• ABET. Lists professionally accredited programs. Professional accreditation is voluntary for computer science programs and many programs do not pursue such accreditation, but holding ABET accreditation is one sign of quality.

• ACM Student Web Site. Variety of resources relating to computer science study and careers including online books and training are available to association members.

• Human Factors International, Graduate Degrees in Software Ergonomics. Involves design for improved human-computer interaction.

• Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Computer Society, Education Section.

• International Society for Computational Biology, Degree/Certificate Programs Worldwide. Programs related to bioinformatics.

• Sloan Career Cornerstone. Information on over 185 careers relating to science, technology, health, engineering, computing, and medicine.

• Virtual Library: Computing.

• Yahoo, Computer Science.

Students exploring information technology programs of course need to carefully assess the quality of individual programs as well as the match with their specific interests and needs. Issues related to a program’s currency and real world connections are particularly vital in technology-related fields because of the rate of change—a degree can literally be outdated before it is awarded.

Here are some questions to ask that will help in assessing program strength and fit:

Computer work has a reputation for offering career paths where one does not really need formal education but can get by on talent alone—the famous example being Bill Gates, who dropped out of Harvard University to establish Microsoft. It’s still not uncommon to find programmers, Web masters, and others who learned their art through tinkering on the screen rather than lingering in the classroom, but entry and advancement tends to be much easier for those who can document their knowledge with degrees and professional certifications in addition to hands-on experience. Today most information technology-related positions require some type of formal credential, and in an increasing number of areas graduate study is the standard.

Professional Certification

Especially in the case of information technology support positions, employers often request proof of one’s knowledge through completion of one or more certifications recognized in the industry. Such certifications typically do not have specific educational prerequisites but often ask for several prior years of work experience related to the area of certification. They always (in the case of well-recognized certifications) require in-depth knowledge of the topics covered in certification exams, with certification needing to be renewed every year or every few years as technology changes. Certifications typically focus on hands-on skills and knowledge of particular systems and processes rather than a broad or theory-based knowledge of information technology, and, while sufficient in themselves for many entry-level positions, are often a complement to degree education rather than a substitute.

“I want to study computers” is no longer enough to define a student’s goals, even at the undergraduate level. Choices are abundant—and have also evolved so quickly that even the savviest individuals are likely to need an update on how to match academic program options with their specific career ambitions.

Education in IT areas (information technology, including computers as well as other digital devices such as cell phones) began expanding and diversifying rapidly in the 1990s. The many new applications and challenges associated with the Internet, microchip technology, and worldwide reliance on digital devices mean that computer professionals are taking on more varied roles, some more specialized, some more interdisciplinary. One recent task force report on computer curricula concluded that “dozens and perhaps hundreds” of types of computer-related degree programs now exist to prepare such professionals.

Among these, the report defined five base disciplines: computer engineering, software engineering, computer science, information technology, and information systems.

Computer Science

Academic programs in computer science, the original and broadest “computer study” field, are offered by almost all U.S. colleges and universities at every level. At most institutions, computer science programs developed within departments of mathematics in the 1960s or 1970s, then split away within the next decade or two (some remain housed in joint departments of mathematics and computer science, or, less frequently, as a unit within electrical engineering or other departments).

See also our page of Top U.S. Study Web Sites for some more general sites that allow you to search for undergraduate or graduate programs in fields including criminal justice and legal specialties.

In the United States, law is not offered as an undergraduate field of study. Students complete a four-year bachelor's degree before applying to law schools. At the undergraduate level, future law students may major in any subject. "Prelaw" concentrations exist at some institutions, but the majority of students who enter law schools have earned a degree in some area of the humanities, social sciences, or behavioral sciences. U.S. law schools seek analytic thinking and writing skills rather than preexisting knowledge of law.

First Professional Degree Programs

First professional degree programs in law award the Juris Doctor (J.D.). The Association of American Law Schools has recommended that international students complete the equivalent of the J.D. degree in their home country because of the unique nature of each country's legal system. J.D. programs in the United States are too focused on preparation for U.S. legal practice to be of use to students whose careers will be based in other countries.

