Is a Computer Information Systems degree "worthless" now a days?

Ankhmatica

Heres a list of the cources the program contains:


I already know a bit about Networking, SQL, Visual Basic, etc...

Im hoping to become a Database Administrator, Network Engineer.. I wouldn't mind being a Business or QA Analyst neither.

What entry level jobs could I land with this degree and some certs?

scaredoftests

No, it is not worthless. Education is one of the criteria of a job.

soccarplayer29

This looks identical to the program I completed. Mine was Information Science/Systems (name changed) and then I did a minor in business administration.

Is it worthless? Absolutely not. Will it prepare you for a career as a DBA/Network engineer? Not really. It will provide foundation level knowledge but you'd need to self-study/certs/heavy electives to get you up to speed for that.

I feel like this degree is more for people looking to do Business System Analyst, Systems Analyst, Project Consulting type work but not necessarily hands on technical development and operations.

There is a sad number of IT degree programs from universities which fully prepare people no matter what specific program (IS, CIS, Comp engineer, etc.). Usually the programs provide the foundation and it's up to you to do the rest of the leg work to get to where you want to be. Pick the program that aligns closest, identify the skills gap (what the curriculum leaves to be desired so to say), then come up with a plan to fill those gaps (self-study, certs, internships, etc.).

DatabaseHead

They should rename that degree to System / Business Analyst (Bachelors of Science)

the_Grinch

Definitely not worthless. When asked what degrees a person should pursue I suggest the following:

Computer Science - if you can deal with the math and want to program definitely pursue this degree
IS/IT with Business courses - fact is a lot of programs don't focus on the business end of IT and that is a killer. Like it or not we are here to help the business and an IT person with business skills will be gold

From there I'd say minor in something you'd like to specialize in: security, databases, networks, systems

Jump on the helpdesk as soon as you can and then work towards certifications in the area you plan to specialize in:

Networking - Cisco or Juniper certifications
Systems - Microsoft or RedHat certifications
Databases - Microsoft or Oracle certifications

IS3

this question is so hard to answer in my opinion because anyone that has a degree will say "yes it is worth it". I think the answer should be backed up with how many job openings require this degree or HR statistics showing the specific degree is required to land a job.

InfoTechQA

Couldn't agree more with Soccarplayer29, excellent reply!

Lexluethar

Not worthless it at all. Not only will you gain a ton of knowledge it will prepare you for what the real world has to offer in terms of study habits, deadlines and how to manage your time. All things that are honestly about 90% of any IT job. The specific knowledge i gained from school (was a CIS major then changed to HR) is rarely used in my daily job - but the work ethic, time management and how to approach problems are things i deal with daily (at work and outside of work).

Get a degree, just don't pay 100k for one. Be smart about it, pay attention and in good time you will be rewarded with hard work and dedication.

v1ral

Any bachelors degree is worth it in IT.

blatini

Have to realize college courses are set up to be beneficial for everyone, and there will always be some fluff built into higher education. But if you're questioning the 'worth' of the program go out there and do some digging - it never hurts.

beads

Other degrees listed above allow for more career freedom from title onward where declaring yourself a specialist in 'security' will likely pigeon hole an individual a bit should you like most people come out of college and decide there degree program no longer suits what they wish to pursue as a career. As the old joke goes people studying business don't know what they want to do when they graduate. Just as psyche majors are too busy trying to figure themselves out. There are archtypes to each field and always will be.

Someone wanting to pursue a career in the latest tech hot flash of a field will likely get a raised eyebrow for pursuing anything but security.

- b/eads

jeremywatts2005

Better yet why not go to a two year technical college that includes some community colleges get lots of hands on and save some money. Then work for your Bachelors while working in field gaining experience. The two year would get you to a help desk or higher and then use if you have it the company's tuition assistance to get the 4yr. A win win for you. I had a lot of students who were very successful at doing this.

