Job Prospects

• Demand for CS Majors is High – and Rising
• Traditional CS Jobs Pay Well
• Traditional CS Jobs are Highly Attractive
• CS Gives You Options
• Binghamton CS Graduates are in Demand
• Your Opportunity

If you major in computer science (CS) at Binghamton University, you'll have a wide range of attractive, high-paying careers open to you.

Demand for CS Majors is High -- and Rising

• A recent U.S. Department of Labor report states that

"Computer software engineers are projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004-14 period.

Very good opportunities are expected for college graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering or computer science and with practical work experience."

• The March 20, 2006 Issue of U.S. News & World Report states:

"Employment in software publishing has more than doubled in the past 15 years…as the price of computer hardware falls and more menial tasks are outsourced, the need for creative software designers is expected to grow. The ever evolving nature of the Internet and the host of applications that customers want to run on their personal computers mean that demand for software engineers will continue to grow."

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The Computing Research Association (CRA) has compiled a considerable amount of information and links regarding the Information Technology (IT) workforce The message is clear: Jobs in IT are varied, high-paying and growing.

One recent Binghamton CS graduate (BS '06) received a starting job offer of $75,000 plus a $10,000 signing bonus for his first job, fresh out of the program. Students with master's degrees from Binghamton routinely accept jobs with salaries of about $85,000 and above.

Money magazine recently ranked the Best Jobs in America, using criteria including "stress levels, flexibility in hours and working environment, creativity, and how easy it is to enter and advance in the field." Software Engineer topped the list, and "Computer/IT analyst" came in 8th.

There is no better educational training for either of these job categories than earning a degree in CS.

Computing and information technology careers are all over other similar projections and lists. Here are two more examples:

• The 25 Top Jobs for 2005-2009 (FastCompany.com)
• Ten Hottest Careers for College Graduates : Experts Predict Where the Jobs Will Be in 2016 (College Board

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Our recent graduates have gone on to a wide range of diverse and attractive positions, including the following:

• software engineer
• programmer
• computer engineer
• network engineer
• systems programmer
• graphics programmer
• database administrator
• system analyst
• Web developer
• embedded system engineer
• Internet technology specialist
• project manager

Our graduates currently work for top employers, including:

• Powerhouse computing companies including IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Computer Associates, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo
• Wall Street and financial firms like Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs, Merrill-Lynch and MetLife
• Defense contractors such as BAE, General Dynamics, L3 Systems and Lockheed-Martin
• Consulting firms including MITRE, KPMG and Sapient
• Entertainment companies, such as Dreamworks, Pixar and ILM
• Government laboratories like Brookhaven National Labs and NSA

Other graduates used their degree as a springboard to graduate education at prestigious universities, not just in CS, but in business, medicine and law as well. For example, our recent graduates are pursuing or have received:

• Master's and PhD degrees in computer science, computer engineering, or software engineering from UC Berkeley, Binghamton, Brandeis, Cornell, MIT, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Stony Brook, Tufts, Maryland, UMass, USC and Virginia.
• Business degrees from Baruch College, Drexel University and the MIT Sloan School of Management.
• Medical degrees from Albany Medical College, Buffalo, The Sackler School of Medicine and SUNY Upstate Medical Center.
• Law degrees from Columbia, Fordham, NYU and US

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The following companies regularly recruit on the Binghamton University campus:

• Bloomberg
• Central Hudson Gas and Electric
• Deloitte Consulting
• Deutsche Bank
• Goldman-Sachs
• Google
• IBM
• Lockheed Martin
• Microsoft
• The U.S. Census Office
• The U.S. Department of Energy

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When the "get-rich-quick" dot-com bubble burst, it led to a backlash and subsequent reduction in CS enrollments. Add to that a misperception that many traditional CS jobs will be increasingly outsourced overseas -- and you've got real opportunity.

Demand for CS graduates remains strong, and projections indicate that the immediate future will see a shortage of qualified graduates, jobs will be plentiful and well-trained individuals will be able to demand higher salaries. The jobs that are being outsourced overseas are the low level programming tasks, not the high-paying creative positions.

So, if you're looking for a high-paying, attractive job opportunity in the fields of computing or information technology... or if you're undecided about your future, you're looking to "keep your options open" and you want to be well qualified for different kinds of jobs after graduation... then computer science at Binghamton may be the right major for you.

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