A Guide to What You Should Know:

How to Break
into Computer
Science
Professionals in the computer science industry
are in an enviable position: With hundreds of
thousands of open jobs and a deficit of qualified
individuals to fill them, these workers have top
choice of a wide variety of roles, industries, and
locations—plus a high earning potential.

“The computer science field is growing at

a crazy pace,” says Ian Gorton, director of
computer science programs at Northeastern
University–Seattle. “Computing is being infused
into all elements of society, and the demand is
insatiable. Technology is changing and evolving
so quickly that there are many opportunities
available for these workers.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS), employment in this field is expected to
grow 11 percent from 2014 to 2024—faster than
the average for all occupations.

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Businesses, however, are finding it difficult to fill these
open positions. A report from the White House predicts
that, by 2020, there will be 1.4 million computer science-
related jobs available, and only about 400,000 computer
science graduates with the skills necessary to fill them.

This deficit is significant: With a limited number of highly

skilled workers graduating with advanced degrees every
year, competition to attract them is fierce. According
to BLS, these individuals are the most in-demand and
highly coveted since most companies prefer candidates
to have an advanced degree in computer science or a
related field, such as computer engineering.

The good news for employers is that this trend

hasn’t gone unnoticed by professionals. The average
number of computer science majors has more than
quadrupled since 2006, and more than doubled since
2011, according to the Computing Research Association
(CRA). The bad news for employers is that despite this
uptick, an employment gap is expected to persist.

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The Skills for Success

The skills that companies require and desire in

computer science professionals vary based on the
role, but there are a number of common competencies
that businesses prefer.

“Computer science professionals need to learn the

foundational languages that are popular,” Gorton
says. “Once you’re proficient in those, it’s easy to learn
the others that you might need in order to move
around the industry.”

Some of these foundational programming languages

include Java, Python, C, and C++, and are the building
blocks for a number of other desirable skills. Employers,
for example, seek professionals who know how to design
and maintain application software, support network
infrastructure, and understand algorithms, as well as
theoretical computer science principles.

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Beyond technical skills, computer science professionals
should have strong people skills, Gorton says. Because
they often have to relay technical information in
layman’s terms, these people should be strong
communicators and collaborators, and understand
how to analyze ideas objectively. They also need to be
detail-oriented, since a small coding error could cause
a project to fail, and great problem-solvers, particularly
when ideas don’t work as intended.

According to the U.S. Bureau

of Labor Statistics (BLS),
employment in this field is
expected to grow 11 percent from
2014 to 2024—that’s faster than the
average of all other occupations.
These hard and soft skills are the cornerstone for
Northeastern University’s Master of Science in Computer
Science and ALIGN program.

Northeastern’s Master of Science in Computer Science

is for experienced professionals seeking to enhance
their knowledge and expand their technology leadership
responsibilities in organizations that design, develop,
market, or use computing systems.

The ALIGN program is designed to give you the tools

to help you earn a master of science degree in one of
today’s most popular computer science professions,
particularly if you come from a non-science background.

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Breaking into
Computer Science

Computer science isn’t just for professionals building

careers as developers, software engineers, and
programmers—the proliferation of data and
computing across all businesses has made the skills
in this field relevant to professionals outside of
computer science, too.

Between 2005 and 2015 alone, the number of non-

computer science majors enrolling in computer science
classes increased significantly, according to the CRA:

» In introductory computer science classes, enrollment

increased 152 percent
» In mid-level computer science classes, enrollment
increased 251 percent
» In advanced computer science classes, enrollment
increased 143 percent

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That’s a testament to the value that computer science
brings to other business functions, Gorton says.
Northeastern’s ALIGN program is a popular option for
professionals with non-technical career backgrounds.
These students come from a variety of business
functions—some business owners, CEOs, marketers,
and communications professionals—who either want
to grow their skills, enhance their earning potential,
or change careers.

“Computer science is about seriously, deeply, and

logistically solving complex problems,” Gorton says.
“These fundamentals are applicable to quite a diverse
group of people.”

Chemists, for example, might pursue a degree in

computer science to marry their scientific work with
technology, including the ability to program software
that streamlines their workflows. Educators may use
computer science skills to build an intelligent reading
system for students, Gorton says, and marketers might
use computer science fundamentals to study data

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patterns to understand how people behave online to
improve the effectiveness of advertising. Journalists
might also seek a degree in computer science to
design and build algorithms and data visualizations
to support their research.

“We’ve had a variety of non-technical professionals

come through our program,” Gorton says. “The
possibilities are endless.”

