JMU CIS vs. Pamplin BIT-Cyber

Which program is better, leads to better jobs in NoVA or NY, higher pay, etc? I like the environments of both schools (I’m not much a partyer, but JMU still seems ok). I’ve heard that both colleges have decent Biz schools, but that Tech has more of a national rep than JMU. Is it true that no one outside VA/MD/DC/WV will even know what is JMU, but that an employer in Montana will know the VA Tech brand? Thanks. If @cbl1 could answer this, I would love it.

Not exactly @cbl1, but as a current student here, I would say that it is somewhat true. Generally, the higher-ranked a school is, the more likely an employer will have heard of the school. Another thing to consider is the school’s connections to these employers, usually through alumni. Both schools will ultimately have different connections, so it’s hard to tell you which school will most likely help you the most in getting you a job since that comes down to networking on your own through career fairs. I will say that with all the recent Amazon hype surrounding the VT, it would definitely be a great time attend Tech in the Pamplin school or COE, especially now that the plans for the Innovation campus in NOVA have been finalized.

My heart says JMU, but my brain is saying Pamplin. I loved Harrisonburg and Blacksburg (based on the college tour), but the JMU program is ABET accredited, while none of Pamplin’s programs are. I know this isn’t a huge factor for Computing programs, but that is a slight deciding factor for me.

I’ve also been considering CMDA at Tech too. Which is better? BIT-Cyber or CMDA? CMDA seems to have slightly higher salaries, and I know Data Science is a rapidly growing field nowadays. Is it going to remain so for the next 10 years? Thank you.

Also, JMU COB and Pamplin are ranked roughly equal, and they both get similar alumni salaries.

Is it possible to do an MSc in a computing field instead of an MBA after doing a BBA in CIS from JMU? I’m not too keen on a Business master’s. I’d rather do an MS in IT, IS, or CS abroad (maybe in England). I hope that a Bachelor of Business Admin diploma title won’t prevent me from doing an MSc.

Unfortunately, being an engineering major, I can’t really answer those questions well. Your best bet to get those questions answered is by heading over to the VT subreddit and asking there, since there doesn’t seem to be many business majors perusing CC right now.