I am now a computer science major..but a lot of people are telling me that i wont find jobs if i stick with computer science, so i should change my major to computer engineering. What do yall think?

If i do computer engineering, i'll get a double major in EE as well..cuz its only 2 more classes.

11/3/2005 8:51:05 PM

Do you like programming, or hardware?

11/3/2005 9:11:08 PM

i didnt have much experiance in hardware. Id rather do something i dont like then spend years looking for a good job.

good job = lots of money

[Edited on November 3, 2005 at 9:12 PM. Reason : ]

11/3/2005 9:12:07 PM

its 5 classes...

csc316 (a bitch)(yeah I know somepeople find it easy... fuck off)
csc226 (a bitch)(see above)
ece306
another technical elective
another senior elective

or at least that is the difference from my double major...

looking back... it was my CPE degree double major that has made me absolutely misserable(sp?) at times... however knowing the embedded systems stuff is critical unless your doing intense analog... most things require embedded systems knowledge now if your doing any kind of design...

I'm planning on doing a masters in Analog... so I may never use the embedded stuff ever again... but I don't regret doing the double by any means, and I can say "I have 2 degrees"

11/3/2005 9:29:18 PM

If you do the CPE first and then add the EE, it's only 2 maybe 3. I think it's 2 though. It's a lot harder to go EE and add the CPE because of 306, 226, 316, etc.

Personally I think if you get the CPE degree, you can do programming (and you're probably going to end up doing it anyways) and you're practically a CSC major with a bunch of hardware expertise as well. So it's nice to have that.

I don't know what the job market really is like for CSC majors - I mean obviously if nobody hired them, then you would think there would be a push to remove CSC departments from across the country. But I don't see that happening, so I guess CSC majors are being hired somewhere.

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"however knowing the embedded systems stuff is critical unless your doing intense analog...most things require embedded systems knowledge now if your doing any kind of design..."

This I would agree with. Hence the change in the EE curriculum to get more EE students experience with embedded systems and C. Because as the always sarcasatic Dr. Conte once told my 206 class, "You know, you won't get a job programming Java. You can get a job programming in C."

11/3/2005 10:30:55 PM

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"but a lot of people are telling me that i wont find jobs if i stick with computer science"

I found (and applied to) over 100 "computer science" jobs in a 2-month span this summer alone. The market IS out there ... just keep your options open ... don't limit your to one city or state ... don't be focusing all of your efforts on getting hired by a big name ... don't be too picky about getting a "software engineer" title ... basically keep your options open.

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"good job = lots of money"

If money makes you happy, then yes, there are tons of CSC jobs out there that will pay you nicely. There are a lot more aspects of a job than just money.

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"so i should change my major to computer engineering"

Honestly, this is where you need to talk to advisors and (reputable) juniors/seniors in both majors. Joyce Hatch/Barbara Adams in CSC and Cecilia Townsend in ECE are all great advisors. You can also talk to folks in Virtual Advising (i.e. wolfeee) and Page Hall to make a decision.

11/3/2005 10:32:46 PM

^Just out of curiosity, where did you find these jobs? Were you just going to various company websites and seeing if they were hiring or did you use ePack or what?

11/4/2005 7:12:19 AM

^
computerjobs.com, careerbuilder.com, monster.com, dice.com, CSC Career Services, ePack, and yes, poking around on various company websites when I see them posted somewhere else. How I got my current position . A lot of smaller to medium size companies out there you'll never hear of otherwise.

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"You know, you won't get a job programming Java. You can get a job programming in C."

You can get a job programming in any language, they are out there. I saw a need for entry-level COBOL and RPG programmers when I was job-hunting.

Back to the topic at hand ... the value of the degree is how much you'll enjoy the work involved with it. Might be a good idea to take CSC216 and see if you enjoy learning the concepts / doing the assignments. Do the same with an equivalent ECE course (suggestions anybody)? Also, there are so many directions you can head/tracks to choose once you pick your major, its ridiculous.

[Edited on November 4, 2005 at 7:24 AM. Reason : .]

11/4/2005 7:23:58 AM

do whichever one you like more - you are making a mistake of changing simply b/c there are more jobs

11/4/2005 8:59:29 AM

Both CPE & CSC majors are in demand, so you really can't go wrong from an employment perspective. I would recommend doing an advanced search in ePack, to search jobs by major. However keep in mind that this time of year, the recruiting is starting to wind down for the semester, so you'll definitely see more action in those areas in January. PM me if you have trouble with the system, and I'll help.

Getting experience in the area you want to work is very important too, and can often shape where you get employed after graduation. Internships & co-ops are a great way to build your resume & figure out what you want to do. Employers are looking for a combination of education, experience and skills... so be sure to cover all of those bases.

I second the recommendation of others regarding speaking with advisers. Both of those departments have great folks who can be a real help.

11/4/2005 10:26:28 AM

Eventhough not my thread, I like the feedback this thread is getting. I do have to thank Perlith and all the others for the advice.

11/4/2005 11:02:23 AM

Quote :

"Getting experience in the area you want to work is very important too, and can often shape where you get employed after graduation. Internships & co-ops are a great way to build your resume & figure out what you want to do. Employers are looking for a combination of education, experience and skills... so be sure to cover all of those bases."

This is also a good starting point for deciding which major. If you can talk to some of the upperclassmen who have worked some internships or co-ops, you can learn what they did and what their co-workers do and see what sounds more like what you would like. Its not the same as experiencing it and isn't always indicative of what the jobs for the major are, but its more meaningful than reading the description of what the major is meant for.

11/4/2005 12:08:56 PM

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"Hi Ram, I think the economy has affected csc and cpe about equally. But, things have turned around....we track our graduates closely. Joyce Hatch has the exact figures but I think something like >80% of our majors are now finding jobs before/ within 6 weeks of graduation. So, if you are enjoying comp sci, stick with it. One of the best things you can do is find a summer internship or part-time work ....that really looks good to employers and also gives you a taste of the 'real world' before graduation. (this is true for cpe's also). Anything else I can help with? Carol"

-from my computer sci teacher (Miller)

11/4/2005 3:48:05 PM

if you can carry your own, getting a job in csc or cpe won't be hard at all.

imo, csc is easier as an undergraduate program.

[Edited on November 4, 2005 at 5:16 PM. Reason : ;]

11/4/2005 5:16:23 PM

Are you a frail little child, or are you a real man

11/4/2005 5:24:03 PM