• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Is a major of Computer and Information Sciences good enough for a programming job, or do I have to look at another uni?

D

dcpsoguy

Diamond Member
Seton Hall does not have computer science or programming, but it does have Computer and Information Sciences. Would I be able to get a game programming job with this major?
 
Nope.

It is more like a tech support/buisness part of the major.

Come to Rutgers! We have an intensive CS program here, but, there really are no CS jobs out there so it really dosnt matter.
 
Yeah, I was thinking about Rutgers. I live about an hour away too, it should be good. 😀

How is the CS program at Rutgers? Do they provide you computers in your dorms/
 
Provide a computer, no, but we do have network access ports in all of the dorms.

The CS program here is good.. I think. It's very theory based, you learn more about how all of the languages work and stuff like that.

It's a very big program and very competitive, but the curves are massive so if you cam hold your own you will do fine. Getting into classes is a pain in the butt too as everything fills up very fast, but, I am graduating this year so it must be possible..
 
CIS is VERY business oriented. I could go on for hours about my negative opinion of that program of study. If you want to be a programmer, Computer Science is the way to go.

 
I'll go along with jzero on this one. I actually tried CIS for a semester before getting into Computer Science instead. I wanted to work with computers, but I wanted to do more than just make the occasional website, learn how to use Office and maybe a few other programs and do some tech support - which is basically what the C in CIS was turning out to be. The rest was all buisness. So next semester I signed up for a few programming classes and haven't looked back since 😀. I enjoy doing this stuff a lot more. I do agree with other people here too though - I think finding a CS-related job in the near future is going to be a pain in the ass. So I may end up in a CIS/tech-help role anyway, in the short term. Oh well.

Nate
 
Originally posted by: NTB
I'll go along with jzero on this one. I actually tried CIS for a semester before getting into Computer Science instead. I wanted to work with computers, but I wanted to do more than just make the occasional website, learn how to use Office and maybe a few other programs and do some tech support - which is basically what the C in CIS was turning out to be. The rest was all buisness. So next semester I signed up for a few programming classes and haven't looked back since 😀.
Click to expand...

I was lucky. Like many others, I felt that I wanted to know SOME programming, but for the most part, I wanted to be an administrator. I wanted to be the guy running your network, and I was mislead into believing that CIS/MIS was where you learned how to be that guy. So I looked closely at the coursework and the first warning flag shot up when I saw that it was usually part of the school of business and not arts/sciences. The second warning flag came when I saw the huge load of business courses. I quickly realized that I needed to be CS and I didn't waste any time declaring an MIS/CIS major 🙂
 
Originally posted by: dcpsoguy
Seton Hall does not have computer science or programming, but it does have Computer and Information Sciences. Would I be able to get a game programming job with this major?
Click to expand...

Sure. Don't forget to learn the following:

DirectX, OpenGL, 3d geometry as well as calculus, level design, C++ or C, use of third-party SDKs, optimizing and debugging.

😀 Sorry...
 
Have you ever programmed before, or do you jsut like video games and thought it might be fun to make them?

This is a serious question. You don't want to end up in Comp. Sci. as a pre-business major.
 
Four years from now and you graduate from Rutgers or whatever school you choose you wont be guaranteed with a job in programming even if the economy picks up. In programming you have got to be able to think dynamically all the time. Sure some people can get by or fall through the cracks by throwing some code together and getting it do whatever the assignment is. The really good people know their algorithms well, are extremely efficient, and possibly help create user tools.
 
If I had to do it over again I'd go with CIS instead of CS. It's a lot more practical. If you want to be a serious programmer and go the CS route, you'd better be good at it and you'd better love it. Otherwise you're just going to be fighting over the scraps.
 
Originally posted by: jaeger66
If I had to do it over again I'd go with CIS instead of CS. It's a lot more practical. If you want to be a serious programmer and go the CS route, you'd better be good at it and you'd better love it. Otherwise you're just going to be fighting over the scraps.
Click to expand...

What would you do with a CIS, though? We have 2 dudes in my department with masters in CIS and basically they don't know enough programming to be effective programmers, and they don't have enough admin skills to be effective admins. I can't make them script monkeys, and I can't make them help desk monkeys. It really frustrates me when a 29-yo with a graduate-level CIS degree asks me, the 23-yo Bachelors in CS, how to create a user in ActiveDirectory. What did they teach him?

