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Is it hard pursuing a academic pathway towards the major of software engineering ?
How many years does it take if someone's planning to go to college for 2 year and then transferring to a 4 year
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5 answers
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Antonio,
If it's hard for you or not depends on you: the work you put in, your inate talent and how enthusiastic and determined you are.
An associates degree at a community college takes 2 years. A bachelors degree takes 4 years at university or 2 years at CC and 2 years at university IF all your courses are transferable and the degree requirements are pretty much the same for the CC and the university. From what I have seen, the programs at SJCC and SJSU seem to collaborate. If the programs are not totally harmonized, you may need a bit longer.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
KP
If it's hard for you or not depends on you: the work you put in, your inate talent and how enthusiastic and determined you are.
An associates degree at a community college takes 2 years. A bachelors degree takes 4 years at university or 2 years at CC and 2 years at university IF all your courses are transferable and the degree requirements are pretty much the same for the CC and the university. From what I have seen, the programs at SJCC and SJSU seem to collaborate. If the programs are not totally harmonized, you may need a bit longer.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
KP
Updated
Jun Shan’s Answer
Hi Antonio,
There are two answers to your question depending on your goal:
1. If your goal is to get a degree in software engineer:
You can always try to get admission to a Computer Science/Computer Engineering department of a 4-year university/college directly. However, it has become more and more competitive for this route. Some schools allow students to transfer into CS/CE department after one year at the school, while some other schools only accept direct admission to CS/CE department.
Another route, as you mentioned, is to go to a community college for 2 years, then apply to transfer to a 4-year college. This could take 4 or 5 year total. You could possibly be paying less tuition than going to a 4-year college directly.
2. If your goal is to get a job as a software engineer:
In this case, you can consider other majors, such as math, applied physics, and take computer science courses while in school. Many companies hire students with STEM majors to fill software developers' roles. Many of them actually like students with math background.
For this case, similar choices of paths as in case 1 also apply.
Hope this answers your questions.
There are two answers to your question depending on your goal:
1. If your goal is to get a degree in software engineer:
You can always try to get admission to a Computer Science/Computer Engineering department of a 4-year university/college directly. However, it has become more and more competitive for this route. Some schools allow students to transfer into CS/CE department after one year at the school, while some other schools only accept direct admission to CS/CE department.
Another route, as you mentioned, is to go to a community college for 2 years, then apply to transfer to a 4-year college. This could take 4 or 5 year total. You could possibly be paying less tuition than going to a 4-year college directly.
2. If your goal is to get a job as a software engineer:
In this case, you can consider other majors, such as math, applied physics, and take computer science courses while in school. Many companies hire students with STEM majors to fill software developers' roles. Many of them actually like students with math background.
For this case, similar choices of paths as in case 1 also apply.
Hope this answers your questions.
Dan Wolf
Retired Electrical/Software Engineer and part-time College Professor (BSEET and MS Engineering Management)
129
Answers
Updated
Dan’s Answer
Antonio,
It is quite possible attend a Community College (two-year college) and then transfer to a four-year university for software engineering. I earned my degree in three years with this method but it took a lot of effort and dedication. On the other hand, I have seen students earn a degree over 5-6 years (or never). It all depends on how well you plan and communicate with the two colleges. I was a part-time professor as well as an academic advisor and I can say with certainty that this can save you money. However, if money is not a problem, then just go to the four-year university and skip the Community College.
You can get your degree in the normal four years if you do it with a careful strategy.
1) Talk to the academic advisor at the four-year university first and
a) get a copy of the official course list for the four-year degree,
b) get a copy of the list of Community College courses that the four-year university will accept, and
c) ask for any other advice or information that they think you should have. Discuss the strategy that I am describing.
2) Visit an academic advisor at the Community College and get a copy of the courses offered by them. Discuss the strategy that I am describing.
3) Make a list of each class that is offered by the Community College AND that is accepted by the four-year university. Take these classes only and take any other classes only if there is a good reason, remembering that they will not be accepted towards the four-year degree and will incur extra money and time. Ask the Community College academic advisor to plot out a semester-by-semester plan showing when they are offered and when you will be taking them. This should consider prerequisites as well.
4) Once you start taking classes, discuss your plan with your instructor (or software engineering department head) and ask for comments and advice. If they are not receptive or helpful, try a different one.
