Basically, a minor in Computer Science is what 20 or 24 quarter credits isn't worth shit. You wouldn't be hired by any serious employer in computer science / IT field for anything more than lowest level customer support. Unless you plan on updating webpages, that's about it and that is just about what you'll be doing in an architecture firm. At least not without serious experience. 

Granted, not all aspects of computer science and software development will require advance math skills and knowledge. However, math is something you'll need to be proficient to some degree to do some stuff like cryptographic algorithms, mathematical based compression algorithms and so forth. In Architecture field, I would reason a business minor will be more applicable than a computer science minor which is not much more than CS 101, and some very introductory knowledge in programming. You need to be a tad more proficient with a programming language to be any good with it and generally know a number of them. 

Unless you put in alot more supplementary self-training or some additional courses online or self-directed learning in addition to the CS minor, you just aren't going to be much value to anyone and the pay on it would be very low for that work.

An employer isn't going to pay you $15/hr. or more to edit a web page. Those tasks would either be done at a lower pay rate than your IDP intern payrate or it would be assigned to someone being paid minimum wage because 1 year certificate at a community college would equate to maybe $0.50/hr to $1.00 an hour above minimum wage. A minor that is less than 1 academic year's worth of credits isn't going to be much of value on that part. An entry level person with 2 year degree is worth more and that's about $12/hr. at entry level with 0 years experience. Goes up with experience. That's the average nominal payrate is around.

Anyway, that's the bottom line.

Since you're not to into math.... and computer science is only on the fringe of what architecture firms would do. If you take any computer science courses, take specific courses that would integrate into what your major is like learning the scripting parts of architectural software such as AutoCAD or other tools. Don't  even worry about a degree. You can take specific courses without pursuing a degree, certificate, minor or even college credits that you can get this knowledge and skill to be usable to your professional career development.

null pointer,

I agree with your point but the person needs to commit more than a minor to be any good and be useful with the computer science education. Some cases, he is better off being more specific about courses that can be used in his profession. Anything less than two academic years in computer science (and related education) that either ends with an Associates degree or Bachelors degrees, it isn't worth squat unless you supplement because jobs will generally go with no less than two years of education or experience or a combination of education & experience.

Experience can include running your own business and creating software projects and having a portfolio of works demonstrating knowledge and proficiency as well as sound understanding of the vocabulary and so forth.

Anything less is more a joke and basically drops to minimum wage.

To add, kickrock also has a good point but you both have a good point on opposite sides of the issue. 

On one side of the issue: 

DON'T WASTE TIME ON HALF-ASSING IT BECAUSE IT WILL GO NO WHERE. 

In the competitive marketplace, there are lots of people with thorough education in computer science that would be hired because they can offer a serious package and more value and they can do not only website work but manage and develop network and if there is a need, develop custom or customized software and scripts needed.

on the other side of the issue:

YOU NEED TO HAVE A DIVERSE EDUCATION BECAUSE ARCHITECTURE IS NOT A FIELD WHERE YOU CAN SOLELY MAKE YOUR WHOLE LIVING FROM. YOU NEED TO DO MORE THAN ARCHITECTURE TO PAY THE BILLS AND HAVE A LIVING. EXCEPT FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL RELATIVELY FEW THAT CAN, THE MAJORITY EITHER HAS TO MARRY A WELL TO DO SPOUSE OR THEY HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY WORK MULTIPLE CAREERS.

This means you need to have something else to fall on. Architecture usually keeps you busy maybe 3-6 months of the year and then the rest of the year, you are waiting for work and only doing occassional site visits. You got a few months and then you don't have clients to keep the cash flow. So you are hurting. Then we have boom and bust cycles that are nasty and seldom would you see it in two professions not hinged on the same things. Sure, everything hinges on money but the money economy for computer science (for example) is not the same as that for the architecture field. When a crash happens in the architecture field, it isn't necessarily happening in the computer field at the same time. That's exceptional. 

Therefore, it is possible to have a career in computer science and such in addition to architecture. It can keep your 'ship' afloat. 

It is said that we have to do this with skyrocketing education costs and that is really a sad state of affair in America not to mention already both parents are working full-time. Now, both parents of a household has to work double full-time... essentially. 

I would support Kickrocks point.

In a CS minor, you aren't taking enough courses and even if a course or two or so was upper division numbered courses, it isn't any different than the same course offering at a community college other than an instructor's differences but still. We are talking about a science. When it gets right down to it, you either know what IP address is or isn't. You know what a bubble sort is or isn't. Either you do or your don't. 

