Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Computer Programmers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Full Sail, Miami Dade College, Valencia Community College, and Broward College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Florida International, Nova Southeastern, University of North Florida, and The University of West Florida.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Florida A&M, Miami Dade College, Florida International, and Saint Thomas University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Nova Southeastern, Barry, Florida Keys Community College, and City College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Embry Riddle, Full Sail, Beacon, and Eckerd.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Beacon, Stetson University, Webber International University, and Eckerd.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Miami, University of Florida, Rollins College, and Florida State.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Edward Waters, Florida International, Florida Memorial University, and University of South Florida-Main Campus.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Beacon, Stetson University, University of Miami, and Rollins College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of South Florida • Tampa, FL
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2008)
• 4/29/2011
"USF provided a quality education for a decent price. If I had to do it over again, I would complete my AA at a community college to save money but would definitely complete my BA in MIS at USF."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Again, I feel that the education I received from USF was comparable to some of the best schools in the nation. The professors were great and I have been successful in my field because of it. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I have not heard anything bad about the MIS program at USF. I was able to obtain the job I currently have three months before graduating. To me, that must say something. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The position I currently hold is not one that someone with my degree alone would obtain but I am still able to utilize the skills and knowledge that I gained from college. I feel that these skills definitely give me a leg up on other programmers that have not been a part of an MIS program. |
| Instruction | 8 | A lot of the classes within my degree have prove to be useful. Most of my general education courses for my AA have not been quite as useful. There were a few completely useless classes within my major that haven't provided much benefit other than to fulfill my requirements for a degree. |
| How Difficult | 7 | There were quite a few students in my classes that did not seem to grasp the material very well. To me, the material itself was not extremely challenging as far as being able to understand and apply the concepts, but I feel that I am probably the exception. MIS comes naturally to me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program was very good at incorporating real world cases and hands on experience when it came to learning the material. Each class had at least one real world case where we could apply the topics we were learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The school did provide a lot of night classes so that professionals could work during the day and attend classes at night. It would have been nice if it had provided more online classes. There are some classes that I feel were a waste of classroom space for me. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school provided ample resources to support my program. Every professor I had within my major was more than willing to help in any way possible with understanding the material and ensuring student success in the program. |
| Social Life | 5 | I can not provide much opinion on this topic. I actively choose not to participate in such events. It just wasn't my "thing". |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not use the school's placement services very much. From my brief experience it seemed okay. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am not very active with the alumni from my university, but that is more because I do not have a lot of free time than anything else. I gave it a 5 because I'm not familiar with it enough to rank it otherwise. |
Full Sail University • Orlando, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2002)
• 5/1/2011
"It helped me get the job I have today. It was expensive though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend it to people with a strong background in computers already. It's not great for someone with limited experience though. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | They've been known to put out some good people. They've also been known to put out some bad people too though. |
| Program Quality | 6 | It did a good job of giving me the education I needed. It could have had better teachers. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | N/A |
| How Difficult | 7 | There were a lot of difficult course projects. There also wasn't a lot of time to get them done. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Mostly hands on with constant projects. They had books to back up the learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | There was no choice in the program, you just took what was offered. They are starting to get online now but didn't have it back then. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | They have a couple small facilities. They're lacking a bit in the libraries and lab space. |
| Social Life | 1 | They don't have any of this. No athletics or organized groups of any kind. |
| Placement Services | 4 | They have good intentions and try. But once you have a job they forget about you. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Once you get a job they don't have much to do with you. They were ok before that. |
University Of Miami • Miami, FL
Studying Computer Engineering (completion in 2001)
• 5/4/2011
"Good program. Good curriculum."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Great school. Great city. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Well established college. Excelent professors. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Excellent program, teachers and structures. Great atmosphere. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 9 | Long sleepless nights doing projects and programming. Complex projects. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Lots of practice and labs. Teachers rely on book research for assignments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Somewhat adequate, flexible turns. Most of the options were limited. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Almost everything is accessible at the university. Well organized academic infrastructure. |
