Thanks for your help so far. I am down to few schools for my IS degree. Limestone - BS in CS would cost me about $17k Decent school, missing a few classes, but nothing I couldn't pick up elsewhere. I just don't know much about the quality of the school. TUI University - BS in CS I like this one because it is web focused and I think I would like a web focus. However, I don't like that this is a distance only school with no brick and mortar presence. I worry it will be looked down on with UOPH style disdain. Cost about $20k Baker College - Bachelor of CS - Not sure about this school. I like the range of classes, but it seems more like an ITT career type school rather than real college. Cost $23k Troy University - BS in Applied CS / Minor in Business. This one is lite on some of the major CS classes, but I like that it also can give you a minor in business. This seems like a good CIS style degree. I do not like that the CS education is very general though and don't know about the rigor of the classes as I have heard tell that it is kinda EASY. I have also read a few posts about difficulty transferring credits. Cost $15k Mountain State - BS in CS. This is the purest of the degrees I like. It has everything, but harder core science like physics. However, I know nothing of mountain state and it is expensive. - Cost $26k The costs I listed are based on my own average guess at transfer credits. Beyond that I am just not sure how to pick one of these schools, but I am sure I want to attend one of these. I would appreciate any advice. Also I know a lot of people suggested UIS in my last thread, but I just don't think it is for me. Thanks for that though. NATHE
+1 for Limestone Limestone is my old haunt, so I'm partial. I understand the CS program is growing online and on campus. They have a number of majors but the bulk of Limestone's graduates are Elementary Education and Business. If you do your part the degree will serve you well. It has allowed me many opportunities that would have otherwise been impossible. Likewise it has gained me entrance to the grad schools of my choice. What more can I ask for? :0) Bonus: They are small, maybe 500 day students and about 2500-3000 "onliners". You are not overlooked. If you have a problem there is always someone to help. They have been around since 1845, and RA since the 1920's all the best, Gavin
Not that there's anything wrong with ITT, but... Baker College is a regionally accredited non-profit school that's been around since 1911 and has brick and mortar campuses in Michigan. I wouldn't call it ITT-like at all. -=Steve=-
oh.. well how come their degrees are called bachelor of computer science instead of bachelor of science.
BCS v. BS(CS) Well, let's see... Carleton University offers a Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) degree. Carleton University is a brick-and-mortar institution located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The University of new Brunswick offers a Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) degree. University of New Brunswick is a brick-and-mortar institution located in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. So, your intimation that a Bachelor of Computer Science is necessarily less rigorous than a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science holds no water. Educate yourself; you just might learn something. ;-)
actually it was not the title to which I was referring, but the actual courses. For instance.. no calculus requirement at baker. I thought the title was just strange.
Nathe, I would say, if you are worried about it, look into the other schools. Baker College IS a career college. That does not mean it is like ITT but more like RIT. Nonetheless, I would say, they are more expensive and if you do not like the name of the degree(it is hard to answer a question about the difference if you are uncomfortable or are not informed as to its reason[ie. BCS vs BSCS] ) look at your other options. Limestone looks good, and I like their courses, I am not sure what you think they are missing. I also like Mountain State, perhaps you can transfer in some credits to defray to cost.
You could always take calculus and higher-level mathematics courses as electives. However, I do know that for the BA/BS (Computer Science) at Thomas Edison State College, Excelsior College, and Charter Oak State College there is a definite requirement for calculus (1 year, 6 credit hours). If you intend to work in a corporate environment, then either a CS or IT degree is sufficient. Most of the work in the corporate world is heavily-tilted towards the IT side of the fence which includes much of the programming activities, unless you are developing real-time control systems, accounting packages and such. If you are thinking about graduate school down the road, then select a school which will prepare you to meet the admissions requirements of the graduate school and/or programme. Good luck!
What about TUI. Would you consider them less than? I know they are RA, but no brick and mortar presence. I wonder if that would be a big negative later.
This is a personal choice, of course, but I would stay with schools that have B&M campuses. Unless you have a great feeling about an all distance school(ie. the program is exactly what you want or the cost), it is just a one more thing that you have to defend against when speaking to people not educated on the subject. If you like the web side of the TUI degree you may wish to look at a few different option also: Baker College has a Bachelor of Web Development and Bellevue University has a BS in Internet Systems and Software Technology.
