For students all over the world, one of the most important factors of their education is being able to achieve a fulfilling career where they can bring their skill set to work. When exploring majors or potential jobs, many gravitate toward technology and IT-oriented fields. Understanding the differences between fields is critical when deciding on a potential career path. So, when it comes to information technology vs computer science, what is the difference, and which is the right path for you? Let’s discuss.
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Information Technology
Information technology (IT) is defined as the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange information and electronic data. When seeking to obtain a degree in information technology, students learn the concepts of IT and programming.
Studying information technology brings with it a variety of coursework including IT operations management, infrastructure and hardware, and application support, but you’ll also learn about operating systems, networking and network security, and organizational policies.
What can you do with an information technology degree?
Majoring in Information Technology prepares you for a wide variety of IT-related jobs, which can mean working in cloud computing and information security to system administration and database maintenance. Jobs you can land with an IT degree include:
- Systems administrator
- Network administrator
- Information security analyst
- Cloud engineer
- IT associate
- Systems Engineer
- Support Services
Computer Science
Computer scientists study computation, automation, and information. Doing so involves the use of algorithms, the theory of computation, and the design and implementation of hardware and software.
For someone studying computer science, coursework is also widely varied in order to prepare you to be successful in the field. Topics you’ll cover in class include app development, business intelligence, cloud computing, but you’ll also get an inside look at the inner workings of computers through computer engineering, a wide variety of coding languages, and computer forensics, but you’ll also learn skills related to web development.
After graduating with your computer science degree, there are a number of jobs you can pursue, including:
- Database administrator
- Web developer
- Hardware engineer
- Software engineer
- Network architect
Information Technology vs Computer Science: Which is Right for You?
If you’re going to study computers and how they work, you’ll have an exciting career waiting for you, but which should you choose? Well, in a sentence, IT is well suited for students who are interested in the way computers run; if you’re interested in what you can do with a computer, then computer science is likely to appeal to you. But after you graduate, you’ll want to put your degree to work. As a specialized managed IT services organization, Innovative Integration is always seeking students of both information technology and computer science, so if you’re interested in joining our team, contact us today!
