I’ll be attending UW-La Crosse for computer science. I was wondering if after my freshman/sophomore year if I should transfer to UW-Madison for CS?
Note: I have the ability to get both my undergrad and major degree in 4 years at UW-La Crosse due to credits and their 5 year dual program.
You need to decide when and why you would transfer. If finances (and admission) permits I would transfer sooner than wait an extra year.
I think you mean undergrad and MASTER’S degrees. You need to consider where you want to end up career wise- regional or national. Son added the CS major to his honors math from UW (meaning Madison) and has worked for nationally known companies with just his BS. He self studies various languages et al and says a masters isn’t needed. He is gifted and intellectually satisfied with his particular software developer/engineer jobs (titles company dependent). He had done some grad math courses at UW. Math and CS have some cross listed courses. Both math and CS are top 20 departments for grad schools I believe. There can easily be a huge difference in what is covered in a college course at UW-Madison and other UW campuses (my reference is a friend who taught CS for a time at UW-O).
Consider the rigor of the courses- how much you would learn. This determines how competitive you would be for major players in the field. Your goals also matter- where you want to work. There are many different jobs one can do with CS. Look at college departmental websites for information on where grads get jobs and the specific types.
From what I have learned I’m not sure 5 year UW-LC degrees would be as strong as just the BS/BA You choose) from UW-Madison. This is something to ask at UW-LC this fall. Perhaps if you are an A student you will be as strong and well prepared as students who do all of their math/CS in Madison when you transfer.
Disclosure. Biased for UW-Madison. Plus this is that UW site so others may also be.
CS at Madison is nationally known. The degree of rigor is greater than at LaCrosse, as are the opportunities and the recruiting. Do your best to get really high grades and apply to transfer for sophomore year if you do get a 3.7+ GPA at Lacrosse.
btw- treat college as an education, not just getting job skills. Getting a bachelor’s from UW-Madison in four years with time spent taking all sorts of enriching courses is better than finishing early. You can use AP credits to meet breadth requirements but you should have more than the minimum for your own benefit. Rushing through college just to have an extra year of work or a weak masters is not in your best interest. This is the only time of your life you will have the luxury of exploring so many different fields you otherwise never would. You are multifaceted, not just your major.