Hello everyone, I was hoping to get some feedback regarding my second journey through higher education. I already have a bachelor’s in Business Administration; Information Systems from UCR and am thinking about going back to school to follow my original passion for video games. I’m thinking about taking some classes at my local community college and then transferring into a 4-year university that accepts students seeking a second baccalaureates, but I’m unsure of which school and major would be the best path for me. I’ve come up with four potential schools in my area that accept second baccalaureates: UCI, CSULB, CSUSB, and Cal Poly Pomona.
Coming from UCR, my top choice would naturally be UCI as I’ve always been told that the general opinion from employers is that a degree from a UC generally looks better than a degree from a CSU. However, because I already have a bachelor’s degree, I plan to not get much financial assistance if any at all, so I was thinking that a CSU might be a better choice in terms of finances, but a UC would be a better choice in terms of networking and finding a job. The other problem that I have with UCI is that they only offer a select few programs for second baccalaureates and the closest program they have to Computer Science is Software Engineering, which I fear wouldn’t look the best competitively in the video game industry because the program requires no Physics courses or multivariable calculus which concerns me. I know UCI has a wonderful Game Science Program, but I sadly can’t major in it because I’d be going for a second baccalaureate.
http://catalogue.uci.edu/donaldbrenschoolofinformationandcomputersciences/#softwareengr
The next school on my list would probably be CSULB. Unlike UCI; Nursing, Engineering, Mathematics, Foreign Languages, and Natural Sciences are applicable majors for students seeking a second bachelor’s degree. So my plan for CSULB would be to enroll in their Computer Science program which indeed does require Physics but no linear algebra or multivariable calculus. Which again makes me fear that the degree may not look very competitive.
http://catalog.csulb.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=2&poid=508
My third choice would be CSUSB. I’m beginning to this that this school may be my best choice because it’s the closest school to me. It’s only 30 minutes away with no traffic so I was planning on commuting to this school from my parent’s house thus saving a tone of money in terms of housing. This school also doesn’t seem picky about students seeking a second bachelor’s degree and offers two programs that I’m interested in: Computer Science and Game Development.
http://bulletin.csusb.edu/colleges-schools-departments/natural-sciences/computer-science-engineering/computer-science-bs/
http://bulletin.csusb.edu/colleges-schools-departments/natural-sciences/computer-science-engineering/computer-systems-ba/
The fourth school on my list would be Cal Poly Pomona as a last resort option.
https://catalog.cpp.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=36&poid=9570&hl=%22computer+science%22&returnto=search
I wanted to get some feedback, Would it not be worth it to pay the high price of attending UCI just because it’s a UC? A big positive about UCI is the fact that there are some pretty good video game companies in the Irvine area such as SEGA and Blizzard, but I’m not sure if it would be worth taking the financial hit to move out there especially since I probably won’t be getting any financial aid from FAFSA. I also wanted to ask, what major would be the best to study in order to help me accomplish my goals of getting into the video game industry? I’ve heard that having a general computer science degree is better than pursuing a degree in game development because its more flexible and will allow you to get other jobs than just games. But should I be concerned if one program focuses more on Physics and another program focuses more on math? UCI’s software engineering program doesn’t really focus on either math or physics and is made up of mostly computer classes.
I’m trying to figure out which school and which program I should pursue now so that I can make sure I take the classes that I need this Summer and not waste time and money on classes that are unnecessary. Thank you for your time.