What is the difference between Computer Science and Information Technology?And which one is harder to study at University?
What is the difference between Computer Science and Information Technology?And which one is harder to study at University?
From my understanding, Computer Science basically makes you into a programmer... that's how you get molded.
Information Technology, or IT... is basically sys admin type stuff. Managing Networks, handling databases and their functions... basically technology that uses information...
Someone please correct me if that's not right.
OH, and CS (Computer Science) would definately be the more difficult of the two. Usually people that can't hack CS fall back to some form of IT training.
I would say that the two terms are not clearly deliniated in the professional or academic world. If you are considering a program-- look at the syllabus.
My I.T. degree focused on client server technologies- primarily programming and database administration with a few odds and ends thrown in.
I would not judge either degree based on the name but rather what classes it contained. (no pun intended).
I am guessing that from school to school what those degrees entail could vary greatly.
He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.
I have to second what Theologian said. The degree can vary from school to school. And even within a program, you can take classes that will lead you down one path or another. But I still stick by what I said for pure definitions sake.
I'm finishing my CS degree this semester.
At my school we have three options
1. Computer Information Systems
2. Management Information Systems
3. Computer Science
Each have to do three semesters of C++ programming. Basically through OOP.
Then
CIS and MIS both fall into the college of business and are geared towards the professional world. Database, systems analysis and design classes and COBOL (ha ha). MIS students have to take management classes too.
CS is part of the college of arts and sciences and takes the programming and theory route.
Data Structures, Operating Systems, Systems Programming, Structures of programming languages.
It's the more technical route.
I've also taken all of the classes required for the CIS major and I'd say in general they teach more how to interact with non-computer people. I think they are trained more to be between users and programmer (which many times can forget that everybody else isn't a programmer too).
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it?
What exactly is Systems Engineering? A relative
of mine is about to receive a Ph.D in it...
Staying away from General.
You said its more a technical route.
Do you need any Business corses such as Accounting for CS?
Business courses are important if you want to write business programs. If you want to make games than go the computer science route, although even than you can't escape business.
Thus far I've had to take financial math, financial accounting, manageral accounting, economics, busness 101, business writing, etc. And I'm in CIS!
All of the degree programs introduce you to all areas of study having to do with a computer. Most programs move a little bit too fast therefore you might not get to actually learn some of the areas, but if you can slow it down to your pace and if you can afford to do that than you can be strong in every area. I wouldn't neglect programming and I wouldn't neglect data bases, nor operating systems. It takes years and years to learn all that stuff. Make sure you have good study habits.
Business courses are important because the real world depends on a strong economy. If you don't have business training than you don't have an education as far as CIS goes.
Last edited by Witch_King; 09-28-2001 at 09:03 PM.
I compile code with:
Visual Studio.NET beta2
imo, example "traditional" cs curriculum:
math: most likely 3 semester of calculus, and a course in linear algebra & diff. eq.
science: you could probable choose between a couple courses in either chemistry, biology, or physics
electrical engineering: basic digital design (combinational and sequential logic); maybe study and play around with some common ssi and msi chips in the lab; obviously some basic computer architecture/organization issues (i.e. ISA, assembly, stacks, i/o, interrupts, traps, datapaths, alu, types of memory etc...) note: stuff that comes helpful when taking that ever so dreadful course on operating systems, maybe move on to another advanced course strictly dealing with the design of CPUs.
computer science:
-basic programming courses: c, c++, maybe java (however, not dealing with too much OO-stuff, at first mostly procedural and the only time you will be dealing with OO at this point is OO-based programming, just using existing objects rather than designing your own (i.e. like the c++ string and vector classes etc..)
-a basic softare engineering course: here you will be gettin down and dirty with object-oriented programming and design and simultaneously using what you have learned on a few LARGE projects. also maybe another more advanced course down the line (senior year) where you take a class focusing on one huge-.......... project in a team with like ~5 other students (just to get that project-team experience).
-a course on data structures
-a course on operating systems, this course will really improve your programming skills. most likely here, you will be building a simple os from "scratch" (actually you probably be given some skeletal framework containing all that low-level hardware-specific stuff cuz that's not important here, most importantly are issues like memory management, file systems, multi-programming, issues with processes like IPC, deadlocks and maybe get into network OSs and distributed operating systems etc...);
-a course on compilers, like covering parsing, analysis, code-generation, optimization...
-a discrete mathematics course (graphs, trees, grammars, languages, automata, etc...).
-a course strictly studying algorithms covering simple stuff from basic sorting-techniques to hard stuff like np-completeness and cryptography.
-fun elective stuff: "fun" courses like computer graphics, or ai, or robotics, multimedia...... you most likely get to choose here (things your interested in).
And of course stuff that will annoy you like GE classes, writing classes, foriegn language classes....... (but none the less, these courses will give you more of an "awareness" about the world you live in. but you'll stay hate em, hehehe)
As for Information Technology, i have no friggin idea but it seems to be more business-related; i think business majors get to "specialize" in this or something.
i dunno, that's my experience. but these are just the basics, and i probably missed a few things (fill me in someone); you will learn A LOT more in industry (and make money, not spend it!).
I heared that you don't have to take English and Foreign languages cause you are doing CS.
How many classes do you need to have minimum per semester in University for CS?
It all depends on the university you attend. I think most schools require a minimum of 14 hours (although that varies because my university has a 16 credit limit and I know others that are 12) for "full time status", but you can always be a part time student and take less.
And as far as what classes you take, most CS majors are not required to take any language classes, at least here in the U.S.
Is College any easier for CS?
If you want to go into game programming, there is a college called Full Sail, which is rated 2nd in the nation as a computer programming college. They stay up to date with all software, and you can get degrees in stuff like game design and stuff.
where is that college?
