Computer Science Recommedation

[Ladekoo91]

Hello everyone,

Newbie here. I spent a lot of time reading and searching the forum to familiarize myself with the information being provided here. I like what I see so far. Everyone seems to be sincere and helpful. Although the idea of building my own degree is still a bit fuzzy, I think I can get it down once I go through the wiki 3 or 4 times. 

That being said, I was wondering if anyone had any personal experience fast tracking any STEM programs such as a BA or BS in Computer Science. If so, how long did it take to complete the degree in CS?  I'm really interested in Computer Science.. My goal is to build predictive models utilizing machine learning within data science and statistics for the Finance industry. I have already began to learn Python and R which are the top coding languages for data manipulation. 

I am aware that the recommended fast track degrees are mostly non-STEM programs, but I'm just curious to know if anyone has attempted and succeeded in fast tracking a STEM program such as CS. 

I also would like to pick someones brain about the top/big 3 for computer science. Which school is the best for STEM..

[Ideas]

TESU has the BA in Comp Sci. They also have the BS in Data Science and Analytics which might be better for you. They accept Statistics.com courses which are not very expensive.

If you do "only" the Comp Sci degree, you can then get a grad certificate in Data Science from TESU using Statistics.com courses. It's only like 5 courses.

Do you have college credit already? Do you have certifications?

[dfrecore]

WGU also has Data Analytics. Do a little research on that.

[Ladekoo91]

TESU has the BA in Comp Sci. They also have the BS in Data Science and Analytics which might be better for you. They accept Statistics.com courses which are not very expensive.

If you do "only" the Comp Sci degree, you can then get a grad certificate in Data Science from TESU using Statistics.com courses. It's only like 5 courses.

Do you have college credit already? Do you have certifications?

Much appreciated. 

Well honestly, the reason why I am so focused on CS, is because this is what I need to breakthrough within the Quantitative Finance industry as a Quant Trader.  I'm not too focus on getting a degree specifically in Data Science , as I plan to get my Data Science experience from a coding boot camp, by building portfolios using real data of real companies for a real world experience.

My overall goal is to get my Undergrad in CS and seek a grad program in Statistics & Probabilities ..But to answer your question, no I do not have any college credit to transfer,  I am just a self taught coder. 

But thanks for your input, I'm going to look into TESU further, as I have already took a glance at their program. I am just not sure if I am able to fast track a CS program.

[Ideas]

I think that CS at TESU could be pretty quick for you. Depending on what your idea of fast tracking is. Possibly graduate in June 2019 if you have a lot of time and can go fast? If you cannot graduate in June 2019, the fees will be higher, that's why I use that specific date. I would say that Sept 2019 or Dec 2019 graduation is more realistic, and still fast paced. Many people would need 2 years or more.

So the business degree with concentration in Finance would not work? That would be a lot faster and cheaper.

[Ladekoo91]

I think that CS at TESU could be pretty quick for you. Depending on what your idea of fast tracking is. Possibly graduate in June 2019 if you have a lot of time and can go fast? If you cannot graduate in June 2019, the fees will be higher, that's why I use that specific date. I would say that Sept 2019 or Dec 2019 graduation is more realistic, and still fast paced. Many people would need 2 years or more.

So the business degree with concentration in Finance would not work? That would be a lot faster and cheaper.

BSBA with a Finance focus has crossed my mind. But as a Newbie, I wasn't too sure if a Finance degree from  one of the 3 top schools could get me into grad program in either Statistics or Financial Engineering.  A grad program in either of those 2 focuses are crucial.

[Ideas]

See what those grad schools require. Usually you're OK with a different degree, as long as certain classes are graded by a regionally accredited school.

[Ladekoo91]

See what those grad schools require. Usually you're OK with a different degree, as long as certain classes are graded by a regionally accredited school.

Once again, I appreciate the advise. I'll definitely take action and do my due diligence. Do you happen to have an example spreadsheet of going about building a plan particularly for a BSBA in Finance?

[davewill]

Here is my revised BACS degree plan. Take the GenEd section with a grain of salt. You can compare to the degree plans for other degrees to flesh out GenEd options. I haven't finished filling in LL CS courses because in the past there was so little room for them, but there are enough of them around. There are still not enough alternative credit sources for the UL CS requirements which makes this degree more expensive, but not excessively so. I filled in Computer Architecture and Operating Systems with TESU courses, but it should be possible to find them from other schools like APU for a lower tuition (see second tab). I'm reluctant to put those alternatives in the spreadsheet simply because no one has reported taking them and transferring them in, not because I don't think they would work.

A motivated student with could do this in 2 years. One year would be possible for someone who had experience in the field and enough time to commit.

[mudball]

Davewill, is the reason you suggest cc for data structures because of the cost? CSU has a data structures class that is UL. Is it possible that TESU would give UL credit for UL data structure class from another RA school, or will it always be LL because their class is LL? I don't want to ask them at this point, because the evaluation has not been done yet and when we asked about another class they put it in the evaluation. We're just considering classes to take at this time.