Hey Techies,
I have been asked by countless people what do different majors in the computer fields have to offer and what do they involve. So for this post, I will putting a quick overview of three of the most common majors in this category. These are Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Computer Information Systems. I will just give a quick overview of each and give a couple of occupation examples that fall under these majors.
Computer Science:
This is the major I will start with since this is the major I did and know the most about. Computer Science is the internal workings of computing pertaining to coding in numerous languages to produce programs for computers to use. Some of the languages that you cod in are, but not limited to, Java, C, C++, and Python. You will also learn about circuits and the mathematics that computers use, such as learning binary and hexadecimal, developing truth tables, and mathematics functions like 2's complement conversions. You may learn some hardware of computers, but you will mostly be coding 2 programs a week. Some of the programs are fun, like making a virtual zoo, which I had to do and it went horribly wrong (I will tell you about it in a later post), and some involve writing 250 lines of code for an assembler in C. You will have long nights, staring blankly at a computer screen looking over your code and trying to seek assistance from stackoverflow.com.
Though the major is definitely difficult, personally, I have enjoyed the major and would definitely do it over again. this major is for people who are patient, can think out processes well, and who can handle sitting in front of a computer screen for hours at a time.
Examples of Occupations:
-Software Programmer/Developer
-Computer Systems Analyst
-Database Administrator
Computer Engineering:
Unlike Computer Science, the Computer Engineering major is more hands-on and works more with the hardware and software workings of computers. In this major, you will take classes like Electromechanics and Digital Systems that involve more of the internal components of computers. The goal in this major is to understand how computers work and what can they do to make them faster, more powerful, and more efficient. Students in this major will work with the individual parts of the computer. The knowledge of Mathematics is essential in this major for learning how the components work with each other to work as a single unit. You will also be learning a fair amount about networks and routers and how they work in the modern world.
Examples of Occupations:
-Computer Network Support Specialists
-Computer Network Architects
-Computer Hardware Engineers
Computer Information Systems:
This major is basically a mixture between Computer Science and Computer Engineering. Computer Information Systems focuses on the applications of modern technology to better accommodate both the utility and the user to increase efficiency and usability. This major covers a broad range of technical platforms, such as communications, networking, and software design and application. Since it has a larger focus, covering these many subjects, jobs that cover the entirety of the computer work field open up.
Examples of Occupations:
-Application Developer
-IT Consultant
-Quality Assurance Specialists
All of these majors rely heavily on knowledge of mathematics and science, especially electrical science. You will also need patience and process thinking because you WILL be up until 4:00 am some nights running on just coffee and a dream of trying to finish this program that is giving you problems. As you can see, these majors are not for the easy at heart, but they are some of the most interesting majors to do if you are interested in computers and how they work.
As always, comment for questions or suggestions on topics you would like me to go over in later posts.
-Stay Geeky!
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