WGU vs TESU Computer Science Degree

[zauh]

Your Location: Florida
Your Age: 21
What kind of degree do you want?: Computer Science
Current Regional Accredited Credits: ~50
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0
Any certifications or military experience?: No
Budget: FASFA approved
Commitments: At least 4-5 hours per day.
Timeline: 6 to 18 months
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: FASFA Approved

Hi everyone!, I'm having such a hard time picking between WGU and TESU for their respective computer science degrees. To me, each of them have their own pros and cons.

TESU Pros - 
• I already have college credits that I can transfer in 
• The degree doesn't require as much math as WGU
• TESU is a public university.
• Degree could be completed quicker

TESU Cons - 
• The diploma itself only says "Bachelors of arts" leaving out any mention of computer science (this kind of just rubs me the wrong way).
• No certifications included in the program.
• I'm concerned with how employers would perceive a "Bachelor in Arts" CS degree.

WGU pros - 
• Certifications included (really nice since FASFA would be covering the terms for me)
• ABET accredited 
• The diploma states "Computer Science".

WGU Cons - 
• Degree requires Discrete Math II (I'm worried about this class to be honest) 
• I'm also worried about the credibility of the school in the years to come (I don't believe that WGU is a degree mill at all, I'm just worried about other peoples perceptions).


I would really love to hear all of your guys' thoughts and opinions!

[LevelUP]

TESU Main Pros

• Faster
  
• Easier
  
• Opportunity to earn multiple degrees with little extra cost and not much additional work
  

TESU Cons – Counterarguments

• The diploma doesn’t matter; your transcript will say “Bachelor’s in Computer Science.”
  
• The basic certifications WGU offers don’t matter much as you can always earn them inexpensively on platforms like Coursera.
  
• A BA vs. BS typically doesn’t matter to most employers.
  
  

---

WGU Main Pros

• A better-structured program overall. However, with TESU, you can customize your degree by choosing electives that suit your goals. This flexibility allows you to create a highly personalized transcript. In theory, you could take 80 courses (240 credits) if you wanted to.
  
  

WGU Main Cons

• Rigor: Courses like Discrete Math II, Data Structures II, and advanced Java can be tough. Some students finish the degree in under three months with maximum transfer credits, while others may take over six months.
  
  

---

Other Considerations

Employers do respect WGU. That said, many hiring managers care more about your actual skills than minor differences in technology degrees. Computer Science is considered the gold standard in technology degrees.

WGU is also known for its high dropout rate here on DF, often because students don’t transfer in enough credits and are surprised by the workload. Additionally, some people struggle with WGU’s exam-heavy format.

That being said, if you have FAFSA covering your WGU tuition, you really have nothing to lose. You can give WGU a try and, if it doesn’t work out, transfer to TESU later.

If earning alternative credits has been relatively easy for you, WGU likely won’t be a problem. But if you find yourself struggling to study 20–30 hours per week or spending over 100 hours on some courses, TESU may be a better fit.

You don’t have to decide right now. Plan your degree path so your credits will apply to both TESU and WGU.

It’s hard to give specific advice without knowing your career goals are such as are you aiming for research, software development, IT, or something more niche like underwater basket weaving?

[davewill]

Honestly, nobody sees your diploma unless you hang it on the wall. Your potential employers only see your resume, and sometimes not even that. Company application sites just have you pick "TESU", "Bachelor's", and "Computer Science" out of dropdown lists.

I wouldn't let the verbiage on the diploma, or even the BA vs BS thing make your decision for you. I also don't see any difference in perception of the schools now, or in the future. They're both virtually 100% online, public universities. I suppose if one of them really cranks up the advertising push, they could end up looking more like SNHU (which isn't all that bad), but I don't think one is more likely than the other to do so.

I say pick the one that fits your learning style and goals the best.

[Ares]

WGU Cons - 
[...]
• I'm also worried about the credibility of the school in the years to come (I don't believe that WGU is a degree mill at all, I'm just worried about other peoples perceptions).

Unlike the University of Phoenix which is a completely legitimate school that was smeared over its embellished recruiting tactics, WGU has none of that baggage. However some people have asked if the school was legitimate because they never heard of it and that is easy to prove. State schools are never challenged and PUG gets away with being part of Purdue University. Of all the online private schools, WGU has been one of the most legitimate and has a very good reputation.




Ranking of perceived legitimacy:

High:

TESU (State School)
UMPI (State School)
COSC (State School)
PUG (Part of Purdue University)

Mid:

WGU (Underrated)
SNHU (The new University of Phoenix without the baggage)
Excelsior (I believe this is due to the name)

Poor:

UoPeople (Deserved)
University of Phoenix (Highly Exaggerated)

---

Also the following schools offer a B.A. in Computer Science:

Columbia
Duke
Georgetown
Harvard
Notre Dame
NJIT
Princeton
Rutgers
Yale

If anyone ever brings it up, tell them that is exactly what is offered at Harvard.

