Where To Study : COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREES

Overview

The currency of computer science is information – how to store it, transmit it and process it electronically.
It is considered by many of its practitioners to be a foundational science, one which makes other knowledge and achievements possible.
And the things that have been made possible by computer science experts permeate every aspect of our modern lives. Look at mobile phones, satellite navigation, the internet; it’s easy to forget just how sophisticated these now everyday objects are.
Consider computer science, then, if you think an exciting career at the forefront of technology is the thing for you.
But, this potential glamour means that the subject can be quite popular, which in combination with its basic complexity means that you’ll have to prove your mettle, particularly if you have your sights on one of the more prestigious courses out there.
Be ready to demonstrate both basic proficiency as well as demonstrable passion. If you manage to make the cut, you will begin by acquiring a basic grounding in algorithms, programming, and organizing data, with a smattering of essential mathematics.
You will then be able to choose from a raft of specializations, which in turn open up a whole host of careers…
The world's best universities for computer science with the QS Rankings by Subject >

Specialization

Given its nature as a subject which is essentially concerned with the building blocks of complex things, computer science contains within it a whole host of potential specializations. Some of these include:

Computer graphics

The use of computers to render still or moving two or three dimensional images. This has applications outside of the traditional remit of computer science – think architecture or product design – as well as things like computer games design
Programming language theory
Though programming is often treated as a means rather than an end, it is a key area of study. This is an interdisciplinary specialization, incorporating elements from subjects such as mathematics and linguistics.

Human-computer interaction

With technology coming to play a greater and greater part in our lives, the way we interact with it is becoming increasingly important. The wheel of an iPod, the motion sensing devices of modern games consoles, and augmented reality applications on smart phones are examples of innovations in this field.

Robotics

Sometimes incorporating artificial intelligence, robotics is the development of mechanical devices to perform tasks more efficiently than a human could (or tasks that a human could not do). Unsurprisingly, there is much crossover with engineering.

Systems analysis

A study of existing computer systems with a view to improving them by making them more efficient, user friendly and generally fit for purpose. This could lead to a career in consultancy.
Continuing your studies: Computer science at graduate level >

Career Options

One of the most appealing things about a degree in computer science is, in our increasingly technological era, that employers will virtually be fighting over you.
In the UK, for instance, 1 in 20 workers are employed in IT and telecoms – a field for which computer science graduates are particularly well suited – and there is still further demand, with computer science graduates enjoying one of the lowest unemployment levels in the country.
In Australia there are more vacancies for ICT professionals than for business, finance and human resources professionals put together.
Programmers are also always in demand, from established and new companies alike. And as more and more aspects of our modern lives become computerized it seems unlikely that opportunities will be drying up too soon.
The Association for Computing Machinery identifies a raft of potential career paths. For example, there is designing and implementing software, a path has changed a lot in recent years, with web development mobile computing coming to the fore.
You might also work in an academic or industrial research capacity, coming up with new ways in which we might use computers. Or you could work in planning and managing organizational technology infrastructure.
This final career is best suited to candidates who specialize in information technology, as modern courses in this field tend to focus on this area.
There’s plenty of scope for using your knowledge in an entrepreneurial capacity, and there are plenty of non-computer science jobs graduates might take up. Teaching, management and general IT roles are some examples.
More on computer science careers >

Key Skills

Computer science is a challenging discipline, but succeeding in it will furnish you with an impressive skill set. Skills you will gain include:
• Technical expertise – most importantly, an understanding of algorithms and computer languages
• Practical skills
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Creativity
• Working as part of a team
• Communication skills
• Mathematical aptitude (potentially also stretching to engineering).
• General interdisciplinary ability
• Commercial awareness
• Adaptability to developments in the field (continuing professional development is very important in computer science)
• The application of theory to real life
More on computer science skills and specializations >

Computer Science Degrees: Skills and Specializations

Find out what to expect from a computer science degree program, and how to tell if you're suited to the subject, and what careers you could go on to.

