Computer Science or Symbolic Systems?

Megha Srivastava

As a senior Computer Science major, one of the most common debates I have encountered both when choosing my own major and through giving advice to underclassmen is “SymSys vs. CS”. The choice between these two majors has sparked conversation ranging from memes on Facebook to in-depth reflections on the nature of an education in technology. And while those predominantly interested in studying psycholinguistics or computer networks security may strongly fit within Symbolic Systems and Computer Science respectively, students interested in topics such as AI, Decision Making, and Natural Language Processing often find themselves split between the two majors, both of which provide wonderful opportunities to study these topics in depth.

So, should you major in Symbolic Systems or Computer Science? This post will provide an overview on the central factors that can (hopefully!) help when making this decision.

An Interdisciplinary Education

Stanford prides itself in its undergraduate academic flexibility and ability to provide an interdisciplinary education. Both SymSys and CS Majors can take advantage of this, albeit in subtly different ways.

SymSys: Symbolic Systems is inherently interdisciplinary, by combining computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology to explore different aspects of intelligence and human-computer interactions. The curriculum requires students to take philosophy courses at different levels, linguistics courses, psych courses, and choose a concentration which can involve taking classes in Biology or Economics.

Computer Science: For students who are interested in CS and want an interdisciplinary breadth, but are not as interested in the intersections SymSys explores, the CS program offers an incredible amount of flexibility to explore other connections with different academic areas. Why spend time taking multiple Philosophy courses required by SymSys if you are only genuinely passionate about 1? By allowing courses from EE, Econ, Psych, and Bio to count as depth electives depending on the track, the CS Major allows students to take additional electives and classes to create an interdisciplinary experience on their own terms.

Community Within the Major

For some students, having a close-knit major community is very important, while, for others, the ability to easily find and connect with other students of the same major is more important.

SymSys: Through working as a Symbolic Systems Advising Fellow or joining the SymSys society, it is quite easy to form a close-knit community within the SymSys major. Students are well aware that the interdisciplinary nature can create a disjointed feeling amongst majors, and thus actively try to create a community. Events such as SymSys Thanksgiving and Coffee Chats are very popular!

Computer Science: In any dorm you stay in or club you join, you are almost guaranteed to meet a CS Major. It is very easy to find people who have taken your current class and can provide advice, although many of the popular CS classes are taken by non-CS majors as well. Thus, there is less of an active effort to form a community within the CS Major, but clubs and diversity organizations such as Women in CS help provide such spaces. Moreover, the large number of CS Masters and PhD students creates a plethora of events, lunch talks, and reading groups that undergraduates can attend and meet people.

Perception of Major

Many students, whether vocal about it or not, are genuinely concerned about how their major appears towards prospective employers and other people they discuss their college education with. However, in addition to noting that coursework on transcripts likely matters more, the many famous alumni from SymSys make far more people familiar with the major than students seem to think.

SymSys: Most Bay Area tech-companies and employers have heard of Symbolic Systems, with some Silicon Valley companies even offering it as an option when applying for positions. And even if an employer hasn’t heard of SymSys, you can sell it as a major that builds upon departments Stanford is famous for (such as CS and Psychology), and is also an academic experience completely unique to Stanford. Within campus, many positively view SymSys as an alternative to Computer Science that is more conscious to issues regarding tech’s social, interdisciplinary, and ultimately human impact.

Computer Science: Stanford obviously has a well-known CS program, and due to having a well-defined core, prospective tech employers and research faculty are familiar with what topics and skills within CS all majors know. Across the country CS has a positive reputation as the desire to increase U.S. students, especially minorities, participation in STEM has increased. Within campus, faculty from different departments often approach the CS mailing lists seeking students to help with programming tasks for research projects — even though many students outside of CS could also help with such tasks.

Which University School the Major Belongs To

This is a subtle distinction that arguably most students hardly think of, especially as the CS department is slowly decreasing parts of the School of Engineering requirements for undergraduates (i.e. allowing a depth course to replace a SoE Fundamentals course). However, these distinctions may provide a good guide for what aspects of technology you are actually interested in.

SymSys: As part of the School Humanities & Sciences, SymSys joins the “center of the University’s liberal arts education”. Graduating seniors are eligible for awards such as the Sterling Award in H&S, as well as pursuing honors through the SymSys honors programs.

Computer Science: As part of the School of Engineering, the CS Major is subject to SoE requirements such as the Math requirement and Technology in Society requirement. These requirements are easy to fill naturally through the major requirements, but students wary of taking math beyond Math51/CME100 or taking Engr40 (Electronics) should consider SymSys. Being part of the SoE provides stronger access to Global Engineering Programs and societies such as Tau Beta Pi.

Research Opportunities

SymSys: The Symbolic Systems major is well-recognized by faculty in areas such as AI and NLP, and coursework is likely used a strong indicator of a students fit in a certain research project. The SymSys summer research program is restricted to majors-only, so those interested in working with faculty from outside the CS-department through the program would need to major in SymSys.

Computer Science : The CURIS research program is open to non-majors, and several SymSys majors participate. Many of the CS classes provide excellent preparation for research through course projects. Due to the use of CS across different fields, it is quite common for faculty in other departments to seek RA’s through the CS Majors list. If you are interested in interdisciplinary research related to CS but unrelated to SymSys’s particularly cognitive science bend, a CS major may potentially open more doors.

Both Computer Science and SymSys provide incredible options for your future. Some SymSys majors even continue on to co-term in CS, while some CS Majors choose to take the additional classes included in the SymSys curriculum out of interest. SymSyS alumni include Marissa Mayer, and both programs have a strong record of sending students to graduate research programs. There ultimately is no wrong decision!