Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Software Engineers For Systems
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Western Kentucky University.
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 Midway College, Spalding University, Kentucky State, and Morehead State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Midway College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Kentucky State, Spalding University, and Hopkinsville Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Bowling Green, Spalding University, Henderson Community College, and Madisonville Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Kentucky State, Berea, University of the Cumberlands, and Bellarmine.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Berea, Georgetown, Transylvania University, and Kentucky State.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Transylvania University, University of Louisville, and University of Kentucky.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Berea, Kentucky State, Union College, and Spalding University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Berea, Transylvania University, Georgetown, and Saint Catharine College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Murray State University • Murray, KY
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2003)
• 7/6/2011
"I learned a lot during my time at MSU. Looking back, I now know there are areas I should have been exposed to that I was not. However, my analytical skills and problem solving capabilities were really tuned during my time there; both have proved invaluable in my current position."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I believe the staff and facilities available at Murray State make it an acceptable school for students pursuing a computer science degree. For students living in the region and looking for an affordable option, they can't go wrong. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | In the local area, MSU has a good reputation for producing competent computer science students. However, having supervised new graduates in a development role recently, even the top graduates are pretty far from being polished developers. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The computer science program at Murray State focused on traditional programming languages and design patterns. Little attention was paid to advanced, but necessary, areas such as architecting, security in development, and project management. Looking back, these areas are invaluable to new developers coming out of school. |
| Instruction | 6 | My instructors were knowledgeable and comfortable engaging in discussion. However, I found that the classes themselves were very prepared. That is, the lectures were the same year-in and year-out as were the tests and programming projects. |
| How Difficult | 8 | During my time on campus, the computer science degree was very math-centric. The requirements for a computer science major left a student only 2 classes short of having a math minor, while taking advanced math classes not even required for math majors! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All my computer science classes required reading as well as hands-on programming assignments. Most programming assignments stemmed from the textbook content. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | While a lot of classes now have online versions available, most of the upper-level courses are in-classroom only. Being a smaller school, a lot of these courses (in the computer science dept) are only offered once a year. If a student gets off track, he/she may be forced to stay in school longer than truly necessary to acquire those credits. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | MSU offers full computer lab and library resources. Tutors are available and my professors made themselves available, even outside of office hours. |
| Social Life | 5 | During my time there, I was not active in the social aspect of school. However, Murray State has a strong following behind it's Men's Basketball program that runs throughout the campus and community. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I know it is offered and the school holds multiple job fairs throughout the year to introduce students with regional employers. However, I did not take advantage of my school's job placement opportunities. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am not involved in my university's alumni network. I did not use them for job help and have not been involved in campus support. |
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