Hi! I got accepted as a Physics/Comp Sci major at Dornsife, and I’m wondering how difficult it is to switch to Viterbi Comp Sci? Do I have to apply as a transfer student or is it a relatively easy process to switch by sending some emails and asking people to transfer? Also, how different are the two majors in terms of employment and access to resources? My main interest is in comp sci and I would rather focus more on comp sci at Viterbi if I am at a disadvantage in the job market or have less access to employers and whatnot at Dornsife. It seems as if Viterbi would be better, but I am unsure of how the classes and access to resources in terms of internships/research opportunities at Dornsife compare to Viterbi. I got into Duke and my main decision is between Duke and USC, and any insight on this decision would also be very helpful. Thanks!
Wow, great options, congrats. Getting into Viterbi is relatively easy once a student at USC. @GamerGal27 has posted a lot of helpful posts on that, she had a son come in undeclared, and moved into Viterbi. Click on her user name and you can see all her posts or maybe she will jump in. Are you in Pratt engineering at Duke or admitted to the major you want there? Do you prefer east or west coast connections upon graduating? Jobs are pretty national now anyway, but certainly where you graduate from can provide better “local/coast” connections.
At USC it is more about the major and how you do for job placement - than whether it is Dornsife or Viterbi. You could also major/major or major minor in them together. Heavy duty but doable.
Thanks! I got into Pratt Engineering and am thinking about double majoring computer engineering and comp sci, or transferring to Trinity and studying comp sci and math, but I’ve heard Duke is also pretty flexible in their major selection. It would seem like West Coast connections would be better as its closer to Silicon Valley and other large cities that are probably good for comp sci majors. It’s really nice that getting into Viterbi would be relatively easy and that it doesn’t matter too much as to which campus I am on; I tried researching getting into Viterbi once on USC campus, but I didn’t find much so your info was really appreciated.
@esimran When my son was accepted as Undecided in Dornsife he also looked at the CS/Physics major just in case he couldn’t switch into Viterbi. He found it more superficial on the CS side. He was allowed to register for the Viterbi CS classes immediately (you can take four courses in any college without being admitted). For CS the three critical courses are CS 103, CS 109 and MA (calc 1, 2 or linear algebra; be was able to jump right to linear algebra).
They use to say on the Viterbi website that you need a 3.0 or higher in each of these courses and you were approved for transfer. It seems as though that wording is no longer there. Still, he had no issues with the transfer even with a B- in linear algebra (went into the final with an A- and totally blew it).
I’ve read that employers care more about the courses you’ve taken versus the actual degree. Still if you really like CS I suggest going down the same path my son did.
@GamerGal27 I’m fairly sure I’m going to stay in CS field and I was really worried about not having the option to transfer into Viterbi. I will more than likely end up doing something similar to what your son did if I choose to attend USC. If you don’t mind me asking, do you know if your son or his friends had a lot of opportunities for internships or research that he found enjoyable? USC looks pretty good at these types of things, but I’m really nervous about life after college and getting hands on experience while getting a degree and am wondering about some of the more general stories of people who have gone through the whole process. Thanks!
There are a lot of on-campus interviewing and internship opportunities. My son hasn’t taken advantage of them as much as others as he is a bit overloaded (and sleep deprived) with his CS Games major and Game audio minor. Still he is constantly getting emails about job and internship opportunities.
Since he has a Games focus there really isn’t much in the way of research opportunities.
He loves being at USC although I think he would really like to get more sleep.
@esimran I can tell you undoubtedly and from current experience (mine is a CS junior) that the internship opportunities have been fabulous out of USC for my son and his core group. He checked out the career fairs at USC but frankly they are pretty long lines so it is hard to get to a ton of companies. I think he talked to one company there, but he decided to pursue other ones he found on his own. Every one of him and his 4 closest friends got their internships this summer by sending in their resumes to internship postings (and through research on their own) but with the USC education behind them - he had several offers for this summer and they pay amazing with housing stipends. The one he took is so phenomenal and sets him up well going forward. I will add, without trying to sound like a boasting mom, that he and his group are all exceptional students that have gone above and beyond while in school, academically and CS/Business organizations wise. Silicon Valley and SF loves USC apparently, again, if you do your part. I will not be surprised to see them forming their own start up in a few years.