BS degree in CS or Closely related field?

Under job description I keep seeing this requirement:

"A bachelor's degree in computer science or a closely related field may substitute for the required education and experience."

What would be considered a closely related field? Is there an official list posted somewhere?

Would my BS degree in Accounting be considered a "closely related field"?

Your thoughts please

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Comments

brianeaglesfan

Most of the time they're referring to IT, IS / CIS / MIS, CE, EE, or something similar.

BradleyHU

also....if you dont have a degree in a computer related major, be sure to have the experience they are looking for. for example, if its network admin job, then have some networking experience.

ssampier

This is a really common phrase. I wouldn't worry about it and apply anyway.

I am assuming you are qualified with the certifications and experience necessary, of course. Remember: Practically no one fits the descriptions perfectly. If I have roughly 50% of what they are asking for and everything else is equal, I apply.

Slowhand

So far in my career I've held a helpdesk position, a NOC engineer position, a systems administrator position, and a systems/network engineer position. Each of these jobs listed a B.S. in "Computer Science or a related field" as required. As of this last year, I'm back in school working on an Associate's in IT and a B.S. in Computer Science to go along with my only academic credential: a G.E.D.

HR departments try to get as much bang for their buck a possible by listing their ideal candidate; this also helps them weed out potentially unqualified applicants. In your case, if your experience and knowledge is at least up to 80% of the actual job-description, then go ahead and apply. You might get beaten out of it by someone with better skills and a CS degree, or you might beat out someone with similar skills and no degree at all.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

HardDisk

Thanks for the comments they are helpful!

Like objectives on a Certification exam I am breaking down the obstacles or barriers that make it difficult to find a job.

After earning six certifications in eighteen months I am programmed to attack a problem (like finding a job) the same way I would prepare for an exam. In this application getting hired into a desirable job is the same as passing the next exam.

So once again my thanks to members of these forums who have gone before me.

uhtrinity

Prior to WGU and my certs I applied for IT jobs and got many interviews based on my AAS degree in Electronics + experience. That was considered a closely related field.

This is the way I look at it:

In IT you have three main things

1. Experience (probably the most important)
2. Education
3. Certifications

Having at least 2 of those 3 will give you an advantage over the average applicant.