<p>Also, Stanford and Berkeley are good for computer science, so
1. Which do you think is best (Irvine (the software engineering program types) or Berkeley/Stanford (computer science program types) for me, who's planning to be software engineer?</p>
<ol>
<li>How important is ABET? (concerning future jobs)</li>
</ol>
<p>I've also read that most UC's focus on the theoretical side of computer science but Cal Poly (Pomona/SLO) prepares you for the technical/useful in jobs side of computer science. Also, that if I'm going to enter grad school, it's better to go to a UC.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How important is grad school for finding/getting a job?</p></li>
<li><p>Can anyone advise me which schools are best for my major? (I want to apply to Berkeley, USC, Irvine, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, Stanford, UCSD)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks to those who respond!!! I know I have a lot of questions and I really appreciate you helping!!!</p>
<p>first of all ,there’s no best school.
it depends on the student ,the one who works harder will get the better results.</p>
<p>there’s something you need to realize before starting college ,it’s not just about the academic standards ,you need to love the campus buddy because otherwise you will hate yourself while in college.</p>
<p>my advice :
go to all those universities you have mentioned above and make a visit ,ask the students and check the classes too then decide.</p>
<p>don’t worry about the education quality ,because Stanford,UCLA and Berkeley have a really good reputation and you will not suffer finding a job after graduation.</p>
<p>that’s my advice ,I don’t know if others agree with me :)</p>
<p>Probably good to disambiguate software engineering (the field of work) from Software Engineering (the major at various schools). Most people with the title Software Engineer (like turbo93) probably have their degree in CS.</p>
<p>SE has fewer math and CS theory requirements. It is generally easier and is viewed by more competitive employers as less desirable. Despite the name, it has more in common with business management theory than with any recognized engineering discipline.</p>
<p>A bachelor’s is usually enough to get a well-paying job writing software. A graduate degree can help in some subfields. Graduate programs will also generally look more favorably on a CS degree, including graduate programs in SE.</p>
<p>I suspect UC Irvine came up as the top Software Engineering school in California because it’s one of the few schools that offer a separate “Software Engineering” major in addition to the more common Computer Science major. Most schools don’t offer a Software Engineering major, and the vast majority of software engineers working today (myself included) have computer science degrees.</p>
<p>1) Stanford and Berkeley are obviously among the schools with the most highly regarded computer science departments, but UC Irvine is no slouch either. Regardless of which school you choose, in the long run, I believe you’re better off going with a traditional computer science program over a software engineering one.</p>
<p>2) I’ve been working in the tech industry for the last seven years and I’ve not once heard ABET accreditation mentioned – not once. Yeah, I’ve also heard the line about how the UCs are more “theoretical” and that Poly is more of a “hands-on”, practical education, and while there may be some kernel of truth to this, I suspect it’s been been greatly exaggerated. I took a look at SLO’s undergrad computer science program and they still require students to take a theory of computation class (which tends to be a very theoretical course that most students hate).</p>
<p>3) Grad school helps for the more selective companies, but it’s usually not a requirement for software engineers. At my current company, for instance, it’s very common for our systems engineers to have doctorates, but it’s quite rare among the software engineers.</p>
<p>4) I don’t know much about Cal Poly Pomona, but all of those other schools you listed are known to have good computer science programs so any one them should put you onto the path to a successful career as a software engineer. I think you should visit the campuses, look at the different courses they have to offer and choose the school that you think you will be the happiest in.</p>
<p>Among California public universities, only UCI, CPSLO, and SJSU offer a “software engineering” major (alongside a usual CS major).</p>
<p>ABET accreditation hardly ever matters per se in CS, although it can be used as an indication of the CS major meeting a minimum standard (although there are non-ABET accredited CS majors that are good, such as those at Stanford and Berkeley (L&S CS)). The situation where it may matter per se is if you want to go into patent law.</p>
<p>Computer science is probably the gold standard if you want to get a job as a practicing software developer. Software engineering, as others point out, focuses more on business processes.</p>
<p>Other degrees - especially STEM degrees - may be useful in developing abilities which could make you a good programmer, but they will miss topics of interest and use to most software developers: discrete mathematics, algorithms analysis, computer systems, theory, etc.</p>
My title is Senior Software Engineer and my education is undergrad and grad CS…</p>