Is MIS a real major?

[BlamoHammer]

I am getting ready to embark on my schooling (finally!), and I'm trying to at least get an idea of what I would like to major in. I enjoy working with computers, but I'm not sure if CS is the right thing for me. I was also thinking about some sort of a business major but there seems to be quite enough business majors in the world already. MIS seems like a good fit as it combines the computer work with a business background but this is all just my opinion with no real experience or facts to back it up.

Would getting an MIS major combined with an MBA be a good choice to have the best shot of always having a good job? That way if the tech sector is in a lull I can fall back on the business background and when thigns are looking up tech wise, I can work in the field and maybe use my MBA to move up the corporate ladder.

Thoughts?

 

[Zugzwang152]

it's a real major, and can be found as Information Technology Management in some schools. I am in it right now. Typically MIS majors work as technical support, and eventually move up to mid-management positions, and can move all the way up to CIO.

 

[007bond]

Well I'm a junior MIS major right now. I think I have made the right choice. At least at my school, I have to take all the core business classes that everyone else does which I think is a good thing. I'll have other skills besides the standard computer ones. As for getting a job....well I'll let you know next year. 🙂

 

[BlamoHammer]

Originally posted by: 007bond
Well I'm a junior MIS major right now. I think I have made the right choice. At least at my school, I have to take all the core business classes that everyone else does which I think is a good thing. I'll have other skills besides the standard computer ones. As for getting a job....well I'll let you know next year. 🙂

How in depth do the computer courses go?

 

[BlamoHammer]

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
it's a real major, and can be found as Information Technology Management in some schools. I am in it right now. Typically MIS majors work as technical support, and eventually move up to mid-management positions, and can move all the way up to CIO.

What schools do you guys go to?

 

[CanOWorms]

I'm guessing maybe the business people don't consider you a real business major and the technical people don't consider you a real technical person.

 

[BlamoHammer]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I'm guessing maybe the business people don't consider you a real business major and the technical people don't consider you a real technical person.

I would also imagine that the business people will call me when they need me to fix their stuff and the technical people will have to deal with it when I become their manager.

 

[replicator]

Sure, it is a real major.

Unlike CS, you aren't going to focusing that much on algorithms and mathemical proofs. You'll get a practical education in programming, and probably need to take a wide range of courses covering data networks, databases, systems analysis, and the usual business courses like accounting and finance. So you can kinda choose to lean more on the business aspect, or the technical aspect.

So it isn't bad decision if you aren't really keen on doing alot of math and doing low level coding. CS majors typically do as much math as Math majors in some schools.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: AngryPirate

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I'm guessing maybe the business people don't consider you a real business major and the technical people don't consider you a real technical person.

I would also imagine that the business people will call me when they need me to fix their stuff and the technical people will have to deal with it when I become their manager.

Well generally the technical migrate to become managers for the technical people 🙂

BTW, it also sounds like a very narrow major.

 

[BlamoHammer]

Originally posted by: replicator
Sure, it is a real major.

Unlike CS, you aren't going to focusing that much on algorithms and mathemical proofs. You'll get a practical education in programming, and probably need to take a wide range of courses covering data networks, databases, systems analysis, and the usual business courses like accounting and finance. So you can kinda choose to lean more on the business aspect, or the technical aspect.

So it isn't bad decision if you aren't really keen on doing alot of math and doing low level coding. CS majors typically do as much Math majors in some schools.

Which is exactly what led me towards the major in the first place. I have no desire to go through some of those math classes. I've noticed that Berkeley doesnt seem to have any sort of an information management major, only a school of information management systems, but that is solely for graduate work. Wierd

 

[Soybomb]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I'm guessing maybe the business people don't consider you a real business major and the technical people don't consider you a real technical person.

I think it depends.....for instance I'm an IST (info systems technology) major who changed from CS. Its an easier major than cs in thats its less programming and math intensive but I don't think those necessarily make you a less technical person. I chose it because it focused more on networking which is my particular area of interest and the work load was right so I could work while I did my degree. That said, yes alot of "dumb" people will get the MIS/IST/CIS/etc degree because its easier than CS but I think if you have some experience and are competent it won't be a problem.

Pirate: Take a look at jobs you would eventually like to have and see if MIS would be an acceptable degree for them or if they insist on CS.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: AngryPirate

Originally posted by: 007bond
Well I'm a junior MIS major right now. I think I have made the right choice. At least at my school, I have to take all the core business classes that everyone else does which I think is a good thing. I'll have other skills besides the standard computer ones. As for getting a job....well I'll let you know next year. 🙂

How in depth do the computer courses go?

Well so far, I've taken C and VB. I've got Java next semester. I'll update you when I register for Fall 2004. 🙂

 

[BlamoHammer]

Originally posted by: Soybomb

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I'm guessing maybe the business people don't consider you a real business major and the technical people don't consider you a real technical person.

