29 June 2015 Computer Science and Engineering 1 Why Study Computing? Computer Science Computer Information Systems Computer Engineering Department of Computer

April 18, 2023Computer Science and

Engineering 1

Why Study Computing?

Computer ScienceComputer Information Systems

Computer Engineering

Department of Computer Science and EngineeringThe University of South Carolina


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Questions You Should Ask(If You Haven’t Already)

What is computing all about?

Will there be jobs?

How much will I get paid?

Will I enjoy what I do?

(Why should I study computing at USC?)


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Why Study Computing?

Jobs: Numbers, salary, satisfaction

Lifestyle: No boredom, great toys

Lifestyle: Do computing AND your second love

What’s the educational path?

(What information are students getting in high school?)


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Jobs


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Jobs

Computing = two-thirds of all jobs forecast in all of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)

Computing = six of the ten fastest growing job areas

Roughly 1 BS graduate for every three jobs

In engineering, physical and life sciences, there will be more graduates than jobs.


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Total Openings in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics


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Supply and Demand—New Degrees vs. Job Openings (numbers in 1000s)


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Job Projections


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Overall Employment Projections2006-2016

Employment Change, 2006-2016Total

openings

Employment code and title 2006 2016 Number Percent 2006-2016

15-1000 Computer specialists (total) 3200 4006 807 25.2 1524

15-1011 Computer and information scientists, research 25 31 5 21.5 12

15-1021 Computer programmers 435 417 -18 -4.1 91

15-1031 Computer software engineers, applications 507 733 226 44.6 300

15-1032 Computer software engineers, systems 350 449 99 28.2 150

15-1041 Computer support specialists 552 624 71 12.9 242

15-1051 Computer systems analysts 504 650 146 29.0 280

15-1061 Database administrators 119 154 34 28.6 47

15-1071 Network and computer systems administrators 309 393 83 26.9 154

15-1081 Network systems and data communications analysts 262 402 140 53.4 193

15-1099 Computer specialists, all other 136 157 21 15.1 57

17-2000 Engineers 1512 1671 160 10.6 505

19-1000 Life scientists 258 292 33 12.8 103

19-2000 Physical scientists 267 309 42 15.7 109


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Fastest Growing Occupations2006-2016

Employment Change, 2006-2016

Employment code and title 2006 2016 Number Percent

15-1081 Network systems and data communications analysts 262 402 140 53.4

15-1031 Computer software engineers, applications 507 733 226 44.6

13-2052 Personal financial advisors 176 248 72 41.0

21-1011 Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors 83 112 29 34.3

13-2051 Financial analysts 221 295 75 33.8

19-4092 Forensic science technicians 13 17 4 30.7

15-1051 Computer systems analysts 504 650 146 29.0

15-1061 Database administrators 119 154 34 28.6

15-1032 Computer software engineers, systems 350 449 99 28.2


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How Much Will I Get Paid?

Computer science has traditionally been in the top tier of all occupations

National average starting salary (BS) is about $60,000

The fastest growing jobs in computing are also among the highest paying jobs

“Computer and mathematical” is third highest paying of all occupational groups


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Lifestyle and Satisfaction


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Will I Enjoy What I Do?

“Software engineer” was rated the most satisfying job of all

“Computer/IT analyst” comes in number seven

There is satisfaction in doing well a difficult job that is constantly changing

Computing changes from one year to the next

Computing is not one job – it’s many

Look for your personal niche


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Job Titles and Areas in Computing

“Computer systems analyst”

Web applications interfacing with databases

Scientific computing

Sensors, embedded systems, and wireless

Networking

Computer security and information assurance

Games, multimedia, animation


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Okay. I’m sold.

I want to do computing.

How do I get there?


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The Basic Game Plan

1. A solid technical background – because you won’t be able to fake it.

2. The ability to read, write, and present technical information – because the CEO is likely to be a nontechnical person.

3. The ability to work with people – because nearly all projects are bigger than just one person can do.


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What’s Your Second Favorite Thing?

Most people don’t just work on the computer—they use the computer to do something else.

Computer engineers deal with computing hardware, real time, and the outside world.

Business applications people do business.

Computer scientists can do math, music, science, animation, graphics, biology, law …


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Not just to be trained and get Microsoft/Oracle/Cisco certifications

But to be educated in computing

Not to learn to be a lifelong programmer

But to know programming so you can manage programmers ten years from now

Not to be trained on today’s Package A

But to learn how to re-educate yourself with Package B in 2010, Package C in 2011, Package D in 2012, …

Your Goals


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Why Study Computing at USC?

