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Software Engineer - Major?

T

Timm

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 11, 2008
Messages
156
Hey guys,
So I decided I want to go into computers and right now I'm really interested in Software Engineering but I'm not sure what to major in. The obvious choice is Computer Science but I was wondering if it is possible to go into this field with a Computer Information Systems Degree. I would be fine with either one but I've been on the track for a Computer Information Systems degree and I'm a little behind on Computer Science. If having a Computer Science degree makes me qualified and a stronger candidate for Software Engineering jobs I would definitely put in the extra year its going to take.
So what do you guys think? Computer Information Systems and take more programming courses as electives or just go Computer Science?
Oh and is a Masters degree suggested? I was planning on going on to grad school to get a Masters but would it be better to put those years towards getting actual experience in the field?
I probably missed something so if you need more information just let me know.

Thanks Guys,
Timm
 
There is no time like the present to get actual experience in the field. Start writing projects, make websites, DO SOMETHING with your knowledge from the class. Not only will this help your understanding, but it will help in getting a job.

I believe the quality of the degree is more important then the actual degree earned. How is each program at your school? Is one newer or more "technological" than the other. I ask this because the local college is notorious for making poor computer science graduates. Not because they lack substance, but because they are never taught how to actually write a program from start to finish.

My advice is to do what interests you. If you would rather code, than do that. If you care more about the database structure then do that. Do what you love and success will follow.
 
there were a few discussions on this not too long ago on this forum
"Software Engineering" is used very loosely from what I seen since its not mutual exclusive with other tech job labels

but long story short I'd assume most employers would be looking for a CS degree
there's also some schools that offer a Software Engineering degree
 
There's no solid answer to your question without knowing the school - programs differ too much. Most places that I'm aware of, CIS/MIS/etc is really just a business degree with a handful of computer classes thrown in. In your case it might be different. Even with "CS" programs, you might find one school has a very formal theoretical focus while another school focuses on software engineering & practical topics.

As for what you should be studying, at my last job the other two guys on my team had degrees in Math and Philosophy. I'm not going to say that what you learn in school is worthless but after you have a year or two of experience, the name of the degree on your resume becomes mostly irrelevant - about all it's good for is getting you past the first level of corporate HR monkeys.

edit: forgot to mention one very important thing. Get internships before you graduate. A good internship will teach you things you'd never see in a classroom. Even a bad internship will make you much more employable when you graduate.
 
You might get some more refined answers if you provide us information on the topics/projects/concepts/industries/etc. that interest you, and perhaps what you've seen that's sparked your interest. Anything so far is going to be generalizations, which may or may not apply to your school, and is not necessarily focused on areas that you are really interested in.

Edit: If you're not able to answer the above concept right now, then taking a class or two in the CS area and talking with faculty/staff might give you some ideas worth bouncing off others. Though I'm not sure by your wording on whether you've actually had a CS class yet, so some clarification would help.
 
I have not had any CS classes as of yet. But I am actually on my way to go see a faculty member a friend suggested I talk to. Thanks for the input guys.
 
I am a CS student, and I really don't know exactly what I am going to be doing. I enjoy programming but not sure what kind of job I will get. I guess I will see once I get to my senior year (I am a junior). CS is really a complete hit or a complete miss for people I have seen. You either are good at programming naturally (you recognize patterns, learn code quickly, understand how to optimize code to avoid repeating yourself) or it can be rough. Having a good programming teacher is immensely helpful. I took the same professor for intro to prog, intro to c, intro to object oriented, and he was greatly helpful. My current unix/ second level c++ teacher is very enthusiastic and makes learning it much easier than someone who is very boring and just reads code or text.
 
Software Engineering has got a very bright future. For this you can go for job in your field and earn your degree side by side through online education.
 
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