| Social Life | 10 | There’s always a party in Miami. Good sports programs. |
| Placement Services | 8 | In my opinion its adequate. There is support to find internships. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Solid website for alumni. Always in touch with colleagues. |
University Of South Florida • Tampa, FL
Studying Computer Science & Engineering (completion in 1998)
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Ii feel i got my money's worth and found a good solid career that pays well. USF is a state school so the tuition was very reasonable. I have 15 years of IT experience. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It is not nationally known but has a good regional reputation. Large research school. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Good school, solid program. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 9 | Lots of math and theory courses - difficult. Engineering college with heavy curves on grading. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The classes were very lecture and book-oriented. Some of the classes required coding and hands-on projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There were summer classes but no online options. Weekend and evening mostly for grad students. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Professors and grad students were very knowledgeable. Libraries and labs were large and well-funded. |
| Social Life | 7 | I was already married and commuting to the school while working, so I did not take advantage of the social experience very much. Concentrated on school. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't use job placement or career services at all. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Alumni reach out quite a bit. |
Florida State University • Tallahassee, FL
Studying Information Studies (completion in 2014)
• 7/8/2011
"I'm glad I got my degree. However, I wouldn't do it again, as it has not benefited me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The school is adequate, but I question the value of any degree. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | FSU is highly rated, but degree has not given me prestige. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I occasionally learned something, but overall, it was a forgettable experience. |
| Instruction | 5 | Some instructors were competent but others had little knowledge. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I graduated with a 3.4 GPA. I went to school part-time online. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was too much book learning for me. A lot of the instruction seemed pointless. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It took me 4 years to obtain a 2 year degree. I was able to fit school into my schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | They have adequate facilities. They love to build buildings. |
| Social Life | 1 | I was typically at least 20 years older than the other students, and I did not relate to 20-year-olds. |
| Placement Services | 1 | They are worthless. I have not obtained an appropriate job after 3 years. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | They have done nothing for me. They are only interested in getting my money. |
Full Sail University • Winter Park, FL
Studying Game Development (completion in 2003)
• 7/24/2011
"I learned some good stuff there, but at the same time it was too expensive and too focused on getting students through. It wasn't picky enough about admissions either."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If they already have programming experience and wanted to augment it instead of doing a master's degree, I would recommend it. If they were more interested in game design, than I definitely wouldn't. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | Some of the people who come out of the school aren't very good. They've dragged down the reputation a little bit. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It's a good school if you really apply yourself and go above and beyond. If you aren't already inclined towards being a programmer, though, it's a waste of money. |
| Instruction | 7 | Some of the teachers were pretty good and had some good experience. Some, though, were just teaching the syllabus and weren't that useful. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was at an accelerated pace so it made it pretty tough. Programming in general is somewhat difficult so that added to it as well. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most work that you involves labs that are directly relevant to making games. Books are used more as backup. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | There's a set schedule that everyone takes. You have no flexibility at all in what courses you are going to take. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | They're pretty lacking as far as facilities go. They've been slowly building out things like libraries and media centers, but they only do the bare minimum. |
| Social Life | 3 | There is no real social component to the school aside from what you create yourself. There are no dorms, no real clubs, and everyone is so busy with school that the social aspect suffers a lot. |
| Placement Services | 6 | They do a good job of connecting with companies, but I've found you have more luck through your own networking. I haven't used them all that much. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They do an OK job, I guess. I haven't had much need for them. |
Florida State University • Tallahassee, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1999)
• 8/4/2011
"I don't think I could've been much happier. Those were some of the best years of my life!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | No doubt about it, I would suggest anyone pursuing a computer science degree to consider FSU. It is still ranked among one of the best schools in the nation in computer science and engineering. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | FSU is widely known as one of the best universities for computer science and engineering. In the mid 90's, in fact, it was FSU and MIT that were in competition for the National High Magnetic Lab, and FSU won! |
