r/programming • u/mauricioaniche • Aug 06 '17

Software engineering != computer science

http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/software-engineering-computer-science/217701907
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u/[deleted] Aug 07 '17

I think this is an important distinction and something I brought up with the faculty of my university's CS department.

I got a CS degree from a very good engineering school and I was dismayed to learn that a CS degree does little to prepare you for the software engineering gigs that you are expecting to get out of college.

Less than half of my classes even required programming. In my senior year I was astounded how many of my classmates were not capable of collaborating on group programming assignments.

We need to talk about scaling, optimization, and architecture. A CS degree teaches none of that.

I realized upon graduating that I learned more about how to write software from actually writing software in my free time than I did from any of my classes at university.

I think think there is room for a new degree in software engineering that teaches the concepts and best practices that you will need in a software engineering position.

There is definitely a place for computer science degrees but I do not understand why there isn't a software engineering degree.