Tech Related Question... sorta.

[liber-cogito.livejournal.com]

I'm starting college in Jan. My question is... based on job experience, life experience, whatever...

What the hell is the difference between a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science Information Technology and a Bachelor of Science Information Technology?

The University's website says that the BS is for getting jobs in the first place, whereas the BSASIT is for job advancement... but the BSASIT seems to have more actual major related courses.

So, I guess my question is, what is your job title, and what degree, if any, do you have?

x-posted places.

Comments

[adamjaskie.livejournal.com]

An IT degree will have a lot of business classes, since it is mainly a business degree. It sounds like the BSASIT degree is geared toward people who are planning to expand their business education with something like an MBA, in which case they would not need as many business classes in their undergraduate degree and could focus more on the technical aspects of the field.

What do you want to do when you graduate?

[liber-cogito.livejournal.com]

Systems administration.

See, there are two options. One is getting an AS in Unix Administration, and transferring that to complete a BSAS IT. The other is ye old AA to BSIT.

The BSAS IT seems to be a lot more relevant to what I want to do, but it claims that its not for entry level shit. And I know that in the tech field, experience and ability matter more than the paper, but still.

[http://users.livejournal.com/hub_/]

Have you rebooted your machine to see if the problem went away?

[liber-cogito.livejournal.com]

You don't have to reboot linux, silly.

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

You do if you ever recompile your kernel.

[insaint.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't think there's much difference between those two. Look at the course offerings and decide if one is better for you than the other (for example, one might be more about IT management) or if they are similar.

The difference only really comes in when you get something like Bachelor of Science in CS vs Bachelor of Arts in CS.

Myself, I have a Bachelor of Math in Computer Science and I'm a programmer.

[gilmoure.livejournal.com]

I was working on my BFA (Bachelor Fine Arts) when people started paying to be fix and setup computers. Dropped out of school and 15 years later, am still fixing computers. Still, have a chance to move up into system admin in a year or so, if I get some certs under my belt. Boss is pushing for this.

At my last job, CTO had a BA in History. The network admin's was in Literature. I don't actually know anyone in IT who has a computer related degree.

[ptstech.livejournal.com]

I have one, the other admin here has one, our manager is an old AS/400 programmer type. Nobody in the management chain above us does, or had done IT prior to their hiring by our company.

[margaretc.livejournal.com]

BA in Geography, MSc (from the UK) in GIS from the computer science department. I'm a linux sysadmin for a major university. My boss has a degree in communications, my office mate has a DB-type degree like mine (BS only, no masters, I don't think), the guy across the hall has a PhD in electrical engineering, and one of my best friends is a project manager for microsoft product projects and has a JD (law degree) in tax law, and actually sat the bar and practiced for a while. The main windows administrator in our dept. came out of Math at this uni, and our hiring/purchasing manager has a PhD in biology or botany or some such. He also does some technical stuff...

So at some point, it doesn't matter - what does matter is that you've managed to get through college. It sounds like you should do the less business-like degree.

[menor.livejournal.com]

My degree's actually a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science. I'm a DBA now.

IMHO, you'll get your first job by having the piece of paper, but you'll keep it and move on with experience.

[squigit.livejournal.com]

BA in Economics. More useful than you'd imagine, as I'm now an APM, or accidental project manager.

The difference between the value of the degrees you're looking at is all of zero. If you don't know the difference before taking them, nobody in HR else will either. The real value is the difference in the coursework you'll be taking, and thats entirely up to you as you progress through university.

[manuka.livejournal.com]

Usually Science vs. Applied Science boils down to how much math you take :)

[manuka.livejournal.com]

in my experience, it boils down to something like this:

Bachelor of Arts: No math requirement
Bachelor of Science: Minimal Math
Bachelor of Applied Science: A little more math
Bachelor of Engineering: Way more math than any human should have to endure
Bachelor of Mathematics: The math, the whole math, and nothing but the math (and not many schools offer these - my brother got a B.Math. in Computer Science from Waterloo, I think CalTech and MIT offer them as well)

[sneezypb.livejournal.com]

In my state, "Applied Science" means 2 years in the technical college system (run by the Department of Education) and 2 years in the university system. It was created because CS students in the university system griped about all the theory with lack of application and CS students in the technical college system griped about application without theory.

[ateji.livejournal.com]

Speaking from my own experience, I'd like to propose a change or two to your list.

Bachelor of Arts: One college level math course usually required.
Bachelor of Science: More math, possibly up to calculus.

After that, my experience is pure ignorance.

My brother double-majored in meteorology and applied mathematics at the same school.

[mashiroikaze.livejournal.com]

Don't know if it helps you, but here's my career path:
Titles: Systems Administrator, [University Redacted]; Director of Technology, [Non-Profit Redacted]
Education: BA in Literature, and IP for a MS in IT Management

So...yeah. Honestly, the degree is only the foot in the door for the interview. How you can prove your skills is what gets you the job. Go with whichever degree has the courses you find more interesting, and delay declaring until your sophomore year if necessary by taking the shared prereqs and talk to others in each program.

Good luck!

[phrogg.livejournal.com]

I'm halfway down the BSASIT route right now, myself. Picked up my AAS in CompSci with a focus in networking tech.

Right now i work on contract for the government, so that's not saying too much, but still...

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

Surely there's a listing of course requirements that will show you how much is IT-related, and how much is other bumf.

As for me, I'm a systems administrator and I have no degree. In the UK, you'll find people have all manner of degrees - they tend not to be so hung up on strict vocationally-based tertiary education. (If you can get a degree, you can study and apply yourself).

[codecattx.livejournal.com]

Job Title - Senior Systems Engineer.

Schooling - BA in Technical Theater with a Minor in English.

And I've almost completed my BS in Biology

(I was a pre-med student who saw he was going to burn out like my mother had and changed majors. Worked in Tech Theater for a few years, always doing computers as a hobby and just fell into a Tech Job almost by accident)