Best out of the Big 3 for Computer Science?

[Etriguba]

I was curious if one of the three is better than the other if I wanted to get a Bachelors in Computer Science?
Also, what would be the best way to go about creating a degree plan and planning things out?

I'm a senior in high school at the moment and I hope to major in Computer Science. I believe I'd excel learning on my own more than going the traditional route. This forum has been immensely helpful for information (way more than just contacting the schools).

- Eugene

[davewill]

TESC is the only one of the Big 3 that offers a computer science bachelors. I'm getting mine from there in June. However, I would caution you against doing it in your shoes. They only offer a BA. Most employers will want you to have a BS. I've witnessed a colleague struggle to be hired full time at a company he'd been contracting at because of he had "only a BA".

I'm doing the BA because I already have 30 years of software experience, and absolutely could not do an in person program. Plus I already had the extra math and science coursework a BS would require. These two factors are allowing me to apply to Georgia Tech's online MSCS. That'll take me another 3+ years, part time.

[dfrecore]

In looking at TESC's BA in Computer Science, there are a lot of courses that you can't test out of in the major.

You have a couple of options: you could consider getting an AA from TESC to get all your GenEd's out of the way, and then transfer to another school to get your BS instead. It would still be faster than a traditional route (you could get your AA done before HS graduation). You're going to have to find a place to take all of your courses anyway, it might be worth it to just finish up at another school. With the right school, you would still get your degree much faster than your friends.

You can get your BA from TESC, but it will be expensive to take the courses you need there; you can take some courses at your local CC, at an online school, etc.

If, as Davewill says, you might struggle to get a job with a BA instead of a BS, you could get your BA at TESC, and then transfer to another school and get a BS or a masters.

It just depends on what you want to do. But the degree is definitely not able to be tested out of.

You can test out of the BSBA in CIS (it's a business degree).

[davewill]

Yes, had I not been able to PLA so many of the area of study courses, it would have been much less attractive financially and timewise.

If you decide to do the AA at TESC with testing, and a BS at a regular school, make sure they'll take the units. I know that some schools don't accept CLEP, etc...

[Outis]

IMO, the BA/BS distinction doesn't matter as much as some may think. Most top tier schools do offer a BACS from their LAS departments. Furthermore, the BACS at TESC requires Calc I, II, discrete math, etc. It could just as easily be a BSc. If an employer is turning away a candidate because they "only have a BA", the candidate is lucky they didn't get any further along in the applicant process with the said company. A four year CS degree and some good coding projects, with solid interviewing skills, should be just fine. Employers are hiring history graduates who can code well enough -- if they have real code to show (GitHub), and not just an acronym on a resume.

But, as others have pointed out, if you are starting from scratch, it will be long journey to the finish line. A mix of CLEP/DSST/ACE for your general education and open electives can be done quickly (as quite a few people here can attest to). However, a lot of the core CS courses will not be available at a community college. Most of the work has been done for you in terms of planning: check out the degree wiki and fill up slots with CLEP/DSST/ACE, etc. Finding somewhere (or many places) to take core CS courses from (if you choose not to take them at TESC) is a different matter.

Coming straight from high school, many will dissuade you from the Big 3, and suggest a more traditional route. I don't know you, your goals, or any other data point that could help us suggest the best route. I'd wager you know yourself better than we do. If you put together a very solid plan that can be accelerated (3 years or under), affordable (under $10,000), you would be on your way! A lot of time and money saved.

[sanantone]

IMO, the BA/BS distinction doesn't matter as much as some may think. Most top tier schools do offer a BACS from their LAS departments. Furthermore, the BACS at TESC requires Calc I, II, discrete math, etc. It could just as easily be a BSc. If an employer is turning away a candidate because they "only have a BA", the candidate is lucky they didn't get any further along in the applicant process with the said company. A four year CS degree and some good coding projects, with solid interviewing skills, should be just fine. Employers are hiring history graduates who can code well enough -- if they have real code to show (GitHub), and not just an acronym on a resume.

But, as others have pointed out, if you are starting from scratch, it will be long journey to the finish line. A mix of CLEP/DSST/ACE for your general education and open electives can be done quickly (as quite a few people here can attest to). However, a lot of the core CS courses will not be available at a community college. Most of the work has been done for you in terms of planning: check out the degree wiki and fill up slots with CLEP/DSST/ACE, etc. Finding somewhere (or many places) to take core CS courses from (if you choose not to take them at TESC) is a different matter.

Coming straight from high school, many will dissuade you from the Big 3, and suggest a more traditional route. I don't know you, your goals, or any other data point that could help us suggest the best route. I'd wager you know yourself better than we do. If you put together a very solid plan that can be accelerated (3 years or under), affordable (under $10,000), you would be on your way! A lot of time and money saved.

I agree with this. There is no standard for the BA or BS. At schools that offer both options, the BS will typically require more math and science courses and have less room for electives. However, some top-tier schools only off a BA in Computer Science because they only offer BAs for liberal arts degrees and consider computer science to be a liberal art.

[Life Long Learning]

Gov't jobs that I have read could care less about BA/BS. Just that you have a 4-year Computer science degree!

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: (All grade levels)
You must have a Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/423890400

[sanantone]

Gov't jobs that I have read could care less about BA/BS. Just that you have a 4-year Computer science degree!

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: (All grade levels)
You must have a Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/423890400

The federal government is usually very detailed with their job announcements. I have little faith in job ads posted by private employers and even some state and local government agencies. I have seen several job ads ask for a degree from a nationally accredited school. We all know that employers are not picking Ashworth graduates over Yale graduates. I've also seen employers use "BA" as a generic term for a bachelor's degree. I've seen job ads asking for a BA in business, but I'm sure they would accept the more common BBA or BSBA. If I saw a job ad asking for a BS in computer science and I had a BA, I would apply anyway.