Technology

A bachelor in computer science degree is designed to help you gain employment in software development or systems management, but also to give you the kind of broad education you need to move into senior management over the long run.

Job listings from every type of company today ask for bachelor of computer science degree holders who can build and maintain the technology backbone of websites, security programs, networking systems and more. While you work toward a general computer science degree, you can also take elective classes that will give you the kind of specialized skills that can help get you into specific industries. If you want to get involved in the media industry, for example, you’ll want to build a knowledge base in Drupal content management systems, php and database issues, flash graphics and site usability. To work in banking or insurance, you would probably want to learn more about network and website security.

The BS in computer science degree generally is usually a 4 year program of 128 credits, versus the 68 credits typically required for an associate’s degree. This kind of degree program generally attracts tech-savvy people (who often proudly call themselves geeks) who have already done some software or technology work for small companies, and want to move up into a bigger business that offer a more varied and higher-paying career track.

It can be tough to decide whether to go for a general BS in computer science or one of the many specialized tech bachelor’s degrees available in game programming, health systems management, security or web design. The answer depends on how clear a picture of you have which industry you want to work in – and how much flexibility you want to change industries in your career. Keep in mind that a software developer with a general computer science degree will often get training in many new specialties paid for by an employer over the course of a career. Not specializing in college doesn’t mean that you won’t have opportunities to gain expertise in new technology specialties later on.

Job Options
Jobs for holders of a BS in computer science are generally well paid: according to the US Department of Labor statistics the median salary in this category for 2008 (the most recent year measured) was over $66,000. USDLS also predicts a bright future for computer science majors, stating “employment of network systems and data communications analysts is projected to grow by 53 per cent from 2008 to 2018, which…places it among the fastest growing of all occupations.” One key decision is whether you want to work in the tech or “IT” department within a company or work with one of the many “third party” or freelance type firms that get hired to develop software for companies on a project by project basis. The third party route can be more lucrative, but it also involves more pressure to meet tough deadlines. (By the way – don’t think that all software development has been outsourced to India or other offshore locations. Companies do send work to these lower-priced venues, but there’s still plenty of work for programmers here in the US.)

Generally, an associate’s degree in computer science will help you get a foot in the door as a programmer or other IT worker. But the bachelor’s degree is more likely to get you hired to manage a team. Overall, these degrees have become more important as companies have had problems hiring people and then finding they do not have the technology skills they claimed. Quite honestly, there’s a common image of software programmers as being very good with code but not, in many cases, so great at dealing with other workers. The bachelor of computer science degree, with its required study in various humanities subjects, signals to an employer that you have the communications skills to handle project management and to discuss tech issues intelligently in a meeting environment.

In the world of technology jobs, a computer science degree at the bachelor’s level (almost always a BS or bachelor of science) generally moves you a step up from the person who goes around the office fixing individual computer problems. Computer science degree holders get hired for a wide spectrum of more senior jobs, from designing content systems for websites to closing security holes in company networks and even creating online business plans.

Click To A List Of Schools Specializing In Online Technology Degrees

A generalized BS in computer science, which you can get from many online schools, can be an excellent foundation for lots of different career specialties in IT or development and can also be a good foundation for managerial positions. But if you love a particular tech specialty, schools nowadays offer specialized computer science degrees that can give you a running start. Here’s a look at five specialties that are particularly hot right now, and the computer science degrees that will qualify you for them:

Information Technology: A ton of different jobs in the IT sector exist under the heading of “developer” or “programmer.” Every industry that earns significant money or provides services through a consumer-facing website will have a strong need for information technology specialists. The jobs they perform include building and maintaining software platforms for subscription websites (media companies), financial management (banks, financial advisers that offer stock trading accounts to end users) or ecommerce (digital retailers from Amazon.com to Toys R Us).

Many developers specialize in a particular system or programming language right at the start of their education if they know which industry they want to have a career in. Java, for example, is a language frequently used to transfer secure information to mobile devices. That’s a function that’s extremely important in the financial industry, and a whole lot of programmers have build nice careers in investment banks or brokerage companies but mastering java and java scripts.

