“We are at the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which represents a transition to a new set of systems, bringing together digital, biological, and physical technologies in new and powerful combinations. These new systems are being built on the infrastructure of the digital revolution.”
Insight Report, The Global Information Technology Report 2016, Innovating in the Digital Economy
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-best-careers-in-tech-2016-1/#no-10-software-architect-1
The widespread use of digital technologies – computers, email, internet, electronic games, videos, social media and apps – many aspects of our lives are driven by ICTs and computing processes.
It has already profoundly changed the way people live their lives from even our parents’ youth – with online shopping, smart home devices, friendship and dating apps, studying and e-learning online, virtual socialising and gaming, media/news consumption patterns on mobile devices and even health and lifestyle apps abound!
We are living in the Digital Age. Computing is part and parcel of all aspects of our 21st century lives. Computer graduates are the people who theorise, design, develop, and apply their software and hardware knowledge for the myriad programmes we use on all our devices and the roles for their skills are growing daily.
Computer science is the third most popular study area for international students going to university in the United States alone. There are many reasons for computer science’s popularity including the range of jobs on offer, the high starting salaries for graduates and a dazzling array of job openings.
So why study computer science?
Computer science covers vast swathes so of terrain – coding, technical engineering, business processes and communications among just a few. Graduates armed with a computer science degree can find work as programmers, coders and software developers, for starters.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/12/it-jobs-skills-shortage-canada_n_9440872.html
So why study for a Bachelor in Computer Science,
what might it entail?
Computer science studies cover technology software and hardware. It is one of the world’s largest diverse fields and the knowledge, skills and attitudes gained on a computing course are immediately applicable and in great demand across almost every sector of today’s technology rich universe.
The field of computer science divides into a host of sub-disciplines, most of which are full-fledged specialised disciplines in and of themselves. The field of computer science spans several core areas: computer theory, hardware systems, software systems, and scientific computing.
Students can choose to study some sub-disciplines with varying levels of specialisation, depending on the university they attend and can continue to do specialise at Masters, Doctoral and post-Doctoral levels. Here are a few possible areas of specialisation computer science students can pursue:
- Software Development
- Software Systems
- Artificial Intelligence
- Database Design
- Data Management
- Computer Engineering
- Operating Systems
- Simulation And Modelling
- Computer Programming
- Mobile Development
- Web Development
- Parallel Programming
- iOS Development
- Memory Systems
- Bioinformatics
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/work-in-nz/nz-jobs-industries/information-technology-jobs
Ten reasons why Computer Science is a hot degree subject:
1. Students requested the course, it is a student-inspired initiative!
MIUC students recognise the value and importance of computing in their day-to-day lives so they requested it! Computing is at the cutting edge of innovation – often right across the board but especially in the science fields but also its shaping engineering, business, entertainment and education. If you want to make a positive difference in the world computing is where things are at.
Check here for details about MIUC’s new Bachelor in Computer Science course that starts in October 2017. Information will be uploaded as and when it becomes available: https://miuc.org/academic/undergraduate/ba-international-business/
2.Computing is everywhere in our lives today – and in the future there’s AI and the IoT!
Computing is ubiquitous in our everyday lives. We use laptops, phones, social media, digital data, smart apps and websites without batting an eyelid. A Computer Science graduate develops the skills of analytical, creative and critical thinking to assess all the latest developments in our professional and personal lives. We are now facing into huge challenges in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Big Data and the Internet of Things!
3.Computing expertise solves challenging problems
Everything that is measurable can be digitally stored. Therefore huge amounts of data is being generated every single day. Being able to analyse and learn from all this data is a real challenge in the IT sector and students will be able to identify how to address and solve real-life problems based on data, as well as create value through innovation and technology management. Why study computer science? It requires and develops capabilities in solving deep, multidimensional problems.
4. Self esteem and job satisfaction
There is quite an exciting feeling you’ll experience when you see your code flop and you have to improvise and experiment to solve the bug. Once you see your website or app in its finished state you’ll feel serious accomplishment and it’ll be a great confidence booster. What’s more for people who like computing challenges you not only get a kick out of doing this but you will be really well paid for it too.
5. Lucrative careers
Computing jobs are among the highest paid in the world and employees report some of the highest job satisfaction. Check out the figures anywhere you like: http://www.payscale.com/research/IE/Degree=Bachelor_of_Science_(BS_%2F_BSc),_Computer_Science_(CS)/Salary
Graduates in professional roles earn on average £23,144 a year in the UK. Compared to other degree majors – just take a look at ‘What do Graduates Earn?‘ – www.prospects.ac.uk systems developers in senior management roles earn between £45,000 and £70,000 a year.
6. International mobility
There actually are more computing jobs than qualified people to fill them in the United States today. And it’s not the only country. From now until 2022 projected job growth rates of between 12% to 37% in computing and information technology occupations are expected in the USA. If you consider the expected growth in computing, it’s easy to see that companies simply need more talent. The World Economic Forum in a 2014 report listed the top 10 countries for embracing IT as:
- Finland
- Singapore
- Sweden
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Switzerland
- The United States
- Hong Kong SAR
- The United Kingdom
- The Republic of Korea
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/04/top-10-countries-embracing-information-technology/
7. Diverse roles, diverse people
Computer Science graduates will be snapped up in roles in the gaming industry, app design, medicine and hospitals, and even security analysis. The options are endless. The roles are diverse, the people in IT are international in outlook and highly mobile. Not only that but university degree programmes in computer science attract a culturally and linguistically diverse student cohort. As with all our programmes at MIUC a diverse cohort means you’ll be exposed to different cultures and potentially finish university with an international network of contacts that you will have for the rest of your life.
8. Team work and individual roles rewarded
Computing has space for both collaborative work and individual effort. Computing is often about being part of a team that requires people with many different kinds of skills. Yet there is also plenty of space for individual flair and imagination.
9. A computing degree in English will stand to you all your life
Having a computing degree in the language of computing/IT/business/the internet will provide you with a foundation of knowledge, problem solving and logical thinking that will benefit you no matter what sector you choose to work in. An increasing number of universities and employers see successful completion of a computer science course as a sign of academic well-roundedness. Better still if it also comes with fluent English as it’s the lingua franca of the computing world!
10. You can freelance, strike your own work-life balance anywhere you like
After you’ve gained your Bachelor in Computer Science you will know things like how to code. You will have the knowledge to become a freelancer yourself and start your own business to bring to life the websites, mobile app ideas, and other business opportunities that interest you. You can set up in a hot-desk environment, work from home or from your hammock in the Caribbean (provided you have a good internet connection!). When a friend comes up with an idea for an app or you want to code a website your degree opens up opportunities to do it yourself. You will have no need to invest in hiring somebody to code it for you.
http://www.ourspace.work/marbella.php
Leading consultancy firm to the world’s most influential businesses and institutions, McKinsey & Company, said in a 2016 report:
“The automation of work and the digital disruption of business models place a premium on leaders who can create a vision of change and frame it positively.
“How disruptive will accelerating workplace automation be for organizations in the future? For decades, businesses have deployed technology to reduce costs and complexity, make better products, and develop new business models. But the new potential of artificial intelligence and advanced robotics poses major new challenges for leaders as they seek to reset their strategies for a digital age.”
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-best-paying-tech-careers-2016/
Check our BSc in Computer Science:
Author: Mary O´Carroll
