Computer Science Degree Available Online

Q: As an avid reader of this newsgroup, I would like to commend Lakeland College (http://199.170.23.12/Lakeland/online/online.asp) as a potential school for anyone wanting to complete a regionally accredited BSCS without residency.

A:I have checked this school out before. Regionally accredited. Unless something has changed recently, though, Lakeland offers a BACS, not a BSCS. This may be important to some folks, perhaps not to others. I'd suggest you look carefully at the curriculum. If it deviates too significantly from the traditional ACM CS content, skip it. A BA full of courses like Programming in dBase, Using MS Word, Business Principles, Accounting, or the like wil NOT be respected as a degree in CS. It *might* be accepted as a degree in Information Sciences, however. If that's the right direction for you, you may find such a curriculum weighted toward business rather than computational science more to your tastes. A Lifelong Learning major in Computer Science has a business application orientation. This major

provides a sound basis for careers in data processing, applications programming, systems analysis, and information systems management. Course work focuses on the analysis, management, and dissemination of information within a manufacturing or service business, or a service or government organization. It includes the effective organization, design, management, operation, and maintenance of computer programs, systems, hardware, and equipment. A major in computer science develops the ability to cope with and manage constant change; to organize information; and to think logically, to analyze business problems, and to make appropriate decisions to solve those problems.