Three different majorsB. S. in Computer Science

Supporting courses in an application area

B. S. in Computer Information SystemsMinor in Business Information Management

B.S. in Computer EngineeringSupporting courses in electrical engineering


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Pathways to a Computer Science Degree

“Traditional” university attendance

Technical colleges university programs

Military education university programs

About ¾ of the USC undergraduates have part time jobs in computing


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SC Pathways and Clusters


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Computing in South Carolina

Computing is not in the STEM Pathways cluster

The IT cluster is heavily skewed to 2-year degrees and certifications

“Programming and Software Development” in the IT cluster is an entry-level job, not a career path.

“Computer science” almost doesn’t exist in SC K-12 education.


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SC Occupational and Salary Data

IT Occupational DataSelected IT-Related Occupations in South Carolina

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.projectionscentral.com, based on data availability as of October 31, 2008 ^ U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2007 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (by state), http://stat.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htmMind Wide Open is a trademark of Cisco Networking Academy.

Occupation

Employment Employment Change

Average Annual

Openings

Occupational Employment

as of May 2007^

2006 2016 Numeric Percent

Computer Support Specialists 4689 5519 830 18 250 4450

Computer Systems Analysts 4468 5504 1036 23 234 4740

Network and Computer Systems

Administrators 1824 2359 535 29 104 2330

Network Systems and Data Communications

Analysts 2317 3765 1448 62 293 2130

Computer and Information Systems

Managers 2348 2703 355 15 101 2440

http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20024.htm

http://stat.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm

You can earn a competitive salary.

Average IT and Networking Salaries in the U.S.

$46,370

$78,830

Computer Support Specialists

Computer Systems Analysts

$69,570

$73,830

Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts

Source: BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_nat.htm#b00-0000

$118,710Computer and Information Systems Managers

http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_nat.htm#b00-0000

IT/Computing Guidance Strategies

• Teach students the Career Decision Making Process (CGM)

• Help students/parents understand “lifelong learning”• Team with your Regional Career Specialist• Encourage “shadowing” (Connect2Business,

Microburst, and Groundhog Shadowing Day)• Emphasize the importance of “trans-cluster thinking”• Stress SCANS/21st Century/soft skills mastery• Differentiate between SCTCS options and 4-year

degree focus• Reference “High Wage, High Demand, High Skill”

occupations on career information on SCOIS, Kuder, O*NET, and http://test.occsupplydemand.net/

http://test.occsupplydemand.net/


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www.cse.sc.edu

[email protected]

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

University of South CarolinaColumbia, South Carolina 29208

803.777.2880

http://www.cse.sc.edu/

mailto:[email protected]


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The End


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Some Jobs in Computing

Computer security/information assurancePreventing attacks on the networksAuthenticating accessVerifying the integrity of dataProsecuting criminalsPublic policy(And some headaches dealing with people who

just don’t understand!)


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Sensors, embedded systems, wireless, and networking

GPS, RFID, iPhone, Blackberry, smart homes, freeway traffic monitoring, biometric identification, smart credit cards, …

Issues of power, device failure, communications distance, mobility, real-time operations


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Scientific computingSmall in terms of number of jobs, but very high in

salary and job satisfaction (and lots more jobs than people available)

Dept of Energy (Los Alamos, Livermore, Oak Ridge, …), NASA, NSA, NOAA, …

Seismic processing in the oil industryAirplane and auto industriesPharmaceuticals

A roughly equal mix of computing, applied mathematics, and discipline science


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Computer systems analyst“I know you think you understand what you

thought I said, but I don’t think you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Web apps and databasesEveryone wants applications to be browser

enabled, with desktop clients, uniform interface, complete security, etc.


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A Long-Term IT Labor Shortage ExistsFraction of professionals with degrees in that discipline:

Source: NSF/Division of Science Resources Statistics, SESTAT, 1999, presented by Caroline Wardle at Snowbird 2002

Life Sciences Chemical and Physical Sciences

Mathematics Engineering Computing andInformation Science

Fraction of disciplinary graduates employed in that profession:

Life Sciences Chemical and Physical Sciences

Mathematics Engineering Computing andInformation Science


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While your friends next to you will spend their lives dealing with the same old boring 9.8 m/s2 and the same old boring set of elements,

you will be working in a field changing so fast it would be like a chemical engineer’s having to start with a totally new periodic table every five years.

Lifelong Learning


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Compared to my university’s computer when I was a graduate student, my laptop is

15,000 times cheaper

10,000 times physically smaller

with 500 times more memory

and 1000 times more hard disk

and is 1500 times faster

Storing Microsoft Vista on a disk takes about 1.4 million times more space than was present on the lunar landing module on 20 July 1969.

The World Changes

Documents

29 June 2015 Computer Science and Engineering 1 Why Study Computing? Computer Science Computer Information Systems Computer Engineering Department of Computer