Need Help with college degree option

[mrmanmajor]

Hi guys,

I need some help deciding whitch way to go with my schooling. Im enrolled in a local community college right now. I have the option of an associates degree in computer programming (witch I am currently enrolled in) or a Computer Science transfer program to a 4 year institution for a Bachelor's degree in computer science....What I really want to do (dream job) is develop music editing software and synths, but no one in that field seems to want to write me back with advice on what to study while in college. I noticed the UK has programs in their colleges that are specifically designed for this field. Im not sure I need a full Bachelors of computer science or if I should just get a associates in programming and then get into audio engineering programs??

...Also what about everyday programming jobs, what are most employers looking for as far as a degree (or multiple degrees??). Any help will be greatly appriciated!...ohh and Im 24 and stuck in omaha, nebraska for schooling, I know age and location seems to come up a lot in these discussions:!:

[mrmanmajor]

ohh here is what the program looks like for the associates degree in computer programming from my community college........(Im sure you all know what a computer science degree looks like)...

English-Level I 4.5
English-Level II 4.5

Social SciencesRequirement Credit Value
Social Sciences 4.5

MathematicsRequirement Credit Value
MATH 1420 College Algebra 1 4.5

OtherRequirement Credit Value
HMRL 1010 Human Relations Skills 4.5
INFO 1001 Microcomputer Fundamentals 4.5

Major Requirements for Computer Technology - 18.5Requirement Credit Value
INFO 1003 Introduction to Computer Programming 5.0
INFO 1110 Operating Systems I 4.5
INFO 1111 Linux Operating Systems I 4.5
INFO 1112 Introduction to IBM iSeries 4.5

Option Requirements for Computer Programming - 50.051.0 Requirement Credit Value
INFO 1213 Database Fundamentals I 4.5
INFO 1521 Java Programming I 4.5
INFO 1522 C++ Programming I 4.5
INFO 1523 Visual Basic.NET I 4.5
INFO 1524 COBOL I 5.0
INFO 1620 Database Management 1 4.5
INFO 2940 Integrated Application Development 4.5
Choose one of the following concentrations 18.0 – 19.0
Concentration A
INFO 1534 COBOL II 5.0
INFO 2526 Assembler Language I 4.5
INFO 2544 COBOL III 5.0
INFO 2545 Introduction to IBM Mainframes 4.5
Concentration B
INFO 1531 Java Programming II 4.5
INFO 1532 C++ Programming II 4.5
INFO 1533 Visual Basic.NET II 4.5
INFO 2537 Data Structures using C & C++ 4.5
Concentration C
INFO 2630 Structured Query Language (SQL) 4.5
INFO 2640 Oracle I 4.5
INFO 2651 Oracle Database Administration 4.5
INFO 2740 Oracle II 4.5

Electives for Computer Programming - 4.55.0 Requirement Credit Value
Choose at least one of the following courses 4.5 – 5.0
INFO 1011 Project Management I 4.5
INFO 1021 Project Management II 4.5
INFO 1023 Networking Essentials 4.5
INFO 1121 Linux Operating System II 4.5
INFO 2536 Assembler Language II 4.5
INFO 2538 Systems Analysis and Design 4.5
INFO 2539 Mobil Computing 4.5
INFO 2546 Introduction to CICS 5.0
INFO 2754 COBOL Web Programming Basics 4.5
INFO 2900 Special Topics Variable
INFO 2981 Internship Variable

[PirateTUX]

Hi guys,

I need some help deciding whitch way to go with my schooling. Im enrolled in a local community college right now. I have the option of an associates degree in computer programming (witch I am currently enrolled in) or a Computer Science transfer program to a 4 year institution for a Bachelor's degree in computer science....What I really want to do (dream job) is develop music editing software and synths, but no one in that field seems to want to write me back with advice on what to study while in college. I noticed the UK has programs in their colleges that are specifically designed for this field. Im not sure I need a full Bachelors of computer science or if I should just get a associates in programming and then get into audio engineering programs??

...Also what about everyday programming jobs, what are most employers looking for as far as a degree (or multiple degrees??). Any help will be greatly appriciated!...ohh and Im 24 and stuck in omaha, nebraska for schooling, I know age and location seems to come up a lot in these discussions:!:

Hey!!! What's wrong with Omaha? I was born 'n' raised there! :cheesy:

First of all, and you might hear this again, I think you're going to have to get out of Nebraska. You're probably at Metro, right? Maybe ITT? What 4-year program were you talking about? I have a brother who just graduated from Creighton a few years ago, and he got a pretty good education there. His degree is in Computer Science... he's in his Masters program now studying AI and computer graphics.

