HeatherD

My present education plan is to seek a B.S. in Applied Physics. I'm at a junior college right now working on my preliminaries and general education requirements. I'll be transferring to the 4-year college as a Junior around about Spring 2006.

I'd like to include some Computer Science into my plans so here is my question:

Should I work towards an A.S. degree in Computer Science from my junior college or should I wait and try to fit a computer minor into my 4-year college plans?

I should mention that while the A.S. degree is intended to provide many of the prerequisites for transfer to a 4-year college, my 4-year only accepts a few of them.

Secular Pinoy

Try to get it as a minor in a normal 4 year Bachelor's degree.

Worldtraveller

Well, I would have to say....it depends. Which way do you feel you would get a better education??

In my situation, my classes at the community college were much better than those at the university, with a few exceptions. So I would let that determine your course.

After all, you're trading one piece of paper for another, so the important thing is what you are going to do with the education, so your preference should be the most important. Most employers don't care about minor degrees if it is relatively unrelated to your major.

Just my $0.02

-Lane

Bree

Ditto about the community college vs. university thing - class sizes are often much smaller at the community college level, and often the classes themselves are much cheaper. I dunno, but for some reason the associate's degree has gotten a bad rap (next to the big, bad bachelor's degree) and I personally would rather say "look, I have two degrees!" than "look, I have a major and a minor!" But that's just me.

Shake

Well, since most places are concerned with your highest level of education attained, and since your plans are to get the BS anyway, I'd say keep it as a minor. You can always still mention it to future employers. They'll probably be more interested in your BS. Although if you can afford it, since I assume it would possibly cost you more to get degreed in CS than to just pursue courses leading to a minor.

I did things a bit backwards: I got my BS in Mathematics, with a minor in ... ready for this ... the Philosophy of Science and Logic (their title). Then, during my time in the AF, I earned an AAS in Avionic Systems Technology. I put both down on applications, but most employers have been more interested in the BS (except for where I work now, where the AAS is more in line with my field - electronics).

catalyst

In addition to the excellent points that have already been made about quality of education, if you have a specific employer in mind, it is certainly worth getting in touch with their human resources department to see what they prefer, both for short term prospective employment as well as long term career planning.

HeatherD

Okay, thanks for all the advice everybody. You've all brought up a few things that I hadn't considered. Cost is certainly an issue, another is being "unit heavy" at one or both institutions.

When I was young I wanted to work for NASA (or even NOAA) but at the moment I have no idea where I'll end up working or for whom.

My original plan was:

Finish general education and lower division physics & math at the junior college. Then B.S. Applied Physics (SSU)

I've been considering SSU's M.S. program in Computer & Engineering Science for the future. I didn't take that into account originally. I think the minor would go towards the M.S. better than the A.S. degree will. The M.S. program requires some of the Comp Sci classes and some engineering classes. Since much of the A.S. program won't transfer to SSU, it'll be a bit of a waste.

So even though it will cost more to do it, I'm going to go for the Comp Sci minor. While I'm still at my junior college I can take the few engineering classes and comp sci classes that will transfer.

So in the end, many years from now I will have a:

B.S. from SSU in Applied Physics with a Minor in Computer Science.

I'll also be much closer to having the prerequisites completed for entry into the M.S. program in Computer & Engineering Science if I wish to apply.

HeatherD

The interesting thing is that the class size situation is somewhat reversed here. As far as cost is concerned, the JC is cheaper, CA residents don't pay tuition but we pay "unit fees" of $11 per unit. SSU has a somewhat fixed "state university fee" of $984 for over 7 units. That's about $65 per credit for 15 units.

Santa Rosa Junior College has a lot of students, two main campuses and three satellite campuses. The JC doesn't have the exact type of figures that SSU does but the JC lists 7967 "Day only credit" students with a total enrollment of 35973 students for 2002.

Sonoma State University is a very small university, as of 2001 they list 5835 full-time students with a total enrollment of 7590 including graduate students.

It's very hard to get in as a freshman (and it costs more too) so most students go to the JC first then transfer. I could go to U.C. Berkeley or San Francisco State University but both are about 100 miles round trip from home so commuting is no good.


I agree with you, I think two degrees, one A.S the other B.S. would look better on a resum� but the A.S. won't do me any good if I want to someday pursue the M.S. degree. The computer minor will be better in that regard.

Although I should also take into account my age. When I get my B.S. I'll be over 45, I'm unlikely to be able to spend the time needed to enter the M.S. program. If that is the case then the two degrees plan seems better. The way that would work is I'd get the A.S. in Comp Sci, the B.S. in Applied Physics and still have time to complete a minor at SSU.

I guess I have some "deep thinking" to do. :banghead:

NialScorva

I'm working towards my associate's in math with the intention of getting my bachelors in math with at least a minor in computer science. I also have 7 years of experience as a software engineer. If it wasn't for a deal between the local community college where graduates can continue into the local 4-year without having to go through the application process, I probably wouldn't bother with the associates.

Personally, I don't think it matters. For a professional, any education below a bachelors (masters in a lot of fields) is largely treated as "other certifications" rather than as educational qualifications. Both will show some diversity in your education and put you ahead of someone who has just a masters, but if the only difference is that one job candidate has an associates while the other has a minor, I doubt either has an advantage.

The next obvious question: when you transfer, is it possible for you to apply credits from your associates torwards a minor, giving you both?

HeatherD

Just a few of them, 7 units in fact out of 21. Many of the other associates requirements are part of the physics requirements.

If I completed the associates I'd still have to take 13 more units at SSU to get the minor. I'm doubtful that a minor & an associates is much better than either one alone.

Seems it would be just as advantageous for me to take the classes that transfer (the 7 units) and then go for the minor.