<p>My son, who is a jr. and I were having a discussion about potential career pathways for him. He is very interested in SE, but his true passion lies in the creative arts (music, comedy, comedy writing, drawing). </p>
<p>So, my question is, do you think it's possible to take a creative bent (3D animation, sound quality, game design) in a software engineering job?</p>
<p>I have no doubt he can get through the program and do the math and all - that's actually his strong point. But, I think he'd be bored if he couldn't incorporate some of his more creative talents.</p>
<p>Definitely, but I think you’ll want to think about a very small firm or an entrepreneurial role. At a large firm, there won’t be any process for software engineers to give creative input.</p>
<p>Be careful of game design majors. A regular CS major with elective CS courses in graphics, user interfaces, and artificial intelligence, and elective non-CS courses in art and animation would likely be better, since even game companies’ job listings tend to ask for people with CS degrees far more than they ask for people with game design degrees. And the person with a regular CS degree can seek other CS jobs as well as game jobs.</p>
<p>My S1 is just like your S, Momom2. He is a senior and already began his college application process. At first he wants to just major in game design but now he agrees that CS will be a better choice for him, since he is also very strong in math and science subjects. A CS degree will definitely has more job choice in the future.</p>
<p>Thank you all for these responses. I suppose once he is in the SE or CS major he can choose his electives based upon what interests him at the time.</p>
<p>Computer science and mathematics are incredibly creative endeavors, and if your son doesn’t appreciate this, he might be in for a surprise when he gets to college. Truth is beauty, and beauty is truth.</p>