While there are a lot of similarities in the courses, in fact, during the first 3 or 4 semesters, everything between the two programs should be identical. However, there are a lot of differences as well.

First let’s look at some similar courses you will all be taking:

  • General Education courses – these are the same groups of courses across all degrees on campus. While some courses may be a little different, the same groups will be there.
  • CISC 101 – this course
  • CISC 105 and CISC 110 – these are both programming courses. Python (CISC 105) is used for both IT and SE projects with a lot of different types of applications. CISC 100 we learn about C/C++, which is one of the grand-daddies of programming languages. So many languages are based off of this language, that learning it, makes it easy to learn other languages such as Java, C#, JavaScript (which has nothing to do with Java), and many more.
  • CISC 215 – Database Management
  • CISC 270 – Ethics and Technology
  • CISC 275 – Web Design
  • CISC 325 – Cyber Security
  • Senior Project

However, there are other course that you will need to take which separate the two. While some of these might be beneficial to take as an elective, we had to draw a line, and felt that these might be better in their respective concentrations.

Software Engineering Concentration

Additional Math Courses:

  • Calculus 1 and 2 (MATH 190 & Math 290)
  • MATH 220 – Discrete Mathematics
  • MATH 310 – Linear Algebra

These courses are enough to get you a Math Minor as well as your BS in Computer Science.

Additional Programming Courses:

  • CISC 205 – Java Programming
  • CISC 210 – Data Structures
  • CISC 330 – Software Engineering
  • CISC 350 – Programming Languages
  • CISC 410 – Operating Systems
  • CISC 445 – Analysis of Algorithms

Information Technology Concentration

In the IT concentration, you don’t have as many math courses. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to take them. In fact, practicing math, and getting better at it, has been found by many employers to help their employees be better as problem solving. So don’t discount math, and know that it can still help you. (Think about your electives.)

You will also notice that outside of the core courses, there is not many, if any programming courses. This is because most of what you will do will be user and application management in one form or another. Therefore you will find more courses regarding communication and application types.

IT Concentration Courses

  • BUSN 210 – Principles Of Management
  • BUSN 215 – Management Analytics
  • CISC 200 – Management Information Systems And Systems Analysis
  • CISC 220 – Computer Hardware and Software
  • CISC 225 – Server Administration
  • CISC 260 – IT Practicum Credit: 1
  • CISC 310 – Data Communications and Networks
  • CISC 332 – Electronic Commerce
  • CISC 335 – System Analysis and Design
  • CISC 355 – Cloud Computing
  • CISC 451 – Internship In Computer Science
  • CISC 452 – IT Internship

Educational Differences between IT and SE was originally found on Access 2 Learn

Assistant Professor

Walter Wimberly is an Assistant Professor at a regional college in Tennessee, teaching Computer Science in the Software Engineering track. He works as a student advisor, oversees curriculum changes, develops new courses, and manages the advisory panel.
Walter taught full time for about 7 years, before going back into “industry” as a full stack Software Developer for a dozen years. There he focused on web based projects coding in JavaScript/jQuery and utilizing the Bootstrap CSS Framework on the front-end, and coding in PHP, ASP/ASP.Net, SQL on the back-end.

Since he loves teaching, he taught as an adjunct web and digital media classes for eight (8) years, while working in industry, and has since returned to teaching full time.

He has been married for over 25 years, and is father to several special needs boys. As such, he is working on some projects to help others who have special needs to be self-sufficient, and support the care givers of those with special needs. Check out his Autism blog for more info.

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