[ale] CS Degree necessary?

[Chris Woodruff]

I agree with most of the people on the list saying that you don't need a
degree in MIS/CompSci to get into the business.  The truth is that it is
a bit harder now with the economy down.  What you have to think about is
the ceiling that you will hit one day without a degree.  There are two
paths most tech professionals take during their careers.  The first is
the technical path where they continue to development software but
become more involved with the analysis, design, and architecture of the
systems they are producing.  The second is the management path.  This
path involves planning, facilitating, and interaction with clients. 
There are more responsibilities involved with both but they can be
discuss on another thread.  What you need to be thinking is how to
position yourself for the path you want to take.  If you just want to
program and that makes you happy you can get a programming job and stay
doing that for a while.  If you want to progress and get into a more
senior role involving being a System Architect then a degree will give
you two things: knowledge and respectability.  The same with the
management path but I would recommend that a MBA is a good thing to
progress deep into that path.  So the college degree is a smart choice
for most people if they wish to make a career out of technology.

Now there are some people that haven't or do not follow this path and
make a great career in our field.  I have known a few people who did not
get a degree and are happy and also going down the path.  But that is a
small number.  I am not saying this is for everyone.  But the important
thing is to invest in yourself for the future.

Chris Woodruff 


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