Advice about degree, school, etc

Discussion in 'IT and Computer-Related Degrees' started by Trinak, Apr 22, 2010.

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  1. Trinak

    Trinak New Member

    Ok, I am in the process of finishing up my masters in Marriage and Family therapy at the end of July (assuming all goes as planned). I have recently decided that I don't like this field (what a wonderful time to discover this). I enjoy learning about computers and have recently discovered that I don't hate math as much as I thought (picked up a bunch of math texts and enjoying reviewing/learning algebra, number theory, and precalculus so far). At this point I'm looking into a career in computer programming or applications software engineering in the video game industry which I think I will enjoy from what I have researched thus far. I know very little about computers (maybe a little bit more than the average person, but not much; have built my own computer which was a great experience), but like the math texts I am eager to learn.

    I will be 27 this year and I am trying to figure out the best way to get to those careers, with some job security, in the most efficient (not necssarily quickest) way possible. I would like a degree (most likely computer science) to help focus my learning, but mainly due to the fact that I have little to no experience and the degree would help to actually get the job. So now come the questions.

    1) Online college vs traditional college (online generally seems to be quicker/cheaper, and assuming it is regionally accredited, how much of a difference will it make to an employer, also any recommendations if you have any on specific college).

    2) Degree (Computer Science I'm assuming, looked into Software Engineering, but not a lot of degrees in that area and not sure how specific vs general I want the degree to be).

    3) BS vs MS ( I have a BS Psychology and will have a MA Marital and Family Therapy, not exactly computer degrees. I'm thinking a MS Computer Science would be the better choice if I want a degree, assuming I can gain the foundational knowledge on my own, as most schools don't accept people for a second bachelor's and a MS would look better than a BS. However, as I don't have a BS in a related field what are the chances of actually finding a school to even apply to that will accept me with having only learned the undergraduate areas on my own.

    Thats it for now. Thanks for responses and reading the long post.
     
  2. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    Everyone that I know that is in this field have degrees in everything but computer science (e.g. history, religion, philosophy, business, and so on.) Since you already have a masters, you probably don't need another one, even if it isn't related.

    I'm not in this field, but I would think getting industry certifications would be a better way to go. Another option might be an AA/AS/AAS program that is focused on the video game industry. (yes, people do go back for AAs even after they get a masters degree, or even a PhD)
     
  3. kleos

    kleos New Member

    1) If you pick the online degree carefully then it will pull as much weight as a traditional degree.

    2) If you want to be a programmer then CS or SE is fine. If you want to leave more doors open for the future go with CS. If you want to do IT work CS will be fine but you can get an "easier" degree (CIS, MIS, IT) and be just as well off.

    3) No need to get a second Bachelors. If you choose to get a CS type degree then the program will just make you take some prerequisites before starting your master's work.

    Now, my personal advice. Make sure you want to do something with computers before straying too far from your current path. Obviously you have some sort of passion for counseling and maybe you should stick with it. The video game industry is rough... I wanted to go into it for the longest time but decided the compromises were not worth it. It is one of the most technically challenging programming jobs that exist but yet you are not compensated near enough. A TON of people want to program video games so there is a huge supply and there isn't that much of a demand. The quality of life is bad and you will be overworked and not compensated for it. Google "EA Spouse" and read the article. It is horrifying!

    I can relate to you because I have recently been considering a career change but I have found that I'm chasing something that doesn't exist and I am now more content where I am.

    Hope some of this helps!
     
  4. Trinak

    Trinak New Member

    I'm not sure about that. Just doing a quick search of some game companies (Blizzard, Bioware, Activision, Bethseda) and a look at programming/software engineering areas and most of them prefer or even require at least a BS in CS or math or related experience (which I don't really have).
     

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