<p>Hey all...I want to work for a company like Google one day, or MS, etc. However, I had a question. Most of the schools I applied to are good for comp sci. Is it better to get a BS in comp eng even if the school is known for comp sci? What do you all suggest if I want to work for a company like Google for ex. What steps should I take in college. I was thinking a BS in Comp sci for I heard u can get the job of a computer software engineer with a BS in comp sci. Please give me your input</p>
<p>Definitely there will be atleast some correlation between CS and C.Eng because of the fact that they have some overlap, prime example is UIUC. This isn’t always the case, so you should make sure to take every school into special consideration.</p>
<p>Other than that, if you like to program, but you also like the hardware side of things, engineering seems like something you should do. If you want to only design software and learn the actual workings inside of the circuit board (as in, the theory of it) then clearly you should take CS. Neither one is better than the other really, though I think C.Eng would make you more versatile although there are a lot of jobs that require extensive knowledge in software, something that maybe only CS and IT students will acquire (had to make sure I mentioned this before AuburnMathTutor does).</p>
<p>Basically, there’s no clear answer. See which you like better.</p>
<p>What is UIUC? Also, if I take enough comp eng classes as a minor along with comp sci as my major i can get a degree in comp eng too, no?</p>
<p>“Is it better to get a BS in comp eng even if the school is known for comp sci?”
- I wouldn’t say it’s better or worse in general. It probably depends on the person. If the school’s better known for CS, what makes you think it would be better to major in CompE?</p>
<p>“What steps should I take in college.”
- Get good grades and have good extracurriculars, including work experience. I think they do a lot of internship things that are very competitive. Get involved in some of that.</p>
<p>“I was thinking a BS in Comp sci for I heard u can get the job of a computer software engineer with a BS in comp sci.”
- I’m not sure that you can get all of them, but I guess that this would be true of most of them. I can’t think of a better major (outside of CS/SoftE/IT) for people who want to be software engineers.</p>
<p>“make sure to take every school into special consideration.”
- Good point by hadsed.</p>
<p>“Other than that, if you like to program, but you also like the hardware side of things, engineering seems like something you should do.”
- If you like hardware, CompE may be a better fit. Also, if you don’t like math and theory, then CS might be a poor choice.</p>
<p>“Neither one is better than the other really”
- Concur.</p>
<p>“though I think C.Eng would make you more versatile”
- Funny you should say this. My friend and I were discussing this the other day. Our conclusion - he’s a CompE by the way - is that, generally speaking, CompE makes you jack of all trades but ace of none. Now, I don’t mean to imply that CompE is a bad choice… just know that you are trading some depth for breadth (compared to CS and EE).</p>
<p>“had to make sure I mentioned this before AuburnMathTutor does”
- Great. Now my thunder is stolen.</p>
<p>“Basically, there’s no clear answer. See which you like better.”
- Depending on where you go, you could start in CompE and switch to CS if you decide you like theory. Problem with that is you won’t be exposed to theory until late in a CS degree, and you won’t be exposed to (much) theory in CompE at all. At least you could see whether or not circuits were your bag…</p>
<p>“What is UIUC”
- University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, I believe.</p>
<p>“Also, if I take enough comp eng classes as a minor along with comp sci as my major i can get a degree in comp eng too, no?”
- I doubt many places allow you to double major in two subjects so closely related. Even a minor is doubtful. Check your institution’s rules.</p>
<p>With regards to not being exposed to theory until late in the degree, I have to disagree, at least for my experience at Carnegie Mellon. They hit us with an especially hard theoretical course, “Great Theoretical Ideas in Computer Science” in the second semester. By this point, a good number of freshmen are also taking Data Structures and Algorithms.</p>
<p>^ I guess it depends on where you go and what you count as theory. The point, though, that you need to see which way will give you broader exposure, to help you make up your mind, is a good one, and that your institution’s curricula will determine this is definitely something to keep in mind.</p>