Berkeley EECS vs CMU SCS vs UT ECB Honors

[linux]

Thank you for your reply!

To be frank, I applied ECE instead of CS because it is easier to gain admission (I really wanted UT as a safer option as an in-state applicant). Additionally, with the specialization tracks at UT ECE, you can essentially structure your degree very similarly to a CS major. In terms of why I applied for business honors, there are very few STEM/business double major programs (Berkeley MET, UPenn M&T, etc) and I applied to ECB as it opens more flexibility for future careers.

[ucbalumnus]

@linux

In terms of why I applied for business honors, there are very few STEM/business double major programs (Berkeley MET, UPenn M&T, etc) and I applied to ECB as it opens more flexibility for future careers.

Some people hiring engineers are wary of those with substantial business course work or second majors.

Best Schools for Undergraduate Aerospace Engineering

I have been the most vocal here about not wanting to hire engineers with dual majors in business. The company I worked for (now retired) was big aerospace. We did ENGINEERING. We had other groups that did the financial stuff (bean counting, etc.) and still others that did marketing, totally different career paths. The marketing group could be an interesting group to work in but they didn’t hire right out of college. You needed to understand what the products were before you could have any credibility in marketing. They typically took in experienced engineers who wanted a career shift, and it is quite a shift. If you were interested in doing engineering management, then you needed to understand the engineering part very well first. And your role as an engineering manager was a multi-role position; people management, mentoring and cost and schedule estimates. All skills that came after some years of experience, not usually from business school. If you wanted to move into engine…

[ucscuuw]

I’ve always thought MET is actually a slight disadvantage. There are clearly some resources and opportunities that are uniquely available for MET, and the best advantage of that program is the elite signaling it sends to employers. But MET also limits the ability to go deep on CS/Engg coursework and comes with a significant opportunity cost. I’d rather pick and choose the few business classes of interest rather than sign up for a dual degree workload.

OP, I am not sure if the UT ECB program has similar issues but I would investigate your ability to fully tap into the CS coursework.

[Muu9]

Well then, I suppose it’s played its role as a safer option. Luckily for you, your reaches also came through. If you’re interested in finance, CMU has a computational finance major.

[tamagotchi]

@linux

did the cost of attendance increase significantly after your son started renting?

No, his off campus housing is cheaper than living in the dorm.

@linux

What happens to the students that miss out on registering for those classes, do they have to revert to a different specialization?

UCB EECS is very flexible and open ended. There are no “specializations” defined by the department. This is beneficial since a student’s interests may evolve and change over time. After taking the required lower division courses for the major, students choose any combination of upper division courses they want, typically starting in their second year, giving students time to explore in both breadth and depth. If you are not able to take a specific class of interest in any particular semester (due to being wait listed, or the class time didn’t fit with something else, etc), there should be opportunities to take that class (or related classes) in other semesters.