I’ve read a good bit here on cc about what courses are needed to make up a good computer science major. But I am clueless about a “Creative Technologies” major. Could this be a real thing? As in, a way to move a student forward into the world and generate a decent income?
http://www.berry.edu/academics/majors/creativetechnologies/
Berry College dropped their Computer Science Major a couple years ago, downgrading it to a Minor within the Math Dept. So we thought Berry would not be an option for our S. Now, my D who attends Berry tells us there is an exciting new option for computer geeks on campus.
Is this just smoke and mirrors, an expensive way for some kids to have some fun? If it is for real, how would you determine if it was a well-run program? This may be the first year for the program at Berry, but we have a few years to watch how it grows before S would have to decide.
Are there other colleges out there doing this same thing? But maybe they don’t call it the same thing? Or maybe other colleges have it as part of their regular computer major?
I am assuming my S would also take Berry’s Computer Science Minor, or even the Math major with CS concentration. But would that be enough? My S is very self-motivated, and currently programs on his own. He stops and learns whatever physics/formulas he needs at that moment to complete some function in his programs. So my gut tells me he would pick up the skills he needs to do whatever passion he develops.
Thanks for helping a non-geek better understand this new technology.
Wow - as someone who has worked in IT and Marketing, this seems like an amazing major. Might be a hard sell to explain when applying for a job, but these are just the kinds of skills employers are seeking out. Hard to say how you validate the strength of a new program, but I would definitely watch this - it could be the beginning of a trend.
Could be interesting and useful for some students, but should not be seen as equivalent to a CS major.
^not at all the same as a CS major, but perhaps just as (or more) attractive to many employers (said by a 20+ year person in the IT field). It would depend on how rigorous it is, and what the target employer is (i.e. probably not Microsoft Research). But intriguing.
Some jobs commonly filled by CS or IT majors might like graduates from this major. But others would not.
Thank you for your responses. I know enough to know it is not at all like a regular CS degree, but I am not able to comprehend the value of such a unique curriculum.
Another question, then. Is this unique educational experience enough to stand on its own, or should my S also take the traditional CS courses?
I have read about students wanting to get into gaming, and aiming for a Game Design major. But posters have been advising to stick with the more traditional CS degree, with maybe a gaming minor. Is this creative technology major kind of like the gaming major? Maybe too far out there to be of use on its own?
At least around where I am, many colleges are incorporating “entrepreneurial incubators” into their campuses. These are start-ups that tend to hire from within the college. Most of these are seeking people who can not only code but have business and creative knowledge as well. I could see this major fitting in beautifully. Graduates from this major wouldn’t be the folks doing the heavy-duty coding, but would be in more liaison roles - doing business analysis, marketing with a technical understanding, or other cross-over roles. I wish something like this had existed when I was in school - I have a traditional CS degree, but have gravitated to the business side over the years. The lines have blurred over time. There’s a huge need for people who can translate between the intensely technical folks and the business side.
I see this as colleges looking for a way to keep kids on campus who might get frustrated by a traditional degree. This gives a greater outlet for creative thinking than traditional CS or business degrees.
Agree that it is best for creative types who want to work with technology. It would not be for those looking for more typical software development jobs that CS majors seek, or IT management jobs that IT majors seek, but it could be more closely related to such jobs as user interface design of computer programs, web sites, various kinds of devices, etc…
Whether the supply of such jobs and whether employers would prefer a graduate of such a major over other majors (e.g. art or CS) is favorable or not is unknown. (For game design, computer game companies willingly hire lots of CS majors, so a game design major may not be much advantage for that industry, but may be taken less seriously by other types of employers that would hire CS majors.)
@ubcalumnus I was hoping you would weigh in on this. Your comment about employers taking gaming major less seriously, that is what I am asking about for this creative technologies major. How will employers look at this major? Is it just a “cute little project” or is it a legitimate thing that develops the skills that will be valuable to future employers?
And as a parent, do I approach this as an “extra” … like add this in as a minor, after you major in a normal CS major?
@ucbalumnus I was hoping you would weigh in on this. See post #8 and would love your comments.
I can see it being specifically helpful for some types of jobs, but whether that actually translates to more employer favorability is unknown to me (it may not be that well known to employers).
However, if he really wants to work in software development (as opposed to designing user interfaces, web pages, and aesthetic aspects of technological products), a regular computer science major would be a better choice.
Thanks for your comments. S isn’t far enough along in school to know or decide anything (I came to cc for my D, and just never left). So I am way early in the game for college and career for S. But know enough now to be looking and researching possibilities.
S is sure (and we parents are too) that some kind of computer work is in his future. He programs now, and of course would love to program in games, but he is also sensible and knows that is not a likely career. He took a 3d printing workshop over Christmas break and really enjoyed it. Loves to figure stuff out.
We also have the possibility of S swimming in college, so that adds another complication into the mix, trying to find a small, southern school that does cs well and gives opportunity for swimming.