Computer science is one of the most popular majors across all colleges, and for good reason. We live in a digital age, and many students want to leave their mark on new technologies, or are simply drawn by the high salaries and ample prospects a degree in computer science promises. There are many great CS programs out there, and the one offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (more often just UIUC) is notable for several reasons.
First, of course, it is one of the best CS programs in the country. Their school of is top ranked, and highly competitive for admissions. Beyond that, however, they offer some options that many schools do not: their combined studies . In this article, we鈥檙e going to explore both what these majors are, and how you can go about applying for them. While these aren鈥檛 going to be right for every student, they are a somewhat unique opportunity, and may be just right to perfectly prepare you for the future you鈥檙e dreaming of.
UIUC鈥檚 Blended Computer Science Degrees
These are all single major programs, not dual degrees, which award a single BS degree. These must be applied to as your primary major; they are generally hosted in another college at UIUC, and your degree is awarded through that college. Each of these programs covers the fundamentals of both computer science and the partner field, and the merger between them, how CS can be used to advance the other work done in that field.
There are more than a dozen of these, but we鈥檒l go through each of them briefly, to explore who it鈥檚 for and what it can offer you.
This major is hosted by the College of Media, and covers the deeply intertwined fields of CS and advertising. It鈥檚 no secret how much digital infrastructure is devoted to ads, and this major is designed so you can understand both the technical aspects of that infrastructure, and the marketing principles which underpin the advertising decisions. Note that this is not about digital ads themselves, but rather the advertising environment which is created in online spaces.
Like many public universities in agrarian states, UIUC has a very strong program for agricultural sciences. This too is advancing with the advent of new technologies, and this degree prepares you for that. From breeding practices to feeding and management, a knowledge of programming and automation is increasingly desired for entrants into the world of agriculture.
Anthropology has come a long way from Durkheim just making things up, and this major highlights the increasing importance of data and analysis in this field of study. Hosted by the College of Liberal Arts, this major focuses both on the anthropological impact of computers, and on using programming and data science to analyze and parse the mountains of data that anthropologists must now deal with.
Hosted by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, this major is in response to the field of astronomy increasingly relying on programming knowledge in order to help deal with the mountains of data and the need for complex modeling. This major is particularly aimed at those students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies. Students in this major are encouraged to complete undergraduate research, though it isn鈥檛 required.
This major is hosted by the Grainger College of Engineering, and is in response to the increasing importance of big data in creating new medical technologies, and the increase in cybernetics and digital technologies integrated with the mechanical hardware. This major is closer to a more pure engineering and CS major, but does have some unique offerings you can鈥檛 get from just majoring in bioengineering.
Hosted by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, this major is in response to the increasing use of computer science in chemistry research, especially in the fields of modeling and visualization. While you still need to have the baseline chemical understanding, CS can help you both predict and explain your results, along with assisting in analyzing large data sets. This works well for students interested in industry or higher education.
This major is devoted to research and innovation within agriculture, particularly in fields where there is a lot of data which needs to be analyzed. Everything from weather patterns to plant genetics now can be greatly speeded through computer modeling, while other aspects of farming also benefit from technical innovation. Ideal for students looking for a job in this specific industry.
Hosted by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, this program focuses on data analysis, especially when dealing with the incredibly large data sets economists generally use. This prepares students both to go directly into industry or to pursue further work in research and academia. While this is not directly a business degree, it is often more valuable for careers in finance than a business degree.
Hosted by the College of Education, this major is specifically designed for students who want to go on to teach computer science, or for those who want to better understand how technology can be successfully integrated with education. The use of digital devices in education is a hotly debated topic, and this major will give you the tools to understand that. This major intentionally prepares students to pursue advanced degrees.
Geographic Information Science, or GIS, is the term used for mapmaking digitally, combining high precision data in order to create the most accurate maps possible. This major gives students the tools to model and work with data that relates to physical space, transforming maps to reality and back again. UIUC is a leader in both fields, and this particular combined major is excellent for anyone who wants to enter the field of GIS specifically.
