Does anyone have thoughts on which CS program to apply to at UVA? BS, through the College of Engineering or BA through the College of Arts & Sciences?
My son will be applying in the fall and doesn’t have a preference. We understand the difference in requirements, and he is fine with either.
Is there anything in his academic history that may give him a hint at which would be better for him? Is either “easier” to get accepted to? Can he be considered for both programs uoon application?
I did not realize that there was such a thing as a BA in CompSci. My guess is the BS through the Engineering school would be far more competitive and rigorous, and therefore marketable.
I would set up a meeting with a CS advisor to ask.
I would also obtain career outcomes by each major because you don’t want to choose BA if it doesn’t place nearly as well, even if it’s an easier admit (which I don’t know).
That is what we plan, just trying to learn from the crowd. According to the info i have found, the claim is there is not a big difference in job prospects for either.
Programmer here…I looked through the degree programs. Either one would land you a job just fine. One is a math based traditional CS degree, if you like that sort of thing. The other one is actually an IT degree under a slightly different name, which is just as employable. In fact, I might argue that the B.A. may even be more employable because of it’s focus on practical application. That’s a very useful skill in the corporate IT world. Hence why IT degrees were invented.
On your resume…don’t call it a B.A. in Computer Science. It makes it sound weak. Call it an IT degree, which is what it is.
At most places a BA in CS is not an IT degree. Even at UVA it doesn’t appear to be so. If you want to look at what a true IT degree looks like, for comparison, you should look at a CMU IS degree or the IT degree at UMass Amherst.
I have read the information several times and ubderstand the difference in requirements. I am asking from an admissions point of view to Engineering or A&S? Does ones HS academix history favor one or the other for admission? What should be considered by the applicant to decide which to apply to?
Most students have a preference when it comes to their school of entry. If there’s truly no undecided on that, the College of Arts and Sciences probably makes the most since, as that school has the most flexibility and variety.
When it comes to admission statistics, the College and the School of Engineering offer rates were within a couple points of each other. That stat should not drive a student’s school choice.