Would an Associates Degree From a Technical school For Computer networking be

[wndringadam]

good or bad? Im going to school right now to get a BS in Computer Science, but there are three years still left to go. However none of the classes In my degree outline have anything to do with networking it. Most of the classes are math and physics classes.
There is a tech school here in town that offers a Computer Networking Associates degrees in applies science, And I could start going to actual computer classes right away. Would I hurt my self by not getting a bachelors degree, would I be un-hireable, or would it be preferable to employers to have specific job training? Would it make no difference to employers, and i would get the same job either way?

[J H]

If you take the classes in computer networking like for Cisco or Net+ make sure you take the test afterwards. You will get hired faster and a bigger check. Course having the B.A. will get you a higher paycheck faster.

Cisco grads with the CCNA or CCNP start out at over 60,000 USD a year.

[enn]

With the fast pace that technology advances, three years is about the lifetime of any new, upcoming technology.
Universities usually only talk about their subjects, community colleges and tech schools give you hands-on experience.
There is no shame in foregoing a bachelor's degree in computer technology for an Associate's degree in Computer Networking, especially if the training you receive at the technical school gets you where you want to be faster. Many times in computer tech, it's more about what you really know about computers themselves rather than the name of the school where you got the degree. Employers pay more attention to your portfolio or body of work rather than name of the school - so they would be much more interested if you designed a website that received 100,000 hits a day than whether or not you can solve for x.
Technical schools do have more respect in the computer technology world than name-brand universties. Plus they are a whole lot cheaper and put you on track faster. I say go for it and don't look back. You can still attend football and hockey games as a fan.

[RoaringMice]

Look at the job listings on Monster.com, and you'll see that with an associates, you'll get one type of job. With a bachelors in CS, that's an entirely different career path.

Many of the hottest jobs will require the BS in CS. The jobs that require a BS in CS will often not even consider someone who has less than that, especially at the entry level.

However, there are *great* jobs for people with an associates in networking, plus the right certifications. If those jobs appeal to you, after you look at them, then that's an entirely reasonable path to pursue.

However, be cautious about those for-profit tech schools. Many employers are not enthused about their graduates. Some specific tech schools have really bad reps, so you'd want to be especially cautious of that. In addition, if you go to a tech school, and later decide to go on for a bachelors degree, a lot of those tech school credits won't transfer, as the school won't usually have been regionally accredited, and a lot of the classes you took will be seen as vocational rather than academic. So be aware of that. Tech schools are also extremely expensive, and due to how they're accredited, certain types of financial aid won't be available to you.

A community college often offers the same career training, less expensively, with more options for types of financial aid, and with more of a chance that your credits will transfer should you choose to go on for your bachelors.

So if you're considering an associates, first do your research on the types of jobs available to someone with an associates (and get the additional certifications as well, please) versus someone with a BS in CS. Then decide. And if you do decide on an associates, carefully consider the benefits of a trade/tech school versus a community college.

And in any case, make sure you do an internship while you study, so you're employable when you graduate. This applies if you get a BS, an AS, or something else.