| Program Quality | 9 | It was an excellent school that I am still an avid fan of. I am proud to be an alumni of FSU. |
| Instruction | 9 | It was an excellent curriculum with wonderful professors. Although I could've taught myself just about everything I know today, I am glad I chose the college experience. I was definitely prepared for the work force when I graduated. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Although I rank it closer to extremely difficult, I can't say it was extremely difficult for ME. It was challenging, yes, but I chose to take all of the most advanced math classes that I could because I love math. I would consider it a very difficult program, but I enjoyed it very much. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I'd consider it a perfect mix. Especially in the computer science classes, I had plenty of book learning and hands-on experiences. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | FSU had a wide variety of options when I attended, including nights and correspondence. I'm sure they offer a ton of online and other types of correspondence classes now. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | I had everything I needed, when I needed it. The technology was considered advanced, even when I was attending. |
| Social Life | 10 | Although I wasn't a partier, there were always plenty of things to do to fulfill just about any interest. My main area of interest was the football games! |
| Placement Services | 8 | Although I didn't really utilize the job placement services, I was still familiar with them and felt they were of high quality. I had an excellent, well paying job within about a month of graduation... in fact, I'm still with that same company today! |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I receive updates, letters, brochures, etc. on a regular basis. I enjoy receiving correspondence from FSU, keeping me informed on what's going on with the school. |
University Of North Florida • Jacksonville, FL
Studying Electrical Engineering (completion in 2005)
• 10/23/2011
"Value of education and value of tuition makes UNF stand out. Degree program has return-of-investment many times over in my short career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | UNF has a great academic support system of professors, assistants and classmate interaction. The degree program allows for many opportunities to earn-while-learning and provides resources for project work. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | UNF is known across the US for producing well-rounded engineers who are able to start applying sound principles on the first day of the job. Companies I've worked for or have contact with seek out UNF graduates as the recruiters are familiar with the interactive curriculum at UNF. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The college afforded many opportunities for hands-on learning through labs and projects that have built the foundations that I rely on every day. The school strives for academic achievement and preparation for real-world applications. |
| Instruction | 8 | Excellent professors in the degree discipline are very knowledgeable in theory and application of concepts. The topics of study are very relevant in today's and tomorrow's market. |
| How Difficult | 9 | An Electrical Engineering degree demands lots of time and effort to complete detailed labs and challenging projects. Course material is comprehensive and requires adequate study time to understand and practically apply. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program included lots of lab classes and projects to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom. The hands-on approach allowed for easier understanding of challenging topics. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The 4-year engineering degree is primarily designed for full time students. Typical class schedules were MWF or T/Th, during the day. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The engineering lab provided lots of test equipment and prototyping machines that enabled faster learning and project deployment. Experience from use of such tools is directly applicable at work. |
| Social Life | 6 | I limited social interactions to lab and project teams, to get the work done. The school does offer many social opportunities including clubs, Greek life and sports. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The career services during my time at UNF didn't seem very focused to meet the needs of graduating EE students. Unfortunately, the liaison wasn't of much help outside of helping students apply to the local power plant. |
| Alumni Network | Haven't utilized alumni network to be able to fully answer. Alumni receive library access. |
Florida Institute Of Technology • Melbourne, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2013)
• 11/1/2011
"It provides me with everything I will need. I just wish it was bigger"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I would recommend it. It has everything you need to succeed. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | My school has a great rep. It's known all over the world. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My school specializes in this field. It gives me all the information I need. |
| Instruction | 8 | The teachers are always there to help when I need it. Their assignments are original and interesting. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It's only difficult if you don't try hard enough. Study and you're fine! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything is hands on - High tech with a human touch. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | We get to choose our class times. It's great. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | I wish the school was bigger, but it's still good. |
| Social Life | 9 | It has been an alright experience. I hope it gets better. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I get at least three job leads a day. My professor is constantly helping us find jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | It's pretty good. Enough said. |
University Of Florida • Gainesville, FL
Studying Chemical Engineering, Minor In Computer Science (completion in 1984)
• 11/1/2011
"Loved it. Would do it again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They continue to gain academic recognition, and this is important for the quality of the professors. When the professors are challenged and recognized, they push the students and this enhances the usefulness and relevance of the school. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Never had an issue with someone saying "What's Univ of Fla?" Yet, it's not MIT. |
