Double Major in CSE and ECE?

Colleges & Universities Stony Brook University - SUNY
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<p>I’m a rising junior looking to apply to SBU in my senior year.
I have a couple questions about double majoring in CSE and ECE:

  1. Has anyone on here done this before? How was the workload?
  2. A lot of the courses overlap, so approximately how many credits per semester would be the average?
  3. When do you apply for the double major?
  4. There are specializations for CSE that can be chosen, if you double major, can you still choose one? Is a specialization required for just CSE?
  5. There are a lot of math courses that need to be taken, I’m from out-of-state (NJ). I haven’t gotten my AP Calc BC scores back yet, but I’m expecting a 4/5. I’m taking multi-variable calculus next year. Which, if any, math courses would I be exempt from, and do I still need to take the math placement exam?
  6. Also, concerning the math placement exam, if I scored highly, would I be exempt from any of the courses?
  7. I also took the AP Comp Sci exam, I’m expecting a 4/5. I also do a bit of programming outside of school. Would I be exempt from any of the introductory computer courses?</p>

<p>Sorry for the large amount of questions, if you can answer any of them that would be great :)</p>

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<p>Found [Stony</a> Brook Undergraduate Bulletin - Fall 2012 - Advanced Placement Credit](<a href=“http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/bulletin/current/policiesandregulations/admissions/apcredit.php]Stony”>http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/bulletin/current/policiesandregulations/admissions/apcredit.php) that page, are the courses listed as equivalent courses you wouldn’t have to take, but still get credit for? meaning you can just take the next available course?</p>

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<p>I feel like no one really wants to read massive walls of text, so here’s another one ;__; if you can answer any of the questions, please do:
1-3 are about WISE program.</p>

<p>1) Here ([Stony</a> Brook University Women in Science & Engineering (WISE)](<a href=“http://www.wise.sunysb.edu/admissions.shtml]Stony”>http://www.wise.sunysb.edu/admissions.shtml)), it says that “The WISE Program reserves the right to not consider applicants who do not meet the minimum application cirteria of a 93 unweighted high school average. . .”. Do the applicant reviewers glance over the whole application before deciding if an applicant with a GPA slightly lower than 93 should be rejected?</p>

<p>2) What is usually the low range of the GPAs of those who are accepted into the WISE Program? Is it typically 93?</p>

<p>3) If I have a 90 unweighted GPA, but have a math SAT score in the 700s, a passion for my extracurriculars, and a well-written essay, will I still stand a chance of being accepted into the WISE Program?</p>

<p>4) What are the average statistics for admission into the CSE program?</p>

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<p>When you start taking CSE courses at Stony Brook, it won’t take you long to realize the CSE courses are a lot tougher than your ECE courses. In fact, I was TA’ing a CSE course, and 3 CpE students were weeded out, all in front of my eyes. While in ECE the professor usually has an enormous curve, and you can walk in the park with the degree(I’ve taken several ECE courses, so speaking from experience)in CSE, since it’s a lot stronger and more prestigious on campus, the professors go a lot harder. In fact, since CSE is one of the most popular majors on campus, getting in the major should be your first goal. It won’t take you long to realize the difference between the two, most of your EE courses are theoretical, while in CSE you are applying what you learn in massive projects. In fact, think about it analytically, there is a reason SBU has the 2nd best CSE program in NYS. They go hard.</p>

<p>I’m warning you right now, a double major is impossible, and useless since your GPA will be destroyed and you won’t learn as much. If I were you, major in CSE and pay close attention to your classes. Or choose ECE if you enjoy hardware. You will definitely not be prepared as a Software Engineer if you do decide to take the ECE route.</p>

<p>Let me give you a nice little caveat, did you know that the ECE department had to drop CSE219 from their curriculum because Computer Engineering students couldn’t handle it? To an extent where they had to drop Computer Engineering since they couldn’t pass this CSE course? The ECE program is geared towards hardware, with little to no software classes. In a class like ECE 124, or ESE224, you will learn baby stuff. All in all, if you are interested in Software, Embedded systems, and a load of projects, go for CSE. It is regionally known to be a solid program, which is why Google, Microsoft come on campus to recruit CSE students, and it’s why the department is actively hiring more faculty members.</p>

<p>Faculty shape a curriculum, and just take a look at the CSE faculty(nearly 50 professors)and compare it to the ECE faculty where most can’t even speak English, aside from running a website that looks like it’s stuck in 70’s.</p>

<p>Hear it from the horses mouth, someone who has taken courses from both departments.</p>

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<p>Once you are in the school, you need to have a 3.0 average between CSE114, and CSE215 to get into the CSE program. The average grade in 215 is a C+, so that would mean if you are an average student, you would need to pull an A in 114(which isn’t as easy as it sounds) to get in. Work hard, and you might make it. Who knows, I might be your TA.</p>

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<p>Awesome. Thanks for your reply. I’ll take everything you said into consideration. I visited the campus yesterday, it’s very pretty :)</p>

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<p>Also, even though the department might give you credit for CSE110, or CSE114 due to your AP placement. (Actually, no, they won’t give you credit, you would have to take the proficiency exam). I’d still take the intro level CSE course, CSE114. Aside from hammering in the knowledge you might already know, don’t skip any classes. CSE214 expects you to be a champ at 114, and the last thing you want to feel is confused. AP is good, but don’t play around with your major, even if they allow you to skip a class. 114 appears easy in the beginning, but towards the end the OOP part weeds students out. Work hard, and don’t let anyone intimidate you.</p>

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<p>I see. Sounds good. Is the intro class based more on theory or programming aspects? And what language/s do they generally use at sbu?</p>

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<p>Well I don’t know QCstudent experience. But I found all the CSE programming courses fairly easy. The theoretical classes (215, 220*, 303, 373) are for me the more difficult ones. CSE 110, 114 were cake. Things start getting more interesting as you go through 219, 308, etc</p>

<p>CSE is one of the best programs in the nation. Top 44 in the country</p>

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<p>Hi Collegekid90,
I actually aced 114, and TAed it. You took 114 with a different professor, and Im pretty sure it was a lot easier than now. The current professor who has been teaching it for the last 2 semesters brought the 114 exam avg to a 39. In 215, he brought the avg to also about a 40, and the avg student got a C+. If you get a C+ in 215, you must get an A- or better to get in the major. I wouldnt necessarily say thats easy. </p>

<p>220 also isnt really theoretical. Its assembly programming for half the semester, and the other half is intro to C programming. I found 320 a bit challenging.</p>

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<p>Zylchz,
We use Java in 114,214,219. We use MIPS and C in 220,320. In game programming 380,381 we use C++.</p>

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<p>Also Collegekid, we arent no 44! I dont take US News world report serious. National Research council does a thorough report, and they have us ranked a lot higher. Some surveys actually rank us higher than Columbia. With over 50 energetic, active, faculty members, along with outstanding research in countless places/labs(think CEWIT) and a new CSE building to keep up with our alarming growth, we are a huge threat and on a whole different tier. Our ACM results speak volumes of our significance in the region.</p>