Hi. I studied a bachelor's degree in Information Systems, and currently work as a Systems Support Analyst. When I accepted to interview for my current job, it was listed in the job description that a degree in Management Information Systems or similar was preferred, so having a relevant degree can really help.
Below are three common bachelor's degrees in the computing / IT field, with some variants, along with an overview of the course content typically found in each:
- BSc Computer Science / Computing
Computer Science focuses primarily on the theoretical, mathematical and computational foundations of computing, and the applications of these to solve a wide range of real world problems. Traditionally, it places emphasis on the design, development / programming of software, systems, technologies.
A Computing degree will typically also cover the fundamentals of Computer Science, but content is usually much broader to include other topics in Information Systems, Information Technology, and business more generally.
> Bachelor of Computer Science - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> Computer science - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Information Systems usually shares many of the same modules studied in Computer Science (especially in the first year), however it doesn't focus so heavily on the theoretical, mathematical and computational aspects of computing, or software development and programming (although this will still be studied and practised to an extent).
Instead, Information Systems is more business oriented and it looks at the bigger picture. It looks at how technologies (hardware and software), people, data, processes and procedures work together to provide the information systems essential to running an organisation, while considering the needs of, and the impact on, the business. It places emphasis on the relationship between information systems and the organisation, and how information systems are practically applied within the organisation to support business processes, operations, management, decision making and to solve problems. The full life cycle of information systems is considered (e.g. planning, analysis, design and implementation) and as such, systems development and systems development life cycle methodologies are studied.
Information Systems also include many of the same topics found in an Information Technology degree (since you need to understand the technologies - hardware and software - which are a component of Information Systems) however it will tend to have greater focus on the business, and instead of learning primarily about the technologies (how they work and how to use them) you will also learn to ask what types of technologies would be best suited to solve particular business problems, and how best to implement them as part of information systems used to collect, disseminate, manipulate, store and retrieve information within organisations.
Variants of an Information Systems degree include: Computer Information Systems, Business Information Systems, Information Systems Management and Management Information Systems. Each of these variants can differ slightly in course content and the emphasis placed on topics taken from Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Management and Information Management.
> Bachelor of Computer Information Systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> Information systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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BSc Information Technology / Information Communication Technology / Business Information Technology
Information Technology tends to steer clear of the mathematical and theoretical fundamentals of computing altogether, as well as software development and programming (although programming may be covered and practised to some degree).
Instead, Information Technology focuses primarily on how technologies (hardware, software and systems), how they work, and how to apply them commercially. A typical degree can encompass a wide range of computing topics.
Variants of this degree such as Business Information Technology will typically cover content from Management and Business Studies to a greater extent, to provide students with a better understanding of IT within the context of the business.
> Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> Information technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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See the following link for a useful illustration on the relationships between Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology and Information Science, within the context of the business:
File:IS-Relationships-Chart.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also check out the following link for help on choosing between Computer Science, Information Systems and Information Technology degrees:
Computer Science vs Information Technology vs Information Systems | GetEducated.com
The above list is only an example of the course content typically found in those degrees, and in reality course content can differ across universities even if the degree title is the same. Be sure to check out the details on the modules / courses for the degrees you may be interested in at a particular university, or enquire with the university for more information.
As for
BSc Computer & Information Science, this is not a very common degree or degree title as it is actually a rather broad term. While Computer Science focuses primarily on the theoretical, mathematical and computational foundations of computing, Information Science is a wide interdisciplinary field (commonly understood to encompass aspects of computer science and other computing and non-computing disciplines) concerned with the analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval, movement, and dissemination of information.
In a sense, a degree with the title Computer & Information Science could be considered as 'Computer Science and Information Systems combined'. On the UMUC website
http://www.umuc.edu/it/academics/bachelors-degrees.cfm this degree is described to include aspects of computer science, databases, software engineering, and programming - UMUC may no longer be offering this degree though as the link
http://www.umuc.edu/academic-programs/bachelors-degrees/computer-information-science-major.cfm on webpage above takes you back to the course list where Computer & Information Science is no longer listed as a major.
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Suggestions on what to study at University of Maryland University College
It appears you need to combine both an academic major and minor subject as part of a bachelor's degree at UMUC.
I would recommend that if you're not so good or confident with mathematics and computational theory, and you aren't too interested in software development or computer programming, choose instead to major in a degree other than Computer Science. Looking on the UMUC website, their
Computer Science Major involves a number of maths courses. The rest are mainly programming if you are comfortable and interested in this, but programming will often require the application of maths and logic.
Their
Information Systems Management Major could be an option as it focuses mainly on information systems, information management, systems development, some programming, the organisation and project management. However, it doesn't cover most of the core IT / computing topics, and unless you have a specific interest in Information Systems and what it encompasses, this may not be best suited.
Instead, their
Computer Networks and Security Major looks to be a good fit, especially given your associate degree in Computer Network Administration. Unlike most typical Computer Networks and Security degrees, the content in UMUC's degree appears to be broader, focussing not only on networks and security, but also including modules which look at the installation, configuration, management, administration and troubleshooting of Windows Server and Desktop Operating Systems on an enterprise network - which is very relevant and applied.
As for the minor, consider their
Business Administration Minor, because employers nowadays are especially interested in candidates with the knowledge and understanding of both IT and Business.
Alternatively if you want to keep within the field of computing / IT, consider
Information Systems Management Minor,
Computer Science Minor (as the course content is minimal in each of these disciplines compared to their major counterparts) or
Digital Media and Web Technology Minor.
If possible, consider looking at the degrees other universities are offering, and what is included in their course content in order to compare and contrast.
Hope this majorly long post helps!
