Transferring to a State from a UC to Change and Pursue Major in CS

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1

I decided to switch majors late but unfortunately I will hit the unit ceiling at the UC I go right now and will not be able to complete the CS program (or even just take the classes). I’m a senior at UC Berkeley finishing up a linguistics major.

I really want a full CS education because I made the decision that I want to pursue a future in tech. Do states allow you to transfer from a UC? Do they have strict unit ceilings as well? Must all my units be transferred over?

Any info would be appreciated. Thank you so much.

2

i’d finish at UCB ASAP and then pursue the CS education you want. It will probably be faster. You can probably take some basic CS classes while you are wrapping up your BA (at a CC if UCB won’t let you. With CS in particular, if you can demonstrate the skills, the degree and where it is from matters a lot less than most people think . How are your grades?

3

Will you be able to complete at least some CS courses (e.g. 61A, 61B, 61C, 70) before graduating?

4

@ucbalumnus

Yup. I’ll be able to take 61A, 61B, and 70 certainly, and hopefully 170 before I graduate. I’m taking 61A right now and I really, really love it. I only wish I took a CS class sooner (I’m 26, went back to school after working for several years).

I heard 61C isn’t particularly useful for gaining practical skills and knowledge as a programmer from my CS friends. I also heard 170 is an extremely important upper div course, and it’ll probably be the only upper div cs course I’ll be able to squeeze in before I hit the ceiling.

A lot of my CS friends are stressing that I be a part of projects, by joining clubs, because that’s what employers care about the most (experience, and that you can code), but there’s just that part of me that wants a “full” CS education (whatever that means).

5

@NCalRent

If I take only a few CS classes at a CC or Berkeley while I finish up my BA, I’m just concerned about how to go about pursuing a CS education. Do I go to a bootcamp after already learning a good amount of CS theory and coding skills at a CC and/or Cal? How would I go about gaining access to a UC or CSU for undergraduate CS classes (for CS) after already obtaining a BA, without having to retake all the breadth/general-ed courses?

6

I think your friends are right. gain demonstrable skills with projects/clubs and stuff. You will meet people who will help open doors while you build a resume. You can make it official with a minor, or even a double major if you have the time/money to be out of the workforce for that long.

7

Those should be a solid base for future self-education in CS if you are motivated.

If you are motivated to self-study CS, you can go through the course materials for additional CS courses on your own: https://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/classes-eecs.html

For software jobs, the concepts in 161, 162, 168, 169, 170, 186 are commonly applicable.

Obviously, project experience (open source, phone apps, etc.) can help.