Computer Science vs. Software Engineering

College Majors Math/Computer Science Majors
1

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>Incoming high school senior here. I was doing some college research and was initially interested in applying to San Jose State University for Computer Science, but I calculated my Eligibility Index and found out that I'm below the Computer Science eligibility index. Then, I saw that there was a Software Engineering major offered and my Eligibility Index is well above the Eligibility Index for the Software Engineering major. So I'm definitely considering applying to SJSU with a Software Engineering major. </p>

<p>My questions are: Which major has more jobs in the Bay Area? Are the salaries the same for computer science and software engineer majors? If I'm interested in going to grad school for a CS degree, will I be able to do that through taking CS electives along with getting a Bachelor's in SE in SJSU? If I end up continuing the SE route for grad school, will I get a better job? </p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

2

<p>The majors are fairly similar, except that SE has more software engineering methodology courses, so that there is less room for CS topics courses.
<a href=“http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/CS-section-1.html”>http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/CS-section-1.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/SFTE-section-1.html”>http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/SFTE-section-1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It is possible to change major after entry, but it is not clear how difficult it is to change from SE to CS.
<a href=“http://cs.sjsu.edu/Programs/cs_advis/cs_advise.html#Change_of_Major_Requirements”>http://cs.sjsu.edu/Programs/cs_advis/cs_advise.html#Change_of_Major_Requirements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.sjsu.edu/careercenter/employers/salary-data/Salary%20Survey%202012_2013.pdf”>http://www.sjsu.edu/careercenter/employers/salary-data/Salary%20Survey%202012_2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt; lists high pay levels for graduates of both majors, but with very small sample sizes.</p>

3

<p>Job-wise, it won’t matter if you have a degree in CS or SE. I don’t see getting a SE degree as hurting your chances at grad school, either.</p>

4

<p>@ucbalumnus‌ Thanks for the links. It seems as if there’s not a huge change in salaries with CS and SE. I will definitely apply for a SE major. </p>

<p>@simba9‌ As long as it won’t hurt my chances, I’ll definitely consider doing grad school for SE. Thanks.</p>