| Program Quality | It's hard to know what they've changed since I had to use punch cards and there were no interactive systems. I'm sure they are more advanced now, though. | |
| Instruction | 7 | Most courses teach the basics, the language or the compiler...not the system of working in groups and how to accomplish a project. This really needs emphasis. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The technical challenges were very good, and the time constraints were realistic and applied to the real world. The projects themselves did not compare to the real world, however. A lot more emphasis on accounting is needed. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Lots of exercises and experiments. Plenty of labs and “find out for yourself” exercises. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Was very flexible. Biggest issue was them changing the available courses because of switching from a quarter system to trimesters to semester system. That was a BIG issue. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | It was ok. For 1984, it would not even compare to what I have available myself right now. Yet, I'm sure there's been some changes since then. |
| Social Life | 10 | Loved it. Ahh the responsibility of a student... plenty of parties. |
| Placement Services | 7 | While I was graduating, job placement was mediocre. I'm sure it's been enhanced with the current job finding tools today. |
| Alumni Network | I don't use the alumni network. I've been able to get work through past clients. |
Hillsborough Community College • Tampa, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1980)
• 11/12/2011
"I was able to complete the program quickly. I felt confident that I knew what I was doing. My transition to the workplace went smoothly. This school gave me exactly what I needed in preparing me for a career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | HCC is the place to go to learn computer programming in Tampa. Less expensive and more comprehensive than tech schools. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Computer programming is still a hot area. This school has the most affordable and best program in the area. |
| Program Quality | 8 | State of the art at the time. Small school, focused program. Very interested in giving a real world experience. Instructors had worked in the field and knew their stuff. |
| Instruction | 8 | Real world examples and stories by instructors. Instructors had worked in the field. Often this made the work more true-to-life. |
| How Difficult | 7 | If you're inclined to logical thinking, you can succeed. If not, you probably will not succeed in the courses or as a working programmer. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A good mix. Books were current. Equipment was current. I received my first job because I had hands on experience at school on the equipment being used by the company! | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Some night classes. Mostly day schedules. A little tough if working a full time job. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Instructors had worked as programmers/analysts. Lab was state of the art. Curriculum was up to date. |
| Social Life | 5 | Job oriented. Didn't participate in social activities much. Most students were similar - there to learn a career. |
| Placement Services | 5 | At the time, it was slim. Occasionally instructors would know of a job opening. Unfortunately, programming is a bit hard to break into. No one wants an untested, unexperienced programmer. The school offered mostly a bulletin board posting of jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Haven't heard much lately. I'd say yearly contact. Nothing that I felt a need for. |
University Of South Florida • Tampa, FL
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2008)
• 12/27/2011
"I am very satisfied with my school. I received a great education that was paid for in part by the state of Florida and have a great job with an excellent company because of it. If USF offers a Master's program that meets my needs, I intend on completing it there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Again, I feel that USF is on the ball with the times. Topics I learned about in school are only now being applied at the company I work for, which I feel puts be ahead of the curve. I feel that the education I received from USF and the skills I learned during my time there has put me in an excellent position in life. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | The university has a better reputation in other fields than mine (Accounting, for example) but that I have not experienced any negative responses when people have learned where I obtained my degree. Since I have not received any great responses either, I imagine that the school is pretty average regarding this major. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I feel that the education I received from USF has been beneficial to my career. I am not sure where the university stands in comparison to others but I would imagine it to be on par if not better. |
| Instruction | 8 | Once I started my degree in MIS I felt the instructors were very knowledgeable and experienced in the field. There are things that we are incorporating today in the company I work for that I was first introduced to in many of my classes, which I feel gives me an advantage over some of my colleagues. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I actually found that MIS comes naturally to me so it is difficult to rate this fairly. From speaking with my peers, however, I know that not everyone had the same experience. Many of the topics were challenging to my peers. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The style of learning was dependent more so on the class itself. Science classes tended to be more hands on while English classes weren't so much. Programming classes were a mix, depending on the topic at hand. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | They offer some online courses but most of the ones I have seen are lower level courses. They do not have an extensive list of online only degrees but at least they have some. They had limited night classes which made it more difficult towards the end of my degree to finish my requirements. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | USF has a great central library, as well as a lot of other resources outside of the library. There are many computer labs throughout campus that are available for use during the day. The labs I used when I took science classes were good at the time and several new buildings have been built since then, so I can only imagine how much better they are now. |
