Which computing pathway is right for me?

CS + X: COMPUTER SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE!

Art and Design // Telecommunications // Business Operations // Education // Software Development // Medical Technology // National Security // Alternative Energy // Video Production // Automation and AI // Music Technology // Media Forensics // Game Design


> What do these have in common? All depend on people with computing know-how to design and test useful products that satisfy real needs.

> Worldwide, economists predict that the number of computing and information technology jobs will grow much faster than other fields over the next ten years.

> Individuals with associate’s, bachelor’s, and graduate degrees in computing earn some of the highest starting salaries.


Do you want to help build the next generation of smart phones, interactive robots, medical technology, or wearable technology?

COMPUTER ENGINEERING (CE) professionals design digital hardware and software, such as wearable computers, smart phones, digital players, internet alarm systems, high-tech body scanners, and even laser surgical tools. CE specialists also integrate hardware and software to improve existing technologies.

Would you like to invent apps and software that help solve real-world problems?

COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS) professionals create software for a broad range of human needs and problems. They design the software in medical technology, mobile devices, social networking sites, financial systems, forensic-analysis tools, and much more. CS is the foundation for many different computing careers.

Are you the one everyone calls when they want their own website or when their computer acts wonky?

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) professionals support, troubleshoot, and design elements of the IT infrastructure — from websites to networks — in all kinds of organizations, businesses, government entities, schools, hospitals, and more. IT specialists combine technical knowledge and practical, hands-on expertise to support an organization’s technology and the people who use it.

Do you see the big picture from need to solution?

SOFTWARE ENGINEERS (SE) see the whole picture too, identifying user needs, meeting customers’ budgets, and designing and testing usable software. SE specialists use communication skills to interface between customers and programmers. Software engineering courses are offered both within computer science and computer engineering programs and as separate degrees.

Are you interested in understanding how computers can make businesses work better?

INFORMATION SYSTEMS (IS) specialists design and manage computing systems that help large and small organizations achieve their goals. IS professionals combine business and computing knowledge with communication skills to build technical systems that work. Most IS programs are found in business schools.

Do you have a keen attention to detail? Can you tell a good story? Are you curious about how people interface with an app, a system, or a product?

USER EXPERIENCE (UX) careers involve the science of exploring human-computer interaction, examining how people (users) experience technology. UX careers are among the fastest-growing and most exciting occupations in the industry. There are several pathways of UX opportunities, but the most common jobs are UX researchers and UX designers. UX researchers analyze the behavior, needs, and patterns of users to ensure that customers are having a positive experience. UX designers are involved in the creation and design of products to make sure they’re accessible and user-friendly.

Do you like a good challenge and want to help companies, schools, and the government keep their information safe?

CYBERSECURITY professionals, or information security analysts, plan and develop measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. A cybersecurity analyst’s primary responsibility is to thwart hackers from stealing important online data and information through cyberattacks and to ultimately protect our privacy.

Cybersecurity career pathways are diverse, and jobs in this field can be found everywhere, including the retail/fashion industry, corporations, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, the military, and government organizations.



Partnership for Advancing Computing Education (PACE)

Find out more at https://jobs.acm.org.

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