<p>Top jobs in the country, according to many sources are in the IT field. Some of the jobs requiring a CS degree and some recommending IT or CS. I look at the school I'll be transferring to, and the curriculum for CS is brutal as opposed to IT where the majority of classes are business/information systems bs. Do I want to study every waking moment for something like CS? Not if it doesn't give a HUGE advantage and offer countless more opportunities than an IT degree would. The way I see it, CS does give a bit more opportunity for programming/software engineering type jobs but that's really it. Really not enough to make me want to go through that. So my question is, how much more worth it is CS?</p>
<p>I don’t think anything computer related is a good major due to massive outsourcing. From the BLS:</p>
<p>Computer hardware engineers are expected to have employment growth of 4 percent over the projections decade, slower than the average for all occupations. Although the use of information technology continues to expand rapidly, the manufacture of computer hardware is expected to be adversely affected by intense foreign competition.</p>
<p>Also, anyone considering the tech industry should absolutely first visit Professor Matloff’s H1-B page:</p>
<p><a href=“http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/h1b.html[/url]”>http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/h1b.html</a></p>
<p>Go petroleum engineering!!!</p>
<p>Okay Homer uh CS refers to the software side of computers and the BLS statistics you gave are geared more towards those focused on computer engineering.</p>
<p>Relating to the OP CS and IT will deal with different things in a company. CS will closer to the software engineer whereas IT is focused greatly on technology systems that could include networks and database systems.
Unless you create something amazing you will have around the same starting salary.</p>
<p>Homer28 ~~~~> corner</p>
<p>TomDub,</p>
<p>I always say this from my 20 years in IT/CS, I the best majors are:</p>
<p>1) Math-Computer Science (that’s just me being biased)
2) Computer Science
3) I.T. WITH courses in Operating Systems, Programming Languages, Algorithms & Data Structures from the CS dept if the IT major does not require it.</p>
<p>Those 4 courses are the core of any CS program and come in handy when you run into issues during development.</p>
<p><a href=“College of Health Sciences: Academic Advising - Old Dominion University”>College of Health Sciences: Academic Advising - Old Dominion University;
<p>This is the IT curriculum if anyone wants to take a look and see how good it is. They also have different tracks for networking, database, and Ecommerce</p>
<p>Also the CS one</p>
<p><a href=“College of Health Sciences: Academic Advising - Old Dominion University”>College of Health Sciences: Academic Advising - Old Dominion University;
<p>IT = guys that want to work on computers/technical support for companies. “Call the IT guy, my internet connection isn’t working”.</p>
<p>CS = guys that want to design and develop software, databases and computer systems for companies that design and develop computer systems and software to sell to businesses across the world.</p>
<p>In short, the CS guys design and develop the computer programs, the IT guys install it on someone’s computer.</p>
<p>I don’t think you’re right about that. IT is more than installing things. That is a part of it, of course. But an IT background is suitable for web/database development too.</p>
<p>For years I have heard about outsourcing in virtually all areas of IT. And I know this is true since I know of several unemployed people in IT. So can you guys please explain how computer science is a good field to enter? All of Sillicon Valley is outsourcing. IBM now employs more workers in India than the U.S. So please tell me how CS is a good field to enter?</p>
<p>For one, CS =/= IT</p>
<p>They are different fields. Period.</p>
<p>“I don’t think you’re right about that. IT is more than installing things. That is a part of it, of course. But an IT background is suitable for web/database development too.”</p>
<p>The post was a little sarcastic. In general, an IT degree is a computer based degree designed around computer applications for business use. It is a very practical degree. It doesn’t require a great deal of mathematics classes. I view it as almost a “customer service” type degree, with your customers being clients that need assistance with their computer systems, or fellow employees that you work with. </p>