| Social Life | I went to school to go to school, not to socialize. I was too busy working several jobs to support myself through college. | |
| Placement Services | 9 | USF is great at helping their students/graduates find jobs. I have been graduated for over three years now and I still receive emails notifying me of job opportunities within my major. The job I currently have I found through connections I made at USF. |
| Alumni Network | I am not actively a part of any alumni association for USF. This is primarily due to time constraints. |
University Of North Florida • Jacksonville, FL
Studying Information Systems (completion in 1998)
• 1/5/2012
"The instructors were nice, and I learned a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The technology has changed a lot since I was there. However, I'm sure the quality is just as good, if not better. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I've never heard anything bad about it. My experience was good. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The professors were nice. I learned a lot. |
| Instruction | 10 | They provided real-world projects. They were always available for help. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The average amount of time to do a project was about 20 hours. When you had logic errors in your code, it could take longer, so you had to plan your time wisely. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You can't learn programming just from reading books. It has to be hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I never had a problem with scheduling. It's mainly because I never had a job at the time that might conflict. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | School computers tend to be slow. However, most times when I used the computer lab, I had no problem. |
| Social Life | I never did any of these. I spent most of my time studying and programming. | |
| Placement Services | I never used this service. Those who did told me they were satisfied. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I don't participate in the alumni network. This is mainly because of where I live. |
Palm Beach Community College • Boca Raton, FL
Studying Multimedia (completion in 1998)
• 2/4/2012
"Campus was clean and orderly, so I had no problem finding or getting to the classroom. School was located in a good area."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Provided exactly what they said they would - course outline was met and teaching provided was satisfactory. This school meets its reputation. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | PBCC is well known in the area - it's trusted as a good community college. Most people speak highly of it. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Knew most of everything already when I got there. Classroom setting was sort of boring and was basically a powerpoint presentation. |
| Instruction | 7 | Teacher knew a lot about the topic. Learned a bit about Flash design. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Computers are my industry, but a lot of people don't understand them. This particular course requires an intermediate knowledge of computers. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Powerpoint presentations most of the time, but teacher and teacher's aide did give a lot of support to people who were having difficulty. Looked like everyone was being taken care of. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Options were provided for class time/dates. I found one to suit my needs. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | All needs were met, computers were fast, and class size was good. Teacher had all equipment needed as well. |
| Social Life | 9 | Met a lot of good, interesting people there. Cute girls were there as well! |
| Placement Services | Did not participate in a job placement program. | |
| Alumni Network | Did not participate in a course where this is applicable. |
University Of Florida • Gainesville, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 2/24/2012
"It was a good experience for me! The environment was comfortable and the classes were well planned and taught."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It served its intended purpose. I managed to get a well-paying position. Be prepared to put some effort in on your end, though! |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I would say my degree was fairly well received by interviewers during my job hunts. The job fairs had a rather wide variety of companies that were very interested in computer science majors, so that's probably a good indication of its reputation. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Professors were dedicated and always gave me enough hands-on learning to really understand the material. However, I feel that the program lacked a real in-depth look at some of the more important applications. |
| Instruction | 8 | The program needed more in-depth looks at specific applications, though there was a good variety of coding languages being taught and I learned many good ways to make documenting my projects a little easier later on. |
| How Difficult | 9 | While the material was not wildly difficult to learn, the workload given was too much sometimes. I'd have a new project to do every week. These weren't small projects; they were actually quite extensive and it was hard to balance my time with other classes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | For my concentration, hands on was the way to go. Electives and Humanities, however, were pretty standard in book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | While being fairly standard with class times, they did have a lot of options to take night classes and summer schooling. I never looked into online options for the university, so I am not well informed in that respect. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There was never a missing resource when I was studying. The computers were regularly maintained and updated with the latest compilers and protections. There was plenty of tutoring available for math courses. Math was never a strong point for me, so this was of great assistance in the long run. |
| Social Life | 10 | Always a party to go to and always an event ready. I think it was a pretty standard experience. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The school had very active job fair events. The job placement office always kept us informed of new offers and internships available to us. |
