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What major should I choose if I want to be a software engineer?

What college major should I choose if I want to be a software engineer?

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Rebecca’s Answer

Thank you for your question. I am glad to hear that you are interested to become a software engineer.
I would recommend you can consider taking computer science as your major. The course can give you an overview of the computing theories and different programming techniques.
Below are my suggestions:
1. Find out the entry criteria of Computer Science of the colleges.
2. Attend the information session of Computer Science host by the university. You can speak to the professors to find out more on the subject
3. Choose a simple programming language to learn. There are are plenty of resources online on the program syntax and structure
4. Do some small projects using the language, eg control a car or robot
5. Learn another one after you familiar with the earlier one
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
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Teon’s Answer

Hello Junxi,

Software engineering is a continuously growing field that is extremely broad. There are so many directions you can take in this field. The best majors to properly develop the skills to become one are Computer Science, Business Information Systems/Management Information Systems, and Information Technology.

Teon recommends the following next steps:

I would suggest that you utilize codecademy.com and complete the free training courses for the various technologies.
Research the curriculum of these majors at the universities you plan to attend and make sure there are programming courses.
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Emmanuel’s Answer

Hey Junxi,

Very great question. Software engineering is a very interesting career and has lots of opportunities available. It is very important to identify what software you like developing for example, if your drive is web development, then computer science is the way to go. If you want to write a desktop app or want to be a little bit versatile, computer engineering is better. Computer engineering not only teaches you the web app but also desktop app. most of the seemingly stable careers are in computer engineering. Other considerations are computer science or software engineering. You cannot go wrong with any of the four.

All the best in choosing the major for your career,

Emmanuel
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Maria’s Answer

In addition to the answers here, there is also the option to go onto graduate school to pursue an MS (Masters of Science) or PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) in Computer Science. The latter degree allows for more independent research in academic settings. After undergraduate, one could be looking at an additional 2 years for Masters and 4-5years for Doctorate.
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tyurina’s Answer

Lots of great answers above. I also think a Computer Science, Comp/Software Engineering degree is the way to go. In my experience, Comp Sci seems to have more relevant classes than an engineering degree but this depends on the college. I would also encourage anyone interested in becoming a software engineer to focus on getting internships. I learned fundamentals in my degree but there are technologies used in the industry I only learned about after doing an internship.
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James’s Answer

I would recommend thinking if you really need to go to college in the first place. You can find online classes for just about any software engineering career path you would want to do. You might also want to consider a coding bootcamp of some kind. This will get you job ready in much less time than a typical 4 year program.

Just my thoughts, as someone who dropped out of high school and is now a successful software engineer.
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Kevin’s Answer

If you want to become a software engineer, you should consider pursuing a major in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Software Engineering.

Computer Science is a popular major for aspiring software engineers, as it covers a broad range of topics related to computer systems, programming, algorithms, and data structures. Computer Engineering is a related field that focuses on the design and development of computer hardware, as well as the integration of hardware and software systems.

Software Engineering is a specialized major that focuses specifically on the principles and practices of software development, including requirements analysis, design, testing, and maintenance. This major may be a good fit if you are primarily interested in software development as a career.

Ultimately, the best major for you will depend on your personal interests and career goals. You may want to research each of these majors in more detail to see which one aligns best with your interests and aspirations. It's also worth considering internships or other opportunities to gain hands-on experience in software engineering, as this can help you decide if it's the right career path for you.
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Steve’s Answer

If you are seeking a job as an engineer -- someone that actually designs programs and writes code -- look for colleges that teach Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Software Engineering. Look at the courses the majors require: are they teaching mostly coding, systems architecture, networking, distributed systems: things that have practical application? Or are the classes mostly theory? Gravitate to those programs that are geared to make you employable.

You don't need a graduate degree. In my 25 year career as a software engineer and then engineering manager at a top-tier software company, I never once interviewed a PhD graduate that was worth hiring as they lacked practical experience and good engineering sense. Master's degrees are useful for specialization in specific domains like, say, artificial intelligence or data analytics, so can be valuable in landing such jobs. Top employers will often pay for graduate school, so consider getting a bachelor's degree, then getting a job, then getting a graduate degree on your employer's dime.

Now, if your goal is academia, the opposite advice applies: you will need a PhD to become a computer science professor.
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