Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering!

re: Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering!

Sério Silva — Tue, 09 May 2006 13:43:53 GMT

I couldn't agree more. I've so many times seen alleged "experts" and "consultants" without a formal degree working in large projects with no clue and its always up to the good guys to pull it through in the end sometimes having to rewrite a double check every thing that gets commited by the other guys...
Software engineering should be treated as civil engineering or medical professions, it often carries the same degree of responsabilities so it should be also be subject to the same rules for the professionals.
Here in Portugal the title of Engineer is regulated by an oficial Engineer's Order but unfortunatelly while there is rules that specify that to build a bridge you need some accredited Civil Engineers, to build a software control system for a nuclear plant does not require a accredited Software Engineer...

re: Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering!

Mitch Denny — Tue, 09 May 2006 14:08:59 GMT

Wow Dave, I should just get out now.

re: Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering!

Mikie — Tue, 09 May 2006 17:36:03 GMT

Do you have to have a degree to be a good developer? No. You need a mix of practical and theoretic/academic skills, but they can come from anywhere. The real key to being a good developer, or any other professional, is continual professional development.

re: Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering!

Jeff Parker — Tue, 09 May 2006 18:31:06 GMT

Well I agree and Disagree. I think there should be an outside of college certification. Kind of like the Bar Exam for lawyers or the CPA for Accountants, something you must maintain after college. As far as requiring a degree, well thats pretty much useless and dumb. I have a degree in CS. Everything I learned there does not apply to today's world. Not one bit. Shows age, but when I started toward my degree, ala punch card programming. When I finished my degree, Ada 83 one of the first OO languages had just been accepted by schools, this was in 89. UML wasn't even known Schools are also typically years behind current technology. Also when you start down your CS path you typically enroll in a program and your next several years of classes are laid out in front of you. Course changes as new technology is introduced typically is only to newer student who in 4 years are really 8 - 10 years behind.

Can you honestly say that someone that starts school here in the fall this year, that probably already has a schedule and have signed up for early registration of classes and goes there for the next 4-5 years and comes out will be ready to professionally program in the technology that will exist 4-5 years from now. Look at where we were 5 years ago. Now 10 years, now look at that person 20 years from now technology will be so far past what we are currently teaching. As many things that have changed in the last 15 years since I graduated basically made everything in college useless now. In fact when I got out I was so far behind in technology in early 90's really the only thing that was behind as much as I was, was a government job as they move as slow as colleges. I had to then teach myself things like C++ and I continued to teach myself things like Java, HTML, XML, SQL. I mean think about that XML is big now but to the student that graduated just in 2000 XML wasn't in any college curriculum. While college teach some principals. I agree several principal are better now than when I went. When I went there was only one path by the time I graduated there was two a Networking path and a programming path. There are more now.

I know students that are graduating now this very year worried about a job. Employers want .net experience, when they started .net 2002 which came out in I think Novemeber wasn’t even out yet. Most of them only played with it all their experience and knowledge is in principals in other older languages. 2006 now. .net 2.0 the colleges here still aren’t even looking at C#. Also on a side note you have a ton of people in the industry now they their degrees are in other fields. You expect them to go back to school work on older technology and get another degree? Frustrating, to hear. When I have college professors coming to me to learn the things you are talking about. Real life CS and college CS are two completely different things. Now I am not against anyone going to school and getting a degree in CS and I definitely do not think it will hurt them in anyway. But to make it a requirement….. nope instead I think it should be something like the Bar exam or CPA something like that something applies to real world current technology and requires you to do continuing education like the CPA requires accountants to stay up on finance laws. That would be much better than a degree.

Interesting Finds

Jason Haley — Tue, 09 May 2006 22:13:16 GMT

Why you need a degree is CS or SE

AlfredTwo — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:33:54 GMT

Interesting article from David Lemphers on Why you should have a degree in computer science or computer...

re: Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering!

Keith Knight — Wed, 10 May 2006 03:57:32 GMT

Always a controversial topic!

Like Jeff I agree and disagree. IMO getting a degree can be extremely valuable if approached the right way – you learn the fundamentals - stuff like: algorithms, OO, databases, basic design/architectural concepts, good software process. These are technology agnostic, you can take them with you throughout your career and apply them to any platform/technology/language/toolset. You also get into the mindset of continuous personal development and learning.

That said, sweeping generalizations are always dangerous. I know a lot of really talented developers who don't have any formal qualifications. I know a lot of people with degrees in CS who couldn't code their way out of a cardboard box. I also know a lot of people with degrees who are absolute gun developers... not sure how much of a correlation there is between having a degree and being a good developer? I'm not sure if mandatory formal qualifications will solve the problems we have in our industry?

Also, the uni entry cut offs for CS are also so low these days that just about anyone can get in. I'm not long out of uni (~3.5 years) and from what I've seen, it’s pretty easy for people to coast along, not really learn anything and come out the other end with a degree – much the same as it is possible to just memorize some brain dumps and get certified. You only get as much out of a degree (or certification) as you put into it.

RE: the comments about uni curriculums not being up to date, I think it depends largely on the uni. I have heard of many uni's with archaic curriculums. That said, I graduated in December 2002 and my course included things like database design, web services, XML/XSD, OO fundamentals, OO development in Java, J2EE, UML, software engineering/process concepts, basic architectural stuff like n-tier, design patterns etc. All of that was and still is very relevant.

I think you left the 'nt off the post title

Peter B — Thu, 11 May 2006 03:35:52 GMT

Good thing you didn't visit a hospital or we would all have to go out and get operated on. There is room for degree qualified people in our profession however there is a requirement for people not tainted by the fixed approach of a University. In practice, Job 1 is more influential than a 3 or 4 year degree. Whilst my 20 years in IT as an unqualified (unwashed) participant makes me prejudiced I hire people and do not seek degrees if there is relevant experience. I have found the unqualified end up being the leaders, the qualified the followers.

Why people should get a degree in CS or SE

Computer Science Teacher — Fri, 12 May 2006 08:06:46 GMT

Interesting article from David Lemphers on Why you should have a degree in computer science or computer...

Why you should have a degree in computer science or computer engineering: my 2 cents

STEFANO DEMILIANI WeBlog — Fri, 12 May 2006 10:34:44 GMT

You need a degree to be any good at anything!

Technical — Fri, 12 May 2006 11:39:14 GMT

Working in IT in the Silicon Fen area, I'm always coming across a real bias
towards people with degrees....

Craig Bailey on Visual FoxPro » Blog Archive » SOFTWARE: Dave Lemphers on getting a degree

Sun, 04 Jun 2006 05:13:50 GMT

PingBack from http://craigbailey.wordpress.com/2006/06/04/software-dave-lemphers-on-getting-a-degree/

David L s Blog Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or | Portable Greenhouse

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:22:26 GMT

PingBack from http://portablegreenhousesite.info/story.php?id=5555

David L s Blog Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or | work from home

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:38:01 GMT

PingBack from http://workfromhomecareer.info/story.php?id=6709

David L s Blog Why you should get a degree in Computer Science or | debt solutions

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:19:38 GMT

PingBack from http://debtsolutionsnow.info/story.php?id=1464