While it may be perceived as the preserve of a small group of specialists, we would do well, think Professor Bill Freeman, Associate Department Head of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Professor John Guttag, a current professor and former head of department, at MIT, to acknowledge the wide reaching significance of computer science.

“Computer science is a foundational science, like mathematics. It provides a way to understand something that permeates almost every aspect of modern life. In a modern society every educated person should have some knowledge of the field.”

Professors Liz Sonenberg and Alistair Moffat (Head of Information Systems and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering respectively at the University of Melbourne) agree: “Information-based tools and devices are now fundamental in education, medicine, finance, communication, and entertainment.

"None of them would have been possible without the creative energy and analytical skills of the teams of creative people that conceived, designed, and built them.

"All of those teams included computer scientists, specialists in algorithms and information; and software engineers, professionals who develop large software systems. Together they have built – and continue to build – a new way of life, the ‘information society’."

Is computer science for you?

Despite its universal significance, like any subject there are those who are better suited to it than others. What kind of person, then, would be a good match for computer science?

“Someone who enjoys solving problems, and who can think analytically, can do well at computer science,” comment Professors Freeman and Guttag. “The study requires mathematical aptitude, but mostly an ability to organize and to think both creatively and logically.”

These sentiments are echoed by Professors Sonenberg and Moffat. “To succeed in computer science you need to be able to think in a careful and systematic way, and you also need to have a strong creative streak, In other words, you need to be able to work with both sides of your brain.”

They add that “an openness to trying new things” is also a prerequisite, given the fast moving nature of the subject.

Both pairs also agree that it is a subject that is international in focus. “Computer science graduates have an internationally recognized qualification – and so can change jobs and countries with ease. This opens up not only great career options, but wonderful lifestyle choices as well,” reflect the Melbourne pair.

The Boston-based duo add that as well allowing you international scope career-wise, it is also well suited to international students: “In many cases, international students can master the mathematics and computer languages used in computer science before they completely master English.”

Choosing a specialization

This is a broad subject area that lends itself to a raft of specializations. The core of the subject at undergraduate level at MIT includes algorithms, programming languages, organizing and retrieving data, and applications, as well as a branch of mathematics known as ‘discrete mathematics’ – the mathematics of countable things.

On top of a selection of core IT subjects which differs in breadth according to one’s specialization, students at the University of Melbourne can choose to major in informatics, computing & software systems, and geomatics (focussing on spatial measurement and analysis), amongst others.

Specializations at the academic level of course translate into options in the professional sphere. And – potential computer scientists will be pleased to hear – demand. “In the UK one in 20 UK workers is employed in the IT & Telecoms workforce and there is further demand.

And in the latest Australian figures available there were more vacancies for ICT professionals than there were for business, finance and human resource professionals,” state Sonenberg and Moffat, citing official government figures.

Employment prospects

An undergraduate degree in the subject alone, assert Freeman and Guttag, will stand you in good stead in the employment market: “There are many good jobs available to people with undergraduate degrees in computer science.

There is a strong, long-term need for programmers in small and large companies alike. In addition, an undergraduate degree in computer science provides training in analytical thinking that can be a foundation for careers in other areas that require graduate study, such as management, law, and even medicine.

“The need for skilled computer scientists will continue to grow. As electronic data accumulates and processors are embedded in more and more devices, the need for people who can build sophisticated software will become ever more pressing.”

As Freeman and Guttag suggest, this is not a subject that will become irrelevant any time soon. What, then, does the future hold?

“Increasingly, computers are merging into our physical environments – think of the computing power and connectivity in your phone, or other mobile devices – all creating a massive ‘information space’,” declare Sonenberg and Moffat. “Taming the complexity of how these devices will interact with each other and with us is a challenge for computer science.”

Freeman and Guttag see the academic subject itself becoming more multifaceted, which will have a knock-on effect in the real world: “All sorts of interdisciplinary studies in computer science will emerge, and are emerging now.

"One can study bio-informatics, computation applied to biology and genetics, computational physics, numerical simulations of physical processes, computational finance, modelling and predicting financial markets.”

