MIS or Computer Science

[ElFenix]

did i mention that at UT you're much more likely to hang out with people actually in industry and network more than at A&M? since theres so much more IT going on here. knowing the recruiter on a first name basis puts you at the top of their list.

 

[poop]

Actually, I have a year of real experience. The coolest project I worked on was emulation of a new ASIC design using FPGAs ans a big test board with a MIPS 4300 processor, some RAM, the ASIC, and other discrete parts. I wrote C code to test logic in the ASIC, such as CRC's, multiple DMA functions, data formatting/translation, communications (serial, parallel, etc), and more. I wrote and maintained LOTS of C code, with some ASM sprinkled here and there. If that is not practical experience, I don't know what is.

In school, I have learned Pascal, C, C++, and a little Java. We are picking up some SmallTalk in my OO class now. Learning a language is easy, though. You shouldn't have to take a class to learn new syntax. It is the paradigm that is the hard part. Learning how to design/think OO and procedural is what is important. With that, you can learn to use any programming language within a week.

On Windows:
If you are like Fenix, and worried about Windows, then stay away from CE. Most of us have extreme distaste for MS. Once you have an OS class, you will learn a lot about why Windows 95/98 is looked down upon by so many people. The NT kernel is nicer, but is definitely still a PC OS. You definitely get no/little windows programming experience, but that is how I like it. If you want to use MFC or Windows API, by all means go for CS, or maybe CIS. If you want to really make something, or learn how every little detail works, go for CE.

 

[MiniThug]

To the top

 

[The Wildcard]

Well since the MIS market is quite hot, even though the CS market is also very hot too, you could go with a CS degree with a business minor or vice versa.

 

[Valhalla2000]

Here's how my school's Computer Engineering works (i'm CE/EE)

First yr : CE

Second yr : EE

Third & Fourth yr : Option of Software Engineering or Hardware Engineering or Communication Network

 

[GT1999]

ttt

 

[Zenmervolt]

I'm an IS freshman and it is true that there are a lot of CS failures in IS. My 1st level class is using a book that refers to COBOL and FORTRAN as "current programming languages" and most of the people in the class don't even know how to use FTP, let alone script HTML. That said, anything I learn about computers I get from experience and experiments on my own, not from a class. I'm aiming for a CIO type job 20-30 years down the road, so it is more important for me to get a basic computer background and take management courses as well. At least that's the idea I get from people I have talked to in various IT departments. IS for me was a way out of the heavy math courses. I don't have trouble keeping up, I just want more free time than those classes would allow. Basically dual majoring in CS and management would have left too little free time, so I chose IS and management.

Aaron Meyer