5) You may not require an actual degree from the Community College (just a quantity of classes) unless the four-year university requires one.
6) Make sure you meet with the academic advisor each semester at the Community College and once per year at the four-year university (checking for progress).
7) Many colleges have cross-registration programs where you can take classes at the four-year university while officially attending the Community College. Ask about this!
8) Your college may provide “regular” academic advisors and they may provide “transfer” advisors. A transfer advisor would normally be the better choice. There may also be academic advisors who are more familiar with the software engineering program, maybe even specific to the software department – seek them out.
This method requires extra effort but it will save you money. It will also give you good experience with planning and communication which are very valuable skills for any degree.
BTW… There are degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering and they are similar but different. Computer Science requirements are not the same as those for Computer or Software Engineering.
Good Luck!
It is quite possible attend a Community College (two-year college) and then transfer to a four-year university for software engineering. I earned my degree in three years with this method but it took a lot of effort and dedication. On the other hand, I have seen students earn a degree over 5-6 years (or never). It all depends on how well you plan and communicate with the two colleges. I was a part-time professor as well as an academic advisor and I can say with certainty that this can save you money. However, if money is not a problem, then just go to the four-year university and skip the Community College.
You can get your degree in the normal four years if you do it with a careful strategy.
1) Talk to the academic advisor at the four-year university first and
a) get a copy of the official course list for the four-year degree,
b) get a copy of the list of Community College courses that the four-year university will accept, and
c) ask for any other advice or information that they think you should have. Discuss the strategy that I am describing.
2) Visit an academic advisor at the Community College and get a copy of the courses offered by them. Discuss the strategy that I am describing.
3) Make a list of each class that is offered by the Community College AND that is accepted by the four-year university. Take these classes only and take any other classes only if there is a good reason, remembering that they will not be accepted towards the four-year degree and will incur extra money and time. Ask the Community College academic advisor to plot out a semester-by-semester plan showing when they are offered and when you will be taking them. This should consider prerequisites as well.
4) Once you start taking classes, discuss your plan with your instructor (or software engineering department head) and ask for comments and advice. If they are not receptive or helpful, try a different one.
5) You may not require an actual degree from the Community College (just a quantity of classes) unless the four-year university requires one.
6) Make sure you meet with the academic advisor each semester at the Community College and once per year at the four-year university (checking for progress).
7) Many colleges have cross-registration programs where you can take classes at the four-year university while officially attending the Community College. Ask about this!
8) Your college may provide “regular” academic advisors and they may provide “transfer” advisors. A transfer advisor would normally be the better choice. There may also be academic advisors who are more familiar with the software engineering program, maybe even specific to the software department – seek them out.
This method requires extra effort but it will save you money. It will also give you good experience with planning and communication which are very valuable skills for any degree.
BTW… There are degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering and they are similar but different. Computer Science requirements are not the same as those for Computer or Software Engineering.
Good Luck!
Updated
Adebola’s Answer
Pursuing an academic pathway towards a major in software engineering can vary in difficulty depending on individual aptitude, dedication, and the specific program's rigor. However, generally speaking, software engineering is a demanding field that requires strong analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency in programming languages.
Regarding the timeline, if you plan to attend a 2-year college before transferring to a 4-year university to complete their software engineering degree, it typically takes a total of four to five years to complete the entire program. The first two years would be spent completing general education requirements and introductory courses in subjects such as mathematics, computer science fundamentals, and programming at the 2-year college. After transferring to a 4-year university, you will spend an additional two to three years completing the remaining coursework specific to the software engineering major.
Regarding the timeline, if you plan to attend a 2-year college before transferring to a 4-year university to complete their software engineering degree, it typically takes a total of four to five years to complete the entire program. The first two years would be spent completing general education requirements and introductory courses in subjects such as mathematics, computer science fundamentals, and programming at the 2-year college. After transferring to a 4-year university, you will spend an additional two to three years completing the remaining coursework specific to the software engineering major.
Updated
Jesse’s Answer
It takes time to learn in this area and learning doesn't stop when school finishes. But you can say that about any major just about. The biggest thing is determining what you want to do in this path. Do you want to have solid in many or expert in few? Certifications are also very helpful in this space. I don't see a reason why you couldn't do the transfer but be mindful of how the credits may transfer over.