VegasMom

Does anyone have good feedback on CS programs at Cal Poly and Rose Hulman?? any info would be appreciated.

bjornredtail

I'm a Computer Science (CSC around here) student at Poly at the moment. Although I'm not at all familiar with Rose-Hulman, I can say few things about the program at Cal Poly.

1. CSC/CPE 101, the very first programming class you take here, is in C. I've heard that the compilers classes involve SCHEME or LISP or some language like that. That tells you how the program here is set up, namely things go from the bottom up in terms computer architecture. This means that Computer Science students have a chance to learn quite a bit of low-level stuff that you typically wouldn't think of as being part of a Computer Science program.
2. CSC/CPE 102, 103 are in Java. The other half of the major is basically software engineering. I find this just a little bit disappointing. Computer Science at Cal Poly isn't really Computer Science, it's Software Engineering with some (but not all that much) additional hardwareish stuff. You will learn a lot about write programs and applications, about how the industry works. You will be lacking in some of the theory that you might be thinking of when you think of Computer Science. I've heard that's par for the course though... That if you want to get deeper into the more mathematical aspects, like proofs and algorithms, you should go to grad school anyways.

Of course, that's just one student's view. My viewpoint is likely to change throughout the remainder of my academic career.

VegasMom

Thank you for your response! My S decided to change major to Comp Engineering. Heavier degree and from what we've been told, more opportunity for employment. It's a shame that CP program isn't as good as one is led to believe; on top of that, CP education cuts don't help. The whole get a great education at a great price is failing. Warren Baker better realize that and recognize people are going to go to other institutes for quality degree. I just feel this adds more confirmation to what I already thought. Thank you for sharing!

ralph4

If you've got the extra 20K/30K per year, go for that quality degree at Rose Hulman.

Costs from College board -- Fall 2009

Cal Poly in-state tuition & fees $5,826
Cal Poly Out-of-state tuition & fees $15,996
Rose Hulman tuition and fees $34,560

Room and board cost are about the same.

bjornredtail

College of Engineering - Academic/Administrative Probation
^
That's perhaps the most viable and most annoying part of the cuts I've seen so far. Perhaps some electives might get cut (the Web Dev class I'm currently enrolled in will not be offered in winter, for example) but the department looks like it will come out in decant shape. I'm a bit more worried about what it will do to the rest of my undergraduate education. That policy I linked to effectively prohibits me from getting a minor or doing much of anything to explore areas beyond my degree. Plus, I can't take my symphony!

My prior comments weren't to disparage the department... It's pretty good. It's just to explain what order we teach things. Cal Poly is by no means just a Java School. I'll go so far as to say CPE and SE are almost the same thing as CSC around here. Only real difference is CSC's don't /have/ to take EE classes and more math. They can, of course. The degree is much more flexible than CPE or SE. I've done every bit of the math that the CPE's do, we share a good deal of programming. So, yes, CSC can be easier than CPE. It doesn't have to be.

ohiostate

I attended Cal Poly (CSC for first year, ended up in Mathematics). I go to grad school at a Big10 school, so I know several CS grads from Rose Hulman. I am sure that at either school you would get a great education.

Maybe this is off-topic:
I have no insider knowledge of differences in the curriculum, but you should consider not only the details of the coursework (after all, CS courses are pretty similar in their inherent construction, especially for the core coursework), but the differences between the schools as whole entities. Here are some themes to consider:

1) Results -
If you plan on entering the workforce after your BS, the recruitment patterns are quite different: Cal Poly CS grads are largely headed to Silicon Valley:
https://www.careers.calpoly.edu/sear...007%20-%202008
Rose Hulman recruitment has some overlap, but naturally a more Midwestern makeup:
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

If you go to grad school, naturally there will be some level of regional reputation, but both schools send a good portion of their grads to PhD programs in engineering/hard sciences.

2) Diversity - Cal Poly is much larger, and much more diverse culturally, ethnically, and educationally. I think this provides a very different educational enviroment than Rose Hulman, which has very skewed demographics (BTW Does anyone know what the gender ratio is at RH? Someone said 80M/20F). Plus, if you decide that you want to major in a nontechnical subject, better pack your bags. Of course, there is something said for the single-minded curriculum of RH, where the fluffiest degrees appear to be "Applied Bio" and Econ. Cal Poly does let you keep your options open.

3) Location - this is a very personal decision, in a sense both Cal Poly and RH are isolated from major urban areas. If scenery where your sole criteria, then Cal Poly is in the bag, but really the important consideration provided that you could survive in Terre Haute or SLO for 4 (ha... 5) years is where you want to start your career.

4) Finances- Of course, the CA budget situation will likely remain problematic for the next couple of years, which likely will lead to further cuts. This suggests that the tuition costs at SLO will increase more rapidly that at RH. This may or may not be relevant.

But historically at least, the Cal Poly administration has been pretty effective at protecting the educational mission. It isn't reasonable to compare the list prices of the schools, you really need to compare the price after financial aid package is applied. Also, you will likely live off campus for 2+ years in SLO, and the rent is far higher (and apts far smaller) than what is available in the Midwest.