CS or CE?

[zmatt]

After these next two semesters im heading off too college, and i don't know what to major in. Computer Sciences or Computer engineering. Whats in greater demand and what will give me a better paycheck? btw i plan to minor in business anyways so i can have a decent business background since the IT industry is heavily integrated into the standard business culture.

 

[jaeusm]

You'll have roughly the same opportunities and make the same amount of money with either degree. You should also be aware that your degree does not dictate the jobs you can get. Most high school students do not seem to realize that a college degree does not determine the job field in which you can find a job.

 

[Sodaen]

Computer Sciences is the way to go. Computer Engineering will blow. Listen to my rhyme and you will know, you will know, the way to go.

 

[zmatt]

Then what will determine my job? those degrees have little in common, one is engineering and the other is programming.

 

[b1gapl]

I heard the jobs, look for your certs, more than just a degree.

 

[Sodaen]

Programming is the god-father of all computers. If you only have a choice between CE and CS, of which I would choose neither (rather not go to college), I would say, most certainly CS.

There's not that many jobs out there looking for grad student hardware designers.

Personally, in my case for example, I chose not to go to college at all, it worked out for me.

Certifications are the way to go.

 

[ssjheero_yuy99]

I'm currently in college, with a Computer Science degree. Set to graduate in a few years. I had the choose between CS and SE, (software engineering), both of these degrees are different, but according to previous graduates the job descriptions that they get are about the same. Programming for a company.

Choosing the correct major is the hardest thing you will do at college, and you will most likely find that your first choice is not what you want. If possible, talk to a college professor at a local college and see if you can sit-in on his/her class for a day to see what they are doing. Its a great way to get a basic heads up. Make sure you actually get a class that is in the core, not one that just sounds fun, one that you are required to take.

Quote "Whats in greater demand and what will give me a better paycheck?"

Whats in demand: Accountants, Doctors, and Dentists, and teacher's for low-income locations. that sums it up fairly well. Computer Scientists, Computer Engineer's, Electrical Engineers, and Software Engineers, will always been needed, and demand will rise and fall over time. Its a good career as long as you are working for a firm that either doesn't have the resources to outsource, or working in a project where outsourcing is not an option, or in a project/company with a high enough position that outsourcing can not be done.

But even knowing that, you should not have any problem finding a job in the computer science field. (unless you are picky).

Higher paycheck: This is probably the worst thing to base your career on. If you want to make lots of money, then go do dangerous work that pays a lot, (i.e. work on an oil rig), be a doctor or dentist, or become a very good lawyer.

Figure out what you love doing and find a job that allows you to do this. (and no, games do not count.) Are you a programmer? can you in-vision yourself sitting for 8+ hours a day coding at a computer? if not, then CS might not be your correct career. If you think you are going to learn computer science and then get to program games, think again, a very, very, very small percentage of CS grads actually program games. and breaking into the gaming industry is very hard. (i.e. a lot of people want in....) If you really want to break into the game industry, look into the Digipen, Institute of Technology in Redmont WA, it is partnered with Nintendo of America, and other similar colleges.

If you are the type of person who likes tinkering with hardware, building, and troubleshooting computers, then IT might be the way to go, and yes, if you go the IT route, then certifications are what you'll get. I've never heard of certifications for Computer Science programmers... (where would you get a cert for programming?).

Basically, don't base your career on your paycheck. This is something that you will be spending massive amounts of money on, (college is expensive), and will not want to waste two years at college, and will be doing what ever you graduate in for the next 40+ years of your life after graduation.

 

[jaeusm]

Then what will determine my job? those degrees have little in common, one is engineering and the other is programming.

Those degrees have a quite a lot in common. I did my undergrad in CE and my graduate work in CS. CE is half electrical engineering and half computer science.

What determines your job is you. You choose a position, apply for it, interview, and if you've proven yourself a worthy candidate, you'll get an offer. What will help you the most in finding a job is experience. While you are in school, do your best to get as many internships or co-ops as you can. Try to do large-scale research projects with professors. These are the things you will talk about in your interviews. Most employers typically aren't that concerned with coursework, since a large portion of it is theoretical. Industry is concerned with the things that are practical -- most of which you will not learn in school. Everyone else who interviews for the same position you apply for will likely have gone through the same type of courses. What sets you apart is your experience.

When you finish your schooling, you will have only scratched the surface of your chosen field. The real learning (and the real fun) begins when you land your first job.

 

[Sodaen]

You can get certified in basically anything.

Besides, you can always create a portfolio for programming. Hey I helped this group of idiots program this Half-Life 2 mod. You know, any of that bullcrap. You don't need corporate experience or college experience to be considered a great programmer.

 

[jaeusm]

You don't need corporate experience or college experience to be considered a great programmer.

That's true. However, generally speaking, you need those things to land a job. And I know there are exceptions to the rule.