Many colleges have long offered online computer science BS degrees that focus on information technology. In most cases, they arm you with great knowledge for media and other information industry jobs, but actually provide enough general tech knowledge so that you won’t end up locked in to any one industry. A typical degree of this type will involve a core curriculum in operating systems, project management, programming and database systems, followed by more specialized courses in information security, wireless technology, telecommunications and specialized software development. Some even include courses in game development. Information technology specialists are likely to prosper in the future as computing and communicating via wireless and the web gradually merge more and more into a single function.

Web Development: Web developers work on both the architecture and the effectiveness of websites. In other words, they implement the code the runs the content management system on sites and also work with creators of content (editors and others) to make sure the site draws visitors from Google and other search engines. This is a terrifically important role at media companies in particular, but it has grown in importance as many other types of companies have taken their businesses online.

This role should not be confused with that of a web designer, a much lower paid function that focuses almost entirely on the graphic layout of a site. Web developers will pay attention to the “look” of a site, but they tend to view websites in more of a functional perspective: how effectively the design gets readers to click on certain things, find the right information or buy whatever the company is trying to sell online. On top retail sites like Amazon.com or Buy.com, web developers have spent a huge amount of time arranging every offer and category heading to get you to stay on the site and complete your purchase there. Ever notice that when you go into a good job site and click on an IT job, for example, every time you go a page deeper into the site it keeps showing you more and more IT jobs in the side columns. That’s because of the kind of high-end content management system that get’s put in place by smart web developers. Some of the top systems in this area come from IBM and Interwoven.

The best web developers have both technical and marketing skills. In media companies, they need an understanding of fairly complex content systems like Drupal and WordPress, and also a high skill level at using applications like Omniture and Google Analytics to do very in-depth analysis of who the site’s audience is and what types of content they are consuming. On retail sites the top CMS products generally come from IBM and Interwoven. This can be a fun specialty that gets you working with online video, wireless applications, social networking, streaming technologies and all sorts of other cutting-edge applications that companies are always racing to put into their sites. It can also involve a certain amount of stress when problems arise on a company website that are visible to end users. Even huge sites like Facebook and Twitter have outages once in a while, and when they do their web developers have to scramble to get them working again in a hurry. Quite a few colleges and universities are now offering online computer science BS degrees specialized in either web development or web design and development.

Business & Computing: A growing specialty that involves just what the name implies – a combined knowledge of computer technology and the ways they can be used to drive profitability for companies. Job titles that incorporate this skill set can include Director of Product Development, Product or Project Manager or Director of Technology. At some companies, people who bring both technology and financial skills may simply become the head of a division that operates a tech based product – a title like publisher of an online information or data site, for example. At other companies, it may put you in a position to work as a “sales engineer,” selling a software or other technology product, a specialty that can be quite lucrative.

Generally, the best way to prepare for these types of jobs is to get one of the more general computer science degrees such as a BS computer science or BS information technology, and either make a point of taking elective business courses along the way or follow through by getting an MBA after you finish your bachelor’s degree. This is a specialty that’s expected to grow dramatically, in part because many businesses are no longer developing their technology in-house but going out and buying it in bits and pieces from third party suppliers. The job of looking around for the right supplier of, say, a content management system, is an important function that requires technology understanding and an ability to negotiate contracts. Alternatively, many companies today are looking for “business process modelers,” who look at the way they are using IT to solve various problems. Many large corporations in particular have realized that their various divisions are using technology in very disorganized ways. A business process specialist can save them a great deal of money by designing a system to analyze technology problems and get standardized solutions created across the company rather than “redesigning the wheel” for each new problem or business idea that comes up.