More about studying computer science at university >

Computer Science Industry: Breaking In

In order to get a career in the computer science and information systems industries following your graduate degree, you will need more than just technical ability. Here's our guide to what employers are looking for.

Computer Science and Information Systems (CS and IS) graduates are more sought-after today than ever before. Not only does the profession guarantee you a great pay check, it also promises a global career. Consequently, the competition is tough, with many contenders for the best jobs.

What is it that can make you stand out and shine? What are the qualities which the recruiters are looking for in their ideal candidate?

Creative and adaptable

“Computer Science, Software Engineering and Information Systems are international qualifications, enabling students to work globally, and in a very broad variety of roles. There is steady growth in demand for technically adept and flexible IT graduates.

"To succeed, you need to be creative and adaptable, able to work in teams that span multiple disciplines and abilities, be willing to regularly refresh your knowledge, and be passionate about providing solutions that will help people,” says Professor Alistair Moffat, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, University of Melbourne.

In fact, it is the attitude of the candidate which is underlined in preferences by the recruiters in the IT industry—sometimes even more than the qualifications.

Rowena Driver, Partner Account Manager, MSemploy, assisting to recruit IT staff for the Microsoft Partner Network on a daily basis. She says, “Personality and attitude can outweigh qualifications. Microsoft Partners want to qualify how well an applicant will ‘fit-in’ to the company and its environment, particularly its culture. Candidates should be able to establish themselves as team-players during the job interview.”

Specialized skills

Recruiters also look for specialized skills rather than just a plain degree. “Certification of technology is a must,” says Driver, while informing that displaying your ability to work with a technology boosts your chances of being hired. For instance, Driver tells us, Microsoft looks for candidates who are certified in specific technologies such as SharePoint, Dynamics, .NET, Silverlights to name a few.

More importantly, specialized skills are required to cater to the new emerging fields of application of computer science. Professor Moffat informs that in several fields, the cost of generating and storing data is falling noticeably thereby creating “a need to work with types of data that simply didn't exist five years ago. Skills in such areas, typically also requiring an ability to work in teams including discipline specialists—such as life scientists, or urban planners— are increasingly being sought”.

“There continues to be a demand for computer science graduates with specific computational expertise, and there is a growing need for CS graduates who can work closely with experts from other disciplines,” says Prof Moffat.

Liz Sonenberg, Professor and Head, Department of Information Systems, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Collaboration), University of Melbourne, says, “The feedback from our Industry Advisory Group is that employers are increasingly looking for applicants with experience of working in teams and confidence in presentation, and often some knowledge of business processes, to complement technical content. They view program content as more important than program name, and they are concerned about current and future talent shortages, with particular concerns about gender mix.”

Graduate-level degree

A master’s degree is also preferred by some employers who are looking for a candidate who can offer enhanced contribution to the company. “Of course, there are many roles available for those with an undergraduate degree. But many employers are looking for graduates with more breadth and maturity than is typical from an undergraduate,” says Prof Sonenberg.

She states that no matter when you do your master’s program, it always widens your understanding and broadens your scope. According to her, a master’s degree gives you a chance to “stand out from the crowd and attract an employer’s attention”. Prof Sonenberg says, “We are finding employers who have had a chance to employ graduates from our new master’s programs, coming back for more – favouring them ahead of undergraduates.”

It is also true that master’s programs today are well in touch with the employer demands and international trends. Curriculums are designed with inputs from key industry players and a global approach to the learning experience is kept intact. Hence, making graduates of CS and IS much in demand with the employers. “Many master’s programs are designed for those in the workforce, with evening and weekend classes, you can have the best of both worlds – work, and at the same time build your base for future career progression, “says Prof Moffat.

So, if you are one of the contenders for a job in the IT industry, make sure that you back your degree with specialized skills and an attitude that fits well with the company you wish to join.

More about studying computer science at university >

Computer Science Degrees: Skills and Specializations

Find out what to expect from a computer science degree program, and how to tell if you're suited to the subject, and what careers you could go on to.

"None of them would have been possible without the creative energy and analytical skills of the teams of creative people that conceived, designed, and built them.