Political and Computer Science

[Rail Tracer]

I've been given differing views on what I plan to do if I go back to college within 3-5 for my masters. A friend's husband works in the college department working on computers, he programs for the college a lot. I've asked him if it was viable to pursue a Computer Science master degree as it was something I was interested in along with Political Science. I've told him that I did take a little bit of Computer Science and programming before I started taking on my degree for Political Science. I'm too into technology and its political and social implications (like security, privacy, freedom of speech, etc.) I graduate soon... so there is no time to duo major or make a split degree.

A lot of people have told me that the path I am taking is....VERY uncommon or just weird. Most people taking Political Science either go for 1: A Law Degree, 2: An Economics Degree, 3: Criminal Justice Degree, or 4: A Business Degree after getting their BA/BS. It is just very strange for someone to go from the Social Sciences to the more hardcore sciences in Technology (Ok...... "soft" if that is how you want to put programming there)...... but that is where I want to take my Political Science degree into.

He basically said that a Computer Science masters was overkill for what I was planning to do. If anything I would probably do well enough just programming for 6 month+ on a specific language. That, or look for a college that has a specific Political and Computer Science masters degree (one of those intermixing degrees that certain colleges give.) One that goes into depth about information security in the digital age, security agencies and information, technology and civil liberties..... those sort of things.

Said that if I was that inclined, check and see what programming languages security agencies use and start learning that language. Learn the platform I am thinking about using. Since I have a vast headstart compared to most of my peers in Political Science, it is an advantage for me if technology is something I really want to get into.......

So.... I am kind of confused on the path I should take, I know spending 6 month + on learning a language will do wonders for me when it comes to programming, even without a formal degree.... That is where I am lost. Engineers and Programmers that have done it for years or most of their life? Yay? Nay? Is Rail Tracer smoking something?

 

[Zephyr]

At the first uni I went to one of my CS professors had his bachelors in philosophy. I'm unsure how much of a connection there is between philosophy and political science, but he mentioned that the philosophy background was very helpful in getting his masters in CS. You didn't really elaborate on what you actually want to do when it comes to tech; but I imagine you're maybe thinking of getting a job in the industry? If so it's a field that requires constant learning and keeping up to pace with new technologies, so if you plan on going for it in the long haul I don't see how getting the masters would hurt...that is if you can do it.