I doubt you'll find any company that hires solely based on a degree. They all have an interview process designed to force you to prove you actually know how to

I doubt you'll find any company that hires solely based on a degree. They all have an interview process designed to force you to prove you actually know how to code. Some use in-person interviews, some require code samples, but all require proof, and a degree is never proof in this field. So no, I don't think he has hurt his career at all. Maybe slowed down the initial job, but with a decent portfolio (which he'd need anyhow) then his second job will be right back on track.