Can I Change My Major to Computer Science at My Dream School?
If you’re worried about whether you can major in computer science at your dream college — read on.
--
If you weren’t directly admitted as a computer science or computer engineering major, you can often be left wondering whether or not you can switch into this major at a particular school — or if it’s just too competitive!
Finding out the answer to this question is far from straightforward, which is why I’ve done the hard work for you by combing through countless pages and contacting advising offices at both public and private colleges that are well-known for their strong computer Science and Engineering programs.
Below is a summary table of our findings for the question, “Can I change my major to either computer science or computer engineering at this university?”
The good news?
With the exception of Carnegie Mellon University, it’s quite possible to switch into computer science/computer engineering (CS/CE) at nearly all the private colleges I researched!
On the other hand, it’s mostly public colleges where switching into CS/CE is restricted or very challenging.
Curious to learn how I ended up classifying some of these colleges as ‘Maybes’ versus ‘Very Challenging’? Read on for my detailed notes on each university below.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Boston University (BU)
Why do I presume that you can easily transfer into computer science at Boston University?
Because BU has a very flexible change of major policy that accepts all students transferring internally from another BU school or college, provided they have a 2.0 GPA, and have been enrolled full-time for at least one semester. They also strongly recommend taking at least 3 computer science classes listed on their website prior to switching majors.
Read more information about changing majors at BU here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)
Yes, you can switch into CS/CE at Cal Poly! While there are some hurdles in terms of a GPA requirement and having a B or above in CPE, these requirements aren’t unachievable.
To do this you will need to:
· “B” grade or higher in CPE 101
· Complete at least one quarter at Cal Poly. You must be able to graduate within 5 years.
· Have a minimum term GPA of 3.300
· Have a minimum Cal Poly Cumulative GPA of 3.300
· At least one math or other relevant major/support course for CPE designated by a Change of Major Advisor with C- or better
· [Recommended] Attend an Engineering Change of Major Workshop.
Please note that while you can switch into CS and CE, Software Engineering will NOT be accepting change of majors for the foreseeable future.
Read more information about changing majors at Cal Poly here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
While you technically can transfer into computer science at CMU, actually making this happen is extremely difficult.
That’s because you’ll need to be getting mostly A’s in some very advanced computing classes. According to the CMU website, students considering a transfer are expected to earn at least a 3.6 GPA in six different computing classes, specifically 15–122, 15–150, 15–210, 15–213, 15–251 and 21–127, and have an overall 3.0 GPA.
That said, students should instead consider changing into College of Engineering. While this is still very hard, it’s not as challenging as switching into CS.
Read more information about changing majors at CMU here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Can students at Georgia Tech change their major to computer science or engineering? Yes, they can — the hard part is getting into the elite Tech to begin with!
According to a Program Administrator from the College of Computing “all it takes is a signature on a form to have a major changed… [so] a student wanting to study English has to be just as qualified as a student wanting to pursue computer science or engineering.”
So what are the requirements for switching majors?
· Take CS 1301 (Intro to Computing) and earn a grade of a B or higher
· Attend one of the change of major meetings
· Meet with an academic advisor to have the major changed
Read more information about changing majors at Georgia Tech here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
New York University (NYU)
Switching majors is fairly common at NYU, with many students changing their major once or even twice. According to an Assistant Director from the NYU Department of Computer Science, if a student has a GPA of 2.0 or higher, their request to change majors will be granted.
Read more information about changing majors at NYU here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Purdue
Changing majors at Purdue is possible but is a competitive process due to the high interest in CS/CE.
To change majors at Purdue, you’ll need the following:
- Minimum Courses/Credits: 3 courses (9 credits minimum) in the categories as described on this page with a minimum letter grade of C-
- A minimum GPA of 3.20 is required for consideration
- First-Year Engineering CODO essay (optional)
However, Purdue has a large number applicants seeking to switch into CS and other engineering majors, so getting in is certainly not guaranteed.
That’s why would-be major changers should not just aim to meet these minimum requirements but also to go well beyond them. According to a Director at Purdue’s College of Science, “both these majors want to see top grades and very strong math skills… [And] some coding is always helpful but not necessary,” when it comes to being a competitive applicant”
Read more information about changing majors at Purdue here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
UC Berkeley
It’s not easy switching into computer science at Berkeley, but it can be possible with focus and good grades.
Berkeley is famous for its two computing programs, specifically the College of Engineering Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) B.S. and the College of Letters & Science B.A. in Computer Science major. You can learn about the differences between these majors here.
Now to clarify it is not possible to change your major to an EECS B.S. Computer Science, since UCB already admits the maximum number of students possible into this major each year.
However, a student can switch into the College of Letters & Science B.A. in Computer Science.
