Computer Science has something for everyone!

When considering pursuing a college degree, it is important to learn what the chosen discipline can offer and the outlook of its job market. If you have found computing devices, ranging from personal computers to hand-held devices, indispensible in your life, maybe it is worth the time and effort to find out if computer science is for you and why it should be your first choice.

If you are still having a hard time making the choice, please contact Charlene Tsai (ctsai@iona.edu) for more information.

• What is Computer Science?
• Cool Things to do with Computer Science
• Careers in Computer Science
• Computer Science FAQ

What is Computer Science?

So, what is computer science? It is not just about keyboarding. It is in-depth study of computer technology, involving both hardware and software, to advance the development of all disciplines imaginable. This is what makes computer science such an exciting field!

Cool Things to do with Computer Science

So, what are the major fields that benefit from computer technology directly?

• Entertainment, such as computer gaming and movie production
• Communication, such as mobile devices and data networks
• Medicine, such as computer-assisted surgery, prosthetics, and medical imaging
• Art, such as digital art and virtual reality
• Transportation, such as automated trains and mapping and location detection (GPS)
• Defense, such as surveillance and military training
• Environment, such as environmental monitoring and meteorology
• Archaeology, such as digitization and 3-Dimensional restoration of archaeological objects

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Careers in Computer Science

• Computing Degrees & Careers: Today's High-Tech Growth Is Tomorrow's High-Tech Boom!

"The need for computing professionals and executives right here in the U.S. is growing as companies become more global. Almost every major challenge facing our world is turning to computing for a solution, from conquering disease to eliminating hunger, from improving education to protecting the environment."

• Are all the high-tech jobs outsourced to India and China? The numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) certainly tells a very different story.  According to BLS projections in 2006, occupations in computer and mathematical science related field are expected to grow by about 24 percent over the next decade.

• According to the Occupational Employment Projection between 2008-18  made by BLS: "Computer and mathematical occupations are expected to add 785,700 new jobs from 2008 to 2018, and, as a group, they will grow more than twice as fast as the average for all occupations in the economy, according to projections. It is anticipated that computer specialists will account for the vast majority of this growth, increasing by 762,700 jobs."

  The median wage for computer software engineers with a Bachelor's degree is estimated to be more than $51,540

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Computer Science FAQ

• Is Computer Science for you?

Are you creative? Do you embrace challenges? Do you want to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want a high-paid job? If your answer is yes to any of the questions above, you should definitely consider computer science as your major. The Association for Computing Machinery   has produced few excellent brochures to help you in making an informed decision.

• Isn't Computer Science all programming?

The short answer is "No". Computer Science is about problem solving in all disciplines. It is not about what we use to solve a problem, but how we solve it systematically, even with just pencil and paper. Since many of the problems that computer scientists are interested in are large-scale real-world problems which may take hours, if not days, to solve manually, good programming skill is essential to efficiently automate the computation.

 

• How does Computer Science relate to Scientific Computing?

Researchers in scientific disciplines—such as geology, physics, and biology—increasingly rely on computational methodology to make advances in their respective fields of study by performing large-scale simulation and modeling. For example, geologists use computers to predict earthquakes, mathematical physicists use computers to model atomic dynamics, and neuroscientists use computers to study aging process and effects of prosthetic devices. Computer Science is the field that meets the computational needs, in terms of hardware and software, of all other scientific fields and its own.   

 

• What are the "Top 10 Reasons to Major in Computing"?
1. Computing is part of everything we do!
2. Expertise in computing enables you to solve complex, challenging problems.
3. Computing enables you to make a positive difference in the world.
4. Computing offers many types of lucrative careers.
5. Computing jobs are here to stay, regardless of where you are located.
6. Expertise in computing helps you even if your primary career choice is something else.
7. Computing offers great opportunities for true creativity and innovativeness.
8. Computing has space for both collaborative work and individual effort.
9. Computing is an essential part of well-rounded academic preparation.
10. Future opportunities in computing are without boundaries.

• Other commonly asked questions
• Didn't the opportunities in the field disappear when the dot-com bubble collapsed in 2000?
• Aren't all high-tech jobs moving to India and China?
• Won't salaries for computing professionals fall as companies turn to cheaper labor overseas?
• Aren't computing jobs solitary and boring?

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