<p>Hello all,</p>
<p>I am attending BYU as a freshman this fall and I am trying to decide on a major. Just to give a little background, I am very interested in biology, math, computers, and chemistry. I know degrees in Bio or Chem aren't the most practical when it comes to the job market, so I'm thinking of a computers-related major as I am always hearing about the great job prospects in software engineering, etc. </p>
<p>BYU offers a BS in "Computer Science", "Computer Engineering", "Management: Information Systems", and "Information Technology". I was hoping someone could inform me on the differences between these degrees and which one, if any, would be the most practical.</p>
<p>Also, what kind of person is right for a computer science career? I currently don't know much about computer programming or anything, but I learn quickly. I'm creative, logical, and I like to get things done efficiently. I'm fairly smart and kind of nerdy, but I'm pretty social and I like being with people. Am I cut out for a career with computers?</p>
<p>Brief typical job and career paths for first few years after graduation:</p>
<p>CS => probably software development / QA, possibly hardware
CE => probably hardware development / QA, possibly software
MIS => “business” job in IT department, possibly system administration
IT => system administration or “business” job in IT department</p>
<p>Someone going into IT may want to take the CS courses in operating systems, networks, databases, and security to get a good background in concepts that will be commonly used in the context of unusual problems and changing technologies; a full CS degree is not needed.</p>
<p>You didn’t mention business as one of your interests so you might want to take MIS off your list. Around half of the classes in MIS are business classes. </p>
<p>Your first semester you might want to just take some basic CS classes and see if you like them. Looking at the requirements, CS 124: Intro to Computer Systems, and CS 142 : Intro to Programming are required for CS, CpE, and IT so those would be good ones to start with.</p>