Philosophy Can be the Alternative to Computer Science

I started out as a computer science major at the University of Arizona in 1994 but I ended up with a degree in Philosophy at the end of my four-year tenure there. In retrospect it wasn't much of a surprise that this occurred, but nearly ten years later this degree change is beginning to become common place for many students.

A recent article from the New York Times provides evidence that many students are changing their degree programs to philosophy because it provides an "emphasis on the big questions and alternative points of view, provided good training for looking at larger societal questions, like globalization and technology."

I know in my day the choice was made clear when I discovered that nearly all of the computer science professors I found that the most enlightening all had degrees in philosophy. Of course this didn't make immediate sense to me at the time, but I quickly discovered that schools of thought including logic and ethics all resided within the philosophy department. Add to that my own personal desire to have executive level communications skills and leaving the computer science program was an easy decision for me to make even if it wasn't the simplest concept to sell to my family.

My history aside it is extremely interesting to see that modern trends are moving towards my own personal education track. In many cases "it has become harder for students to predict what specialties might be in demand in an uncertain economy", which I personally believe is driving students, especially entrepreneurial and technology focused students who need an extremely well rounded education that prepares them with advanced critical thinking and communication skills.

As an internet marketer my background in logic and ethics has served me well. The early days of marketing online presented many different technological and ethical challenges, from managing client expectations to whether or not using cloaking was an acceptable marketing practice. I believe my undergraduate degree path sharpened my skills and made making these and other challenging decisions much easier.

So far all those budding computer scientists looking to take the path less followed, be prepared for some company.