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Computer Science Degree Vs Software Engineering


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Posted

Just a question that's popped up in my head. Which degree is considered better to have, for employers? Computer Science or Software engineering?

Also which one is more programming related, i know their both very similar, and computer science is more technical and maths orientated, but just wondering if anyone who has studied any of these, knows any information they would like to pass on.

Thank you.

Posted

From my experience, neither are more important than experience.

All the programming positions I have had have been based on what I can do, normally with a paper test, and for good reason.

College/uni courses use the same textbooks throughout, so at the end of a 3 year course, you are 3 years behind technology to start with.

Then, the 3 years you have spent in books, I've spent working on commercial products...

Who is better qualified. Skill over degree all day.

Posted

Absolutely correct. However a degree is generally used as a starting block, and employers nowadays want something really good on paper, just to have a look at you. I understand what you mean by skill over degree, and it's a known rule, that if you want to study any of these 2 degrees, with the course, you have to learn the programming language yourself as well.

I was just wondering, though which one is more about programming, just to get an understanding about the difference of the 2 courses.

Posted

Technology wise Guest is fully correct. However in many places (like where I work for example) a degree will show that you can learn, as well as you should know some basis like general algorithm, designs etc... Some time just experience will not work out as you may simply end up using always the same (wrong) tricks. On the other side, it's better to take somebody with has both, a degree and some experience ;)

Posted
Absolutely correct. However a degree is generally used as a starting block, and employers nowadays want something really good on paper, just to have a look at you. I understand what you mean by skill over degree, and it's a known rule, that if you want to study any of these 2 degrees, with the course, you have to learn the programming language yourself as well.

I was just wondering, though which one is more about programming, just to get an understanding about the difference of the 2 courses.

Computer Science, is programming, learning what the computer does in different languages.

Software Engineering,teaches the same thing computer science does, but it's main focus is on design and software building, and testing of the software, ect.

I personally if I was doing it for the cash I would take Software Engineering most of the top companies are always looking for software engineers.

Posted
Absolutely correct. However a degree is generally used as a starting block, and employers nowadays want something really good on paper, just to have a look at you. I understand what you mean by skill over degree, and it's a known rule, that if you want to study any of these 2 degrees, with the course, you have to learn the programming language yourself as well.

I was just wondering, though which one is more about programming, just to get an understanding about the difference of the 2 courses.

I have 4 GCSE's after dropping out of school, no one has ever asked me about my qualifications or the lack of them, they look at my CV to find out my experience.

Posted

A degree in Computer Science is going to look better than a degree in software engineering from the employers point of view.

Course wise a CS major will require more math credits and will take classes that focus more on the theory of computation, as well as Operating System, Real Time, and Compiler engineering.

A Software Engineering major on the other hand will focus on the development of applications.

A CS grad can easily do a software engineers job because of their advanced knowledge of computation. Actually a lot of CS grads do become software engineers. However an SE grad with no experience in the field could not complete a job at a Computer Scientists level.

Posted
I have 4 GCSE's after dropping out of school, no one has ever asked me about my qualifications or the lack of them, they look at my CV to find out my experience.

im almost the exact same, i have 4 GCSEs and got my job from my experience, and when we were looking for another developer the ones with degrees struggled more with our little "questionnaire" we made even on the simplest of questions

Posted

I didn't have any decent grades at school nor have I ever been to collage or uni but people here use my mods because they know I spend the time to test them before I make them available on here and usually they work 98% of the time I wont say 100% cos that would be lieing :)

Posted
im almost the exact same, i have 4 GCSEs and got my job from my experience, and when we were looking for another developer the ones with degrees struggled more with our little "questionnaire" we made even on the simplest of questions

Yes, simple tests confuse a lot of "graduated"

Here is one of my bookmarked (Simple fizzbuzz confuses most): Why can't programmers program?

  • 1 month later...
Posted (edited)

As long computers are calculators, i would go for math.

Like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combinatory_logic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_calculus

 

Example: database table JOIN ??? ohhh, you mean the: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_product

 

Happy hacking !

Ps: If you don't understand math, 99.5% chance your building object graphs with a OOP Language. ;)

Edited by Lucifer.iix
Inserted a smily !

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