Program Requirements Affecting Degree Options

College Search & Selection
1

Hello,

I’m going to attempt to paint a complete picture without adding any unnecessary details.

My dilemma involves the value of completing the prerequisites of a desired transfer program vs. the time saved by pursuing a different program.

I’ve just recently completed my first year at a Community College in Florida with a Computer Science/Engineering transfer track. I’m nearing 30, having taken 9 years between completion of my GED and beginning college. For what it’s worth, after 47 credit hours, I have a 4.0 GPA, I’m a member of the Honors program, PTK, and one of the local athletic clubs.

I’m not 100 percent positive on what school I would like to transfer to, but naturally I’m interested in transferring to the best program that will accept me. I’ve always believed the most likely option, however, to be the Computer Science program at the University of Florida College of Engineering. Admission in to this program requires the completion of an additional six critical tracking courses( Chem 1, Phy w/ Calc 1 & 2, Calc 1, 2 & 3) beyond what’s required to graduate.

My honors director does not believe the additional semester and a half required to complete these courses is worth the value of the program. She believes I would be just as well suited to transfer to a BA program either at UF or another college, her reasoning being that the specific degree or college is not as significant an added value as the time being spent. She’s been very aggressive in pushing me to pursue these other options. I’ve received advice from a professor at my school that I greatly respect that is in direct dispute of the advice given by the Honors Director.

Both on a general level and more specific level to computer programming/software development, does the specific college/degree matter if they’re from the same school and similar majors? Will not taking these critical tracking courses significantly affect my odds of acceptance to more sought after/highly regarded programs? I appreciate any advise.

2

I don’t know anything about these two specific programs, but I don’t know how you can do computer science without calculus. I can see where the chemistry is superfluous, and maybe even the physics, but you need calculus. I would be wary of any program that you are eligible for doesn’t require calculus. It will not be equivalent.

3

The six critical tracking courses appear to be core science courses required for all engineering majors. The question you face is whether you want/need a computer science degree (BS) from an engineering school or a computer science degree (BA) from the arts and sciences faculty. I do not how things work at the University of Florida, but at many universities there is little difference between the two CS bachelors degrees, except that the BS will require those core science courses required of all engineering majors.
Since you are nearly 30 years old you probably want to complete a bachelors degree as soon as possible and get on with your career. Going for a BA could help you earn the degree more quickly. Computer programming jobs are so plentiful that spending more time earning a BS may not be necessary.
When comparing your options be sure to find out how many more courses you will need to take to complete a bachelors degree. At this point in your life time is money!

4

If you want to study CS, you need to take the prerequisites for that major.

UF offers a CSE (engineering) and a CSC (liberal arts) version of CS.

https://www.cise.ufl.edu/academics/undergraduate/academic-programs/bachelors-degree-programs/ describes them and says that “the CSC and CSE degree programs are virtually identical in the core Computer Science coursework.”

So if one of them lets you complete the requirements faster to transfer and graduate, you may want to prefer it.