So it doesn't matter if it is lower or upper division. At the end of the day, you need to have sufficient body of knowledge to a proficient level to be usable. 

The person should attain a full degree... be it an associate or a bachelors degree or masters degree if he is to pursue this. 

Agree with the point. Personally, I think he should finish is Bachelor's especially if it is a B.Arch and then go on to the grad school and possibly he could major in say an MBA or MS in CS. However, CS won't necessarily improve portfolio for architecture as architecture firms don't look at computer science portfolio of works for IDP positions.

justiritchey,

If you want to develop computer science skills, there is ways to do this without a degree conferred online. 

https://www.edx.org/

For computer science and architecture (computer architecture not building architecture).

Among other offerings specifically in things like game design and such. It is up to you. You have options there on that front.

But, I recommend, you seek do the MArch & MBA-RE Development path. If you have an NAAB accredited degree, skip the M.Arch unless you plan on being a professor.

Actually, the MBA RE will cover stuff a business minor won't cover but all minors consists of some courses in a major. They always do. However, in grad school, you will likely have additional assignment work and need to understand the subject deeper and more in-depth. In addition, RE development MBA is going to encompass more comprehensive course work in the context of real estate development because that is where the money is in. If you paid attention to discussions here for any length in time, the money in the architecture field is in the real estate end not in the designing. 

Xenakis,

There is a point there but he would need a full degree's worth of education/experience to get enough familiarity in programming to write actual programs in a programming language. 

One usually needs to get close to 10 years of programming in a primary programming language to get really good with it. Aside from a number of supporting scripting languages.

With experience in this field all the way back to the mid-1980s, it takes time. Programming language is like foreign language. To get fluent in the language and its syntax, it takes time to get it down that you don't have to spend alot of time thinking, which command does what. You know it by heart. It doesn't take that long to learn individual commands but learning the body of commands and how to use them efficiently like how you learn to use and construct words fluently.

So yes, you need to alot more than taking a minor.

Anonitect,

At this point, the education needs to fit inline with career direction.

Usually people don't go into grad school until after working for some time. Education is career development investment. Invest wisely and make use of what you have.

Frankly, unless you have a trust fund that pays for a living.... POST-SECONDARY education is about vocational training and preparing people for jobs and careers that requires a degree. 

When you rack up a loan debt the size of Olympus Mon then you just might have a good reason to not blow away money like a fucking idiot. 

Unless you take post-secondary education or vocational training of some kind, you will be stuck with minimum wage jobs. When you have $25,000+ a year of loan debt, you do this for career and vocational objectives not for shits and grins.

If you are only doing it for fun, you take personal enrichment classes at community college or other institutions for a nominal fee and receive zero credits. 

Otherwise, you'll ruin your academic future. Taking a course or two is one thing. My point to the OP is taking a minor in CS just doesn't qualify you for shit for anything relating to computer science (CS). You need to do a bit more if you plan to use the knowledge vocationally because a minor doesn't instruct enough for competency in and of itself. 

Unless you have a healthy trust fund, you need to work for a living. Vocation and Career is basically YOUR LIFE. It is what will feed you and put a roof over your head because it is what you do in working that pays for the food you eat and the place you live and the amenities of your life because there is no free lunch. Work, get paid you live. You don't work, you don't get paid, you simply die.

"Otherwise, you'll ruin your academic future." should read "Otherwise, you'll ruin your career future. "

Point is... when you spend a bunch of money on credits that you'll not use vocationally or in your career then it is a waste. 

Universities cost too damn much to be messing around. It is your career investment you would be floundering so decisions needs to be prudent in how you shape the knowledge and skills foundation that will get you a job and begin a career.

Degrees have a relative shelf life. Some are good for 5 years and then you are essentially unemployable if you don't have work experience and such to keep your knowledge and skills relevant and not obsolete. 

Why do think there is continuing education? In some cases, experience suffices. But doing nothing with what you know and your knowledge and skills becomes obsolete as times and needs changes and what knowledge and skills is needed changes... competition replaces the old and obsolete.

Education is an investment of one's own future. Mismanagement of it can ruin it. You know what I mean anon.

null pointer,

I had been in university for 3 years.

In computer programming, I have education and experience spanning over 25 years. I was programming Commodore 64 games and applications back in the late 1980s as well as TI-99/4A, Amiga, and many other computer platforms. My experience alone would be on the order of a doctorates. Back in the 1980s, they didn't have college degree programs in video game design, programming and development.

I could have went on to computer science and I could do so. I wasn't blocked from admissions in that direction.

I agree with toasteroven and yes, I agree with his points as most degrees labeled 'computer science' is much more logic oriented. Video Game design is kind of the marriage of the art and science in application of software development and programming.

