curious if it <em>actually</em> happens. Do people ever "get out" of GS?</p>
<p>why not apply directly to SEAS? </p>
<p>SEAS isnt very thrilled with people who want to transfer in, the problem isnt with getting out of GS. Also, if you really want to be an engineer there are also other schools you can apply to, why take such a diversion by going to GS first?</p>
<p>Here's my situation:</p>
<p>I graduated from college almost 7 years ago, but have recently decided that engineering is what I truly want to do. I'm married, and live in Rochester, NY, and my husband desperately wants to move to NYC, which I agreed to, based on what I know of Columbia Engineering. </p>
<p>As for applying directly to SEAS, my degree is in Writing, not a science or math, and I really don't have anything in my past to "prove" that I should be doing engineering. I finished high school 10 years ago, and though I did really well, at this point it's probably moot. I have been taking math classes at my local community college, and I got A's in them, so I have a little bit of a record to back up my choice. I guess my point is I don't think my chances for getting into SEAS as a regular transfer would be too good, but GS seems like a perfect match for me. But, of course, now I find out I can't do engineering, so I'm trying to figure out a way to a) Go to Columbia University, and b) Study engineering, while c) Appeasing my bored husband (just kidding about that...sort of ;-))</p>
<p>Laura</p>
<p>Oh, and as for the 3-2 program, I really don't want to have to re-take any more of the Liberal Arts stuff I have already taken than is absolutely necessary.</p>
<p>Your profile sounds like a perfect match for General Studies. Just an idea: in GS you can major in Computer Science, Statistics, or (Bio-)chemistry. In addition, you can take any engineering classes in SEAS as electives for your GS degree. I am doing Economics-Operations Research in GS and take my OR classes with SEAS students.</p>
<p>GS is used to students who already went to college for a while and a lot of the Liberal Arts requirements will be fullfilled by the classes you took. But you will always need to take some Liberal Arts classes, but it's the same in SEAS.</p>
<p>Having said that, I do not know if GS admits students who already have their undergraduate degree (other than pre-meds). Maybe you should also consider the 'second major program' from the School of Continuing Education.
<a href="http://www.ce.columbia.edu/smp/%5B/url%5D">http://www.ce.columbia.edu/smp/</a></p>