Testing out toward a degree but don't know where to start

[ray_scanlon]

Thanks for your advice. I would like to find a career in a computer field. I just seen a description for software development and thought it might be interesting. The thing I want most is a degree that I can test out as much as possible if not totally and something fairly affordable. I would also like a degree field that will help me find a decent job in a computer field. This is all totally new to me so I am not sure which degree would be best in my situation but I thank you for your input. It is much appreciated.

[sanantone]

I'm not going to get into the debate on which degree will work for a career in software development, but I do want to point out that there are significant differences between the BA in CS and BSAST in IT at TESU. None of this is accounting for the courses Davewill recommends. Since the differences in math requirements have already been covered, I won't bring that up again.

1. The BSAST requires a lot more specific courses than the BA in CS. The BA in CS gives you more flexibility in choosing courses whether you're testing out, taking them at TESU, or transferring courses from another college.

2. The BSAST requires a lot more IT credits than the BA in CS requires CS credits.

3. Because the BA in CS requires less credits in the AOS (major), it has a lot more room for free electives. There is room for 27 credits in the CS program whereas the IT program only has room for 15.

4. The BA requires the liberal arts capstone in which you'll probably write a mini-thesis. The BSAST requires Current Trends and Applications in which you'll complete an applied project.

[davewill]

Well, the "computer field" covers a wide area. As far as degrees go, there are basically three tracks:

- BA Business Administration with a CIS (computer information systems) concentration.

This degree is the least technical. You'll take accounting courses, and general business courses plus Information System courses. People who get this degree are more likely to be managers or others who work with technology, although people with this degree definitely do work in IT, and do write software for business information systems. People with this degree also sometimes work as analysts designing information systems.

- An IT degree like the BSAST in Information Technology like Bluebooger outlined. While it covers some of the same ground as the CS degree, the key word here is INFORMATION. People with this degree generally work in larger companies (or for companies that make software for them or consult for them) designing and implementing information systems (think databases). As Bluebooger pointed out, some people with this degree do write software for a living, some work in the IT department of a company, doing IT administration. Others work as analysts designing information systems.

- BA/BS in Computer Science. People with this degree primarily work as software developers or software engineers. The degree is much heavier on math and the theory of computing. Many people with this degree work primarily on computing rather than on information systems, although many CS grads do still specialize in Info Systems.

It is tempting to say one track is "better" or "harder" but I think it's more important to recognize that the track needs to match the person and their goals. If I had to write web interfaces for corporate information systems, write accounting software, or design and administer databases for a living, I'd go crazy. Other folks really like doing these things, and would consider computing theory snoresville. Also, there is a good bit of overlap, and people often migrate in one direction or another. There is no objective right or wrong answer, only a personal answer.

The BSBA is the most test friendly. It is possible to test out of practically the whole thing, and a lot of people here have experience doing exactly that. The BSAST if probably easier to "test out of", but I don't really know the details of that one very well. The BACS can't be completely tested out of, but it can be done online. Another thing to consider is that the people who "test out" usually have lots of experience, so they are basically taking tests on things they already know at least something about. If you have no computer experience, you may prefer to take courses that have projects to work on and teach you rather than just self-studying for tests.

Anyway, in your shoes, I'd think hard about WHAT I wanted to do rather than looking for the easiest or cheapest way to get there. Once you have a goal, which degree to pick will likely answer itself.

Note to other folks: Please feel free to chime in. IT/IS is not my field and others can probably say a lot more about it.

[Zachcleigh]

Java, C#, C++, Ruby, Pearl, HTML, UNIX, Python, all pretty mandatory languages to be a software developer at a large company...

[mednat]

Java, C#, C++, Ruby, Pearl, HTML, UNIX, Python, all pretty mandatory languages to be a software developer at a large company...

I find it pretty rare that a company requires a developer to work in this many languages. Most developers have a couple of languages that they can really rock out (not counting things like JS/HTML/etc). It's extremely rare that I found developers that know non-complementary things like C# and Unix.

[jsd]

Unix isn't a language.

[dfrecore]

I don't think most companies expect a SW Dev to know ALL of those languages. They usually want 1 or 2, maybe some familiarity with others. Many companies are all switching to one platform and want experts in that. Some companies have legacy systems (think AT&T with some 30-year old programs) and need people to replace the old guys who are retiring. But to expect someone to know and write in 7 languages seems pretty extreme.

[davewill]

Honestly, being a software dev isn't really about "knowing languages" it's about knowing how to program and to design systems. A good dev learns whatever language he needs to get the job done. That's why the BACS doesn't require a bunch of language courses in the AOS.

[edwardfurlong]

"but his advice is pretty standard."
that there's no substitute for a CS degree if you want to be a software developer ??

Maybe a better way of phrasing my interpretation is that if you want a degree in computer science, then there is no substitute for a computer science degree.

Other posters have described pretty well the differences between degrees, I would hope anyone looking for advice on what path to take would do their due diligence.

[alzee]

Maybe a better way of phrasing my interpretation is that if you want a degree in computer science, then there is no substitute for a computer science degree.

That just strikes me as a tautology... If you want a degree in basketweaving, there's no substitute for a basketweaving degree..

FWIW I don't really have a dog in this fight and I'm not "taking sides", I just thought this post didn't really make any sense.