Computer Information Systems vs Computer Science?

Question

I'm currently taking classes at my local community college and am majoring in Computer Science. However, it seems to not be very computer intensive. I have to do a lot of general ed (calculus and english etc) with only three required computer courses and 1 computer elective for two years. However, I have a friend going through the computer information systems program which appears to be more computer intensive but also seems like maybe it wouldn't get me as far?. I eventually want to transfer to a university for my bacheolors degree (right now I plan computer science) so I'm curious to know what other people have done or plan on doing.

Answer 1

The idea of going to a junior college is a great way to save money in getting your general education credits out of the way.



The Computer Science (CS) major would normally be the more difficult degree than Computer Information Systems (CIS) and you will likely find that true once you transfer to a 4 year school.



Computer Programming looks like it will remain the premier IT job area. This makes a Computer Science (CS) Bachelor’s (4 year) Degree one of the premier IT degrees to have. Although the actual courses will vary from college to college, this major will usually have a primary focus on Programming and include advanced Math classes. People in this major usually are pursuing careers developing application software, web development, embedded code and robotics. Game programming is another possible area. Sometimes depending on the college the degree may cover some more general topics as listed under CIS below. Programming is not for everyone and requires a logical mindset. Many people believe that Programmers are born and not made and that taking tons of Programming classes will not make you a Programmer if you don’t have a natural gifting for it. I basically agree with that opinion. In CS and other IT majors it is very important to keep a high Grade average 3.0-3.5 GPA as employers are known to examine college grades closely when selecting new hires of internship candidates. Maintaining this higher grade average can be difficult in CS as there are many challenging courses. Students who see their GPA slipping or who struggle with the Math and Programming classes would be better advised to transfer out of CS if they see it difficult to maintain that grade average. With 50-100 applicants for each job position employers often will have many graduates with a 4.0 average GPA to choose from. If you graduate with a 2.4 or 2.8 GPA it will probably impact the types and size of companies where you can find employment. The aerospace company where I work has a 3.0-3.5 minimum GPA requirement. It used to be 3.5 and they recently lowered the bar to 3.0.



Many CS students find themselves not enjoying programming, not being gifted at it or not having the math and logic skills to be good at programming and they will switch out into CIS or other equivalent more general IT degree programs. CS majors that are able to graduate can also qualify for jobs listed below under CIS – jobs like Computer Security, Networking or Systems/Database Administration.



The Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree will generally involve less Math and Programming. This may also be called a variety of other names like Information Technology (IT), Information Systems (IS), Computer Applications (CA), Computer Networking Design, etc. This CIS is a general technical degree and is the degree that I have. Holders of these degrees work in a variety of technical jobs like these:

Computer Technician, Service Center Coordinator, Help Desk Staff, Storage Administrator, Network Administrator, Systems Administrator, Systems Engineer, Enterprise Administrator, Active Directory Administrator, Exchange and Messaging Administrator, Backup Administrator, Disaster Recovery Specialist, Database Administrator, Computing Security Specialist, Ethical Hacker, Corporate IT Acquisition Specialist and Data Center Administrator, just to name a few.



In a small business the list above might be one or two people doing all these jobs. In a large Enterprise environment this could be hundreds of people.



So without dwelling on the GPA discussion too much - In spite of the overall “on paper” superiority of a CS major, if you have a CS degree with a 2.4 GPA that you struggled through you might find it infinitely more difficult to find a job than if you were a CIS major with a 3.4 GPA.



Best wishes!

Answer 2

Information Systems is currently not in very high demand. However, the demand for people with Computer Science knowledge is growing in many fields. The best way you can prepare for this is to continue on your computer science path, but try to add some more programming-based classes into your schedule.



Make sure you have a couple universities in mind so you can confirm that the classes you are taking will transfer. That'll save you a lot of time and money in the long run.



Good luck!

Answer 3

Computer Information System is more useful to get higher level jobs which are more administrative and less technical than Computer Science.

Answer 4

I've been installing and maintaining computers and networks for 20 years, and still have no idea what "Computer Science" if suppose to be. It's a field that changes so fast, the only way to get good and stay good is to do it. Except for intensive Cisco training, most computer education is a waste of time.

Answer 5

CSIT requires a lot less math than computer Science



CSIT is usually taught as a combo of business and computer courses

and the computer courses usually aren't as in depth as those for a CS major



but sometimes CSIT is taught as "Computer Science Lite"

so the focus is on computers, networking, programming and databases, but it's still not as in depth as CS



you can get plenty of pure programming jobs with a CSIT degree

you won't be qualified to write Apple's or MS's next operating system, but you'll be more than qualified to develop web apps, mobile apps, desktop apps, and database programs for Apple, MS, Android and linux



of course if you go to a school where the IT degree has a business focus and makes you take Intro to Accounting 1 and 2 and Intro to Finance and Management for IT Professionals then maybe you'll have more business opportunities if you decide to go that way

you'll have the advantage of being able to communicate with bankers and finance people and understand their needs



but again, not all CSIT programs are like that



here's one with a few business courses



go here

http://www.cps.neu.edu/degree-programs/undergraduate/bachelors-degrees/bachelors-information-technology.php



and click on

Curriculum

to see the list of courses at Northeastern University needed for CSIT



you'll see all it requires is 2 semesters of College Algebra and one course in Discrete Mathematics

of course some universities might require a semester of calculus, but it's almost always a MUCH lighter math load than Computer Science



and while Northeastern University does have some business courses, they still have plenty of great computer courses



and here's a school where they focus less on business

they don't teach accounting and finance, but focus more on the computer courses

but they still don't go into the depth of computers and math that a "Computer Science" degree would



Colorado Tech

http://coloradotech.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2015/Catalog/Degree-Programs/Bachelors/Bachelor-of-Science-in-Information-Technology



you see they require 3 math courses, but still very basic



and you can see they also have specializations

===

CTU offers focused specializations for the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree to better prepare you to excel in this competitive field. Choose the option below that best supports your educational goals.



Data Management

Network Management

Security

Software Application Programming

Software Systems Engineering

Web Development

General Specialization

===



so if you go back to the link for Colorado and scroll down and look on the left column you'll see links for the curriculum for



Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - Data Management Specialization



Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - Network Management Specialization



Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - Security Specialization



and the other specializations



Information Technology is a great career choice that is easy on the math

Answer 6

612

Answer 7

I do not think that's right