ITS and computer science courses may seem similar, but there are major differences in their content and how they are taught. Neither one is better than the other — they are just different.
| IT | Computer Science |
|---|---|
| ITS emphasizes understanding business needs and applying technology to support those needs. | Computer science emphasizes technology and the development of technology, both hardware and software. |
| ITS students take courses, such as accounting and marketing, that will help them understand business problems. | Computer science students take courses, like math and physics, that will help them better understand technology. |
Computer science is product driven; ITS is solution driven.
| ITS Core Competencies | CS Core Competencies |
|---|---|
| Acquire business applications by building, integrating or purchasing systems. | Build technology to solve complex problems. |
| Motivated by using the computer as a tool to solve problems or create innovative solutions. | Motivated by how the computer works. |
| Emphasis is on understanding business problems and producing business innovation. | Emphasis is on programming complex software. |
| Analyze corporate big data with analytics. | Create algorithms that, for example, sort the data. |