OctalDump

IS3 wrote: »

this question is so hard to answer in my opinion because anyone that has a degree will say "yes it is worth it". I think the answer should be backed up with how many job openings require this degree or HR statistics showing the specific degree is required to land a job.

Matching a job description isn't the only value you get from a degree. There's also the content that you learn and skills that you develop. Also, there is some responsibility on you to sell the value of your degree to an employer. So you need to understand well what the contents of the degree are and how they might benefit a business.

On the basis of the description here (and it isn't much to go on), you could talk about skills you developed to understand businesses and how to provide IT solutions that fit the needs of a business, and that you don't view IT as purely a technical discipline, but as a tool to allow companies to be more productive and innovative.

Degrees also generally help generic skills like critical thinking, writing, and research. Being able to relate those to how you can bring value to an organisation, is important.

There's also the implicit achievement that any degree represents, and its own intrinsic reward - learning can be enjoyable.

So you need to balance all of that against the cost.

TechGromit

I say an Associates computer science degree is worthless, but not a Bachelors computer science degree.

TechGuru80

Why do you think it's worthless? Most degrees will give you broad exposure to many areas because they don't want to force you into one spot. Use your electives to pick subjects you want to get a job doing. The job you get depends on timing, area you are in, if you know somebody, and if you have any certifications. If you don't have experience help desk or maybe an entry level DBA kind of role is most likely but nothing is ever definite.

Ankhmatica

What are some entry level DBA roles?

TechGromit

TechGuru80 wrote: »

Why do you think it's worthless?

Find me a job posting for a computer position that says "Computer help wanted, Associates computer science degree required." I did a quick search, I used Washington DC as a location, 100 mile radius, "Computer" and "Associates degree", I got 7 matches. The same search with "Bachelor" got 350+ hits. So yes, worthless pretty much sums it up. I say it's pretty much impossible to land an IT job with no experience or certifications and and just an Associates degree, with a Bachelor's degree and no experience your odds are greatly increased.

stlsmoore

TechGromit wrote: »

Find me a job posting for a computer position that says "Computer help wanted, Associates computer science degree required." I did a quick search, I used Washington DC as a location, 100 mile radius, "Computer" and "Associates degree", I got 7 matches. The same search with "Bachelor" got 350+ hits. So yes, worthless pretty much sums it up. I say it's pretty much impossible to land an IT job with no experience or certifications and and just an Associates degree, with a Bachelor's degree and no experience your odds are greatly increased.

I wouldn't go that far to say it's impossible to land an IT job (I have only an Associates) but Bachelors is def. the status quo. I was able to land plenty of entry level jobs armed with just a few CompTIA certs and my Associates back in the day. With that said, I'm planning on getting my Bachelors even though my income is great now, I know I'll be hitting a wall soon without it. Especially given the competition in my local area.

Remedymp

DatabaseHead wrote: »

They should rename that degree to System / Business Analyst (Bachelors of Science)

100% co-sign.

Remedymp

TechGromit wrote: »

Find me a job posting for a computer position that says "Computer help wanted, Associates computer science degree required." I did a quick search, I used Washington DC as a location, 100 mile radius, "Computer" and "Associates degree", I got 7 matches. The same search with "Bachelor" got 350+ hits. So yes, worthless pretty much sums it up. I say it's pretty much impossible to land an IT job with no experience or certifications and and just an Associates degree, with a Bachelor's degree and no experience your odds are greatly increased.

The reason why you see more postings with Bachelors than Associates is because the Associates as a platform and technology focus have become a rarity in itself. It's mostly about funding. Community colleges receive less funds than State schools, so therefore, enrollment for such programs at the community college level are almost non-existent. So, most people just do their remedial courses at a community college and move onto a state school to save their pennies.

It's sad that this country can't see to get education down right, but other countries seem to hit home runs with academic development.

TechGuru80

To be honest most positions that list a degree in technology are vague and usually not all encompassing. I didn't know we were talking about an Associates but a Bachelors is definitely where you want to get.