[CS Major] Go for minor or actually learn something useful?

College Majors Science Majors
1

<p>I am graduating after next semester with a Bachelor's in Computer Science. After graduation I'm just hoping to find an enjoyable CS, software engineering, or IT job. Here is my situation: </p>

<p>I have two options for my upper level general education requirements: minor in something or take two upper level classes outside the major. In either case I need one class and I'm deciding which one to do.</p>

<p>Being a CS major, there were only a couple courses I needed to add for a Modeling and Simulation minor. I took Intro to Game Development last semester for this minor. It was lots of fun and I learned a lot. However I've heard terrible things about the other required class. Friends who've taken it say there's an absurd amount of work, the tests don't line up with what he teaches, and they didn't end up learning very much. These are smart people too, who are very hardworking. One friend had to drop the course because he failed the midterm because of a computer error. The professor did not let him retake it. If this happens to me I'm screwed.</p>

<p>The other option is an IT class in GUI programming. There is currently no dedicated GUI class in Computer Science (I hear this will change, but not until after I'm gone). I hear great things about the class and it teaches skills I've wanted to learn but haven't. A friend who recently graduated and got a job says this was one of the most helpful classes he'd taken.</p>

<p>If I go the IT class route, I can't list a minor on my resume, but I can list the skills I learned in the game development class and the GUI class separately. Would this be as good as (or even, since I'm learning relevant skills, better than) listing a minor?</p>

2

<p>It really depends on whether the minor or course work is relevant to the job you are applying for.</p>

3

<p>In the long run it is unlikely that either course will matter that much. Take the course that you will find more interesting. Minors typically don’t matter a whole lot to employers. They are more useful for grad school applications.</p>

4

<p>I tend to agree with pseudoghost on this - don’t think it will matter much and take the class that interests you. Even if you don’t minor in something, you could highlight some of the classes you took on a resume or cover letter if you are trying to make sure an employer sees that you have exposure to those skills.</p>