To do so a student will need to:
· Complete remaining technical prerequisites with a Berkeley grade point average of at least 3.30 in the 3 prerequisite courses (CS 61A, 61B/BL, and 70). If students do not make the GPA, they do have an appeals process. More information can be found here for students with special circumstances
· Complete the application form required by the department
According to an Engineering Academic Advisor at Berkeley, as long as a student has a 3.3 GPA in the three courses, they will accept the student’s change of major, and they currently do not have a cap on the number of students they are accepting.
However, it’s worth noting that it can be difficult for non-CS students to get a seat in many of these classes, so students will need to plan ahead, talk to an advisor and consider taking courses during summer session when there can be greater course availability.
Read more information about changing majors at Berkeley here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
UC San Diego
It’s possible to switch into computer science and engineering at UCSD; however, the process is very competitive.
· Take all of the following eligibility courses (or their accepted equivalent) must have been completed prior to application: CSE 8B or 11, CSE 12, CSE 15L, and CSE 20 (MATH 15A or MATH 109 may be substituted for CSE 20 if taken first).
· Have a minimum of a 3.3 UCSD GPA in the screening courses (or their approved petitioned equivalents)
However, in reality, the number of students trying to change into computer science and engineering is at an all-time high, while the number of seats available at UCSD has not kept pace. This means students are sometimes not able to get a spot in these CS eligibility courses the first time they try.
Even those students who meet these qualifications have only had a 50–50 chance of then being accepted into the computer science and engineering major.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
While it’s technically possible for a student to change their major into CS at UIUC, they’ll need to have a strong academic and technical record to do so successfully- and even then there are no guarantees.
All students interested in computer science or computer engineering must take Math/Phys/Chem/Eng classes. See the Sample Curriculum Maps for each curriculum, especially the first two semesters.
The difficulty of transferring into CS/CE depends on if a student is pre-engineering or not.
· If a student is pre-engineering, then they will have to simply apply to The Grainger College of Engineering (ICT application). While there aren’t any GPA requirements to transfer from one engineering department to another, the major capacity and demand will influence how easy it is to switch into CS and CE for pre-engineering students.
· However, if a student has not been accepted into The School of Engineering, they will need to begin by transferring into the School of Engineering, by entering the Pre-Engineering ‘PREP’ program. To do so they’ll need:
o Overall Illinois GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Completion of MATH 220 or 221
- Completion of CHEM 102 & 103 or CHEM 202 & 203
However, the most competitive applicants will have:
- Grades of B or higher in all technical courses taken at Illinois — Students with grades below B in technical courses are not considered good candidates to switch majors
- Completed PHYS 100 or PHYS 211 by the end of freshman year. Students who do not take technical loads that engineering students take each semester are at risk of lowering their chances for transfer (check The Grainger College of Engineering Transfer Requirements).
- Completed the Composition I General Ed. Requirement by the end of freshman year
- Evidence of campus engagement and exploration of majors and/or careers of interest
However, it’s important to understand that meeting the above criteria does not guarantee admission into the Pre-Engineering PREP program.
Also, please note that this application process is only for majors in The Grainger College of Engineering, since other majors like CS + X majors are in a different college. These majors can also be a great alternative for CS.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
University of Southern California (USC)
It’s certainly possible to change majors into CS/CE at USC. However would-be CS students should do their best to excel in engineering classes to maximize their chances to successfully change majors.
· If a student is admitted to an engineering major, then they are admitted to all of the engineering majors. After they are admitted, they have the flexibility to switch majors if they want.
· However, if a student is a non-engineering major, then they will have to wait to change majors until they have completed 1 or 2 semesters of college. Specifically, they will need to take at least one semester of typical engineering coursework, and then their major change request will go to a committee review. The committee will examine the student’s academic performance in engineering coursework before granting a change of major request.
Read more information about changing majors at USC here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
University of Washington (UW)
According to the University of Washington website, “if you are absolutely certain that you want to major in CS and you did not receive Direct to Major admission, you may want to consider other universities.”
This is because the vast majority of CS spaces are set aside for students who are Washington residents. Even after two years of study, many students are unable to declare into the major.
For these reasons, it is extremely challenging to switch into CS at UW, and students considering doing so may want to choose another similar major or another college entirely.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Since you made it all the way to the end of this article, you’re very clearly interested in studying CS or CE!
While some people might have you believe it’s impossible to switch majors into computer science, this is far from the truth. If you plan ahead, choose your college wisely, and do well in core subjects, changing your major to computer science or computer engineering is very possible!
Now if you haven’t yet applied to college yet:
· Check out my other article on Alternative Majors to Computer Science
· If you’re interested in CS (but not sure if you meet the admissions threshold) when possible applying as Undeclared- School of Engineering when possible or consider an alternative major. This is because CS majors are generally within the School of Engineering and these majors also have more restrictive course requirements — so better to check these requirements off right away.
Take these steps and you’ll certainly find computing success!
Have you tried changing majors at these schools? What’s your experience been? I’d love to hear more :)
