Welcome to the next installment of Mythbusters: Computer Science Edition! It’s time to debunk Myth #3: CS only gives you technical skills that can lead to one kind of position.
When people think about computer science, words like “software engineer” and “big tech” come to mind. While working as a software engineer at a company like Facebook is definitely something you can do with a Computer Science degree (and many Yalies do), it’s certainly not the only kind of job out there for a CS major! The technical skills you gain in computer science can lead to a diverse array of jobs.
Many Computer Science majors go into data analytics roles at companies ranging from startups to multinational corporations. These kinds of jobs usually require analyzing a big dataset to answer questions or solve problems. To analyze really large sets of data, you have to write lots of code to process it! If you’re interested in data analysis, you can take electives on “Big Data” to sharpen your focus in the major.
Computer science isn’t only about software–there’s lots of hardware involved, too! One of Yale’s foundational CS courses, Intro to Systems Programming and Computer Architecture, teaches you the basics of computer hardware (think transistors and chips). If you find this interesting, there are other advanced electives that take a deep dive into hardware design. Hardware-focused jobs abound at companies at chip-making companies like Intel or Nvidia.
Research is another area of interest for CS majors. Computer science is a rapidly-evolving field that is shaping our world today. All Computer Science professors at Yale run their own research labs, and most of the Teaching Fellows for CS courses are graduate students working in computer science-focused labs. There is a plethora of research fields in CS, and going to grad school or working at a research company like Bell Laboratories is a definite career option.
Finally, if you’re interested in software engineering, Computer science will give you the skills to tackle a position at a big tech company or a burgeoning startup. Your courses will teach you the fundamentals of computer science and give you a deep understanding of what’s going on behind the code. You’ll also develop a great work ethic that will help you tackle problems in the real world. The sky’s the limit!
