Need advice--should I pursue second degree/major if it will only take one semester?

Parents Forum
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<p>I am very interested in Digital Media, but a degree in digital media is not very valuable, so I will not be majoring in it. I will be majoring in computer science instead to learn how to create advanced forms of interactive media (software, complex web sites, simulations and video games, etc.) and will use my free electives to take communication courses that involve digital media (video production, game design, compositing and special effects, animation, etc).</p>

<p>I am currently at a small, private university called Pfeiffer University, and will be transferring my junior year to UNC at Chapel Hill to study computer science. There is no computer science department at Pfeiffer University so I won't be able to begin my computer science studies until I transfer. So a few of the communications courses I take will be taken at my current school.</p>

<p>I do not have enough free electives available to secure a double major at UNC without taking an extra semester. Also, the small school I'm at now has a second degree program in which students who have already graduated with a bachelors can get a second degree by fulfilling only the major requirements, as long as at least half of the major requirements are fulfilled in residence. Given that several of my communication electives will be taken before I transfer, I will have the second degree program mostly fulfilled before I even graduate with my first degree. That said, it will only take one semester at the small school AFTER graduating from Chapel Hill to earn a second bachelors degree in Communication with a concentration in Digital Media.</p>

<p>1.) Would having a second degree or major in communication (digital media) be worth the extra semester of no income?
2.) Would the second degree in Communication (digital media) complement my computer science degree/major at all or would employers not care?
3.) Are there jobs for which my double degree/major would be in high demand and grant me higher pay than just a computer science degree would by itself? If so, please give examples.</p>

<p>If you said yes to the above questions, please also answer this: which of the following would be more beneficial?
~A double major from Chapel Hill in Computer Science and Communication Studies with a concentration in Media and Technology Studies and Production?
~Two separate degrees--one in Computer Science from Chapel Hill, and the other in Communication with a concentration in Digital Media from Pfeiffer University?</p>

<p>Look forward to hearing your opinions!</p>

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<p>Digital media is tricky in the sense that any prospective employer will want to see your portfolio and skills / knowledge in the latest and greatest tools. So, school reputation aside, choose the school that will provide the most exposure to the good stuff and provides challenging opportunities to do heavy duty projects. </p>

<p>Second, verify ahead of time that your school has no Mickey Mouse limitations on double degrees or 2nd BS degree in a semester. Back in our days at Cajun State, Mrs. Turbo completed the degree checklists for both computer science and statistics, but due to school requirements one needed a minimum of 1 year additional coursework to be issued the double degree… This was not publicized in our case and certainly Mrs. Turbo was not interested in the double degree but rather at finishing quickly…</p>

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<p>Is there a demand for a degree in “digital media”? I doubt it. There’s demand for people with extensive Adobe Photoshop skills who can also code in php and Ajax. A solid portfolio and some internship experience would help more than getting the second degree.</p>

<p>The problem in getting a job interview these days is that many of the resumes are analyzed by computer searching for keywords and if you don’t have the keywords, no one even looks at your application. You can’t fudge “computer science degree” but you can write “extensive digital media experience, including projects in Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator and Premiere…”</p>