As we all know, it is very common to change majors in the application to study in the United States, and some students choose an "indefinite major" in the first two years when applying to study in the United States, and then make a decision in the third year, during which there are two years for you to think and choose.
Computer science is Us.Ranked No. 1 in the Top 100 Jobs for Employment, No. 1 in Best STEM Careers, and No. 1 in Best Technical Occupations. It has always been a popular major for studying abroad, and the number of applicants is on the rise every year.
According to the 2023 U.S. Open Door Report on International Education Exchange, 23% of international students go to the U.S. to study "mathematics and computer science."
Because there are too many applicants, the application threshold for computer majors in the United States is getting higher and higher. Not only are there requirements for students' grades, but also related experience in competitions and scientific research is also indispensable.
As a result, some students will adopt the method of "saving the country by curve", first applying for other majors in prestigious schools, and then changing majors after admission, so as to realize the desire to study computer science in their dream school, which leads to the full number of CS majors in science and engineering schools.
Recently, many colleges and universities in the United States have announced the closure of the channel for changing majors in computer science, and they want to enter the computer majors of CS strong schools through "changing majors", which seems to be difficult to get through.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Recently, the Georgia Institute of Technology officially announced that due to the high demand for students for the bachelor's degree program in computer science, first-year freshmen in the summer, fall and second year of 2024 will not be able to transfer to the computer major.
Students admitted before the summer of 2024 will not be affected, and these students will need to meet the following requirements if they want to change their CS major:
Submit your application as soon as possible.
Must have good academic performance.
Completed an introductory computer course with a grade of "C" or higher before transferring to CS.
Transfer students must have completed at least one semester at TECH and be in good academic standing.
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley will limit students to only one high-demand major. For those students who wish to transfer to a computer science major, they will be required to be selected for the program at the time of application and will no longer be allowed to switch after admission.
This policy is mainly due to the fact that the number of applicants for computer science majors has far exceeded the capacity of the college. Through this move, the college hopes to improve the admission opportunities of students from other majors and balance supply and demand.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has implemented restrictions since the summer and fall semesters of 2022: students on campus cannot change majors to computer science (CS) majors, and only direct applications are accepted.
U.S. colleges and universities with similar policy requirements
At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), students on campus cannot change majors to computer science (CS) majors, and only direct applications are accepted.
At the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), it will be difficult for students to transfer to a CSE major without being directly admitted to a CSE major.
The University of Michigan (UMIC) requires all students who wish to study computer science to apply for the major individually, whether as a freshman or as an enrolled student.
The University of Maryland (UMCP), beginning in the fall of 2024, requires students who transfer from another school or change their major to computer science after their first year to earn at least a B- in the portal course, as well as 3A GPA of 0 is required for admission.
Therefore, it is no longer recommended to apply for computer science majors in prestigious universities by changing majors, and the trend of restricting changing majors is expected to be popular in well-known universities in the United States in the future. Students who want to apply for computer science majors still need to improve their comprehensive strength in order to squeeze across the single-plank bridge crossed by thousands of troops.