Because of the academic rigor of our degrees and the high demand for technical graduates, our majors have some of the highest starting salaries of all BS graduates. The average starting salaries at the BS level for graduates from our programs is between $40,000 and $60,000 depending on the major. For students acquiring advanced degrees salaries are even higher. Furthermore, there is a shortage of mathematically skilled workers including engineers, computer scientists, etc. in the U.S. Our geographical location near the DFW Metroplex with extensive telecommunication and aerospace industries as well as being the second largest semiconductor producing area in the U.S. provides excellent summer internship opportunities for good students with our industrial partners.

The links below provide statistics on potential earnings in some jobs that our majors are often employed in. It should be noted that job titles in industry do not necessarily imply a degree of the same name. For instance most Math and Physics graduates at the BS level are employed positions that require their backgrounds in math or physics but have a title other than Math or Physics including engineer, systems analyst, actuary, etc.

CIS (Computer Information Systems) involves the use of computer software for business applications, including spreadsheets, databases, webpages, computer networks, etc. Some typical positions for professionals with degrees in CIS and other IT disciplines are: software developer, systems analyst, business analyst, IT support, network engineer, IT consultant, technical sales representative, web designer, systems analyst, quality assurance analyst. The national average salary is $71,000 [Payscale].

CS (Computer Science) involves the development of computer software, hardware, and computational algorithms. Because of the greater range and complexity of tasks, CS programs have higher mathematics and science requirements than CIS programs. While professionals with degrees in CS are qualified to work in all the IT jobs mentioned above, they can do many other jobs, like developing new computer languages, operating systems, embedded systems (computers that are installed inside a larger machine, like a fitbit, robot, or fighter jet), data encryption, or artificial intelligence (computer vision, natural language processing etc.) Computer scientists often are the developers of the tools used by CIS, IT and regular computer users. Computer science is one of the highest-paying fields: the national average salary is $82,000 [Payscale].

Engineering is the application of mathematics and science principles to the design and implementation of systems and devices. A Bachelor’s engineering program is designed to prepare students to work in the industry, designing systems that meet specific job requirements; some students will continue on to graduate work. Basic science requirements are calculus I, II, III, differential equations, chemistry and calculus-based physics. Engineers either invent new devices, or make them more cost effective and add new features; for example, engineers have developed cheaper versions of lasers with unique features for DVD players/recorders. After gaining experience, many engineers eventually take up management position in their companies. The national average salary is $81,600 [Payscale].

Engineering Technology (ENGT) is mostly concerned with the manufacturing or production of existing designs. Professionals with this degree take designs provided by the engineers and figure out how to mass produce them using available manufacturing tools, while reducing costs. The basic science requirements for ENGT are generally less than those for Engineering: usually, calculus III and differential equations are not required. The national average salary is $74,000 [Payscale]

Both disciplines cover the entire spectrum of engineering activities, but with different depths or degrees of emphasis, as shown in this diagram:

While engineering courses will usually count toward an engineering technology degree, most engineering technology and related degree courses will not count for credit for an engineering degree. In addition, most math and science classes taken for engineering technology degrees also don’t count for credit in an engineering degree.