I’m not socially awkward, but there is definitely room for improvement. Does a business degree help with that?
I’m thinking between CS and a business MIS degree. My dad says, “the more technical your degree is the better,” but I’m unsure of the real difference between between a CS and MIS degree.
What exactly does an MIS degree consist of? Is it more using programming and technical skills in a group effort for business reasons or it it just a rebranded CS degree?
MIS is definitely not a re-branded CS degree. When you get a MIS degree you do it within the business school, so you have different core classes you have to do (stuff like macro-micro economics, fin/mgmt accounting, business law).
If you want to look at the differences between CS and Bus-MIS degrees you should look at some of your potential schools and see what the curriculum for these majors consists of.
To address your first question - I’m a little bit confused. Are you asking whether a business major might leave your more room to take courses like public speaking and business communication in order to help you be less shy?
The best thing to do is to look at what classes you will take for each major at any college you are considering.
Also not really sure how to answer your first questions. I don’t think one set of classes versus another will make a difference. However the more you interact with people and pursue your interests the better. My S was quiet when he started college and blossomed into a self-confident young man over his 4 year undergraduate experience…
I’m not disagreeing with you but having the ability to take classes like public speaking and business communication could definitely help speed up the process! OP should definitely be looking at specific programs they’re interested in to see if there is room to take courses like that.
@philbegas I agree that those classes could help, but you can take public speaking classes in either major. I would not choose a major just to take a biz com class because 1) depending on the prof. any one class could be great or terrible and 2) there are typically similar courses that can be taken on a non-business track (ex. my D took both a formal public speaking class and an improvisational speaking class in a liberal arts curriculum). More important that the OP finds a major he/she likes and is with faculty/peers that he/she can relate to.
Gotcha, I hadn’t really looked at CS curriculums so I wasn’t sure what kind of GE courses they require/leave time for
^^Of course each individual college/program would need to be researched by the OP to see what courses are available.
@Jpgranier - depending upon the school and program you can take technical MIS classes including programming. But it can cover other things like networks, databases, report writing, cyber security, etc. I don’t agree with the view that MIS is about managing technology, at least that wasn’t my experience. That can be included, but MIS is about the technology used in business settings.
CS is however a more technical degree than MIS, especially from a math perspectice. It can cover topics I mentioned but will do so from a very technical perspective. And as mentioned above you will take business classes with MIS that you won’t take with CS. While CS can and is used in business, it is more about the technology and MIS is more about the business application. For example, long ago when I took MIS classes I learned about different network options and generally how they worked. In a CS class you would learn what makes the technology work for each type of network in much more detail.
Both CS and MIS are valid, just depends upon what you want to focus on in your work.
As to the social question, the key difference is in the people you meet. Social events in CS will likely be more centered on CS folks and other engineering people. Social events in business school will bring together folks with more varied backgrounds (MIS, finance, marketing, etc.). Is one better than the other? Depends upon what you want. Keep in mind there are other options for social interactions through your dorm or other clubs on campus. So lots of ways to build social skills if you put in the effort.
@raellis123 I saw you say cyber security. If I wanted to get into cyber security, do you believe an MIS would be better?
My current plan at UT is a BSA in CS (basically a lower CS focused, more well rounded major) with a cyber security certificate.
Im just trying to see which degree would better fit my future career.
You want CS with a focus in cyber security in that case. You could manage with the MIS, but it would open a lot less doors.
@Jpgranier While that plan sounds fine, I can’t really say which would be a better fit for you. I suggest you research some of the companies you might want to work for to see whether they accept a BSA degree (whether CS or MIS) or if they prefer the BS-CS. As @PengsPhils suggests, many people might prefer the BS-CS over MIS, but I believe the lines are blurring somewhat in some areas, like cyber security where there are an increasing number of degree, minor and certificate options outside the CS degree. It is best to see what employers want. Of course you want to make sure the school accepts the major-certificate combo you want, as some degrees have restructions on minors & certs (e.g., have to be from a different college, functional area, etc.). If you can handle the math you can’t go wrong with a BS-CS. But employers will ultimately want you to show the skills and experience you gained in college more than the specific degree.
A business degree will help you understand how to communicate with people in business, many of whom are outgoing and social (good at networking, etc.). So yes, a degree in business DOES help with social skills. Not to mention that you can make your of your b-school’s career resource center to practice or brush up on interviewing etc.