Do database administrator have computer science degrees?

I have a bachelor in business information systems and is more on the business side and I hate it.





I was thinking on getting a masters in computer science (just thinking,undecided yet). Should I do that? or just go ahead and get the Oracle certification? Do I need a computer science degree for that?

Do database administrator have computer science degrees?
No, you wouldn't need a computer science degree. If I were you, I would just get the training in databases.


A masters degree might actually make you less desirable.
Reply:Hi - good question in our industry - what do "they" need to see. i got my CIS degree 15 years ago and have been working with Oracle pretty much exclusively since late 90's.





I had looked into the masters when i got out of school wondering if the extra piece of "paper" was an advantage for me to get a jump on my career - at the time the base curiculum was management geared; so, no - a masters in the interest of becoming a DBA is not the route nor what "they" are looking for.





I work with programmers (oracle devlelopers) who have gotten their DBA certification - some were dba's switched to the apps side and I myself would like to go for the certification to keep that career path open in the field. And I am obsessed with optimization.





The piece of paper you need is the certification -and I found out you dont even have to take the Oracle classes. if you know your stuff (get the oracle dba bible by oreilly) you can just pay for the test.





Everything in our industry is valued on experience. you start with the paper and then the job experience is the gold. Someone with 4 years schooling and 4 years programming is infinitely (ok exaggerating) more marketable than someone with 8 years schooling.





So - go for the Oracle certification and show the "them" what you are truly worth!





best wishes.


-Harry


(ps - then dont be afraid to shout at the top of your lungs - the problem with your query isnt the database, its your nested-loop index recursion; the full table scan is your friend!)


sorry - side joke. tired of dba's seeing a query and saying "its running long because you are doing a full table scan" - and I say "Thats because i want all the rows...now cough up a little PGA memory for me!"