<p>I've looked at a couple of schools websites that describe what the MIS/ CIS major is geared for-- they all say something to this effect:</p>
<p>"... the undergraduate Computer Information Systems (CIS) program successfully prepares young people for careers in IT management. CIS graduates are thriving in senior and mid-level management positions built on a foundation of solid technical skills, integrative business knowledge"</p>
<p>So if the aim is to get the graduates in management positions, the question I have is who in their right mind would hire a MIS/CIS major right out of school to be a manager of a software developer or database admin team?</p>
<p>I work in IT and have an MIS degree and now that I look back and see what actually happens at most companies is you have to be a programmer or database employee FIRST before being a manager. The computer science curriculum prepares students much better for this than the MIS curriculum. The MIS degree seems very much like a watered down CS degree.</p>
<p>I can see an MIS degree been more valuable on the graduate level paired with an MBA. Or am I missing something here? Any thoughts would be appreciated.</p>
<p>The school is probably overstating the major. Colleges tend to overstate things to lure students, whether it be pamphlet material, online descriptions, etc. After all, these institutions are still money generating machines.</p>
<p>I’ll leave the CIS vs. MIS discussion to someone who has more expertise on the matter.</p>
<p>In most MIS/CIS programs, much of the foundation CS theory coursework is not given. That can be a good and bad thing with more leaning toward the bad. The CS core coursework consist of Algorithms, Data Structures, Organization of Programming Languages and Operating Systems. In a typical MIS/CIS program, the Organization of Programming Languages and Operating Systems courses are omitted. Those two courses are CRUCIAL in the ability to learn new languages and operating systems very quickly.</p>
<p>The MIS/CIS programs usually require students to take almost all of the core business courses that business majors take…Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, Human Resources and Business Statistics to “sell” the prospective majors that you will enter management quicker. IN MY OPINION, that is bunch of crock because:</p>
<p>1) You will NOT manage other IT/IS developers unless you have “worked in the trenches” as a developer first.</p>
<p>2) You can still take the same/related business courses as a CS major. Many bigger schools have a one-semester “survey of accounting” course and a calculus-based one-semester economics course that combines both macro & micro concepts. The type of management needed on IT/IS projects can be taught with a software engineering course (a CS elective). A CS major will be required to take a much more robust statistics (calculus-based) course. That just leaves Finance and Human Resources and in some cases, the Finance is merged into the Accounting for a “Accounting & Finance for engineers” course. Add to that, economics is technically a social science and can be used for general education requirements anyway.</p>
<p>Having said all of that, I (using my 20+ years in software engineering as psuedo-qualification) would advise any MIS/CIS major to take the CS core.</p>
<p>Global-
I agree with you completely. So the MIS/CIS program’s basically stretch the truth and I think it’s been figured out by major consulting/ IT firms because many recruiters stopped coming around my school in early 2000’s. In 1997, when I graduated, the MIS grads were some of the most sought after students for hiring. I got 3 job offers myself and started turning away interviews. A lot has changed…</p>
<p>Overall, there are enough people that can speak business and IT (MIS)— what companies really need are students that have the analytical thought process pumped into them to solve problems by writing code (CS grads).</p>
<p>This is a good summary of what the MIS/ CIS major is:
“Solving strategic business problems by designing computer-based information systems can be an exciting and rewarding career.”</p>
<p>This is more in line with what a Systems Analyst does.</p>
<p>What about an analyst position? Does it require a lot of programming? I thought MIS is better fit for an analyst position than developer position</p>
<p>With the economy like it is and businesses trying to “get more for less”, more and more employers will want folks who can wear multiple hats. Instead of paying an analyst $75K and a developer $80K WHILE ALSO having to find the analyst more work after the “analysis phase” and the find the developer work before the “development phase”, an employer would rather pay $95K to an analyst/developer to handle both phases.</p>
<p>Less and less employers are hiring only-analysts.</p>
<p>Is that based on theory or observation? I can see some companies (like bigger corps) operating more efficiently with separate developers and analysts who focus primarily on their role but working in teams. I could be wrong though.</p>
<p>Would a MIS degree be more favorable in business environments/applications than CS?</p>
<p>Personally both of my sisters who have MIS undergraduate degrees are earning a lot right now but they graduated in the early 2000s. One started out doing coding but neither are doing developing work right now. I just dont know how things are now.</p>
<p>just replace the stars with “doo stang” without the space</p>
<p>If you look at that job listing, you are eligible with a degree ranging from accounting to CS. CS and accounting have nothing to do with each other. Would somebody with an MIS degree be in better position for this job than someone with an accounting or CS degree?</p>
<p>What I posted is what I see everyday and have been seeing in the 20+ years in software engineering. Even myself, whose specialty is databases now had to learn and being able to be at least mid-level Linux administrator so that the project does not have to have a full-time Linux person on the payroll. The thinking is that anything that is beyond my knowledge in Linux (major things) can be done by the ONE linux “guru” who just hops from project to project.</p>
<p>It’s also why like someone like myself may be called to be the project manager of a project WHILE still having some development/architecture responsibilities. Employers want employees working all day…not just working when called upon and waiting the rest of the time.</p>
<p>You have a good point about having employees that have a broad range of skills so they can be working all day. Which brings me to ask, wouldnt an MIS major be better fitted in a business systems job that involves more business/financial analysis decision making than a CS major? It could go both ways right depending on what is expected in the position right? A CS major would be better fitted in a position that requires more linux knowledge.</p>
<p>It depends on the requirements of the employer. If the employer needs seasoned Java developers and a data architect, they will hire the best candidate regardless if the major is MIS or CS. If the candidate is a CS major without business coursework, the employer can use a current employee who is an accountant or financial analyst to be a “subject matter expert” to work with the developer (who is a CS major).</p>