Network and/or Information Security: A degree in this specialty that can stream you into large businesses of almost all types, or can qualify you to actually work in the technology side of law enforcement. Security is, perhaps, a less “sexy” specialty than web development. As a result it tends to attract fewer students. But it’s an absolutely critical job function in a world where more and larger financial transactions occur online, and where privacy issues are a major concern to almost everyone. The almost never-ending efforts of “black hat” programmers to hack into various systems practically guarantees that companies will always want to have lots of digital security experts working to protect them. Some schools actually have “ethical hacking” contests to prove that their students are as smart as the bad guys.

Jobs of this type tend to be very stable. Some popular job titles in this area include network auditor, information security manager or consultant or even network scanner. The federal government is a significant employer of computer science degree holders who specialize in security, particularly for military and law enforcement applications.

Game Development: This is a specialized area that makes sense if you have a tremendous love of computer and video games. It’s a volatile sector where developers with an entrepreneurial streak can make a great deal of money, but where many games are flops from a sales perspective. Generally, that’s true of many types of application development. Every famous application from Google to Twitter generally came originally from the head of a developer, and probably one with a computer science degree. In the past, many game architects or developers had only general computer science degrees. But more schools are now offering degrees in game design specifically.

This is a specialty where a combination of technological knowledge and some artistic skill will serve you well. The good news about game and other types of application development is that even if some of the things you design don’t sell, there always seem to be other companies and investors out there in a hurry to develop new products who will need your services for a new project.

Click To A List Of Schools Specializing In Online Technology Degrees

Web development doesn’t easily boil down to a single job description. At big media companies, for example, the web development “team” will often include a spectrum of people from database administrators and drupal or php experts, who work on the functional “back end” of sites, to usability experts and project managers who help create web businesses, but don’t actually touch any back end website code.

Other Key Specialties In Computer Tech:

– Information Systems

– Computer Science

– Overview Of Hot Tech Categories

Basically, web developers are the people to take an online business concept and turn it into a real functioning website. They’re usually seen as distinct from web designers, who work on the graphic appearance of a site. Developer salaries can vary a great deal, because job openings exist everywhere from giant corporations to fairly small businesses, and even on down to local bakeries, who can hire a freelance developer to create a website. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the median wage for a web developer at just over $75,000., but this is based on a very broad definition of the specialty.

Online Builder
In a web development degree program, you can expect training to become the “go-to” person in charge of building and integrating all the pieces of a website — and then keeping them running smoothly. You’ll get a basic foundation in the process of analyzing online design layouts, business plans and wireframes, and then creating the building blocks that actually bring them to life.

That can involve integrating a full range of front-end reader tools and navigation, as well as setting up back-end content management systems, database programs, web analytics and many other elements that go into the typical website today. If you wind up working for a very large company, the odds are good that you’ll work more as a specialist in content management, database administration or some other particular area. The smaller the company you work for, the more likely it is that you’ll be involved in every aspect of website creation from “soup to nuts.”

Dev Degrees Go By Many Names
Historically, web development has often been taught as a sub-specialty of broader degrees in information services or computer science. There are also some degree programs that combine the “artistic” aspects of web design with more technical development courses. But because the back-end construction of websites is becoming so complex, website “dev” has become more and more of a free-standing specialty (one which happens to be very in-demand). But strictly speaking, a computer technology degree with a sub specialty in development, a combo design and dev degree or a degree that’s simply titled “web development” can all lead you into fairly similar career paths.

What You’ll Learn
One of the more interesting aspects of web development is that is cuts across lots of different knowledge sets. All that variety can help keep you from getting bored. At the same time, because you tend to get a broad foundation, there’s often opportunity to try several different things then specialize later on with the help of on the job experience or a master’s degree.

