[UH] - Computer: Science, Engineering, or Information Systems, which major?

I graduated from Information Technology at UH several years ago and it hasn't worked out too well for me. Maybe your results would be different and I imagine a lot has changed since I graduated.

 

doh I misread the question. Didn't realize he meant CIS.

 

I think the biggest difference is the difficulty of coursework between Computer Science/Engineering and Information Systems. The first step in your decision should probably be determining whether you are willing to put forth the extra effort. I would only go the computer science/engineering route if you have a deep technical interest in computers and software. If you're just looking for a good trade to go into, then you'd probably me more happy with Information Systems.

I'm not familiar with how things are run nowadays, but back when I went to school Information Systems was a part of the business school, which is just a completely different atmosphere than the engineering school. They are barely even related.

 

You can, theoretically. But most Texas law firms prefer engineering to science majors BY FAR, and a lot of firms don't see CS as a "hard science" degree even if you get a BS and not a BA. Just because you're eligible to sit for the patent bar doesn't mean much if the firms don't want to hire you.

 

CIS people usually end up as programmers. vlaurelio's description is accurate. CIS people usually end up in IT in a business programming role and may move on to a management role if they choose to branch from the technical ladder down the road. Otherwise, they will be programming...tons and tons of it.

 

I have never been told or given the impression that my CS degree was inferior to an EE. I can't speak for others, but that has been my experience as a patent attorney with a CS degree.

 

You should study accounting, work a few years for a big-4 shop, get an MBA, then go into i-banking.

This is coming from someone who went through 4.5 years of hell as a EE at UT, only to transition out of an engineering role 4 years later.

 

I went to UH and was involved with all 3 of those majors.
Started with Computer Science but then decided that I dont want to do just programming and there was way too much math :grin:
Switched to Information Systems but then realized that there were way too many people in that major and a lot of the subjects I can learn on my own.
Ended up majoring in Computer Engineering Technology - this included electrical circuits, high and low level programming and some networking..so a little bit of everything...and I still ended up working in IT field not related to engineering.

 

Probably the best summation here.

 

Working in the IT field, both I've seen lots of people with CS and Engineering degrees get IT jobs, but the reverse rarely happens.

 

I'm not sure why a CS guy would want to do an IT job, but this is true I guess.

 

Yeah, no offense IT guys, but I'd rather punch myself in the face repeatedly. If I got an IT job out of school, it would be settling, not really what I want. I think it happens a lot because folks settle (and really need a job), but it's far from ideal if you got the CS degree because you enjoy the subject matter.

 

Which is kind of how I feel about development, and why I much prefer to be on the admin side. To each his own.

 

Bingo. Which really reiterates the fact that the OP needs to figure out which he enjoys more.

 

im in the Electrical Engineering program at UH, in my opinion out of the 3 majors you described CPE/EE is the most highly valued, but the coursework is insane..

 

oh and i want to say ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY IS NOT ENGINEERING.

i repeat ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY WILL NOT MAKE YOU AN ENGINEER.

it pisses me off when people who take the tech school technology courses and say they are majoring in engineering...

 

Once you've made your choice, make sure not to admit to any cheating or academic dishonesty you've done while on the road to completing your degree.

 

i feel the same way....people that drop engineering usually end up in technology

 

Hey, do you mind if I e-mail you with a few questions about this route you've taken? I would really, really appreciate it