What computer languages do computer science majors study in college?

Simply put, it doesn't matter which language you learn -- it matters on how much you understand it. Just like speaking multiple languages, all programming languages have a foundation on how they are all similar.

In college, I learned Java and C++ for my fundamental understanding of object-oriented programming. I learned C for my fundamental understanding of procedural programming and memory management.

At work, I learned PHP, JavaScript, Shell, ActionScript, and many others. I was able to pick up languages after I see their "one-to-one" correspondence.

If you want to start learning, why don't you look up codeacademy.com? It's a great opportunity for you to learn and have it interactive with your friends!

If you want me to make a decision for you, try to learn JavaScript -- it's one tough language but it's heavily used into today's world due to it's necessity with the web browser!

Completely agree with the point that John made about all languages being build on the same fundamentals, and that once you know one it will be much easier to pick up new languages.

JavaScript is a good one to start with but if you want to have an edge when you get to college I would suggest you also look into Java as well since that will most likely be one of the first languages they teach you in college.

If after you look at these languages you want to play around and learn something that is a bit less abstract and more closely tied to the computer architecture I would suggest taking the time to learn C and x86 assembly. Both are much tougher to get through than Java or JavaScript, but the knowledge you will gain about the inner workings of a computer system from learning these languages will be invaluable in your path to getting a degree in Computer Science.

Sorry my bad, same as above:
The first time I programmed was my freshman year of college first quarter. It is not a requirement at most schools to have programming experience. The first language I learned was Java. But I agree with lliya and John in that you should learn a difficult language. Another avenue to learn a language is to go onto coursera.com. They have real college level course offered by real schools to teach you introduction to programming. It is free and great place to learn new stuff. In addition coursera has more advance courses.

I learned C and C++ early on. I feel that once you know these you have a very good foundation to learn other languages. Today I hardly use C/C++, however I use the principles of the languages every day. Currently I write most of my code in Perl, Python and Objective C.

I think Computer Science is a program which can vary quite greatly depending on the college. I study Software Engineering and the first language they taught was C, and then C++. However, the computer science students started with Scheme and Haskell. Lastly, the Computer Engineering students studied C# and Java.

As you can see, it varies quite a bit, but if you are trying to pick a language to start with, I would suggest C/C++/Java because they are so fundamental for programming. Once you become familiar with them, other languages can be picked up very quickly.

Every college teaches different languages in their introductory courses. For me, our intro to programming courses were taught in Python, Java, and C. I think learning the language ahead of time will definitely give you a leg up in your intro classes since it'll allow you to focus more on what the classes are teaching instead of worrying about the syntax.

I think a great language to start with would be Python since it is the easiest to pick up and start coding in. Java/C++ are great languages for learning the fundamentals of programming. As long as you are passionate about learning, it doesn't really matter what language you learn first.

It seems that in first year, usually python/C/some other functional language usually gets taught. Java and C++ and C# are also quite common at many colleges as well in later years.

In the end learning one or two of them makes the rest significantly easier to learn later on.

What computer languages do computer science majors study in college?
Hi there,
the computer languages that you will be thought in college will be the languages like C, C++, Java, C#(sharp) , java script.
Now a days they are also introducing android and python also into the curriculum.
I would suggest you to concentrate on certain languages like C, C++ java and android when it is thought in the college because an engineer who knows all these languages will be dearly needed when the companies comes looking for freshers out of college.
so take up all the languages that you like and find interesting as i depends upon what and where you will be few years from now.
all the best buddy.

In school, I studied C, C++ and Java. However, learning an Object Oriented Language like Java should be enough to get you started on the basics and concepts of an Object Oriented Language. Once you learn them, its not very difficult to apply them to any new Object oriented language that you learn.
Apart from Java, I would also recommend Python since it teach you a different coding paradigm.
There are online courses offered by http://www.codecademy.com/ which will really help you getting started.

Learning programming is amazing fun :) All the best !

I believe one of the most common languages to learn in college is Java. C++ is also popular. But i would have to agree with Jon. It's really about the fundamentals. Once you have that its a lot easier to go from one language to the other pick up syntax. Each language does have its benefits but at the end of the day having the fundamentals is what's most important.

Hi Tanaia,

Wholeheartedly agree that any programming language teaches you fundamentals. From a practical sense, it depends on the university. I learned my first programming language in college - APL. My second was C. Followed by Lisp. Followed by Pascal. Followed by C++. Followed by Java. Followed by JavaScript.

Do you see a pattern? It doesn't matter.

Get the fundamentals and you'll get it!

Good luck!
Oliver

I believe it varies by institution and would assume that in most cases the emphasis is actually on the theory of Computer Science (math, logics, design patterns, data structures). When I studied it over 10 years ago we used older languages like Pascal, C, C++ and some Java. While one can start with languages like C# (more modern and in some ways higher level), I'd also recommend C/C++/Java for becoming a more skilled programmer at a lower level (i.e. closer to machine language).

Its great that you want to have an edge before actually going to college.
From my experience courses in computer science major generally use Java and Python, c or c++ may be used in systems level courses. The programming language is a very important piece of computer science program. It will be very beneficial for you if you start now and have knowledge about programming language. Also you won't be alone in your class who will know programming before joining the college. You will find number of students having that background. You can start with any programming language as the language you learn will help you understand the actual concepts behind it when you take courses in college like compiler design.

Good luck

Currently the popular programming languages are Java, Scala, Python, .Net. However, when you come to college, these languages might be outdated. However, all the languages and programming (coding) needs algorithm and data structures knowledge. You will be tested in these two areas when you go for an interview for a Software Engineer job. So concentrate on algorithms and data structures. These will take you a long way. You can first start learning these by going to online tutorials and youtube lectures. Once you get a sense of what these are, you can buy books and practice. Always get your work or learning verified by an expert (your teachers, elders who are proficient in computer science) so that you can correct your mistakes. You might find these two topics little hard but don't give up. These are essential topics you must be proficient to get a good job later. Good luck!