<p>I am definitely going into computer science, but I am unsure of whether to do the CAS BA or the SEAS BS. I was accepted to CAS, but I already emailed Greg Roberts and am on the list to change after May 1st if I wish. However, I originally wanted to major in mathematics, but I don't like a lot of the career opportunities for math majors outside of research, and I've always loved programming, so I shifted my focus. With the BA degree, I can realistically double major in mathematics and thus it wouldn't really be an issue in terms of job options. After speaking to professors and admissions counselors, double majoring in A&S as an E-school student appears to be entirely too difficult and seems like it would take over my college experience. My only concern is that the requirements for the BS seem so much more intense and technical that the BA degree seems less valuable. However, I would be supplementing my BA degree with a lot of math (obviously) to close some of the gap. What should I do in this situation? I could always take some the extra BS courses with the BA major, as I will have a lot of free elective spaces due to AP and dual enrollment credit. Is the BS going to be less valued when applying to grad school and/or in the job market? Wouldn't actual skill be the real value? Any opinions on the matter? </p>
<p>Also, can CAS double majors have a minor? I don't have one in mind; I'm just wondering.</p>
<p>I assume that you found the link describing the differences between the two degrees: [Differences</a> between CS Degrees | UVa BACS](<a href=“http://www.cs.virginia.edu/ba/curriculum/differences-between-cs-degrees]Differences”>http://www.cs.virginia.edu/ba/curriculum/differences-between-cs-degrees). Some of CS posters in the engineering thread have noted that Operating Systems is a must-have course for the CS student (required for the BS major and optional for BA major).</p>
<p>Get the B.S. in CS.</p>
<p>You can always minor in math 
I know people who did the BA and BS who got great jobs and grad school acceptances. It’s really which set of general ed requirements (engineering or liberal arts) you would rather take. Make sure to take as many of the BS computer science classes as possible. The gen ed requirements and BA vs BS are meaningless (like… employers/grad schools don’t care about whether you took engineering vs liberal arts gen eds, or whether your bachelors degree is S or A) – your CS courses are what is going to count, and both majors offer you the same opportunities for that.</p>
<p>Thanks, hazelorb. I figured the real importance is the skill and not the degree, and I can gain the skills I need with the BA by still taking those BS-required CS classes. I don’t mind the required CS courses. It is the other parts of the engineering curriculum that I don’t really like. I also feel like that entire foundation UVA was built upon is a well rounded education. The engineering program doesn’t offer that at all. All I would have is a few HSS electives. Science and math are my favorite areas of interest, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to learn as much as I can about other disciplines.</p>
<p>Sounds like you have a plan. The best answer to these questions depends upon self knowledge. If you were an engineer you would probably gravitate toward those extra classes in the engineering school. But, you don’t need them to become a computer scientist. Congratulations on your decision. I think you’ll really enjoy your time at UVA.</p>
<p>ChrisTKD, I know you’ve seen my posts and I’m sure you can tell I’ve been having a hard time making a definite decision, but this seems pretty solid. One of the main sacrifices of the engineering program was not being able to get a second major in math. With the engineering curriculum, you get 5-6 math classes, but they are just the same basic math any person going into science takes (calculus III, diff eq, linear algebra.) Most of this stuff I have already taken or learned on my own. I really want to get into some of the more in-depth mathematics even if I never use it. I just want to learn it for the sake of it.</p>
<p>I am currently enrolled in the B.A. program (double major w/African American and African Studies), and before I did, I made sure to talk to department heads in both programs. Both discouraged the stigma that there is meaningful difference between “B.A./B.S.” because at the end of the day, it is still a Computer Science Major. I am still enrolled in all the same CS core classes (i.e. the ones that ultimately grant both degrees) as my classmates in the e-school, the only difference is our additional electives. Where I have to fulfill something like a Non-Western Perspectives requirement, they might have to fulfill something like an Engineering Science class. </p>
<p>And also, just by talking to people in both the e-school and the college, it is much easier to double major within the college. Another great thing about the B.A. is that the “integration electives” can also count towards another major or minor.</p>
<p>I’ve also talked to recruiters and the usual response is something like “Hey, you’re a computer science major, whatever.” </p>
<p>And plus what’s the fun in the B.S. when you can take classes like Drama and Anthropology as requirements for the B.A.? ;)</p>
<p>Talk to people in charge of both programs, and people enrolled in both, and get a better feel, then make your decision</p>
<p>p.s. i know a few B.S’ers in the e-school who weren’t aware of the B.A., and resented me for telling them haha</p>
<p>Would you guys say that those studying Computer Science in A&S get the same number of opportunities as the SEAS students? Wouldn’t an engineering student get more access to work experience programs like internships as computing is more “mathy” than “Englishy”?</p>
<p>You do realize the s in a&s stands for science?</p>
<p>I never said that one school was more science orientated than the other. Note the usage of the world “math”. In my school, computer science is considered a math course. So wouldn’t a B.S. degree with more physics and higher math requirements than the B.A. degree with more history and language requirements look more competitive in searching for a job?</p>
<p>I have a BA in MATH
I’ve already said that students with a BA and BS have been equally successful in their job hunting and grad school apps
BS doesn’t mean more physics and math… It means more engineering for UVa’s CS options. If you’re looking to do something that is more in line with pure computer science and less computer engineering then why would it matter which degree you have?</p>
<p>Califragil–I started this thread and have been researching it for a few weeks now. From what I’ve found, the BA is a much better degree for someone looking to go into computer science. CS is really not that engineering-esque. From my programming experience, I found that it really requires a more mathematical frame of thought than anything. Usually, the mathematics and physics majors are found in the Arts and Sciences sector of a university, and most of the higher end math classes are part of that school and not the engineering school. In fact, most engineering curricula (including the one at UVA) do not even require a student to exceed a calculus III and a differential equations class. With the BS degree, you will have to take engineering general education requirements that do not really help you with becoming a computer scientist. If you are interested in also pursuing some type of engineering later on, it’s the right course for you. However, if you actually want to be a computer scientist the BA is much better. Unlike in the engineering school, A&S allows you to take a ton of math and science courses even with the gen ed requirements. You would be too bogged down by the engineering curriculum to have this much freedom. The only catch with the BA is that there are one or two courses, i.e. Operating Systems (see above), that a computer scientist should have that the BS requires but the BA does not. You can still easily take these when pursuing the BA. By following the BA path, I can also double major in mathematics, which is not really possible in the e-school.</p>
<p>I recently found out that “The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET”; the BA is not. What exactly does this mean?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cs.virginia.edu/acad/cs-ug-hbk-11-12-new.pdf[/url]”>http://www.cs.virginia.edu/acad/cs-ug-hbk-11-12-new.pdf</a>
(Page 5)</p>
<p>The E stands for engineering. Since the BA is through the college it would not qualify. You can read about engineering accreditation as relating to cs here: [Path</a> to Licensure: A Bachelors Degree in Software Engineering or Computer Science?](<a href=“http://www.todaysengineer.org/2011/May/licensure.asp]Path”>http://www.todaysengineer.org/2011/May/licensure.asp)</p>
<p>For instance, it is important that the teaching program is accredited because I needed to apply for a license. It is not important that there is no math BA accreditation because there is no “math license” per se.</p>