Computer Science vs Software Engineering

[pureGold]

What's up Linus Tech Tip Forums! I am a pursuing Computer Science in the future, but schools around where I am don't really offer Software Engineering. I was wondering if a CS Degree can lead to a Software Engineering job or would I need the specific degree?

[keisukehonda7]

CS is perfectly fine to land a software development job. Most schools don't offer software engineering as a major.

[ShadowCaptain]

Depends what you want but  I think computer science is a better degree to go for

 

About 4 of my friends got a degree in it and they all have vastly different careers, one of them is a software dev for a major bank

[Jade]

If you want a job in 5 years, go for Computer Science. If you want a job in 50 years, go for Computer Security/Information Security.

[Paul567]

What's up Linus Tech Tip Forums! I am a pursuing Computer Science in the future, but schools around where I am don't really offer Software Engineering. I was wondering if a CS Degree can lead to a Software Engineering job or would I need the specific degree?

 

Computer Science does not equal Computer Engineering.

 

One will give you a bachelors in science while the other will give you a bachelors in engineering. The engineering degree tends to be more prestigious, allows for a higher level of designation, more responsibility and typically is associated with a higher pay scale.

 

So that means you should take an engineering degree right? Well maybe. If it works for your school, aim for the degree in engineering and you can probably drop down to science if you are struggling.

 

In the end, all that really matters is do you know the right people, are you hard working and are you fairly bright. If you can make enough connections to land you your first real job, prove to them that you ain't no slouch and aren't an idiot you can use that job to launch into whatever career you want. The piece of paper you have won't matter as much as your job experience.

[Octagoncow]

They're really similar. I'm a CS major but my internship was as a software engineer.

[Whorax]

I'm pretty sure you could very easily get a software engineer job with a CS degree.

 

I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think at my school software engineering is an area of emphasis withing the computer science degree path.

 

Edit: I don't think you need to worry whatsoever about not finding a technology related job with a CS degree. If I had the math skills I'd without a doubt get a CS/CE/EE degree because imo those are the best paths to go down as far as post secondary education goes.

[Kaijday]

I'm doing a CompSci degree now, and it's mainly Software Engineering with added extras such as Computer Security/Network Design/Vision etc thrown in. Either will land similar jobs, so I'd pick based on what Uni suits you and what sort of the two your grades allow you to get in to

[Whorax]

Computer Science does not equal Computer Engineering.

 

One will give you a bachelors in science while the other will give you a bachelors in engineering. The engineering degree tends to be more prestigious, allows for a higher level of designation, more responsibility and typically is associated with a higher pay scale.

 

So that means you should take an engineering degree right? Well maybe. If it works for your school, aim for the degree in engineering and you can probably drop down to science if you are struggling.

 

In the end, all that really matters is do you know the right people, are you hard working and are you fairly bright. If you can make enough connections to land you your first real job, prove to them that you ain't no slouch and aren't an idiot you can use that job to launch into whatever career you want. The piece of paper you have won't matter as much as your job experience.

I don't know how your school works, but the engineering college at my university gives out BS degrees in engineering. It doesn't give Bachelor's of Engineering in *insert name of engineering here*. I've never even heard of that honestly.

 

Computer Science is also considered an engineering degree, along with Computer Engineering. And you can get software engineering jobs with a CS degree because software engineering is a sub-major (for lack of a better way to describe it) to Comp Sci at my school.

[GoodBytes]

Speaking at university level, Bachelor degree (not certificate degree which some very few school have, and miss label Computer Science):

Computer Science is focused on optimization and research. I said focused, not what all you do/learn.

Software engineering, is focused on broad knowledge of languages and system. You take an oath that will not do things bad, you get to were a ring, but you can't call yourself a: Mad Scientists!!! :thunder: :thunder:. And you can't call yourself an engineer either as you are not certified. Once you are certified, and take and pass the governmental test, you can call yourself an engineer (assuming you pay the yearly fee as well), within the state or province you are in.

[Paul567]

I don't know how your school works, but the engineering college at my university gives out BS degrees in engineering. It doesn't give Bachelor's of Engineering in *insert name of engineering here*. I've never even heard of that honestly.

 

Yeah sorry I think I derped in that regard. Local university where most of my engineering buddies got their degrees has a facility of engineering which gives you the B.Sc(Eng), there is also a facility of science which gives you a B.Sc.

 

The difference is that the professional engineering association only recognises the degree from the facility of engineering.

[Nuluvius]

Computer Science does not equal Computer Engineering.

 

One will give you a bachelors in science while the other will give you a bachelors in engineering. The engineering degree tends to be more prestigious, allows for a higher level of designation, more responsibility and typically is associated with a higher pay scale.

 

So that means you should take an engineering degree right? Well maybe. If it works for your school, aim for the degree in engineering and you can probably drop down to science if you are struggling.

 

In the end, all that really matters is do you know the right people, are you hard working and are you fairly bright. If you can make enough connections to land you your first real job, prove to them that you ain't no slouch and aren't an idiot you can use that job to launch into whatever career you want. The piece of paper you have won't matter as much as your job experience.

 

I'd be inclined to agree with this. Personally I did Software Engineering first but now that I want to delve deeper I'm focusing on Computer Science for my higher education - PhD.

 

Excellent networking is certainly king in this world.

[pureGold]

Wow, thanks guys for the in-depth answers between the degrees! It has helped clear up my worries about a major difference that I thought existed but it doesn't seem so. 

[GoodBytes]

Actually, an engineering degree WILL NOT get you a higher wage.

Computer Science is more difficult degree, and companies seek for good developers that will write and conceptualize well designed algorithms, for providing fast responsive experience. Software Engineering does not provide any of that. You just learn the algorithms, the basic ones, and you are done. That is the best you get. Despite those advantage of computer science where you learn about efficient design of algorithms, however, Computer Science won't get a higher paying job either out of university. However, coding well, will get you to promotions.

The reason for the split, is that they don't know how to classify software development. It is both a science and engineer (and to some extent language, and one can argue art in computers as well).

Software engineer you learn about the basics you need, a bit more, and all the B.S obligatory engineer courses not really to your work field, as it is more related to civil and mechanical engineers (one can argue: the real engineers). Computer Science is more math focus. You design this algorithms, that is nice, now prove me (well yourself) it is any good, should you consider a different better choice? Ok great, that is the best you found in your planning stages, then go with it.

At the end of the day, companies that look for Computer scientists, are fully open to Software engineers. And companies looking for Software engineers, are fully open top computer science as well. Normally, they mention both.

At the end of the day, you can get hired with a simple high-school degree, and have the same wage. I am serious.

A couple of years ago, engineering and computer science didn't exists, and people got jobs. It all comes down to your (usually) SECOND interview, where you are 1-on-1 with the software developer working at the company for numerous years, performance. This is what counts, and your personality during that interview counts as well. If you apply to a company that is very team work driven, and they see in your thinking process that you seam to be a single person team worker... then despite getting every question right at the interview, you may not get the job. So, that is why, in many places that you apply, they like you to talk when you you write your algorithm on the white board.

Now they are exceptions, they are places that look only at your GPA, others gives you a test (usually theory of a language), and base their decision on that for a first job. However, these are usually non-team work oriented or working like a bank or something a like. So it depends where you apply. But again, they don't look software engineer or computer science as an up side. They are the same.

They were even talks in merging computer science part of the engineer program, as they are so identical. It may take a great number of years before that comes a reality, as usually how academic things goes, but yea.