Depends on what it is you want to do. My (admittedly biased) suggestion is
that you study Computer Science. I'm sure that there are good Information
Systems departments, but typically, the caliber of developer I see in CS vs.
IS leaves no room for comparison. CS graduates are eminently more
employable, have a better understanding of the infrastructure of the tools
and technologies with which they're dealing, etc. IS is (at most
universities I've seen in the States) a business major, with a bit of
computer studies thrown in. CS, on the other hand, is often more
math-intensive, and anything related to the business world at large is
generally viewed with suspicion by CS academics.
Please understand that what I've said here is an extreme generalization;
your experience may differ. I have known comptent IS graduates, and I've
known CS graduates that couldn't spell "computer." I CAN tell you this
though; I work as a software developer, and my current boss is loathe to
hire IS graduates - he'll almost exclusively hire CS graduates. Of course,
once you've graduated and gotten some real-world work experience under your
belt, employers are less apt to care what you studied in school. Witness the
previous poster that studied voice. I myself nearly studied music
composition.:)
Finally, recognize that (IMHO), it is not usually the job of the university
to directly prepare you for employment. Rather, it should give you a firm
foundation upon which you can build your entire career knowledge base. Don't
waste your time in school fretting about learning the latest and hottest
technologies - those change constantly. Concern yourself with learning the
theory. In other words, don't worry so much about, "Should I learn NT or
Linux, or should I learn C++ or Java?" Instead, learn how operating systems
in general work, learn how programming languages work. These fields are well
developed, haven't changed too much in the last 20 years, and the things you
learn there will probably be useful to you throughout your career.
.02
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Graves" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Redhat List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2000 1:55 PM
Subject: OT: IT Degree Programs
> I haven't posted in quite a long time and I am sorry for the OT
> post. I was wondering if anyone that has a BA in Information
> Technology could tell me where they went to school and how they
> liked the program. I'm currently going to UMASS Amherst and they
> don't offer one so I need to transfer. I'm looking for something
> that might have night classes in the Eastern MA area but all
> suggestions are welcome. I'm finding that most institutes only offer
> computer science as a degree because information technology is a
> vocation. What did most of you do to get into the IT field? Major in
> CS and then take certificate programs for IT? Thanks for all your
> input!
>
> Jeff Graves
> Image Source, Inc.
>
>
>
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