Whats people's thoughts on Devry ? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

freakinsaprikin · 03-07-2006, 11:04 AM

I don't know if anybody remembers or not but I had a thread about me going back to school and was looking for people's thoughts on the best place to go.

Well I have decided to go to Devry and take there Computer Informations Systems Degree program. I figure that it was what I was looking for. I get a Bachelor of Science Degree and it should only take me about 2 1/2 years.

I was just wondering if anybody has any experience with devry or has heard anything about it?

mbrown · 03-07-2006, 11:14 AM

I'd go to Sait myself.

CalgaryGirl4Evr · 03-07-2006, 11:15 AM

Both my husband and I are DeVry grads in the Business Program and had several friends come through the CIS program.

I would give it a 4/5.

Pricey, yes.
Worth it, absolutely!

Compared to students in a similar program at university, I feel we had a much more hands on approach and learned more in depth. Also, you are treated more like a person and not a number. And the atmoshpere is more like a workplace. Attendance is taken seriously and the instructors have real world experience.

Hope that helps. PM me if you'd like to know more.

photon · 03-07-2006, 11:21 AM

That's where I went to get my degree (though they gave me a full tuition scholarship so I figured if I didn't like it I could quit and go to UofC or Ryerson or whatever). I did the B.Sc. in Electronics though, not the CIS one.

Overall I'd say I was pretty happy with it. It started out quite slow (to address the people coming with low education), but got quite good at the end. As always it boils down to your instructors, and there were a few goofy ones but not in the subjects that really mattered. Most were quite good and there were some really excellent ones with industry experience.

Their preperation for the job hunt was good and support during the hunt was also good.

The biggest negative was the huge class sizes the first and second trimester, and by the 3rd they've all dropped out because they all figure it's a cakewalk.

Part of me still wishes I had gone to CS at UofC or Aerospace Engineering at Ryerson, but I don't hate my education by any stretch.

I have a coworker who went to the CS program and he said he's pretty happy with it too. Same sort of comments, a couple of weird instructors but for the most part they were good.

So overall happy, but because I didn't pay for it I might not have the same level of criticism as others.

Phaneuf3 · 03-07-2006, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalgaryGirl4Evr

Compared to students in a similar program at university, I feel we had a much more hands on approach and learned more in depth. Also, you are treated more like a person and not a number. And the atmoshpere is more like a workplace. Attendance is taken seriously and the instructors have real world experience.

Seems to me that university focuses on the theory as well as application. Choosing which type of school depends on what you're looking for. Do you want to be just competent at your job or do you actually want to understand the background, theory and have a deeper understanding of what you're doing as well.

Also, I find it hard to trust a school that has to advertise on TV. Especially daytime TV.

Tower · 03-07-2006, 01:11 PM

I hear they are serious about success....

Lanny_MacDonald · 03-07-2006, 03:36 PM

I'm not going to crush anyone's delusions. Screw it.

Calgary Flames · 03-07-2006, 04:11 PM

SAIT is fun but it is really no difference. The quality of teachers i've experience sucked for the most part.

Lanny_MacDonald · 03-07-2006, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

It's like the grinch's heart grew three sizes larger.

I had a very long opnion piece written on the different institutions, and their reputations, but I killed it as education is a real subjective thing. You like what you like until you experience something different. Based on my experience working in the post secondary education system (SAIT) and having taken classes at the different institutions I have an opinion on what is good and bad. Based on my almost two decades of experience in the IT industry I have a definite opinion on the value of a DeVry degree and how well it is received in industry (not positive). People make choices and live with those choices, so why bother telling them that what they have decided was right or wrong. They will live and learn.

photon · 03-07-2006, 10:00 PM

The one nice thing about the IT industry is generally there's less put on your education and more put on what you can do and have done.

I've never had a problem finding a job because I'm good at what I do.

Or maybe it's because I didn't do the CS program?

But I won't argue that there aren't much better schools out there.

freakinsaprikin · 03-09-2006, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lanny_MacDonald

I had a very long opnion piece written on the different institutions, and their reputations, but I killed it as education is a real subjective thing. You like what you like until you experience something different. Based on my experience working in the post secondary education system (SAIT) and having taken classes at the different institutions I have an opinion on what is good and bad. Based on my almost two decades of experience in the IT industry I have a definite opinion on the value of a DeVry degree and how well it is received in industry (not positive). People make choices and live with those choices, so why bother telling them that what they have decided was right or wrong. They will live and learn.

