<p>This is a question for folks who are currently employed as engineers. I know at least a few of you post here.</p>
<p>Is a Computer Science major considered an engineering major?</p>
<p>Would a computer software person be considered a computer software "engineer"?</p>
<p>Could someone be considered an "engineer" while they are pursuing their undergrad degree in computer science (this is a traditional 18-22 year old student...not someone older reentering college)?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I’m still in school, but just a question: why do you only want people who have jobs to answer? I fail to see how that is a bona-fide qualification for answering this question. Just my two cents.</p>
<p>(It strikes me sort of the same as saying “I know some of you are men, so can only the men answer,” or “I know some of you are white, so can only the white answer,” etc. Perhaps you could explain why only employed people should answer a question which anybody can research pretty extensively on the internet; my school’s software engineering program is accredited the same as any other engineering, and CS is accredited by ABET’s computing board; [What</a> is software engineering](<a href=“http://www.bleading-edge.com/Publications/C++Journal/Cpjour2.htm]What”>What is software engineering) ; [ACM:</a> Ubiquity - What is Software Engineering?](<a href=“ACM Ubiquity”>ACM Ubiquity) ; [The</a> profession of ITIs software engineering engineering?](<a href=“http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1467247.1467257]The”>http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1467247.1467257) ; etc. ad infinitum.)</p>
<p>Computer Science majors frequently get jobs in software engineering but they can go further in theory too. The issue of whether it’s engineering is debatable. I personally think that it is.</p>
<p>A computer software person isn’t necessarily a software engineer.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t consider an undergrad student an engineer.</p>
<p>In logic, debate and argumentation terms, attributing something to the person outside of facts and logical arguments is improper. But an appeal to experts is a valid approach when things are gray. [summary of Copi, Introduction to Logic section]</p>
<p>I think this old topic has been rehashed enough in the literature and on these forums that most interested parties have something constructive to say.</p>
<p>And I stand by my fundamental position… that unless you back up what you say with sources on these forums, everything anybody says is garbage anyway. I posted some links to sources that people can evaluate for themselves. You claim to be an expert, but at the end of the day, nobody knows.</p>
<p>To clarify, I suppose my real problem with the OP’s implication is this:</p>
<p>Being employed in the computing field does not make you an expert on the topic the OP is asking for opinions on. There are certain qualifications that might make one more or less able to address this question: there are researchers who have published on the matter, there are educators who concern themselves with it, there’s an accreditation board the concerned members of which may be able to shed more light on.</p>
<p>If the OP, or anyone else, can explain how being employed is a bona-fide qualification for having an informed opinion on this matter, by all means, let’s hear it.</p>
<p>Auburn, I’m asking an honest question. Is computer science considered engineering? AND would you folks…any of you…consider someone an “engineer” while they are pursuing their undergrad degrees.</p>
<p>Anyone can answer my question. It doesn’t have to be a currently employed engineer. So shoot away. I didn’t mean to offend you.</p>
<p>Of course, someone in undergrad shouldn’t be called engineer or computer scientist. When people do call them that it is purely just a way of calling people, and it has nothing to do with their profession. </p>
<p>That CS is engineering is another question entirely; CS as a science is not engineering (for example, doing research on the heavily theoretical problems such as vertex cover, graph theory etc, they are used widely in applications but rarely “created” by engineers), but I think applied CS is very much engineering. Whatever the case, undergrad programs in CS are equally heavy in workload (or even heavier, depending on what we’re talking about here) as engineering programs and many schools place it under their engineering departments.</p>
<p>Oh, I don’t find fault with the question, just the request that only people employed respond.</p>
<p>My personal opinions are these: that computer science is not engineering and should not be engineering, that software engineering is much closer to engineering and should be engineering (though it may take some more work before it gets there all the way), and I would not consider a student of any subject to be whatever title the completed study of the subject would confer (student of history -> historian, student of engineering -> engineer, student of physics -> physicist, etc.)</p>
<p>What did you think of my links?</p>
<p>I’ve read the links before. Thank you. I wanted to get some more comments. I agree with you…an undergrad has a lot of chustzpa (nerve) referring to themselves as an engineer when they have NO degree at all…even if they are working on one. </p>
<p>And I agree that certain jobs in CS are more “engineering” in nature than not. But still…I would not call myself an “engineer” if my degree was in CS. But that is my opinion.</p>
<p>Thank you for responding.</p>
<p>Well, I feel that a graduated software engineer (with an accredited degree in software engineering) should, in theory, be considered an engineer, for whatever that’s worth. In reality, the field of SE may not be as mature as would be ideal, but despite such shortcomings I feel that that field is fundamentally part of engineering.</p>
<p>Computer science… well, it’s not engineering, but then again neither are physics, biology, chemistry, or mathematics. In reality, CS programs are more applied than they should be, but over time I believe this will be made less of a problem.</p>
<p>Well one consensus I see here…while IN undergrad school, regardless of the job one has, it would not be probable that an undergrad student (working on their first undergrad degree…age 18-22) would be an “engineer”.</p>
<p>Is that correct?</p>
<p>Yes, I agree with that.</p>
<p>Well, unless they’re also working as an engineer in the field, without a traditional engineering degree. I mean, it depends… but in general, I would say that your average engineering student does not count as an engineer.</p>
<p>Sorry OP, but this question is really stupid.</p>
<p>It isn’t like labeling something as engineering makes it more difficult or worthwhile.</p>
<p>I don’t remember the OP ever implying “engineer” was better than “scientist”. In fact, I think that many would argue the opposite was true. He’s just asking about technicalities, as far as I can tell.</p>
<p>Oh come on, the only reason why people ask this question is to gauge how worthwhile studying computer science is.</p>
<p>This may help to answer the question.</p>
<p>[Software</a> engineering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_engineering]Software”>Software engineering - Wikipedia)</p>
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<p>Here is a similar question: Are industrial engineers real engineers?</p>
<p>science-kit…you are VERY wrong about your assumption. I am asking this question because of someone who said they had “been an engineer” for four years during their undergraduate studies in Computer Science. I honestly do NOT feel they could have been an “engineer” WHILE studying for their first bachelor’s degree…and between the ages of 18-22. This person was a student. </p>
<p>I have the fullest respect for both computer science AND engineering majors. And I do also see some overlap in their jobs.</p>
<p>Next time you have a question about an OP…ask it…don’t make an assumption. You were wrong.</p>
<p>Not this debate again…</p>
<p>I’m sticking with thumper on this one. As long as you don’t say it or imply it, I’m cool. And as anybody who’s been here a while knows, it doesn’t take much for me to see an implication.</p>
<p>It’s an interesting philosophical question as to whether CS is science or engineering. It’s also a somewhat interesting question whether students of a discipline can be called by the professional title associated with the discipline.</p>
<p>The way I look at it, you need a degree of some description to assume the title. It varies from discipline to discipline, but a lot of jobs require at least a bachelor’s (some may require an associate’s or a technical degree, such as plumber or electrician).</p>
<p>i think that i’m acting as an engineer while typing up this post</p>