If I were you, I would maybe think about getting that Associates degree in programming, then think about going to a recording engineering school. I have a good friend who went to a school down in the Phoenix area, now he's back and studying electrical engineering in the hopes that he can someday design recording gear. I would think that the recording engineering education would help you gain a better understanding of how all that works, so you could more effectively program it.

Just a thought...

[mrmanmajor]

Hey!!! What's wrong with Omaha? I was born 'n' raised there! :cheesy:

First of all, and you might hear this again, I think you're going to have to get out of Nebraska. You're probably at Metro, right? Maybe ITT? What 4-year program were you talking about? I have a brother who just graduated from Creighton a few years ago, and he got a pretty good education there. His degree is in Computer Science... he's in his Masters program now studying AI and computer graphics.

If I were you, I would maybe think about getting that Associates degree in programming, then think about going to a recording engineering school. I have a good friend who went to a school down in the Phoenix area, now he's back and studying electrical engineering in the hopes that he can someday design recording gear. I would think that the recording engineering education would help you gain a better understanding of how all that works, so you could more effectively program it.

Just a thought...

Hey, thanks for the response! Its funny because it seems like everywhere I go in the US or online, I always meet somebody from Omaha or has family from Omaha, yet everyone else seems to have no idea where its at!??

Yes, I go to Metro and Im taking the two year Computer Programming option that will give me an Associates in computer programming. The other option I have is switching to computer science in witch the first two years are at metro and then it will transfer me to UNO to finish up a bachelors in Computer Science. The difference between the two is the associates vs. bachelors and the computer science option is much more math oriented (computer programming only requires college algebra and computer science goes to calculus lll).

I still want to get a decent programming degree that will get me a "normal" programming job while I go to out of state college for the audio engineering, so Im also wondering if my wimpy programming degree from metro would be worth much to "everyday" programming jobs? I suppose experience or an internship may help me out though right?__ Do you have any reccommendation on a hotspot (city) that may have some decent programming jobs?

I havent really looked too deeply into audio schools yet, the majority of my time has been spent trying to make sure Im doing the right thing with the programming but what recording school did your buddy go to in Phoenix? how was his experience and would he reccommend it? That would work out great for me because of family down there. The weather would be a plus too:) (compared to crappy Nebraska weather that is)

_Sorry about all the questions, feel free to pick and choose! Not an abundance of programmers around here;)

Thanks for your help!

[PirateTUX]

Well... Nice to meet you, too! You're right... everywhere you go online, you'll meet somebody who's either from Omaha, or knows somebody there, or has family there, etc. Weird, it's it?

First of all, any time behind the wheel of your IDE is worth it. I know you're getting a decent edu-ma-cation at Metro for the money, so it's not doing you any harm. On the other hand, the stronger your Kung-fu, the better. Especially since you want to work with sound. There's TONS of math there. You might very well benefit from the extra math that the BS in Comp Sci would afford you. Recording school isn't going to teach you how to apply the mathematics necessary to equate a flange effect on the primary effects bus on that new-fangled hardware/software multitrack recording system you're working on. That's going to be straight-up, hard-core calculus, and probably lots of it. By the way, you audio and video programming geeks scare the poop outta me. Anybody who decides they want to write their own device drivers because "geez, I could do it way better" is a little disturbing to me.

So what I would do, if I were you, is commit yourself to as many years of learning as you can. UNO is a good school, and you'll have the added benefit of just having a BS under your belt. I'll see if I can't get the name of that recording school in AZ from my buddy in Omaha. That'll get you the recording credientals you're looking for. After that, it might even be a good idea for you to persue a Masters in Computer Science. I know it sounds daunting, but your run-of-the-mill computer programming does NOT tackle the heavy job of real-time multi-track recording with low-latency operating system kernels and real-time device drivers. You're going to need a ton more Kung-fu to handle those types of things.

I wish you luck... I'll post you that school name ASAP. Oh, and Omaha's really not that bad. Before long, it'll be Spring again, and you'll be able to go downtown and watch the yuppies and the goth kids interact once again. If you've never done that before, it's worth a couple of laughs. Oh, and when you get your first Beta going on a multitrack system, I expect a copy!!! :-)

[jwenting]

In my experience an excellent analytical mind and an ability to go without sleep on a diet of just a heavily cafeinated drink are far more important than the actual curiculum you were taught when you are serious about getting a job in software development.

The vast majority of the people I work(ed) with (including myself) don't have an IT related degree at all.
Many are biologists, mathematicians, and physicists. One was a program manager at a radio station.

[WaltP]

In my experience an excellent analytical mind and an ability to go without sleep on a diet of just a heavily cafeinated drink are far more important ...

Don't forget the Twinkies! :mrgreen:

[jwenting]

they give you solid food in your cell?

[WaltP]

they give you solid food in your cell?

Programmer's axiom: Man does not live by Jolt alone! :mrgreen: