In a Junior dilemma: Dual in CS w/ Math or Dual in CE w/ CS

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I don't know what to choose for my major and its going to affect my greatly as to my college selections. I just wanted to deal with computers, programming, or anything related to numbers. I looked into computer engineering and looked like something I'd like. However through the past few days, it seems to me that a job as a computer engineer won't last over 5 years. So after that, my degree in BOTH CS and CE will be useless. And then comings Mathematics.</p>

<p>Through the past few days, I was looking at NYU and thought that its a pretty awesome university. I realized that they had a damn good mathematics program and a computer science program. I haven't thought about math a lot but I realize that I do love math :]</p>

<p>In the end, I'm stuck in this dilemma:</p>

<p>Should I go with Major in Computer Engineering and Computer Science or Major in Computer Science and Mathematics.</p>

<p>Mathematics is more adaptable to jobs (i.e. teacher, mathematics, statistician). But is my information true? Does a degree in CE and CS "expire" in 5 years?</p>

2

<p>Why does a CE/CS degree expire in 5 years? Because of outsourcing? I’ve been hearing about outsourcing since I was a junior in high school and I’m going to graduate from college next month.</p>

3

<p>It depends on the curriculum for each program. Is the CS degree more inline with CE or Math? What is the time frame for each option, any overlapping classes, etc? </p>

<p>I am also curious about the five years expiration date. Having a CE degree and Math minor, I did not know that I had an expiration sticker on me.</p>

4

<p>Its what students who graduated told me. They said within 5 years, your boss would probably fire you for the new hotshot who graduated out of college with knowledge of the new computer technologies. I was just wondering if its true.</p>

5

<p>Just speaking from personal experience I would say BS.</p>

<p>What keeps you employed is staying up with the new technologies, which in some cases the new graduates might already be up to speed on. Yet, staying current with new technologies and such is almost expected to staying employed, and it is not solely found in the engineering disciplines. Nurses and doctors must attend annual training seminars and such to stay current and employed in their fields.</p>

6

<p>Those students who told you about that “expiration date” are probably trying to discourage you from majoring in CS – so that you won’t be the “new hotshot” that replaces them in 5 years, lol.</p>

7

<p>Those new students won’t learn so much new stuff that you’ll be out of a job.</p>

<p>However, you might want to take some up to date software classes when you are working to keep up with the competition.</p>

8

<p>If your “CS” classes consisted of taking .NET, PHP + Other hot of the moment technology then you will be out of a job as soon as those technologies are out. If you study theory and software development you will have a job because these technologies are just different tools to apply the same theory – you just read a new manual and go.</p>

9

<p>I think you should make sure that you can make it through one of those majors before planning on studying two of them.</p>

10

<p>If I were you I’d personally stay away from doing both CS+CE, simply because you will be killing yourself with the workload. Computer engineering is the most intense engineering program you can take at many universities. CS is not an engineering program at most schools, but the amount of workload and the rigor of the curriculum are often comparable to the engineering programs. </p>

<p>My advice is to try and make a choice between the two and do a math minor or something. It depends on what your interests are. CS would be more software-oriented whereas in CE you would be doing a lot of hardware–learning stuff like circuit design, VLSI, CPU design.</p>

<p>In CS basically you can take two paths–the first is the more theoretical/science, dealing with things like discrete mathematics, number theory, algorithms, and theory of computation. The second is more applied/engineering oriented, where you do take theory courses-ex. algorithms, discrete math, logic- but most of the later courses are applied, such as software design, database management, project management, networks, artificial intelligence, graphics, robotics programming, etc where you apply the theory.</p>

<p>I guess for a clearer example it is kinda like the difference between physics and mechanical engineering, although from my observation there is less of a connection between these two fields than there is between applied and theoretical computer science. </p>

<p>In physics, you pretty much keep going with the abstract, theoretical, pure science stuff which keeps getting more and more advanced as you go on, whereas in MechE you learn the parts of physics that are useful for the field like thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and most of the later courses are where you apply those principles-for example, control systems, instrumentation, and design. </p>

<p>So, yeah, find out what you really like-and if you want to do both by all means go for it!</p>