<p>
</p>
<p>Ask a simple question, get a simple answer…not.</p>
<p>Here’s how it works in the Real World:</p>
<p>(1) For engineering work subject to state regulatory oversight, then no, a computer science degree will typically not be considered an engineering degree under state law. </p>
<p>This is because CS degrees lack appropriate professional accreditation from ABET/EAC. State laws normally define professional degrees on the basis of professional accreditation; e.g. law degrees are expected to be ABA-accredited, and medical degrees are expected to be AMA-accredited. There are similar rules for engineering degrees.</p>
<p>But in practice, people with computer science degrees don’t normally do work that would be subject to state regulatory oversight. So this condition rarely applies.</p>
<p>(2) For engineering work exempt from state regulatory oversight, then yes, a computer science degree may be considered an engineering degree. </p>
<p>This is because in the absence of regulation, the individual and/or the employer get to decide whether or not a given individual’s degree qualifies as an “engineering” degree. So depending on company policy, the programmer with a CS degree can be a “software engineer”. For that matter, the English major in the marketing dept. can be a “sales engineer”, and the janitor in the basement can be a “maintenance engineer”. </p>
<p>That’s how it works in practice. But let the theoretical discussions continue.</p>