For international lawyers who already have a sound knowledge of their own country's legal system and whose work involves the United States, however, a J.D. program may prove an appropriate course of study. It can allow such practitioners to further sharpen their legal skills and to acquire a broad knowledge of the U.S. system. For those interested in practicing law in the United States, a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) is the standard prerequisite in every U.S. jurisdiction.

A student in an accredited J.D. program must complete at least eighty-four semester hours of study, the equivalent of three academic years. These years provide a generalist education, designed to teach legal thinking rather than details of legal code.

See also our page of Top U.S. Study Web Sites for some more general sites that allow you to search for undergraduate or graduate programs in fields including business.

• AACSB International: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Information on new programs and other management education news as well as links to programs professionally accredited by AACSB, the oldest and best known accrediting body for business.

• About.com: Business School. Articles on many topics related to current business study issues and news. Includes links to undergraduate and graduate business-related programs by major/area of concentration as well as executive training and distance education listings.

• Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. A professional accrediting body, founded in 1988 as an alternative to AACSB, with a philosophy focused more on the student-oriented excellence in teaching of professors rather than their research.

• Business Week On-Line: B-Schools. Provides news articles related to business study along with M.B.A. search engine and program profiles, application tips, information on career paths, and more. Users can sign up to receive e-mail bulletin or participate in on-line forums.

• ForeignMBA.com. Site designed for non-U.S. students pursuing business studies in the United States.

Thousands of accredited U.S. colleges and universities offer undergraduate and/or graduate programs in accounting. About 170 have additional specialized accreditation in accounting from AACSB International (www.aacsb.org), the most well-established of several professional groups involved in accreditation in degree programs in business-related areas. Evaluation for this type of accreditation is optional—business schools may choose to have their programs evaluated only under the AACSB's regular business accreditation standards (over 550 hold this type of accreditation), or they may wish in addition to receive accreditation in accounting under the more rigorous standards that AACSB has established for this area.

Also available are two-year associate degrees and a variety of executive and continuing education programs, professional certifications, and other nondegree training opportunities related to accounting. For the English language student, specialized programs exist both for the pre-M.B.A. student and for business professionals.

Undergraduate Application and Study

If you’re interested in a degree program, you’ll want to start early. High school courses in mathematics, computer applications, and (if available) business areas can be valuable career preparation but to build a foundation for U.S. study, also take classes in English and other languages, history, biology, chemistry, and physics. Ideally, start the university application process a year or more before you plan to start classes. You need time to find the right program for you and have the best chance at admission and financial aid.

With hundreds of universities throughout the United States offering M.B.A. programs, not surprisingly there is a large variety of M.B.A. application and admission procedures. However, M.B.A. applications will generally require the following components:

Over 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities offer four-year undergraduate programs in business at the bacherlor's degree level, and over 1,000 programs exist at the master's degree level. Over 500 programs at each level have earned professional accreditation in the field from AACSB International (www.aacsb.org, the most well-established of several professional groups involved in the review of business higher education program quality).

Also available are a much smaller number of doctoral-level programs and many two-year undergraduate associate degrees and a variety of certificate programs and other nondegree training opportunities related to the field. For the English language student, specialized programs exist both for the pre-M.B.A. student and for business professionals.

Undergraduate Study

If you’re interested in a degree program, you’ll want to start early (ideally a year or more before you plan to start classes). You need time to find the right program for you and have the best chance at admission and financial aid.

For undergraduate programs, admissions requirements are the same as for other majors. First, you need to demonstrate proficiency in English (typically by taking the TOEFL test). Some universities offer “conditional admission” if you are not quite good enough in English but meet other entrance requirements—this means that you would start in an English language program and then can continue immediately on to degree study once you successfully complete the training and/or achieve acceptable TOEFL scores.