A report from the White House

predicted that, by 2020, there will
be 1.4 million computer science-
related jobs available—and only
about 400,000 computer science
graduates who have the skills
necessary to fill them.
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The ROI of Computer
Science: Careers and
Compensation

Computer science is a lucrative and high-growth field with

a number of possible career paths. Given the variety of
options and the high demand for skilled professionals,
compensation—particularly for the more advanced roles
that often require a master’s degree or PhD—is high.

Computer and Information

Research Scientists

These professionals develop Career Outlook

and design new approaches to
Total Job Postings:
computing technology and look 25,600
for innovative uses for existing
Median Pay:
technology. Computer and
$ 111,840
information research scientists
solve and study complex Projected 10-Year
Growth: 11%
problems often in the fields of
(BLS, 2017)
business, medicine, and science.

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Computer Network Architects

Computer network architects Career Outlook

are responsible for building
Total Job Postings:
data communication networks, 146,200
which include local area
Median Pay:
networks, wide area networks,
$ 101,210
and intranets. Some work may
involve small networks, such Projected 10-Year
Growth: 9%
as between two offices, while
(BLS, 2017)
other work might involve cloud
infrastructure that serves
several customers.

Computer Systems Analysts

Computer systems analysts Career Outlook

study a business’s computer
Total Job Postings:
systems and procedures, then 567,800
design solutions to help them
Median Pay:
function more efficiently and
$ 87,220
effectively. These professionals
consider the needs and Projected 10-Year
Growth: 21%
limitations of both the
(BLS, 2017)
business and IT.
Database Administrators

These professionals use Career Outlook

special software to organize
Total Job Postings:
and store data that can range 120,000
from advertising metrics
Median Pay:
to sales data. They are also
$ 84,950
responsible for securing this
data and making it available to Projected 10-Year
Growth: 11%
authorized users.
(BLS, 2017)

Information Security Analysts

Information security Career Outlook

analysts plan and enact
Total Job Postings:
security measures to keep a 82,900
business’s computer networks
Median Pay:
and systems safe from
$ 92,600
cybercriminals. They install
security software, prepare Projected 10-Year
Growth: 18%
reports when security breaches
(BLS, 2017)
occur, and develop security best
practices for the organization.

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Network and Computer Systems
Administrators

These professionals are Career Outlook

responsible for the day-to-day
Total Job Postings:
operations of the networks 382,600
that keep organizations
Median Pay:
running, including setting
$ 79,700
up networks and computer
systems, installing network Projected 10-Year
Growth: 8%
hardware, collecting data to
(BLS, 2017)
optimize network or system
performance, and assigning
security permissions.

There were approximately 1.2

million software development
jobs available in 2016.

(EMSI Analyst)
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Software Developers

Software developers use their Career Outlook

creativity to design, test, and
Total Job Postings:
create applications that help 1,114,000
people do their jobs. They’re
Median Pay:
responsible for ensuring these
$ 102,280
programs function properly,
recommending software Projected 10-Year
Growth: 17%
upgrades, and collaborating
(BLS, 2017)
with others to create the best
software for the job.

Web Developers

These professionals design and Career Outlook

create websites, ensuring that
Total Job Postings:
those websites’ performance 148,500
and capacity are optimized.
Median Pay:
Web developers write code,
$ 66,130
collaborate with team
members to determine what Projected 10-Year
Growth: 27%
content the site will contain
(BLS, 2017)
and how it will look, and
monitor the website’s traffic.
An Insider’s Perspective

Is a computer science degree right for me? Here’s why

some recent Northeastern alumni chose to pursue a
master’s degree and how it benefitted them:

“ Aileen Novero, MS in Computer Science ALIGN, ’16, and

current software engineer at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

I was pursuing a medical career. The ALIGN program has

allowed me to pursue something completely out of the box.
I didn’t have to start from square one. I saw no other program
that would let me enter into this field of technology without
having to troll through years of added expenses and courses
that weren’t necessary. I was able to start fresh but be among
great professionals who know what’s going on in the field at
this very moment.

“ Rick Keilty, MS in Computer Science, ’12, and

software engineer at Facebook

The skills I gained at Northeastern taught me how to take a

blank slate and really build from it. During the day I was heads
down, focused on programming and the deep implementation
of my company’s software. At night, I was focused on its
scalability and future of the system. Professors were saying,
‘Let’s start looking at a larger, more holistic picture. How do
you start designing software to grow appropriately over time?’
I could take a lot of that back to my office and increase my
influence here. The program showed me a different side of
software engineering totally different from my day-to-day
work, and there was an immediate impact career-wise.
The Northeastern Difference

Computer science is a fast-growing field with

exciting opportunities for professionals in all
industries across the globe.

To learn more about the Northeastern

experience, including its Master of Science
in Computer Science and ALIGN program,
visit northeastern.edu/graduate or connect
with our team to receive personalized advice.

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