Comp Science or Career Change: What's the Best Path for You?

[Poker-face]

Comp Science or ...?

Hello all, I am 31 years old, and am going through a career change. I would appreciate some advice. I have a B.A. in Political Science that I have never used. I have owned and operated my own Construction Company in New Jersey for the last 7 years. Due to the collapse of the new home industry I find myself out of business and pondering what I want to do with the next 30 years of my life. I feel as though I have a blank page, and can write what ever story I want. I am definitely not interested in staying in the construction industry.

I enterntained furthering the degree I already have, but find myself fascinated by Technology, Math and Science. The school I graduated from offers a Masters Program in Computational Science. For those of you that are like me and have never heard of this degree before, create models that predict behaviors using Math and powerfull computers. The director of the program said that I would need at most 2 years of Pre-req's to be ommited into the program. (Maybe less)

My questions are:
1. Does anyone have this degree and if so how is the jon market?


2. Do you think I am crazy for make such a drastic career, and academic change?

3. What other degrees do you recomened in my situation?

Note. I am pretty strong in Math, I took Pre- Calculus this summer and got the highest grade in the class.

Thanks,

Ernest G

 

[sweetpotato]

1) Yes, I have heard of degrees similar to that. I imagine this degree will involve elements of computer science and applied math, especially computational math. I can't say what the job market is like, but if this degree is similar to computer science the job prospects will probably be pretty good, especially if you live in an area of the country that has a lot of technology jobs (for example, parts of the Northeast).

2) I don't think it's too drastic a change. It's not like you're giving up a lucrative career on a whim to pursue this degree-- the job prospects in your original field aren't good. Not exactly the same situation, but my dad moved to the U.S. from another country when he was in his 30s. He was a physicist in his country, but in the U.S. he has become a successful software engineer. For present-day Americans that wouldn't be such a huge career change, but when he was young he knew next to nothing about computers or programming, because 1) this was 20 years ago 2) computer technology hadn't impacted his country yet. In the U.S. he lived on welfare and taught himself programming from scratch using a computer in the public library. Now he makes 100k+. So, my point is that sometimes people have to make career changes, and it can turn out great if you put in the effort and get a little lucky.

3) That sounds like a reasonable degree, especially since you are well on your way to having all the prerequisites, and you already have a college degree. You could also consider computer science degrees, I guess.