Taking electives is fine. That's not in dispute. Taking a minor is generally more than electives but bottom line is you have to be keeping in mind in the long run.

In that part of clarifying your point, I agree with your points there. No, I'm wasn't suggesting taking courses that strictly and directly apply to career but useful to that end that you would apply in the course of a career. They can be indirect, though. It would be a waste to take and get a CS minor if you don't use and apply what you learn their. If you never write a computer program after getting the CS minor, it would be somewhat wasteful if you don't find a way to cultivate the knowledge and skills you learn into the vocation(s) or careers over the course of your life.

I'm glad you found ways to use the stuff there. Disciplined and Prudent approach to selecting courses with your long term career in mind. Aimlessly choosing to take courses can be a waste. 

I hope that is clear. I think here we come to an agreement in general.

chigurh,

Sure. But a few more than basic CS classes and you can hold your own and actually write actual computer programs that you can commercially sell and people would buy it.

Yes, it can be done and at the end of the day, it comes down to possessing the knowledge and skills comparable to what you would learn by going to college and then additional experience as maybe needed in the job.

When I started, this was way back when Ronald Reagan was President. 

Many jobs requires a BS/BA degree in Computer Science or related degree or a comparable equivalent experience that demonstrates a comparable knowledge and skills.

I do have a degree in programming and networking but it wasn't necessarily required for me to do computer programming and networking. 

With the tools available, one can learn to program and use some of the new tools available in ways we couldn't really do in the same manner in the 1980s on dial-up BBSs and computer networks.

However, we had text resources that goes a long way. Then again, programming in those days didn't have GUIs like we have today.

It's different but it works. Game design involves another tier of knowledge that is game designing including game mechanics, story, etc.

It's an additional knowledge base.

Over the years, I had to translate my knowledge across different computer languages. Over time, you learn the syntax of the language so you can be proficient with the language. On the production side, performance is a factor and if you are slow, you don't keep the job very long. This is no different than it is with architects and CAD staff. You want a CAD technician that is productive and efficient.

toasteroven:

IMO - if OP takes just "intro to CS" they'd be much more critical of the "parametricists..."

-----------------------------------------------------

Agree. 

Yep. parametric scripting is only a segment of computer programming. I haven't so much applied my programming knowledge into parametric scripting but then my area of programming had generally been in a different area of programming. Nonetheless, I would agree with your points there. 

Remembering that AutoCAD's scripting language AutoLISP (now Visual LISP)  is a dialect of LISP and LOGO is a derivative subset of LISP. In a sense, modify LOGO language for 3d and you got 3d vector modeling using basically LOGO syntax. I haven't worked with LOGO in over 20 years but I can see the resemblance of the language.

Back then.... LOGO & PILOT.... interesting stuff but before long, it was kind of limited for application of use.

To be taken seriously in historic preservation is knowing WTF you are talking about. Bottom Line.

Historic Preservation is multi-disciplinary and involves multiple professionals. Historic preservation field which I would say includes: Restoration, Renovation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (the 4 R's) - no Remodel is a bad word. Remodel is basically Remuddle. It means desecrating historic character... usually. 

In any of this, there is different areas in historic preservation from craftsmans applying knowledge of the crafts be it with wood or any specialization there, there is the researching side which is also multi-disciplinary in the research from archaeological to cultural/human as well as environmental geographic perspective to architectural history (architectural historians), etc. and then there is the design & engineering side of things. 

There is alot of disciplines involved in the research, in the craft trades, and in the design/engineering sides of historic preservation. There is a lot involved and also the kinds of services involved.

Each person has to find where they fit in and package the services in need.

four R's. 3 is most common. The last one is relatively rare. Aside from that.... yep.

justinritchey17,

Don't auto-assume. If your education is from an NSPE accredited program and you are working professional in your area and education and experience and do a proper job and good reputation then you would be taken seriously. Not all areas of historic preservation is served by high levels of degrees. If your area is hands on crafts then experience in the crafts is better than a doctorates any day. I rather have an experienced craftsman doing the physical restoration than a book worm who doesn't know how to use a hammer. 

When I need restoration work done on my house, I need experience craftsmen to do the craft. I need good researchers for research. It is a team approach. They don't do doctoral degrees in field crafts. If your area is research then do what you need to be good at it. If your area is custom millwork, window restoration or whatever, DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO BE GOOD AT IT. 

It isn't necessarily the degree that will determine whether to take you seriously or not. It is the reputation that you make of yourself in that you know what you are talking about. 

I hope it helps to understand that.