I think it depends.....for instance I'm an IST (info systems technology) major who changed from CS. Its an easier major than cs in thats its less programming and math intensive but I don't think those necessarily make you a less technical person. I chose it because it focused more on networking which is my particular area of interest and the work load was right so I could work while I did my degree. That said, yes alot of "dumb" people will get the MIS/IST/CIS/etc degree because its easier than CS but I think if you have some experience and are competent it won't be a problem.

Pirate: Take a look at jobs you would eventually like to have and see if MIS would be an acceptable degree for them or if they insist on CS.

I would like to be a network/systems admin and hopefully move into the realm of CIO or something similar for whatever company I work for

 

[axelfox]

ah, computer science for business people 🙂

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: AngryPirate

Originally posted by: replicator
Sure, it is a real major.

Unlike CS, you aren't going to focusing that much on algorithms and mathemical proofs. You'll get a practical education in programming, and probably need to take a wide range of courses covering data networks, databases, systems analysis, and the usual business courses like accounting and finance. So you can kinda choose to lean more on the business aspect, or the technical aspect.

So it isn't bad decision if you aren't really keen on doing alot of math and doing low level coding. CS majors typically do as much Math majors in some schools.

Which is exactly what led me towards the major in the first place. I have no desire to go through some of those math classes. I've noticed that Berkeley doesnt seem to have any sort of an information management major, only a school of information management systems, but that is solely for graduate work. Wierd

I don't think that it's that weird...my undergraduate school didn't have an MIS degree either. If you go to a 'good' school, you're probably not going to do MIS.

 

[Queasy]

I graduated MIS after screwing up my computer engineering degree (long story short, I couldn't understand my foreign math and engineering professors and didn't drop out of their classes when I should have). Just add a CS minor to MIS and you're pretty much set. Or, you can add a business minor if you want to concentrate more on that route.

I graduated, worked as a programmer/analyst for a couple of years then made it to a business consultant then got laid-off and am now doing QA work while waiting for another business consultant opportunity to open.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Queasy
I graduated MIS after screwing up my computer engineering degree (long story short, I couldn't understand my foreign math and engineering professors and didn't drop out of their classes when I should have). Just add a CS minor to MIS and you're pretty much set. Or, you can add a business minor if you want to concentrate more on that route.

I graduated, worked as a programmer/analyst for a couple of years then made it to a business consultant then got laid-off and am now doing QA work while waiting for another business consultant opportunity to open.

I like how people blame the professor instead of themselves...

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Queasy
I graduated MIS after screwing up my computer engineering degree (long story short, I couldn't understand my foreign math and engineering professors and didn't drop out of their classes when I should have). Just add a CS minor to MIS and you're pretty much set. Or, you can add a business minor if you want to concentrate more on that route.

I graduated, worked as a programmer/analyst for a couple of years then made it to a business consultant then got laid-off and am now doing QA work while waiting for another business consultant opportunity to open.

I like how people blame the professor instead of themselves...

Sometimes it really is the professor. I had to drop my CalcII class this semester because of the instructor. I worked my ass off, went to all the optional study group w/ the instructor, worked in study groups, and I still couldn't "get it". The guy is/was a horrible instructor.

 

[lukatmyshu]

Originally posted by: AngryPirate

Originally posted by: replicator
Sure, it is a real major.

Unlike CS, you aren't going to focusing that much on algorithms and mathemical proofs. You'll get a practical education in programming, and probably need to take a wide range of courses covering data networks, databases, systems analysis, and the usual business courses like accounting and finance. So you can kinda choose to lean more on the business aspect, or the technical aspect.

So it isn't bad decision if you aren't really keen on doing alot of math and doing low level coding. CS majors typically do as much Math majors in some schools.

Which is exactly what led me towards the major in the first place. I have no desire to go through some of those math classes. I've noticed that Berkeley doesnt seem to have any sort of an information management major, only a school of information management systems, but that is solely for graduate work. Wierd

I have (well ... will have real soon) a degree in MIS and a minor in CS from UC Berkeley. This is how I got it. There is a major called ISF (Interdisciplinary Field Studies) which basically lets you take classes from different departments and assemble your own major (kind of like a buffet). I took three classes in the MIS department (they were graduate courses) and assembled classes from other departments. The reason I did this is because I eventually want to either go into Intellectual Property or an MBA and I figured that I had taken enough CS classes to carry me as far as I wanted to go in that direction. Personally I think that Information Policy is fascinating.

 

[Soybomb]

I would like to be a network/systems admin and hopefully move into the realm of CIO or something similar for whatever company I work for

Thats pretty much what I plan on doing and I chose the IST major after leaving CS. Ask me in a few years if it worked out 😉

If you go to a 'good' school, you're probably not going to do MIS.

