Troubled with Oxford offer

I've received an unconditional offer to study engineering but after months of immersing myself in coding/computer science maths, I wish to study computer science instead. Can someone please advise on how I should proceed?

As an international student it is a huge financial burden to study at Oxford, so it is an especially big decision to study the right course. While I believe I'd very much enjoy studying engineering, I don't feel like it's the perfect course for me in the way I believe Computer Science is.

I put in a request to move to Computer Science yesterday and it was unfortunately declined.

Taking a gap year is not an option for me as I'm already older than most applicants... what should I do? (Is there a way to pursue Computer Science by attending lectures in Oxford even as an engineering student? etc.)

P.S: I hope I do not come off as ungrateful as I believe that even having the chance to study at Oxford is a huge honour which I am so happy about.

Thank you

The way I see it, you have three main options:
1) Continue with Engineering, with coding/ computer science as a hobby;
2) Give up your Oxford offer, take a gap year and re-apply to Computer Science;
3) Start at Oxford, and apply to Computer Science during Michaelmas. If successful, you can either finish first year Engineering and then switch to Computer Science, or drop out after Michaelmas and return the next academic year.

I think I will have to go with either option 1) or 3). I'd very much like to apply to Computer Science during Michaelmas but I fear that it will be difficult to switch courses considering that my particular college does not offer computer science. However I will do my best to make it happen.

Some questions for you to think about: Would you be okay if you did Engineering with coding/ computer science as a side/ hobby? Is there any chance of pursuing options that lean towards Computer Science later on? Are there any particular careers that you want to pursue which would require a Computer Science degree?

I think I have an academic interest in computer science so I'd really love to thoroughly study the subject as a student. I believe it is possible to take a few computing courses in the 3rd/4th year, which I will definitely do if I must stay in Engineering. I wish to have a career in startups, where I believe a computer science degree is also valuable.

If you genuinely believe that Engineering is the wrong subject for you, you should consider taking a gap year because in the grander scheme of things, one year is nothing once you start working (some of my peers at work switched careers and therefore are a good 5+ years older than me). In particular, if you dislike your subject, it's going to be a massive struggle since you'll be spending an awful lot of time on it. That said, you don't have to love your subject (I was fairly apathetic towards mine), but you cannot dislike it.

I think I will keep my offer as I believe I would still enjoy studying engineering and my family would never forgive me if I gave up my offer as I may not get another one next year if I applied.

It's definitely possible to attend the lectures of other courses, but you have to bear in mind that (1) your own workload is already heavy enough; and (2) potential timetable clashes.

It's worth noting, you will do some programming regardless - in any engineering course. Further, the nature of the Oxford engineering course allows you to specialise in e.g. electronic, information, or computer engineering. Thus, specialising in the fundamental hardware aspects of computing, or some elements of the communications of computer systems, or implementation of complex computer systems - which you may not be personally writing the code for, but you're coordinating how all these separate machines with different code written by different people work together. From this background it's entirely feasible to move into a software development role, or pursue a masters or higher in computer science and then do so.

If you really like the very abstract stuff then, you're probably going to do a PhD and go into academia anyway, and usually they don't care so much about your degree title as with what you've been doing with it - and if you are specialising in a related area, and doing projects and theses on related topics to these more abstract areas of computer science, within the scope of engineering, that will go a long way to at least being considered. Also, Imperial have a "conversion" CS masters course anyway - although they'd probably suggest you go onto their intermediary suite of specialised CS courses, rather than the base conversion one (or potentially the more research oriented "Advanced CS" masters - since they'll be aware that you're likely to have a better than average preparation for the nature of the course coming from Oxford engineering).

You can take a year out, but honestly I'd suggest beginning the course - if you really feel it's not for you, you can try to transfer after beginning by discussion with your director of studies (and if you had an exemplary first year performance they may well be amenable to that, although of course there is no guarantee). If not, then...you know what to do!

I think I will have to go with either option 1) or 3). I'd very much like to apply to Computer Science during Michaelmas but I fear that it will be difficult to switch courses considering that my particular college does not offer computer science. However I will do my best to make it happen.

