Computer Science vs Software Engineering – Computer science is the study of how computers work from mostly a theoretical and mathematical perspective, while software engineering is the study of how software systems are built from more of a practical perspective. So it includes topics like software design, testing, and quality. And actually, you could study either one to become a software engineer, let’s see in today’s blog what the difference is between computer science and software engineering in more detail.
Computer Science vs Software Engineering Degree
Ideally, both computer science and software engineering will cover the foundational computer science and mathematics knowledge. These are programming logic in one or more programming languages, data structures and algorithms, and basic probability, statistics, and discrete math. And since computer science is a theoretical study of computers and computations.
Computer Science Degree
A computer science degree will build on that foundational knowledge with advanced topics in the same areas. For example, advanced algorithms and analysis, concurrent programming, operating systems, linear algebra, advanced calculus, finite state machines, and other advanced mathematics courses.
- A computer science degree is a great option for you if you love learning. Things at a very deep academic level. It is also a good choice if you plan on getting advanced degrees like Masters or PhDs in specialised areas like operating systems, distributed systems, data science, machine learning, and so on and so forth.
Software Engineering Degree
A software engineering degree will also cover the same foundational topics, but since software engineering is an application, On the other hand, a software engineering degree will take foundational knowledge and teach you how to build software systems that are used in the real world “Computer Science vs Software Engineering”.
- For example, software development includes lifecycle software design, which includes things like design patterns, principles, and paradigms, software testing, scalability, distributed systems, and web technologies.
- A software engineering degree is a great option. If you want to get a high-level overview of engineering practices used around the world, and also if you want to get into the industry right away.
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Computer Science vs Software Engineering Jobs and Salary
So now let’s look at specific jobs and salaries. The most popular choices for either computer science or software engineering graduates are front-end and full-stack software engineers. In terms of salaries for those positions, there is usually no difference between graduate students and software engineers. The annual job-based salaries in the United States come to around $100,000 for a front-end engineer and around 10% more for back-end or full-stack engineers “Computer Science vs Software Engineering”
Computer Science vs Software Engineering two things to note here:
- This is just the base salary, the cash you take home with you at the end of the month. Your total compensation will often be high. Consist of an additional performance bonus. It may be a sign of bonus shares or stock options or equity benefits like health insurance or gym allowance, and all of that can double or even triple your salary.
- Secondly, those numbers vary greatly between different regions, for example. My Android engineer salary tripled when I moved from Europe to Australia. Things get interesting when we start looking at more specialised and less common jobs in areas like cloud, data science, machine learning, blockchain or virtual reality. Here, computer science graduates have a huge advantage. Because the program of computer science is designed to expose students to many different fields, and the math courses are more advanced. For example, great understanding of linear algebra or cryptography.
According to Glassdoor, the annual total pay for a Computer Scientist in the United States is $174,653, with an average salary of $140,800.
The average salary for a software engineer in the US is $105,932, according to Glassdoor.
How To Pick The Right Degree
Computer science helps you understand how computers work, how computations are done, and software engineering. Put that knowledge into practical use in order to build software systems. So hopefully this real-world example changes your perspective from obsessing about this degree versus that degree to instead thinking about how you can get the best out of your four years in college with a good mix of theory and practice.
Some advice on how to go about picking your degree.
- Perform your due diligence. Examine the curriculum to ensure that the basic subjects are covered.
- Does the degree give you choices to pivot on, or is it too structured and strict? Is it too theoretical or too practical? Ideally, you want a good balance between theory and practice.
- Think of a degree as a flexible canvas. You should have options to choose from. There are a wide variety of electives to shape your degree however you want based on your own interests or the job market. Good programmes give you this choice. The only thing that should be forced upon you are the fundamentals.
- Work closely with your advisor and let them know what your goals are to create a course plan that fits your needs. And finally, reach out to recent graduates who you know. That have recently gotten jobs. Ask them about what classes they took and what helped them in their jobs. Well, hopefully this gives you some idea of how to go about picking a degree, but more importantly, how to think about your degree.
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Computer Science vs Software Engineering – Conclusion
Software engineering is one of the fields within applied computer science. The bachelor’s degree is usually one year longer for software engineering than it is for computer science. Software engineering is more structured and focused on equipping you with the practical skills and tools necessary for most software development. Positions.
While computer science exposes you to many different areas, both theoretical and practical, and lets you choose what you want to dive deeper into, it is best suited for people who like working long hours and being graded for their personal efforts, while software engineering puts much more emphasis on teamwork.
Finally, the most common software engineering and developer positions are roughly the same for graduates of both degrees. But computer science students have better foundations for scoring higher-paid specialised jobs fresh out of university. And one last thing, software engineering is just one of the fields within computer science.
Computer Science vs Software Engineering – FAQ
Q. Can a computer science student be a software engineer?
Yes, a computer science student can become a software engineer.
Q. What is the monthly income of software engineer?
The monthly income of a software engineer is $11k–$19k in the USA.
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