<p>A CS degree is very math/theory heavy, and is based around computer theory, design, structure and development. Besides working with computers, I don’t think the degrees are related very much.</p>
<p>FWIW, I’m not a CS or IT major. I just have more respect for CS majors because I have to take a few of their classes as part of my major. I’ve looked over the syllabus for several IT programs and in general they do not seem very challenging. The elimination of mathematical structure and theory separates IT from CS. Some people can do the math, some cannot. If you can do the math I see no reason to get an IT degree, go for the CS degree. </p>
<p>FWIW, CS degrees were rated #5 as for entry level salary levels, IT was not on the list.</p>
<p>"For one, CS =/= IT</p>
<p>They are different fields. Period."</p>
<hr>
<p>Regardless. Your not answering my question. How can CS be a good career when there is TONS of outsourcing and competititon from H1B visas in the industry?</p>
<p>
Homer is a ■■■■■.</p>
<p>The ignore list is a useful feature.</p>
<p>Put them together…</p>
<p>Honestly, that CS curriculum doesn’t look that challenging. In my school the CS major requires Calc III, and Matrix Algebra and Differential Equations. Those are 3 challenging classes that do not appear to be part of that CS curriculum.</p>
<p>So I post credible sources and you immediately reject them with no sound evidence? You can’t have an honest debate?</p>
<p>Does the IT degree look decent? Most majors I’ve seen or heard of labeled Information Technology have very few to little business classes and are really known as bottom of the barrel tech degrees. That one looks more like an MIS degree due to all it’s business requirements.</p>
<p>It looks decent but it really depends on what you want to do. If you really want to design software then CS is really the best bet. If the curriculum looks like an MIS degree it would be better to just stick with CS if you want to do software development.</p>
<p>Seven people that are unemployed are credible sources but its hard to decide whether they represent the majority you know? Secondly we really dont know anything about them, schooling or work ethic, networking ability etc.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m actually really stuck on what I want to do. I’ve loved computers since I was a small kid, even have A+ and Net+ certs I got while in high school. I have never programmed or thought about developing software honestly but I do respect how thorough the CS major is with computers. Definitely think I sway more towards the IT side of things. Thing is I want to make the most out of going to college and want a degree with great opportunities attached to it, I.E. Computer Science. Even if I was to go IT i’d still prefer it be MIS due to that being a more specialized degree, unfortunately my college doesn’t offer that so it’s more of a reason to pick CS. Thing is, with my never having a desire to program or develop software (same thing?) combined with a 20-25 hour work week, I’m sure I could handle a degree of that caliber.</p>
<p>I love how strong the outsourcing myth is continuing to survive.</p>
<p>
<a href=“http://i38.■■■■■■■.com/2gx1shw.jpg[/IMG]”>http://i38.■■■■■■■.com/2gx1shw.jpg
![http://i38.■■■■■■■.com/2gx1shw.jpg[/IMG]](http://i38.tinypic.com/2gx1shw.jpg%5B/IMG%5D){kind=link}
</a></p>
<p>Oh and </p>
<p>[Computer</a> Software Engineers and Computer Programmers](<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos303.htm]Computer”>http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos303.htm)</p>
<p>“Employment of computer software engineers is expected to increase by 32 percent from 2008-2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. In addition, this occupation will see a large number of new jobs, with more than 295,000 created between 2008 and 2018. Demand for computer software engineers will increase as computer networking continues to grow. For example, expanding Internet technologies have spurred demand for computer software engineers who can develop Internet, intranet, and World Wide Web applications. Likewise, electronic data-processing systems in business, telecommunications, healthcare, government, and other settings continue to become more sophisticated and complex. Implementing, safeguarding, and updating computer systems and resolving problems will fuel the demand for growing numbers of systems software engineers.”</p>
<p>And what the hell, here is a speech by a Google employee at Stanford on the state of computer science education.
<a href=“Google University Inaugural Lecture: Expanding the Frontiers of Computer S... - YouTube”>Google University Inaugural Lecture: Expanding the Frontiers of Computer S... - YouTube;