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20 Most Useless College Degrees 2023[^]
Quote: 5. Computer Science
Pursuing a computer science degree may appear to be a promising path towards a thriving career post graduation. However like many of the most useless college degrees, computer science is a challenging degree to use after you graduate.
This is because a general computer science degree is broad just like a degree in communications. Some students enter computer science to get a job in coding, information technology, or cybersecurity. However there are specific programs for these career paths that look much better on a resume.
Upon completing a computer science degree, you might find yourself uncertain about the next steps to take. To get a job you may require higher education in your field or more specific education and focus in an area like coding or cybersecurity. You may instead find yourself looking for a job with your current education and experience, which may prove unsuccessful.
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Checks out.
At least in my case, I got into the field at 18 during the dotcom boom.
I whiteboarded my way through panel interviews to get my initial positions until I had the experience to do what I wanted regardless of my lack of formal education.
Check out my IoT graphics library here:
https://honeythecodewitch.com/gfx
And my IoT UI/User Experience library here:
https://honeythecodewitch.com/uix
modified 25-Sep-23 8:50am.
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edsmart.org. Now there's a voice of authority. 
/ravi
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Notice the degree programs are listed alphabetically. CS is not (necessarily) the 5th most useless degree even on their list.
Also "most useless" appears to mean "not leading quickly to employment" rather than "not helpful." This may have more to do with every employer of CS grads being on a continuous unicorn hunt for 10x developers and less to do with the value of the degree curriculum. It may be a valid complaint about CS degrees that it's hard to break in to that first job. CS is like medicine in that it requires some supervised apprenticeship after graduation. Only the tech world doesn't provide that.
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Got mine in 1992, it was important then.
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Great way of saying that, succinctly.
Jeremy Falcon
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Got mine as a MS combo of CS, Math and SD (Systems Design & System Analysis) in 1978.
Loved it. Worked for me.
Not sure it works these days, but CS alone would not be enough.
"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
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Early on a lot of the Specialties that are in demand now did not exist. Evolution in the industry is fast enough that the Basic CS degree isn't enough. But we learned the theory, best practices, and how tos. Then we built the Specialties from the ground up.
Even then in CS101 first day, the professor asked for a show of hands. "Who here has experience coding in procedural languages?" After 90% of the class raises their hands, he says - "It is the opinion of this school that you are all ruined for practicing coding in the future. Object Oriented languages will be that future." They didn't even teach any object oriented languages at the time.
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Guilty of having one myself ... proved quite useful to make a living .
Probably the best thing I learned was how to learn... but this is probably true for most college degrees, me thinks.
Mircea
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Mircea Neacsu wrote: Probably the best thing I learned was how to learn... but this is probably true for most college degrees, me thinks.
That was the best skill for me too. (electronic engineer with automation and software development as specializations here)
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Don't have a degree in CS. Am a Mechanical Engineer. Learnt coding on the side. Therefore my code is often a mechanical engineers way of coding. As Shakespeare has said, 'The Rude Mechanicals' in his Midsummer Night's Dream.
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I work with someone with a similar background, except he doesn't code primarily. He can code, but he leans on me for the hardcore stuff. 
Check out my IoT graphics library here:
https://honeythecodewitch.com/gfx
And my IoT UI/User Experience library here:
https://honeythecodewitch.com/uix
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How can that be? I'm assuming the study programs are not "static" for 4 years. Or do you still have to learn Pascal? And who wants to program that hasn't already?
"Before entering on an understanding, I have meditated for a long time, and have foreseen what might happen. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly, secretly, what I have to say or to do in a circumstance unexpected by other people; it is reflection, it is meditation." - Napoleon I
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Was this article written so that they can display ads on that webpage ? Ads to Online Bachelors Degree --- University of London
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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Switched to Computer Information Systems from CS after one math class. Got the degree I needed to open doors. Beyond that, it was basically useless for actual IT work.