A bachelor degree that’s specialized in this area will include (beyond the standard foundation of humanities courses that are involved in any BA or BS) introductions to a wide range of programming languages like Java, Visual BASIC, ActionScript and HTML, and courses in:

• System Development
• Database Programming
• Digital Security
• Interactive Design
• Linux / Unix
• Usability Design & Testing
• Server-Side Programming
• Enterprise Applications

Why Go For A Bachelor’s Degree In Web Development?
Most web developers have at least an associate’s degree. But a bachelor’s in web development can provide greater job opportunities with larger companies. Technology is a quirky business – it’s always possible that a highly talented programmer can advance without a lot of formal training (witness the cases of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, neither of whom finished college). For most people who are smart but not geniuses, however, it’s safe to assume that the higher the pay for a development job, the more likely it is that an employer will be looking to fill it with somebody who’s got at least a bachelor’s degree.

An added reason that a bachelor’s degree can be of value is that it will require you to take a foundation of humanities-type courses in communication, psychology and other non technical subjects. As a tech “gear head,” you might consider these a waste of time. But the fact is that web developers tend to interface a great deal with non-technical people like sales, marketing and financial managers, and communication skills can be important if you hope to advance your career. Many SVP’s of web development actually spend more time discussing profit margins and other business concepts with other corporate managers than they do programming anything. It’s a key reason that bachelor’s and master’s degrees in this specialty often include courses in presentational speaking and team dynamics.

If you’re interested in all aspects of website creation, and have a desire to keep getting involved in new things like online video, social media, international web design and every-changing issues in digital security, this can be a specialty worth considering.

Click To A List Of Schools Specializing In Online Technology Degrees

In spite of all the talk about outsourcing American jobs, the fact is that there are plenty of jobs out there for computer technology specialists. In fact, the growing emphasis on company networks and web-based communication with customers is creating more tech jobs rapidly.

There are a few key specialties you can obtain a computer technology degree in. Each of them will tend to put you on a slightly different career path. Here’s an overview of the five key types of degrees to consider in software and information technology.

Information Systems
IS programs teach students how to work on all business applications involving the uses of information – a very broad specialty that includes database training. Where students in this specialty once dealt with basic payroll and accounting functions, they are now key players in all the areas where companies create and use information. This can cut across a broad world of customer relationship management, database usage and web-based infrastructure. In a world where businesses increasingly depend on information, information systems degree holders have become very valuable. (More on Information Systems degrees)

Online Computer Science Degrees
Though it’s a computer degree online science or “CS” is a highly mathematical type of degree, which prepares you to create new ways to use computers or find solutions to the most complex computing problems that already exist. Because this type of degree has been around for many years, you’ll find lots of senior managers at who will appreciate the fact that you have an online computer science bachelor degree, because it’s something they are familiar with. Common career applications will be in very entrepreneurial technology startups or in a school or company research lab.Training in computer science is considered highly flexible – and an online computer science masters degree can be a platform that leads you into many different areas. (Getting a bachelor’s in Computer Science)

Computer Engineering
Computer hardware engineers develop and test the physical aspects of computers – the chips, circuit boards, keyboards and even printers. The course of study is a bit closer to electrical engineering than to software design. The research, development and testing jobs that focus on computer hardware are usually open only to computer engineers, and not to any other type of technology specialist.

Information Technology & Computer Security Professional Training
Computer networks are the backbone of many companies today, and information technology experts are the people who create them, keep them running and handle the many questions and problems that arise with corporate users of the network. The “IT guy” is generally the one who comes to an individual’s desk to solve their computer problem, but is also the one who also must have computer network security training and other specialized knowledge to do upgrades to keep the network running smoothly.

Software Engineering
Software engineers are the specialists who develop the most complex software systems and products from the ground up. Traditionally, many of the people who specialize in this area have taken a computer science masters degree online or at a traditional school. But the intense emphasis on new building and improving software applications has created a need for pure software engineering specialists. With software now being considered a key corporate asset and many startup companies being built entirely on the strength of one software product, training in software engineering can put you in key positions in both large and small company environments.

Becoming The Tech Teacher
If you prefer to work at a college or university, an educational technology degree will help you understand the issues in running school networks and managing the programs that have grown so much with the advent of online education. Want to go even a step further? You can get an online masters degree in technology education, and get involved in teaching others how to become IT professionals.