Businees Degree or Computer Degree for Internet Marketing?

IMO, you should choose between "business/marketing" and "computer engineering/computer science" without the worry or thought that one is better than the other for Internet marketing. Surely either education will prepare you for what's needed.

The technical skills in Internet Marketing can be learned, out-sourced, or hired to someone in your company. Most of the other necessities are not the kinds of subjects you'll learn in business or engineering classes.

The true value of a college degree is that it will give you a career path that you might fall back on if IM doesn't work for you. In addition, your years of college will prepare you with discipline, good work habits, great researching skills, good people skills, and all the rest that will come to play in your business.

So yes, get a college degree first. Pick whichever career path appeals to you most (and for which you have the best aptitude) - neither will give you an advantage over the other in IM. When you have your degree in hand, you will be able to look at all your options and determine best if you are a career employee or small business owner material.

Steve

You're abosutely right man, thanks. I see now I can stay up all night for IM and Marketing because I really like, btw some programming skills is always better to have so I think It's better for me computer engineering. Businees degree most of my friends work for banks and I don't really like this, only the part of marketing.

Good grief. He was just asking for opinions. Most likely a teenager without a lot of experience, but wisely trying to pick the brains of others who have gone before. Asking for advice and surrounding themselves with experts is what leaders do so they get opinions that can corroborate their thinking, create new thought lines they had not considered, and help avoid making mistakes.

This is exactly what entrepreneurs should do.

If you're not seeking advice and trying to learn from others, whether from asking questions on a forum or reading what others have said on blogs, websites, etc., then you're a loner - not an entrepreneur leveraging the knowledge of others - and IMHO less likely to succeed.

Isn't that why this forum exists? To get answers, ideas, debate topics, and along the way get new insights and knowledge.


As for the original question: computer or business degree? I say go with your interests. Both skills can be learned along the way and it is a huge mistake to believe learning a computing language is more difficult than learning business skills.

Food for thought - who is more likely to have long-term success as an entrepreneur - someone with business skills or someone with programming skills? In my view it is hands-down someone with business skills, and lacking this knowledge is a primary reason why so many marketers fail to make anything in IM.

In college I started with a computer degree, found something else I also liked, and ended up with a double major. For a third issue I liked I was only a few credits short of a third major and it ended up being my minor. I wouldn't say computer versus business classes are mutually exclusive.

Enjoy your time in college and learn as much as you can. That includes asking people here, fellow students, teachers, counselors, etc., "what you would do". It's a great question.

Finally, get your degree. Degrees are invaluable and open doors. Study after study after study after study has proven, as a general rule, someone with a degree will make more money during their life than someone who does not. It's also an invaluable experience that pays dividends well beyond what is learned in class.

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I would go with the computer science degree and then a masters in business. Couple that with Internet and Affiliate Marketing you learn online will put well into 7 digit territory. When you get to the mba side of things make sure you get heavy into Michael Porters Strategic Management. Closest I've seen to that around these forums was Ready Fire Aim by Michael Masterson

How about a nice shiny BA in Philosophy =D

That's actually what i just spent $40,000+ to get in university and it takes a creative mind to see how it benefits my business.

I can tell you right now that I am far more analytical than i was prior to reading dense and thick volume of complex arguments stretching hundreds of pages long...oh boy! Lol

My mind is a lot sharper than it was when i was just working my day job all day long, just to come home exhausted and sleep for 6 hours or whatever. Then wake up to go back to work.

If anything maybe you should take a few courses, especially those that might not count toward a degree, for webs design or computer science for coding.

I can't tell you the number of times I've had to outsource to a coder for even the simplest projects just because i didn't have the knowledge myself.

I say study business and personal development (because having a business forces you to push yourself, sometimes quite a lot) on the side while you hone your web development skills

I've got three degrees from nice universities. How much do they help me in IM? None. What I do have is a killer list of contacts on my cell phone of buddies I got drunk with. Could that be duplicated without spending $xxx,xxx. Yes. If you get a degree do it in a specific skill. Computer science is better than general business or marketing. If business than do accounting. Actually, accounting is very good.

I'm having this debate with my GF now. She want's her boys to go to college. She thinks the experience is invaluable. I said they would be better off backpacking around the world for a year. My main point is that college tuition is CRAZY expensive. It doesn't make sense now. I got my degrees 20 years ago and then it wasn't cheep. Now it's just bat shit stupid. It's not really worth the ROI. If someone is going to pay for your degrees go for it. If you can get a scholarship, go for it. Don't take out loans to get a degree.

I have a couple of degrees.

I was, for the most part, going for an art degree (graphic design). I minored in business but ended up going for a bachelor in business since it came very natural to me.

My major in business was Information Technology which gave me a foundation in programming, systems analysis and design, databases and so on...

Surprisingly, my graphic design has been a huge help in my own products which typically is software I create and design myself.

For me, I wouldn't have changed anything when it comes to working for myself. That was always in the back of my head even throughout college. If I had wanted to work for someone else I may have went with a Computer Science degree. The way it worked out, the business degree was just there since I was already minoring in it for my art degree.

College is only the start when it comes to learning.

You're right thanks for advice, but my little business blog I'm starting on the net is doing SEO and affiliate marketing, this is why I tought I should get a basic degree in IT and business field because I like both.

Very true...

thanks but what is NLP? books about human mind? neuro science?

I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't worry about any degree to "fall back on". You shouldn't even have a plan B or anything like that. You should follow your passion with wreckless abandon - and that should be your first and only priority.

I just come up with the Idea that my dream job is working with the business and computers too, so if I'll get a basic computer engineering degree it would be good then for me to get a basic business degree just for personal use. I know I'll need more experience in business and computers, the degree is only a start, self-learning I've always done that with great results instead of going to school and stop..