FWIW, I know of a few people who have done option 3) so it is possible:
- friend from another college started at Oxford (History and Politics), and applied to Law (but at the same college) in Michaelmas through UCAS after his transfer request was denied. He got in, dropped out of HisPol and returned the next academic year.
- one of my college seniors finished one year of Law and then switched to Economics and Management. Not sure if he had to formally apply through UCAS though.

You might have to make a fresh application through UCAS, especially since your college doesn't offer CS. Speak to your Engineering tutors immediately when you go up (term starts on 9 October, very close to the 15 October deadline) and make sure you go through all the procedural steps.

Tagging @gavinlowe and @BrasenoseAdm - any advice on how OP can switch to CS after starting at Oxford given that his/her transfer request has been declined and his/her college does not offer CS?

Did they say why it was rejected? Changing courses whilst at Oxford is not common but not unusual either. I'd be interested as to why they outright rejected your application as that is not usual as i understand it.

Yes you can attend computer science lectures if you wish. Often people attend Oxford with this intention, but rarely follow through - doing one course is intense enough, and once you are out of the loop with a particular subject lectures will start to make less and less sense to you, especially for something relatively abstract like CS.

Did they say why it was rejected? Changing courses whilst at Oxford is not common but not unusual either. I'd be interested as to why they outright rejected your application as that is not usual as i understand it.

Yes you can attend computer science lectures if you wish. Often people attend Oxford with this intention, but rarely follow through - doing one course is intense enough, and once you are out of the loop with a particular subject lectures will start to make less and less sense to you, especially for something relatively abstract like CS.

Do you think I should request the course change again once I start my course? I really want to study computer science, but I wouldn't want to offend my college engineering tutors by being so persistent in the matter.

Definitely ask.

FWIW, I know of a few people who have done option 3) so it is possible:
- friend from another college started at Oxford (History and Politics), and applied to Law (but at the same college) in Michaelmas through UCAS after his transfer request was denied. He got in, dropped out of HisPol and returned the next academic year.
- one of my college seniors finished one year of Law and then switched to Economics and Management. Not sure if he had to formally apply through UCAS though.

You might have to make a fresh application through UCAS, especially since your college doesn't offer CS. Speak to your Engineering tutors immediately when you go up (term starts on 9 October, very close to the 15 October deadline) and make sure you go through all the procedural steps.

Tagging @gavinlowe and @BrasenoseAdm - any advice on how OP can switch to CS after starting at Oxford given that his/her transfer request has been declined and his/her college does not offer CS?

Thanks for the tag. There is overlap between Engineering and Computer Science so our advice would be to speak to the Engineering Tutors after arrival about how Engineering option pathways might develop. It may also be worth investigating whether college migration is possible - but again, this is probably a conversation to have on arrival.

Thank you so much for the advice! If you don't mind can I please ask one question about the possible college migration?

I was told that the reason I couldn't transfer to computer science was that all spaces had been filled. If this were the case, even if I were to ask again once term starts, I would still be rejected. Is the idea that if I were to academically excel during the Michaelmas term, Oxford would accept a course change despite being at full capacity?

Thank you

I'm afraid we don't have answers to your queries and feel that the next move for you is to continue the dialogue with your offer college.

Tagging @gavinlowe and @BrasenoseAdm - any advice on how OP can switch to CS after starting at Oxford given that his/her transfer request has been declined and his/her college does not offer CS?

I've already tried hard to find another college to consider OP; but all the colleges are full. We've taken 20 more students for CS and joint schools than last year. I don't see any likelihood that a transfer will be possible later in the year. OP should just concentrate on his Engineering degree.

Gavin

I've received an unconditional offer to study engineering but after months of immersing myself in coding/computer science maths, I wish to study computer science instead. Can someone please advise on how I should proceed?

I read Engineering and Computing Science at Oxford way back (it isn't offered now). Even though I was a computing addict, I enjoyed Engineering Science more. My whole career has been in computing, and I've hired and worked with many people from non-CS backgrounds.

I'd see how you like Engineering Science. By all means attend the odd CS lecture, but I suspect that you'll get enough of a practical computing fix from Engineering Science.