Hosted in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, this major looks at how computers use and interact with natural language, the same as used by you or I. There is also room in this for computational linguistics, though that is its own field of study. This major is particularly suited for students who are interested in graduate school, but also offers opportunities in industry, especially as the use of natural language by computers becomes more common.
Hosted by the College of Fine and Applied Arts, this major looks at the connections between music and technology, from audio tools to advancements in digital music and production. This is a fine arts major, but still requires the math and science skills as any study of CS does. Students in this program can also take graduate courses in the Music school.
For any number of reasons, there are an increasing number of ethical and fundamental questions raised by technology and computer science. The point of this major is to give you the technical understanding to grasp the questions being asked, and the philosophical depth to attempt meaningful answers to them. This is somewhat niche compared to other majors, but no less important for that fact.
Hosted by the Grainger College of Engineering, this major focuses on the quantitative models used in so much of physics. Physics looks at things large and small, generating mountains of data, and programming and modeling are needed to fully parse this, to understand what you are looking at and what it means. This major is related to the CS+Astronomy one, but includes other fields of physics as well. This major gives you a solid grounding; many graduates go on to careers in industry, while others continue their studies in graduate school.
How to Apply for a CS+X Major
All of these work the same as any other major offered by UIUC. When you apply, you select your first choice major in your college of choice, and you are evaluated for your fit for that major and program specifically. UIUC has a single admissions office, but admission is done by both college and major.
These majors do not have any additional application requirements. They are, however, extremely competitive for admissions, since they are . The CS major as a whole has an acceptance rate of 7.4%, while the acceptance rate across all CS+X programs is 17.4%. This is higher, but is still more competitive than any other college at UIUC.
The released acceptance rate also does not differentiate between different CS+X majors. While we aren鈥檛 certain, we are reasonably confident more students are applying for CS+Economics than for CS+Crop Science. Overall, however, there is nothing additional you need to do when applying; it鈥檚 just very hard to get in.
UIUC does allow you to choose a second major when you apply, and we recommend doing so if you are aiming for one of the CS+X degrees. This is especially true for in-state students; UIUC has a lot of very good programs beyond computer science, and being able to avail yourself of them even if you don鈥檛 get your first choice is worthwhile.
Is a CS+X Major at UIUC Right for You?
This depends entirely on what your goals are, but for many students, these combined degrees offer many more options than a pure computer science major, or a simple major in the other field. A lot of fields increasingly rely on computer science, from the need to process massive amounts of data when doing research, to the complex tools and programs which now underpin so many fields.
In general, students with two particular goals benefit the most from these majors. Those who want to pursue research which involves significant amounts of data or modeling, and those who want to enter industries which rely heavily on technology, especially in finance or business.
Everyone who does scientific research needs to understand a small amount of programming, enough to be able to run data analyses in R and plot out the results you get. In some research projects, the amount of data you are dealing with demands more than that, and you must be able to sift through mountains of data, or program complicated models which will enable you to properly understand the reactions which are occurring. This can be done through a CS minor, but a combined degree just makes the entire process more coherent.
For industry, many companies have begun prioritizing hiring students with some knowledge of programming, especially in certain fields of finance and consulting. This certainly isn鈥檛 always the case, but if you are aiming at some fields or career paths, a degree which includes computer science is much more valuable than one which covers business alone.
UIUC isn鈥檛 the only college to offer combined degrees of this type, but they have an incredibly wide variety of them, and make them far more accessible than many other universities. Combined with the strength of their computer science program, they are definitely worth including on your list of colleges if you are interested in pursuing CS at a high level.
Final Thoughts
Computer science isn鈥檛 the only field students can go into, and it is entirely possible to get a good career without it. That said, it’s no surprise why so many students are interested in pursuing it, or why it鈥檚 the most popular major at so many schools. We hope this article helped you understand one particular computer science offering at a university known for them, and evaluate whether or not a CS+X degree is something that might help with your goals.
If you鈥檙e looking for more help finding the exact degree or major that best suits your interests, or applying to the program once you have found it, then 吃瓜官网 can help. Our mentors are experts of every aspect of the admissions process, and have plenty of experience guiding students through it. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you.
