<p>Which career and curriculum is harder: software engineering/development, or network/system administration?</p>
<p>Software Engineering while Network Admin takes math up to Calc II.</p>
<p>A network admin has to get a CS degree, right?</p>
<p>A net admin would be better served with a tech degree.</p>
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<p>Actually, a lot of system and network administrators have only business oriented MIS or IT degrees at most, perhaps with some certifications (and the low level ones are far more common than the good ones like CCIE). However, the likely result is lack of adaptability to unusual problems and new technologies, which may be why IT departments in companies are often very conservative in accepting new software versions or even security patches (IT has to be fairly conservative, since mistakes can impact a lot of people’s productivity, but sometimes they seem too conservative).</p>
<p>Someone with a CS degree should be able to handle system and network administration if s/he has the mindset for it. However, a full CS degree or equivalent self-education is not necessary; someone going into IT should be able to handle the technical aspects after selected CS courses like the introductory sequence, operating systems, networks, databases, and security.</p>
<p>What kind of mindset is that?</p>
<p>Attention to detail</p>
<p>So what could a CS grad do to be prepared to be a network admin? So that he is just as qualified as any other IT grad?</p>
<p>The IT grad may be more qualified than the CS major with more network-specific courses.</p>
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<p>As another poster said, attention to detail, but those in computer science and engineering need to have that mindset to varying extents depending on the application. While bugs in a smart phone game may not be especially important, bugs in the computer systems in a car, airplane, or power plant can affect a lot of people, sometimes rather dangerously. Similarly, bugs in system and network configuration and updating can affect computer users in an entire organization, preventing them from doing their work.</p>
<p>Consider how able you are in doing the system administration of your desktop or laptop computer. Are you able to fix problems yourself, or do you seek others to do it? Do you keep your computer safe from cracking attempts, or does your computer get cracked often?</p>
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<p>As far as university course work is concerned, including courses in operating systems, networks, databases, and security should make a CS graduate well qualified to do the technical side of IT work, provided s/he has the right mindset for that. Some business type courses that IT / MIS majors take may be useful also in terms of the non-technical side of IT work.</p>
<p>Keep in mind the word “administration”. That usually means the upkeep of something already established and developed. I may be off base, but most ENGINEERS want to design and develop MORE than maintain.</p>
<p>Yours truly is a Data Architect by trade and also doubles as a Database Administrator. Preferably, I rather do the design/development only (data architecture) and direct some DBA to maintain it. To me, all the fun is in conceptualizing, designing and developing. Sometimes (more with NSA), they want their “database engineers” to do both architecture and administration. Personally, I could care less about maintaining a database. Once it goes into production, I am ready for the next project.</p>
<p>I like network/system administration.</p>