No a good school is going to have a diverse curriculum. The University of Illinois @ Champaign/Urbana has a MIS program and they are very high on the list of CS schools. Carnegie Mellon has an Information Systems program. The list goes on

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Queasy
I graduated MIS after screwing up my computer engineering degree (long story short, I couldn't understand my foreign math and engineering professors and didn't drop out of their classes when I should have). Just add a CS minor to MIS and you're pretty much set. Or, you can add a business minor if you want to concentrate more on that route.

I graduated, worked as a programmer/analyst for a couple of years then made it to a business consultant then got laid-off and am now doing QA work while waiting for another business consultant opportunity to open.

I like how people blame the professor instead of themselves...

Sometimes it really is the professor. I had to drop my CalcII class this semester because of the instructor. I worked my ass off, went to all the optional study group w/ the instructor, worked in study groups, and I still couldn't "get it". The guy is/was a horrible instructor.

If you did all of that work and still had to drop, then I don't think that professor could have done anything to help you. Blaming the professor is an excuse to not blame yourself.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: Soybomb

I would like to be a network/systems admin and hopefully move into the realm of CIO or something similar for whatever company I work for

Thats pretty much what I plan on doing and I chose the IST major after leaving CS. Ask me in a few years if it worked out 😉

If you go to a 'good' school, you're probably not going to do MIS.

No a good school is going to have a diverse curriculum. The University of Illinois @ Champaign/Urbana has a MIS program and they are very high on the list of CS schools. Carnegie Mellon has an Information Systems program. The list goes on

Thanks for correcting me - looks like I was wrong.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Queasy
I graduated MIS after screwing up my computer engineering degree (long story short, I couldn't understand my foreign math and engineering professors and didn't drop out of their classes when I should have). Just add a CS minor to MIS and you're pretty much set. Or, you can add a business minor if you want to concentrate more on that route.

I graduated, worked as a programmer/analyst for a couple of years then made it to a business consultant then got laid-off and am now doing QA work while waiting for another business consultant opportunity to open.

I like how people blame the professor instead of themselves...

No, seriously. These were foreign professors with heavy accents. I could barely understand a word coming out of their mouths. I got a D in my second calc course and the professor had a heavy heavy Chinese accent. I retook the course in the summer with an American professor and aced the class.

After going through that a couple of times I looked at the line-up of professors I would have to go through to get my CE degree and said F*ck that. I signed up for the MIS program with a CS minor and had all American teachers who could speak English. I can blame myself for a couple of classes because they held little to no interest to me but I worked my butt off in my MIS and CS classes and had a 3.0 or greater in all of those.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Queasy
I graduated MIS after screwing up my computer engineering degree (long story short, I couldn't understand my foreign math and engineering professors and didn't drop out of their classes when I should have). Just add a CS minor to MIS and you're pretty much set. Or, you can add a business minor if you want to concentrate more on that route.

I graduated, worked as a programmer/analyst for a couple of years then made it to a business consultant then got laid-off and am now doing QA work while waiting for another business consultant opportunity to open.

I like how people blame the professor instead of themselves...

Sometimes it really is the professor. I had to drop my CalcII class this semester because of the instructor. I worked my ass off, went to all the optional study group w/ the instructor, worked in study groups, and I still couldn't "get it". The guy is/was a horrible instructor.

If you did all of that work and still had to drop, then I don't think that professor could have done anything to help you. Blaming the professor is an excuse to not blame yourself.

Right, I'll blame myself for not working hard enough.

I could tell the guy knew what he was doing, he just couldn't teach others what he was doing.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Queasy
I graduated MIS after screwing up my computer engineering degree (long story short, I couldn't understand my foreign math and engineering professors and didn't drop out of their classes when I should have). Just add a CS minor to MIS and you're pretty much set. Or, you can add a business minor if you want to concentrate more on that route.

I graduated, worked as a programmer/analyst for a couple of years then made it to a business consultant then got laid-off and am now doing QA work while waiting for another business consultant opportunity to open.

I like how people blame the professor instead of themselves...

Sometimes it really is the professor. I had to drop my CalcII class this semester because of the instructor. I worked my ass off, went to all the optional study group w/ the instructor, worked in study groups, and I still couldn't "get it". The guy is/was a horrible instructor.

If you did all of that work and still had to drop, then I don't think that professor could have done anything to help you. Blaming the professor is an excuse to not blame yourself.

Right, I'll blame myself for not working hard enough.

I could tell the guy knew what he was doing, he just couldn't teach others what he was doing.

Where did I say that you didn't work hard enough?

I've had professors with very heavy accents as well...there's this thing called a book that you can fall back on, too. Did everyone drop out of the class b/c they couldn't understand the professor?