Lanny when you talk about the value of a Devry degree, are you talking about the quality of the education or how it is received in the industry? Is it not received well because you don't get taught the right things or is it becasue it's a private institution ?

Cowboy89 · 03-10-2006, 01:54 AM

always be weary of an institution that allows you to graduate in less years than the standard while accepting people who have less than the standard for marks coming out of high school

MickMcGeough · 03-10-2006, 02:36 AM

I can't comment on the quality of instruction from Devry from personal experience, but I've worked with a couple of computer science grads from Devry. One was actually quite good, but the other was mostly incompetent and I'd be quite surprised if he could make much of a career out of his chosen profession without going back to the books.

If you know how to study and aren't scared to put in the hours, you can get a good education from any institution (in IT). A degree from a "real" university looks much better when applying for a job though.

Devry is not a university by the Canadian definition of the word. It's an American chain of career colleges with a Canadian branch. I don't know of any other "universities" that offer a "Computer Information Systems" degree. Most employers will see it as a college diploma. There's nothing wrong with that in itself, except that you can get a college diploma for considerably cheaper.

What makes this degree at Devry what you are looking for? You can fast-track education anywhere. If you go to school year-round, you can get a BSc from just about any university in 3 years (or less if you are really a glutton for pain). You won't find that exact program at any universities that I know of but all universities will have computer science degrees if you are into that.

MickMcGeough · 03-10-2006, 02:52 AM

Ah before I get flamed for knocking on Devry and college diplomas, let me say that you actually probably learn more about your chosen field in x years at college/Devry than x years at uni. But in many fields a diploma or Devry degree will limit your ceiling and options for advancement later on.

I'm currently cursing myself for dropping out of uni after 2 years and then going to college and getting a diploma. I learned exponentially more in my information systems program at college than I learned in 2 years of a computer science degree, but after 4 years working I'm already beginning to see the limits of where I can go as a software developer without a degree. I'm going back to uni to complete my degree this year which is a serious pain in the ass at this stage. I doubt I'll be a significantly better software developer once I'm finished, but I have no doubt that I'll be more attractive to employers and have more options later to move in project management, etc.

Sylvanfan · 03-10-2006, 10:19 AM

Well I can remember them phoning me at home when I was 18 and actively trying to recruit me to take their robotics program. Considering I lived in Kamloops and had never ever applied there I thought it was quite odd. Personally I think Tech schools like SAIT, NAIT, and the like are the best bet for people. Usually anything you learn there gives you good job experience and you can use it later to upgrade if you do want to go to University. My opinion is that the biggest mistake people make is going to university straight out of highschool and meandering through arts for 3 years accomplishing nothing, and spending oodles of money, only to change their mind. It's okay to not know what you want to do at that age, and theres more than the education to university. But I laugh at all my friends who have student loans of $50 g's, payments for the next decade, and are working a job that a highschool grad could do.

Engine09 · 03-10-2006, 11:01 AM

I completed a 1 year Electronics Tech Certificate course at SAIT, then went over to DeVry for the Electronics Engineering Degree. I considered the U of C, but in the end I knew I would learn more at DeVry, unlimited access to labs, access to instructors anytime. Some instructors would stay with us until 9PM at night, nothing went unanswered. We got to work on any sort of projects we wanted to, delve into subjects not in the cirriculum that interested us and received help from instuctors.

I understand that a University Degree is more widely accepted and favoured by some, but I got a great job 3 weeks after graduating. Very happy with what I'm doing.

freakinsaprikin · 03-10-2006, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Well I can remember them phoning me at home when I was 18 and actively trying to recruit me to take their robotics program. Considering I lived in Kamloops and had never ever applied there I thought it was quite odd. Personally I think Tech schools like SAIT, NAIT, and the like are the best bet for people. Usually anything you learn there gives you good job experience and you can use it later to upgrade if you do want to go to University. My opinion is that the biggest mistake people make is going to university straight out of highschool and meandering through arts for 3 years accomplishing nothing, and spending oodles of money, only to change their mind. It's okay to not know what you want to do at that age, and theres more than the education to university. But I laugh at all my friends who have student loans of $50 g's, payments for the next decade, and are working a job that a highschool grad could do.

I have to agree with you. I spent 2 years in university right out of highschool wasting alot of time and money. If I had to do if over again I think I would of took atleast a year off after highschool.