About a Computer Science Degree

Hey. I've only been studying web design/development about a year but it is my distinct impression that you don't need a comp. science degree to get started in these fields (one reason why online schools like Treehouse are so popular). I think that with a few months of intensive study you can be employable. But I think that in order to be any kind of actual programmer you need a degree. Again, this is my impression at this point (and I hope I'm right, cause I'm hoping to get into the design/development industry without a degree). -Demian

Depends on what you want to do, and it depends on the job and company.

Based on the research and interviews we did for the Careers Foundations course, agencies and smaller companies don't care about your educational background as long as you have a strong portfolio and the experience to match.

Plenty of people can take the courses on Treehouse and other sites, but you need to apply what you've learned and show you've worked on projects that show off your abilities and interests. Without this, a degree probably won't get you a job, other than an internship perhaps.

Some larger companies might consider education important because they want someone with more experience - in academics and on projects - with exposure to more concepts and such, but I still think a good amount of broad experience can be a better substitute.

(Some personal background: I got a Computer Science degree years ago, but I learned web design on the side while working my first job. My next job was as a web designer and it was due to the self-taught experience and projects I built on the side.)