Hogan
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So, the last paragraph says, essentially, the degree isn't enough, you require more higher education.
From my perspective...having the degree shows you can put in the work - based on my experience, it helps to weed out those who just heard the field pays well and that's the only reason they showed up (literally what I've heard from some people). The very first semester rid us of 2/3 of people who registered. More we as progressed.
Of course, by the time I graduated, most of what was taught was obsolete. Still, I'd rather have coworkers who have the foundation to build their careers upon. "Learn how to learn", as others have written...
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dandy72 wrote: Of course, by the time I graduated, most of what was taught was obsolete.
By the time I finish a project, the tools are generally obsolete! 
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I totally agree, but I do have to say one of the best interviews I ever gave was with a PhD in comp sci. This dude was so cool and knew his stuff. Best interview ever. Granted, he didn't want to the job (can't blame him ), but while that's not a total guarantee a PhD will know their stuff... I gotta say this dude was good. So there is a level where I think things go against the trend.
Jeremy Falcon
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I have a BS in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT. Graduated in 1985. I've long felt that most computer science degrees are worthless because they don't teach hardware and the types of tradeoffs needed to make computers operate.
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First of course there is 'degree inflation'. Everyone thinks that because they have a degree it is better if everyone else does. Myself I don't think one should need a degree to be a manager at McDonald's. On the other hand I would prefer that my heart surgeon does have one.
Second, a programmer that has nothing but a degree, can't program. But a person with nothing but an electrical engineering degree can't build products either. Both need actual work experience. And even then they will need hand holding up until 5 years of work.
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There's no such thing as a job "in coding," and Computer Science is indeed the right path towards it.
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i agree
"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
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Got mine in 1988. Didnt matter as much for the first out-of-school job, but for a job in the defense contracting world, a BS was absolutely required (as a minimum).
Also, I think having a degree shows you have a level of stick-to-it-ness, you put the time in, showed up for class, did the work, studied, passed the tests. Something to be said for that IMO.
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My first degree was a BS in EE. Then later I studied on my PhD in Adult Learning (all but dissertation). Then I got my MA (equivalent) in Language Psychology, and only then did I go back and get my MS in CS.
Today, I use the knowledge from all 4 university studies daily as a hard-core C++ MFC programmer 40 hours a week and have done so since 2012. It is completely exhilarating. Education rules.
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Bachelor degrees in Computer Science are mostly "useless" today due to Artificial Intelligence. In order to succeed in CS these days, you almost need to have low-level Electrical Engineering driver development skills or the ability to not just use AI but to create AI. Without a strong understanding of how AI works and the ability to train new models without Auto ML, you may find yourself taking a backseat to those with very little IT training as they use ChatGPT and/or Low-Code/No-Code tools. This isn't necessarily in the best interests of the corporations embracing these new technologies, but Low-Code/No-Code is the trend.
More than three decades ago, my Birth Father warned me about the dangers of AI and the Communist Party of China. As a young child, I had no idea what he was talking about. I just figured he was overreacting. I was sure the world would be destroyed by nukes and even had nightmares about ICBM nukes landing on U.S. soil. Turns out, I should have listed to my Birth Father more.
I did try getting a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, but I washed out and almost became a music major. My Birth Father got pretty irritated with me about that (and other things). Ultimately, I graduated with Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and it has been a mostly "useless" degree [1]. If you want to go the CS route, you should probably at least get your Master's degree. Better yet, go Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering or BS in Electrical Engineering, BS in Physics or BS in Mechanical Engineering. Sure BS in Physics is hard to market, but as far as I know, it's still one of the few degrees in which you can actually demonstrate you know something that most people don't...
NOTE: Code Project will probably flag my post as SPAM for review. As a loudmouth conservative Republican that desperately needs a good Grammar/Spell Checker, I get censored a lot.
[1] - I don't think Snowden graduated from college prior to getting hired on at the CIA...
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