Do You Need an IT or CS Degree to be a Successful DBA?

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Do You Need an IT or CS Degree to be a Successful DBA?

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bradmcgehee@hotmail.com

Posted Monday, May 04, 2009 9:16 PM

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item Do You Need an IT or CS Degree to be a Successful DBA?

Brad M. McGehee
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Director of DBA Education, Red Gate Software
www.bradmcgehee.com

Post #709879

Posted Monday, May 04, 2009 9:32 PM

Mr or Mrs. 500

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Last Login: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 6:43 PM
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Nope, just some curiosity, perfectionist tendencies and persistence are required in my mind to be a good dba. I have a BA in Econ and Finance and a PhD in International Trade and got started in the tech world because I was:
1. always managing the data for other research projects,
2. always trying to write something new and faster so I could get my research numbers
3. wrote several programs for friends in the business/legal world

I have only had one formal technology class (Data Warehousing by Kiimball University) and picked up everything else with persistence and hard work (and loving every minute of it). As my dad said, computers are to this generation what muscle cars were to his...a place to tinker and learn.

Yes, my business background makes a big difference. When I talk with Sr. Management and I jump in on discussions on things like ROI (return on investment), RCA (root cause analysis), Depreciation, Six Sigma....that builds rapport real quick. They understand that I understand their world and has helped me get the resources I needed.

Thanks!
SJ

Accepting all invites

Post #709884

Posted Monday, May 04, 2009 9:47 PM

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Two degrees: Chemistry and MIS. One science, one business. Both almost as useless as tits on a mule in the SQL space. The education allowed me to fill someone's graduate quota at a behemoth services company. I would say the name but I might spontaneously combust. Basically, my degree qualified me to be a suitable corporate drone. My DBA and SQL skills were honed on-the-job and in my own time.

James Stover, McDBA

Post #709889

Posted Monday, May 04, 2009 10:07 PM

SSC-Dedicated

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Last Login: Today @ 4:35 PM
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I'd like to know why anyone cares? Either the DBA is doing (or can do) a good job or not. When I conduct an interview for a potential DBA or Developer, the first thing I do to the resume is black ink over any letters after the person's name.

In casual conversations such as what you say you have, I'm still not interested in someone's educational pedigree. Rather, I'm interested in their trials and tribulations as a DBA and, perhaps, any tricks of the trade they may care to share.

--Jeff Moden

"RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for "Row-By-Agonizing-Row".

First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
Stop thinking about what you want to do to a row... think, instead, of what you want to do to a column."

For better, quicker answers on T-SQL questions, click on the following...
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/

For better answers on performance questions, click on the following...
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/66909/

Post #709892

David Reed-223505

Posted Monday, May 04, 2009 11:42 PM

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I've got a BS and half a masters degree in political science. Dropped out of grad school after doing research into payscale potential post-graduation compared with the technical contract work that I was doing to pay for grad school (with an eye toward law school thereafter). Decided that I didn't want to take the pay cut necessary to be a professor and that I'd rather be able to sleep at night than be an attorney... so software construction and database wrangling it is!!

BigGrin

BigGrin

Post #709914

Posted Monday, May 04, 2009 11:49 PM

Old Hand

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Last Login: Yesterday @ 8:30 AM
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I have an accounting degree and passed the CPA exam. Worked as an accountant who knew computers, and discovered that relational database concepts were obvious. I've switched between accounting and systems for 20 years. I'm not really a DBA, but DBA skills are vital to what I do.

Post #709916

Posted Tuesday, May 05, 2009 1:10 AM

Say Hey Kid

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I have a bachelor in clinical chemistry and when I was working I started new studies in evening course and weekend courses and thus I became a bachelor in informatics.
My first study helped me to implement laboratory software.
But as it comes to it, practical experience is more important than the degree. I guess for informatics, some logical thinking is handy.

Post #709944

Posted Tuesday, May 05, 2009 1:34 AM

SSCrazy

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I haven't got a degree.

I fell into becoming a DBA through an interest in statistics in relation to predicting future customer behaviour from past behaviour.

LinkedIn Profile

Post #709955

Posted Tuesday, May 05, 2009 2:01 AM

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BSc in Economics, A-Levels in IT, Business Studies and Economics.

Joined a small company in a non IT capacity - spent a small amount of time on small problems - as staff count increased time spent on IT increased until I was a full time systems administrator and 'SQL person' lol

I am keen to certify these skills though, just not sure which course I should choose etc.

Post #709966

Posted Tuesday, May 05, 2009 2:10 AM

Mr or Mrs. 500

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Personnally I have a computer science degree taken in the 1970's when they weren't very common. When I started with a software house as one of the new graduate intake, there were three of us with computing degrees out of about 15 to 20 graduates, so we fast tracked onto projects staraight away whilst the rest got training. Music graduates were sought after for computer jobs as they were reckoned to have the right sort of semi-mathematical, pattern analysing mind.

Post #709971

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