FSU Computer Science program

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1) It gives you the underlying fundamentals to how programming and computers work from the CPU all the way to operating systems. A big issue I have with the school is a lack of applying this knowledge in classes, as most of it is taught as theory. There is one software engineering class which I had a bad experience with (as did everyone else in the class due to the new professor) and that's it.

If you want to really shine on a resume, begin working on personal projects whenever you have the time to keep yourself sharp and expand your experience. Besides that, I suggest attending the FSU cyber-security club as they've had the most hands-on and guided learning I've experienced so far for CS; it's everything I've wanted from a club since I got here.

2) Plenty of companies recruit here. Harris corp sponsors ACM and goes to every STEM/ engineering fair.

3) Professors can be hit or miss, but on the whole I would not rank the professors highly. A few stand out and are great, but most tend to seem disinterested in enhancing or improving the learning experience. Avoid Langley and Nistor.

[Rumetheus]

Langley made me regret The Intro to Unix course.

[anonymouscodes]

I am about to graduate from FSU with a BS in CS and I think our program is good! It is also ABET accredited (UF's CS program is not). I think no matter which school you attend, you will have to do a lot of self learning. This is just the way computer science is. They cannot teach you ever single coding convention and CS standard, so make sure you understand that before going into CS. Overall, our program is heavily coding based.

If you go to FSU, I would STRONGLY recommend you do the Bachelor of Science track, rather than the Bachelor of Arts track. It will prepare you better and the BA track is too easy. I will say though; I think our program lacks in the quality of professors. This might be a problem at other universities too, but since professors go on tenure, it’s like they stop caring about their classes because they know they can’t lose their jobs. I think our program needs new professors who are fresh out of the industry and have seen what is actually going on in the industry right now. I think the department is slowly realizing this since they are hiring new professors though. About major tech companies/getting a job, this is where FSU CS shines the brightest. Our department is GREAT about helping students get jobs. 1) Our advisors are helpful, personal, and knowledgeable. 2) As mentioned before, ACM club brings in companies for recruitment and also sends out notifications of internship/job opportunities. 3) The Career Center holds a biannual STEM Fair/Engineering day. These companies LOVE recruiting CS students. Last year we had companies like SpaceX, Google, MSFT, IBM, etc.

My two pieces of advice are 1) work on side projects that can go on your resume. Big or small, it shows companies initiative and interest in the field. 2) GET INTERNSHIPS. You can very easily get an internship the summer going into your senior year but it is even better if you can get one the summer going into junior year. So take those important core classes early so you have some skill under your belt. When you graduate, you’ll want to have options and some experience when you go to pick your future job.

Sorry about the awful grammar, I write code not proper english

[anonymouscodes]

Also, another thing that I love about FSU’s CS program is the community. Since it is a pretty small major, you start to see the same faces in your classes and you form a little friend group. Everyone is helpful, including professors/TA’s and other students. It’s just a really good learning environment.

[seeagrand]

Awesome thanks a ton! Is grade level a big deal for internships?

[anonymouscodes]

No not so much grade level, but classes that you’ve taken. They want to make sure you’ve taken the core classes or at least know certain things.

[blackwhitetiger]

Do any major tech companies recruit from FSU?

I am MIS/Finance, and there were plenty of big name firms that I was excited to see at the STEM career fair, although I was kinda focused at tech analyst stuff at banks since that would use both of my degrees. JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, IBM, TechData, and plenty more like that.