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Aaron Escalante
Dr. G. Jimmy Chen
CS 1030
December 6th, 2016
Final Exam Essay

Is Computer Science Any Good?

Computer Science, when compared to other field of studies such as English or
Philosophy, is relatively new area of knowledge. However, that didnt stop it from becoming one
of the biggest, most ground-breaking studies of the modern century. It consistently ranks within
the top 10 and even top 5 of best college majors in websites such as Think Advisor, The
Princeton Review, and many others. That would of course attract the attention of many collegebound students to get a degree in this major andthen what? What exactly does one do with a
Computer Science degree? The answer is very broad as there are a lot of different routes to go
when talking about computer science such as software development, videogames, computer
security, and countless others.
First, software development and the many jobs associated with it. Software development
is for those who like to design or maintain applications or systems that people use on a daily
basis for work or pleasure (Software Engineer Insider 1) as well as learn multiple computer
languages and create some fascinating applications. (Software Engineer Insider 1). This
emphasis within Computer Science contains several careers, each with different descriptions. A
webmaster, for instance, are in charge of the technical side of the creation of a website which

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includes coding the site itself, creating email and communications for the site, as well as making
alternate versions of the website for different devices (e.g. Tablet, Smart Phone, Desktop). They
also manage data collected from the site as well as any troubleshooting errors that may occur, all
in the name of making the website run more efficiently. Having a job in database administration
or architecture, another field in Software Development, involves the creation, modification, and
troubleshooting of data management systems as well as transferring data between different
systems. They also have a hand in the data integrity, security, and backup of systems. Then
theres the job Business Software Developer which, as the name implies, has to do with software
development regarding business applications. This job involves designing solutions in business
such as search engine optimization, asset management, security programming, and website
creation/maintenance. These are but a few careers in one of the routes one gains access to with a
degree in Computer Science.
Next, another career path in the field of computer science can be the world of
videogames. The videogame industry is a unique one as it involves all sorts of majors, but
computer science makes up the majority. Theres security, programming, design, and much more.
Game Developers, similar to software developers, manage computer security, developing
platforms, programming, as well as dealing with artificial intelligence. All of this goes towards
the development of a videogame; and those same skills, along with some adjustment, can also go
towards mobile gaming. The most well-known and desired position in the direct development of
videogames is that of the Game Designer. Game designers, as Study.com describes, have duties
like designing characters, levels, puzzles, art and animationwrite code, using various computer
programming languagesthey may also be responsible for project management tasks and testing
early versions of video games (Study.com 1). Video game programming, another popular career

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in the field, is a more technical version of game design; they are software engineers who focus
more on coding and programming of both your traditional desktop as well as the system of the
consoles (e.g. PlayStation, Xbox) and development platforms (e.g. 4A Engine, Unity3D, Unreal
Engine). These jobs, among many others, make up the videogame industry and its young
demographic of members.
Third, computer security is yet another field that grows with the rise of technology. A
good example of a job in this field is a Security Specialist. David Bisson from Tripwire best
describes the job description as follows: Security Specialistsanalyze the security requirements
of an organizations systems, install and configure security solutions on corporate networks,
perform vulnerability testing and help train fellow employees in security awareness[they]
should have knowledge in ethical hacking, computer networking, programming and Security
Information and Event Management (SIEM) (Bisson 2). Another great example of a job in the
security field could be a Computer Forensics Expert. In a lot of ways, these people are like the
detectives of the digital world, gathering data and working closely with law enforcement to help
find clues and solve a case that may involve computer crimes. If one is truly ambitious, seeking a
high ranking job in the field of security, then theres the positon of Chief Information Security
Officer (CISO). An executive position, the CISO oversees the protection of security within a
business or organization. CISOs usually have had tons of experience in computer security as
well as leadership and communication skills.
In Conclusion, there are so many careers in the computer science field that the 9 listed
above doesnt do it justice. Something else to note is how some of those jobs could overlap:
Game Developers and Software Developers need very similar skills, just in different fields. That
may in fact be the greatest advantage of a Computer Science degree: the fact that there is so

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much variety in the job field that one could pick any field of interest, whether that is Biology,
English, Videogames, or Philosophy and probably find a job pertaining to computer science. And
with the tech industry growing each and every day, it truly feels as though the sky is the limit.

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Works Cited
Bisson, David. "The Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in Information Security Part
1." https://www.tripwire.com. TRIPWIRE, INC, 4 May 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.
Bisson, David. "The Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in Information Security Part
2." https://www.tripwire.com. TRIPWIRE, INC, 11 May 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.
Burman, Dan. "30 Best Paying College Majors: 2016." http://www.thinkadvisor.com.
ALM Media, LLC, 9 May 2016. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.
"Chapter 1. How to Write an A Research Paper." http://www.aresearchguide.com. A
Research Guide, 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.
Franek, Rob. "Top 10 College Majors." http://www.princetonreview.com. TPR Education
IP Holdings, LLC, 2016. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.
"Game Designer: Job Info and Requirements for Becoming a Game
Designer." Study.com. Study.com, 2016. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.
Malvik, Callie. "What Can You Do With a Computer Science
Degree? http://www.rasmussen.edu. Rasmussen College, Inc., A Public Benefit Corporation. 31
Aug. 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.
"What Can I Do with a Bachelors in Software
Development?" http://www.softwareengineerinsider.com. SoftwareEngineerInsider.com, 2016.
Web. 8 Dec. 2016.