Do I Need a Computer Science Degree to Be a Software Engineer?

1. Sound theoretical understanding, though time-consuming 

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Computer Science graduates have the longest study duration, though courses typically offer a good theoretical foundation. Many Computer Science graduates also perform well at work in the long-term because of their foundations in theoretical computer science. This helps them solve more complex problems as more senior software engineers.

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2. Less practical exposure

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Courses usually include two to three software-related internships for practical exposure. This practical exposure is often less than that of bootcamp graduates and self-learners, whose focus is on learning practical skills.  

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3. Appealing qualification for entry-level jobs

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Computer Science graduates are the most in-demand for entry-level roles. Recruiting departments of bigger tech companies tend to screen explicitly for Computer Science university degrees, because that applicant pool tends to be more competitive with stronger candidates overall. 

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4. Institution reputation matters

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A Computer Science graduate from a less reputable university may not perform as well as a bootcamp graduate with a non-Computer Science degree from a top university. Outcomes across all methods of learning software engineering discussed in this article are generally closely correlated with past performance, even though they may be some outliers.

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5. Less practical for career switchers

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If you’re looking to transition industries, undertaking a four-year university degree may be a costly and time-consuming endeavour. Many career switchers instead choose to learn basic coding or programming through coding bootcamps.