How to Go to Grad School for Computer Science With Liberal Arts Degree
Computer science is one of the hottest fields today. Its growth exceeds the average for all other occupations in the United States by more than double, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and past 2029, more than than 531,200 new jobs in the field will be added.
This is great news for people interested in a computer science career, and even more and then for those considering earning a principal's caste in CS along the way. Graduates who earn an advanced degree in figurer science see the biggest return on their investment , adding an extra $30,000 to their annual salaries with some of the highest-paying reckoner scientific discipline jobs .
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Whether you lot have a technical or non-technical background, here's what y'all need to know.
"Jobs in computer science are both competitive and not, which tin be disruptive to understand," says Ben Hescott , an associate dean at Northeastern Academy's Khoury College of Estimator Sciences . "Big companies like Amazon and Facebook are always in a country of hiring and constantly have open positions. But in that location are too a number of specialized and advanced jobs that go unfulfilled because companies are looking for very specific people with very specific skill sets."
Information science Career Options
Because informatics is pervasive in all industries, the career possibilities for advanced degree holders are endless. Some mutual career paths include:
1. Computer and Data Systems Manager
Average Bacon: $146,360 per year
Individuals in these roles plan, coordinate, and direct reckoner-related activities in an organisation. They help determine the information technology goals for the organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet these goals. This career requires additional experience beyond a bachelor's degree, Hescott says, which is why it'due south a pop career option for those with a master'south in information science.
2. Reckoner and Information Research Scientist
Average Bacon: $122,840 per year
These professionals design new engineering science and investigate ways that existing technology can be repurposed to solve modernistic bug. Computer and information research scientists apply theoretical concepts to design new software and figurer architecture, invent new languages and tools, and conduct experiments to examination the efficacy of the technologies that they design. If yous accept an involvement in how technological advancements can solve complex problems, this type of role might be for yous.
iii. Software Development Engineer
Boilerplate Salary: $114,125 per twelvemonth
The most popular job that graduates move into is software development, Hescott says. Software development engineers, besides called SDEs, lawmaking and build software in a multifariousness of industries, either independently at startups or every bit function of a team inside larger organizations, such as at Google or Amazon.
iv. Data Scientist
Average Salary: $113,309 per year
Data scientists design information modeling processes to create algorithms and predictive models and perform custom analyses in a variety of industries. Considering data science is a quickly growing field, skilled professionals are deficient, leading organizations to rely on professionals with avant-garde degrees, Hescott says.
5. Software Programmer
Average Salary: $107,510 per year
Software developers create applications that permit people to practice specific tasks on a reckoner or any other device. They analyze users' needs, and so design, test, and develop software to meet those needs. Organizations hiring software developers are drawn to mixed caste-holders—meaning those with an undergraduate degree in something other than informatics—Hescott says. Large pharma, for case, might seek a candidate who has training and experience in pharmaceuticals in addition to an advanced degree in informatics.
6. Information Security Analyst
Average Salary: $99,730 per year
Data security analysts plan and deport out security measures to protect an organization'due south figurer networks and systems. Hescott identifies this function as one instance of a career that requires a graduate degree. "We're starting to meet more undergraduate programs in cybersecurity pop upwardly, but generally these roles crave a principal'south degree," he says.
7. Database Administrator
Average Salary: $93,750 per year
Database administrators, besides called DBAs, ensure that organizational information is properly stored and organized so that it is both secure and easily attainable to data scientists and data analysts. These individuals develop new databases and maintain existing databases, making changes as needed to heave efficiency. Database administrators are expected to be proficient in common database direction software and database languages such as SQL and need to possess strong belittling and problem-solving skills.
Computer Science Bacon and Job Outlook
According to the U.South. Bureau of Labor Statistics , the median annual bacon for all estimator and information applied science occupations is $88,240, which is more double the median annual wage of all occupations. Seeing that this figure includes entry-level jobs, the boilerplate salary for master's caste holders in the field is significantly college at nearly $103,000 .
In addition to higher salaries and increased career opportunities, figurer science graduates also savor chore stability as the demand for qualified information science professionals grows. The BLS predicts that computer and information technology-related jobs will grow by 11 percent between 2019 and 2029, which is significantly higher than the boilerplate of v per centum for all occupations.
As the number of available computer science-related roles grows, so does the need for qualified individuals to fill up them. Individuals hoping to enter the field should consider pursuing an advanced degree to farther their technical noesis and gain the relevant skills that employers are looking for.
The Value of a Primary'south in Information science
An advanced degree in informatics is attractive to—and frequently a necessary requirement for—organizations hiring for those hard-to-fill positions, Hescott says.
Students who pursue a master'southward degree in information science enroll in a program for ii reasons: They either hold a bachelor'south caste in calculator scientific discipline simply are looking to specialize in a specific area, or they hold a bachelor's degree in an alternative field of study and want to pursue a career change.
"[In] Northeastern's main'southward program, for example, we have students who have a computer science background and are excited about specializing in cybersecurity, information scientific discipline, or artificial intelligence," he says. "Those jobs require advanced degrees and specialized training."
Careers in data science and careers in cybersecurity, for instance, typically require advanced degrees considering merely a small pct of colleges and universities offer grooming at the undergraduate level, Hescott says.
"There only aren't that many undergrad programs that offer sufficient training in these areas just yet, which is why businesses rely on candidates with avant-garde degrees in these specializations," he says.
Hescott besides works with many students who want to pursue a main's in information science but hold bachelor's degrees in an alternative bailiwick, such every bit the natural sciences. They may have taken a computer science class or two equally an undergraduate and want to concentrate on data science, for example, to reenter the workforce in another subject area.
"Nosotros've had students who studied political science every bit an undergrad and want to pursue artificial intelligence to improve detect terrorism," he says. "That's one of many examples of people who have existing domain knowledge and whose careers tin be boosted by learning skills like data analysis."
For the latter subset of students—those seeking a career alter or are investing in computer science skills to bolster their electric current career—Hescott recommends seeking out a program that caters to them. Northeastern, for example, offers the Principal of Scientific discipline in Information science Align plan, which provides non-calculator-scientific discipline majors with a direct path to a main'southward caste.
"Computer science touches every single industry, and there are more and more professionals who are seeing the value of computer science skills and how they could be valuable in their career," he says.
Pursuing an Advanced Caste in Informatics
With jobs in computer science poised to abound in the years to come, people seeking new skills through a master'due south degree volition be armed with a unique competitive reward and ample opportunities for career advancement in this field.
"One of the mantras nosotros accept in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences is that information science is for everyone—whether you're looking to learn new skills or desire to brand a career change," Hescott says. "The peachy matter nigh a Main's in Reckoner Scientific discipline is that you can specialize in exactly what you like and combine information technology with near any involvement you have."
Browse through Northeastern'due south Main's of Computer Science program page or the due east-book below to learn more near how this degree can help you on your path toward a summit information science career.
Editor's annotation: This article was originally published in May 2019 and has since been updated for accuracy.
Source: https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/computer-science-career-options/
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