| Alumni Network | I don't have experience with the alumni network. |
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Studying BBA Majoring In Management Of Info Systems (completion in 1990)
• 3/7/2012
"FIU was great at teaching and exposing us to industry experts. It was because of the help of my professor that I was able to land a job before I even graduated."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Since FIU is a state university, it's a very affordable place to get an education. It's also continued to expand; in my last visit to Miami, I couldn't believe how big the campus had become. |
| Program Reputation | I no longer live in Miami, so I'm not familiar with the reputation anymore. Back in the '90s, it had a great reputation. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | FIU had a large amount of professors who had retired to Florida from the private/public sector, and this gave us a wealth of industry knowledge. FIU also helped place me in my first job. |
| Instruction | 10 | Most of my professors had jobs in the private/public sector prior to becoming professors. This gave us a unique exposure to industry knowledge. For example, several professors were retired CIOs. |
| How Difficult | 8 | At the time of my studies at FIU, the business department was trying to make a name for itself in accounting. This made the accounting course extremely difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Having an emphasis in Information Tech meant that most of my computer classes were hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | They seemed to provide an adequate amount of classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | At the time of my attendance, they were transitioning from mainframe systems to PC systems. This made it difficult to find adequate resources at times. |
| Social Life | 5 | At the time of my attendance, they really didn't have an organized sports program. They did provide enough social events within our department. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They helped place me in the first job of my career. They also helped place me in my junior year co-op. |
| Alumni Network | I don't participate in the alumni association. |
Saint Petersburg College • Clearwater, FL
Studying Computer Programming (completion in 2014)
• 3/27/2012
"Well, I made the dean's list. I also learned a few tricks of my trade, so..."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If it's for graphic design or computer programming, avoid at all costs. ITT Tech would be better. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | Not a lot of high achievers to brag about attending this school. Most of my knowledge was taught to myself by myself. |
| Program Quality | 3 | They didn't seem too hands on. I didn't really appreciate that. |
| Instruction | 5 | If it was not for my own personal knowledge, I would have been lost from the beginning. |
| How Difficult | 1 | You actually have to learn a lot in this field. However, time and dedication pays off greatly. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was more book learning oriented. Didn't offer much training on computers - more written assignments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I maintained a full time schedule as a student. I also maintained a full time job with no hang ups. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | At least they had computers. Besides that, the instructors and staff seemed to be lost. |
| Social Life | 1 | Never really attended this college to be social. However, I would say the social potential here was great. |
| Placement Services | 1 | No job offers were given to me upon leaving this school. That's one thing I really didn't like. |
St Petersburg College • Clearwater/St. Petersburg, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1991)
• 3/28/2012
"The background I received here certainly opened several doors just after school. While most of that old programming has been replaced by modern object code, the techniques learned for developing systems and structures are still applicable today."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It certainly worked for me. I would recommend most students not try to keep to the same schedule that I did, however. |
| Program Reputation | Since I don't really keep up with the school, I really have no idea what their reputation is. The school's website shows that they are very highly ranked. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school provided multiple opportunities for accelerated class work. The class sizes were small and the teachers knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 9 | Teachers seemed to like engaging the students in discussion. Students who under-performed were helped to overcome their difficulties. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I took between 20 and 30 credit hours each semester, graduating in 18 months, while working 20+ hours per week. I still graduated with high honors and received an award for outstanding student in Computer Science. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All of the programming courses occurred in the labs (except for Introduction to Computers). While we had books, there were always weekly programming assignments to turn in. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Again, 20-30 credit hours per semester meant that scheduling could have been an issue, but I never had any problems. The school currently offers online classes and other flexible scheduling options. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school had multiple computer labs with PCs and macs and the Mainframe (IBM system 38). The library was quite large for a smaller school. All this was over twenty years ago when PCs and Macs were no where near as common as they are today. |
| Social Life | Again, my academic schedule along with my work schedule allowed me very little time for social activities. I did attend several football games and the occasional chess club meeting. | |
| Placement Services | I never used this service - I worked throughout school and after school moved away and took a position across the state. The school's website lists extensive career training opportunities. | |
| Alumni Network | I have never had any difficulty receiving transcripts and information. Other than that, I don't really keep up with old alumni. |
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