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I didn't even know schools had 'Software Engineering programs. I've met plenty of Computer Science grads, though. It's truly different. Engineering is more like

I didn't even know schools had 'Software Engineering programs. I've met plenty of Computer Science grads, though. It's truly different. Engineering is more like trade school, Computer Science is foundational. I'll probably hire you with a CS degree, but I know I'm going to need to teach you how to be a software engineer.

dhosek 7y ago
My wife got her masters from the Software Engineering program at DePaul University. She taught me a lot of the skills that make me hirable.
pjmlp 7y ago
In Europe computing university degrees tend to be mix of CS and Software Engineering. If you want a pure CS, usually it is a maths degree with major in computing.
hysan 7y ago
Depends on the school you go to as others have pointed out. I spoke to the head of the CS department at a local university this year; he wanted to pick my brain as a bootcamp instructor on the industry. I learned that they had already copied parts of what bootcamps were doing and had many plans to try and stay ahead of other universities doing the same thing (lots of ads for these follow me around). It was a very interesting conversation and it left me believing that the future wave of CS grads will have a much better mix of theory and application.
6thaccount2 7y ago
Engineering is nothing like a trade school if you mean Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering... etc (probably not what you meant here by context, but I felt I should clarify). You basically do 4 years of math and physics with several years of calculus, differential equations, numerical methods, programming, and solving difficult problems. It is nothing like a trade school (no offense to that line of work...they probably make more money than me :)).
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
davidf18 7y ago
My undergraduate degree is in both EE with a CS minor from Illinois/Urbana and EE is significantly more difficult than the CS. This afternoon I met someone in lunch line that had just graduated in CS who said they tried to do EE but couldn't do it. I've seen others when I was in school drop out of EE to do CS.
- gnusty_gnurc 7y ago
  I went to a state school, and as an EE undergrad I got the sense that anyone who couldn't hack EE switched to CS and anyone who couldn't hack CS dropped to IT or something else. Clearly both fields are equally complex and challenging, but I got the sense there's something particularly asymmetric and grueling about the EE curriculum.
  - shagie 7y ago
    (long time back) I went to a state school and went CS, though I had several friends in ECE (electrical and computer engineering). The difference between the classes we took is largely summed up in: * They took more math and physics than I did. * They had fewer CS electives than I had. * I had more 'breadth requirements' outside of of the core major than they did * They had to maintain a much higher GPA to remain in the engineering college * They had classes that involved a soldering iron and hours spent in front of mentor graphics (to the point it was nicknamed 'tormentor graphics') The EE/ECE curriculum may have changed since then. It probably has. However, (at least at my alma mater) the engineering college is still as selective as always while the CS department unanimously voted that they won't cap enrollment (and instead figure out how to get larger lecture halls and more sections as needed).
aphextron 7y ago
Multiple UC campuses have ABET accredited software engineering BSE degrees.
sys_64738 7y ago
Real engineering is not the same as software engineering. There is no engineering in software as no designer signs their name to their code and is legally responsible for when it crashes and goes wrong. Real engineers are.
SkyPuncher 7y ago
That's because for decades any type of "engineering" degree required the curriculum to include extensive physical science - thermodynamics, statics, advanced physics, etc. Pretty much a waste of time for an entirely virtual field.

dhosek 7y ago

My wife got her masters from the Software Engineering program at DePaul University. She taught me a lot of the skills that make me hirable.

pjmlp 7y ago

In Europe computing university degrees tend to be mix of CS and Software Engineering. If you want a pure CS, usually it is a maths degree with major in computing.

hysan 7y ago

Depends on the school you go to as others have pointed out. I spoke to the head of the CS department at a local university this year; he wanted to pick my brain as a bootcamp instructor on the industry. I learned that they had already copied parts of what bootcamps were doing and had many plans to try and stay ahead of other universities doing the same thing (lots of ads for these follow me around). It was a very interesting conversation and it left me believing that the future wave of CS grads will have a much better mix of theory and application.

6thaccount2 7y ago

Engineering is nothing like a trade school if you mean Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering... etc (probably not what you meant here by context, but I felt I should clarify). You basically do 4 years of math and physics with several years of calculus, differential equations, numerical methods, programming, and solving difficult problems. It is nothing like a trade school (no offense to that line of work...they probably make more money than me :)).

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

davidf18 7y ago

My undergraduate degree is in both EE with a CS minor from Illinois/Urbana and EE is significantly more difficult than the CS. This afternoon I met someone in lunch line that had just graduated in CS who said they tried to do EE but couldn't do it. I've seen others when I was in school drop out of EE to do CS.

gnusty_gnurc 7y ago
I went to a state school, and as an EE undergrad I got the sense that anyone who couldn't hack EE switched to CS and anyone who couldn't hack CS dropped to IT or something else. Clearly both fields are equally complex and challenging, but I got the sense there's something particularly asymmetric and grueling about the EE curriculum.
- shagie 7y ago
  (long time back) I went to a state school and went CS, though I had several friends in ECE (electrical and computer engineering). The difference between the classes we took is largely summed up in: * They took more math and physics than I did. * They had fewer CS electives than I had. * I had more 'breadth requirements' outside of of the core major than they did * They had to maintain a much higher GPA to remain in the engineering college * They had classes that involved a soldering iron and hours spent in front of mentor graphics (to the point it was nicknamed 'tormentor graphics') The EE/ECE curriculum may have changed since then. It probably has. However, (at least at my alma mater) the engineering college is still as selective as always while the CS department unanimously voted that they won't cap enrollment (and instead figure out how to get larger lecture halls and more sections as needed).

aphextron 7y ago

Multiple UC campuses have ABET accredited software engineering BSE degrees.

sys_64738 7y ago

Real engineering is not the same as software engineering. There is no engineering in software as no designer signs their name to their code and is legally responsible for when it crashes and goes wrong. Real engineers are.

SkyPuncher 7y ago

That's because for decades any type of "engineering" degree required the curriculum to include extensive physical science - thermodynamics, statics, advanced physics, etc. Pretty much a waste of time for an entirely virtual field.