Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Computer Engineering – What’s the Difference?

College and university freshmen frequently enroll in a program that turns out to be a poor fit with their interests and abilities. This is especially problematic in the computing disciplines. Consequently, students who start in a computing program they are not committed to, can take longer to graduate, have larger student loans, have a lower GPA, and may end up majoring in a field that they do not want to work in, or like.

There are 5 major computing sub-disciplines, and while they share a ‘computing’ theme, there are significant differences between the disciplines. Often, students do not know the difference between the sub-disciplines and will enroll in one based on incorrect assumptions about that sub-discipline. It is the belief of the presenters that a contributing factor to this problem is that STEM teachers and guidance counselors are not fully aware of the differences between the programs, due to a lack of information.

In this poster session, the presenters will provide coherent information about the computing sub-disciplines in a format that educators and counselors can use to assist students enter the sub-discipline that best matches their interests and abilities.