FAQs

Questions from people who are not currently OSU students:

Q: I work full-time and I am interested in taking some courses to get a basic knowledge of how to use computers. How do I take courses in the department?

Ans: Probably the simplest approach would be for you to become a continuing education student at OSU. This will allow you to take courses offered by various OSU departments including this department. But note that CIS and CSE majors get priority scheduling for courses beyond CSE 2221 taught by the department. Other students are admitted on a space-available basis.

Q: I have been a programmer/software developer for many years although I do not have an undergraduate degree in CS. I would like to get such a degree. What is the fastest way of doing so?

Ans: There probably is no guaranteed quick way of getting such a degree, but there are different approaches. It is best to set up an appointment with an advisor to discuss the options you have. Please contact the Advising Office. You may also want to consider the possibility of getting into our graduate program.

Q: I am a high-school senior and have been programming in C and C++ for 5 years. I am interested in becoming a professional video game software developer. How do I go about it?

Ans: To become a good software engineer, whether it is in the field of video games or any other kind of software, a person needs a solid grounding in key concepts in programming and computing. Those concepts and skills are learned and developed in any of our bachelor degrees in the department. Note that mathematical skills and analytical thinking abilities are essential for success in software engineering; our programs, therefore, have a fairly strong math component as well.

Q: I am a high-school senior and was planning to join OSU to major in one of the programs in this department. But I hear that all the IT jobs are going overseas. Should I change my plans?

Ans: The philosophy of most career and academic counselors is to go for your passion. If you feel that computing is your passion, then go for it. There have been many studies that suggest the IT jobs are here to stay, but perhaps in a broader sector. And with the current state of the economy, the increase in job opportunities means companies will be starting to hire, and the IT sector will not produce enough students to fill necessary jobs. Some of the fastest-growing occupations nationally by percentage are IT related: Network system, data analysts, software engineers. And in the state of Ohio, various types of IT jobs were in the top 7 out of 10 jobs that are the fastest-growing occupations by percentage. Change your plans? Only you can answer that, but if you really enjoy computing, you should definitely consider pursuing a computing degree.

Q: I am a student in University of XYZ. I want to transfer to Ohio State so I can work in computer animation. What should I do?

Ans: If you are an undergraduate student, see the admissions page. If you are a graduate student, see the graduate program page.

Q: I am a high-school senior and will be joining OSU in the fall. How long will it take for me to complete my CSE (or CIS) degree?

Ans: Depends on a number of factors such as how many credit hours you will be taking each semester, how many/which prerequisite courses you might have to take at OSU, etc. In the past few years, the average time-to-degree for both BS CSE and BS CIS majors has been 4 to 5 years. BA CIS students typically take somewhat shorter time but the number of these students is so low that averages don't make sense. 

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