[Hotdogman1]

When I was working as a retail assistant manager, my district had an unofficial education rating list. PUG was in a tier that had The University of Arizona Global Campus (Ashford University), Capella University (owned by parent company that owns Strayer University and Sophia.org), Colorado Technical University, Purdue Global (Kaplan University) and University of Phoenix.

[Ares]

When I was working as a retail assistant manager, my district had an unofficial education rating list. PUG was in a tier that had The University of Arizona Global Campus (Ashford University), Capella University (owned by parent company that owns Strayer University and Sophia.org), Colorado Technical University, Purdue Global (Kaplan University) and University of Phoenix.

That is about where it belongs but for almost any employer who does not follow these schools they will believe it to be Purdue University. I am a hiring manager and my HR department has no idea about any of these online schools or their history. For anyone who wants the most marketable name attached to their degree that accepts ACE transfer credits, it is PUG.

[SteveFoerster]

When I was working as a retail assistant manager, my district had an unofficial education rating list. PUG was in a tier that had The University of Arizona Global Campus (Ashford University), Capella University (owned by parent company that owns Strayer University and Sophia.org), Colorado Technical University, Purdue Global (Kaplan University) and University of Phoenix.

Well, I didn't see "retail company that makes fake academic pecking orders" coming, but I guess in this big world there's at least one of everything....

[zauh]

WGU Cons - 
[...]
• I'm also worried about the credibility of the school in the years to come (I don't believe that WGU is a degree mill at all, I'm just worried about other peoples perceptions).

Unlike the University of Phoenix which is a completely legitimate school that was smeared over its embellished recruiting tactics, WGU has none of that baggage. However some people have asked if the school was legitimate because they never heard of it and that is easy to prove. State schools are never challenged and PUG gets away with being part of Purdue University. Of all the online private schools, WGU has been one of the most legitimate and has a very good reputation.




Ranking of perceived legitimacy:

High:

TESU (State School)
UMPI (State School)
COSC (State School)
PUG (Part of Purdue University)

Mid:

WGU (Underrated)
SNHU (The new University of Phoenix without the baggage)
Excelsior (I believe this is due to the name)

Poor:

UoPeople (Deserved)
University of Phoenix (Highly Exaggerated)

---

Also the following schools offer a B.A. in Computer Science:

Columbia
Duke
Georgetown
Harvard
Notre Dame
NJIT
Princeton
Rutgers
Yale

If anyone ever brings it up, tell them that is exactly what is offered at Harvard.

Interestingly, the Notre Dame page states the following -

You should take the BACS if you:

• Want to apply your education in computer science to pose questions and derive solutions for humanistic, social, and scientific problems
  
  
• Do not identify as an engineer
  
  
• Are strongly interested in creatively exploring computer science + X for your degree
  
  
• Want to work on challenging interdisciplinary problems with careful consideration for ethical and social concerns 
  
  
• Are interested in developing and executing a senior thesis at the interface between computer science and your chosen cognate area
  
  
• Prefer significant degree flexibility while preserving a solid core of computer science coursework
  

You should take the BSCS if you:

• Are drawn to a strong math, science, and robust engineering core
  
  
• Identify as an engineer
  
  
• Strongly identify with working in software engineering or traditional computer science job
  
  
• Are interested in conventional problems in computing with a strong emphasis on programming and foundations of computer science
  
  
• Want to lead or manage highly technical teams while possessing a strong technical background
  
  
• Prefer a more structured curriculum with maximum freedom to focus on technical electives 
  

[Ares]

There are differences no doubt and I would not recommend the TESU BACS for a computer engineering job but for almost any other IT related field it will server you well. It is also an excellent degree for those thinking of pursuing a career in middle to upper management in IT.

Notre Dame's BACS lists 30 STEM courses compared to 17 STEM courses for TESU BACS. Although with TESU you have a choice to include 10 more STEM courses as electives to make that 27 STEM courses total if you wish.

WGU lists 32 STEM courses for their BSCS degree, that is an almost irrelevant difference compared to the 30 for Notre Dame's BACS.

I am a IT hiring manager for a billion dollar company and I hire BACS degree holders every year in IT for various positions. If a candidate has that I do not care about their certs.

[bjcheung77]

OP, this has been asked many times before - Not many people know the difference between a BA vs a BS, especially when it comes down to the classes being the same in all areas, from general education and electives, to the major. Institutions have schools, some institutions do not have a school of science, they throw everything into their arts (and sciences) division. Just because it's a BA doesn't mean it's worse than a BS...

Ask yourself, does a BSBA have more sciences than a BABA - it's all business administration as the final 30 credits or more are the major. What you should look at is the classes, find content that seem interesting, and is in subject matter in areas of growth... See what you're trying to learn more of, from coding to development, to whatever that may be, if the degree has more of these classes, go for that one - not if it's a BA or BS.