Computer Science vs Software Engineering: How to Choose?

The terms computer science and software engineering are often thrown around interchangeably. But, when you’re considering earning a degree and setting up your life’s career path, it pays to know the difference between computer science vs. software engineering.

Whether you are choosing your major, applying for jobs, or just interested in learning the differences between the two related subjects, we are going to share what there is to know in this article.

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What is Computer Science?

Let’s start with a few definitions. A computer science degree program provides knowledge about computer theory, applications, and architecture. Computer science is the study of computers and computational systems, to put it simply.

What is Software Engineering?

Although similar to computer science, a degree in software engineering is a lot different than one in CS. Software engineering degrees equip students with skills and knowledge to apply engineering processes to both computer hardware and software.

The degree focuses on analysis, modeling, and mathematics so that software engineers can manage and build computer systems.

Main Differences Between Software Engineering Vs. Computer Science

As you can already tell, the focus of each degree is different. Let’s break down the differences by the categories you’ll need to know about so you can make the decision that’s most aligned with your interests and goals.

Degree Focus

Software engineering provides a more practical focus, which teaches students how to design and maintain software systems. Software engineering courses include machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer security, amongst others.

Computer science is a bit more theoretical as it is geared around computation theory and wider topics. Students in computer science will learn programming languages, machine learning, information security, and database management, to name a few subjects.

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Career Expectations

When you choose your major, you’re likely envisioning your future career. Computer science degrees provide students with the ability to gain a variety of positions in the field, which tend to span those related to information technology, computer programming for web design purposes, and IT roles.

Software engineering is a bit more narrowly focused as compared to computer science. As a result, graduates with software engineering degrees tend to fill specialized roles that are centered around developing software programs and applications.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the field of computer and information technology research scientists is expected to grow much faster than average at 22% between 2020 and 2030. This is the same rate of growth that’s expected for software developers and testers.

As you can see, both of these industries are in high demand because the world is increasingly dependent on computers, technology, and applications across industries and personal use cases.

What  Computer Science Job Opportunities?

The distinction between software engineering vs. computer science may become more clear when we look at different job opportunities based on each field.

Here’s a look at some common computer science job titles:

• Product manager: Product managers are responsible for leading teams of engineers to create new technology products. They not only have immense knowledge of technical functions, but they are also great communicators, leaders, and organizers.

• Cybersecurity analyst: Cybersecurity analysts are trained cybersecurity professionals who understand IT and network infrastructure security on a deep level. Their goal is to prevent cyberattacks.

• Business analyst: Business analysts work closely with business stakeholders to develop best practices regarding data collection. They oversee and analyze processes to see how they can be improved.

As you can see, computer science roles often combine their business, technical, and computer science knowledge to improve processes, protect technical infrastructure, and improve functions.

Software Engineering: Job Opportunities

Software engineering jobs tend to be much more hands-on and specialized in their goals. Some job titles include:

• Software engineer: Software engineers apply engineering principles to build products, create network control systems, or develop video games. They have a deep knowledge of programming languages and may operate on the front-end (client-facing), back-end (server side), or full-stack (hybrid).

• Database administrator: Database administrators oversee databases to ensure that they run smoothly and are secure. They organize systems to store and search for data types and manage access controls.

• Mobile application developer: Mobile application developers produce software that is used on mobile devices. Think about every app you open on your phone– mobile application developers are to thank for that!

Earning Your Degree Online

Once you decide which path is right for you, you get to decide where to earn your degree. If you’re looking to earn your degree online, the University of the People offers degrees in computer science. They are tuition-free, entirely online, and accredited. That means you can learn at your own pace and choose when and where you wish to earn your degree.

If you’re already working in the field or want to increase your knowledge and skills without enrolling in a degree program, we also offer certificate programs. For computer science, you can choose between earning a certificate in data science or a certificate in network and application security. 

Final Thoughts

As you now know,  there are many nuanced differences between computer science vs software engineering. If you’re more interested in computational theory and computer systems, then computer science is the way to go. It opens the door to a broader array of job titles. However, if you want hands-on and specialized knowledge of software engineering and wish to work in those positions, then software engineering will be a more useful degree or certificate to pursue.