One guy on ATOT once gave me a convincing explanation of what CIS/MIS is SUPPOSED to be, but the problem is that most of the people both learning CIS/MIS and hiring CIS/MIS people have a different idea of what it is....
 
Hey as long as you know how to program is a variety of different languages, you should be able to land a good job. What's good taking acomputer science if one is not a good programmer? Likewise for some comsci majors. If they are not taking it, but can demonstrate their ability in programming, than they should get hired.

Goodluck dude.

ps... Compsci here is really hard and involved. Expect to be programming 24/7 if your really serious about it. Alot of people f*ck up on the exams, so there is a massive curve.
 
Originally posted by: Jzero


What would you do with a CIS, though?
Click to expand...

Probably the big 3 would be systems analyst, DA, or DBA. You're not going to be a hardcore code guru, but you should still have plenty of 400 level programming courses. The main difference between CIS and CS is that the math and physics are replaced with business and management courses, and the programming courses tend to ignore the theoretical stuff. These days, business, communincation, and leadership skills are more useful than 5 levels of calculus. Unless your total focus and career goal is programming, that is.
 
Seton Hall does not have computer science or programming, but it does have Computer and Information Sciences. Would I be able to get a game programming job with this major?
Click to expand...

Yes, I think you would be able to find a programming position. Most jobs in my area (DFW) look for CS or IS majors. If they are worried about your skills they can give you a technical exam to see what you know.
 
Seton Hall does not have computer science or programming, but it does have Computer and Information Sciences. Would I be able to get a game programming job with this major?
Click to expand...

You gonna move to india or china after you graduate? That is where all the dev jobs will be going.
 
Originally posted by: jaeger66
Originally posted by: Jzero


What would you do with a CIS, though?
Click to expand...

Probably the big 3 would be systems analyst, DA, or DBA.
Click to expand...
I honestly don't know any MIS/CIS people that would be any good at Systems Analyst or DBA. The guys with Masters degrees in MIS at my office didn't even know how to install SQL Enterprise Manager, let alone operate it. I'd like to say that it's because their background was in Unix and they simply weren't exposed to Win2k and MS SQL, but....they don't know seem to know anything about Unix and non-MS dbs either....
You're not going to be a hardcore code guru, but you should still have plenty of 400 level programming courses.
Click to expand...
They definitely didn't take any 400 level programming courses. They took VB. They took a software engineering course where they learned how to "design" software, but not how to program. Maybe your school has it wiser. At Drexel and TCNJ, I stand by my opinion that MIS/CIS is just an attempt to make the school of business look "with-it"
The main difference between CIS and CS is that the math and physics are replaced with business and management courses, and the programming courses tend to ignore the theoretical stuff. These days, business, communincation, and leadership skills are more useful than 5 levels of calculus. Unless your total focus and career goal is programming, that is.
Click to expand...
I dunno. I didn't take any physics, and I only had to take up to Calc II, Linear Algebra and Stat. There wasn't a big focus on math, and we had the same science requirements (2 semesters of gen. physics/chem/bio and 1 of geology/astronomy) as the business school. The difference seemed to be that while the CS majors got a full-scale programming education and the Management and other biz majors got a full-scale biz education, the MIS people just got a half-assed attempt at combining the two.

Just my impressions. The problem with CS is that it's still taught by smarmy ex-mathematicians who think that there is nothing else to computer science except for math and programming. They do this at the expense of teaching about networking, administration, security, and other less programming-intensive aspects. It's frustrating...
 
Originally posted by: Jzero

I dunno. I didn't take any physics, and I only had to take up to Calc II, Linear Algebra and Stat. There wasn't a big focus on math, and we had the same science requirements (2 semesters of gen. physics/chem/bio and 1 of geology/astronomy) as the business school. The difference seemed to be that while the CS majors got a full-scale programming education and the Management and other biz majors got a full-scale biz education, the MIS people just got a half-assed attempt at combining the two.

Just my impressions. The problem with CS is that it's still taught by smarmy ex-mathematicians who think that there is nothing else to computer science except for math and programming. They do this at the expense of teaching about networking, administration, security, and other less programming-intensive aspects. It's frustrating...
Click to expand...

Well at my school CS was in the Engineering college, so you had to take all the math/physics classes that it requires. The CIS program contains 5 400 level programming classes and then you need 19 credits worth of electives in the upper division so you can take as many as 6 more if you want. You also need to take most of the same lower division classes as the CS people. I guess it's a matter of which school you go to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top