Computer Science or Data science degree

mosjsjss

I dont know which degree is better to go into for the long run]

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by mosjsjss

I dont know which degree is better to go into for the long run]

Well, they're not disciplines that so wildly different that you can't study the other subject after a degree in one subject. e.g. BSc Computer science + MSc Data Science or BSc Data Science + MSc Computer Science.

If you're asking which of the 2 fields will require a degree to get into, I would say neither because generally you don't need a degree to get into tech or data (relevant professional qualifications would be nice, but they still care more about skills and experience over qualifications).

Despite the above, you can still get into tech roles with a degree in data science although computer science degrees would be more of the default option. You can still get into data related roles with a degree in computer science.

There is more stats in data science than there is in computer science, so it comes down to personal preference.

I personally would go for a degree in computer science (if I had to choose), since it's more widely recognised and more diverse in content (even though I am more of a maths fan).

Reply 2

Ynneb96

I would choose Computer Science if you are more into coding and looking into more of a wide areas of computing but if not I think Data Science would be good too.

Reply 3

LIBF

Official Rep

Original post by mosjsjss

I dont know which degree is better to go into for the long run]

Hello @mosjsjss 😊

I understand how difficult it can be to choose between two different subjects, particularly when they have some overlapping areas.

It may be helpful to consider the career you see yourself in and do some research into which degree is preferred in that career path. If you're not sure what career you're interested in, then looking into each course to understand the skills they provide and subjects they cover may help you weigh up the two in more detail.

If you have an idea of which educational provider you would like to go with, then speaking with their admissions team might be helpful. At LIBF, we offer both Data Science and Computer Science at BSc and MSc level, so you could speak with one of our study advisors to better understand the differences if you like. You can contact our study advisors via email, phone or whatsapp here - https://bit.ly/4ccQHGq

I hope this helps!

Becky

Reply 4

youmama

can u do bsc in data science and msc in computer science because dont u need a bsc in computer science first

Reply 5

Heriot-Watt Uni

Official Rep

Original post by mosjsjss

I dont know which degree is better to go into for the long run]

Hi!

Better is hard to judge as it depends on what job you want and what parts of computer science you prefer. I will say that Computer Science does offer you a broader range of careers / masters degrees afterwards so if you are not 100% sure that you want a data science career then I'd advise going for Comp Sci.

Data Science is more maths-based (computer science also has maths but a bit less) but it will help a little with getting a specific data science job afterwards - although generally if you have a comp sci degree and a good coding portfolio you would be fine too.

To narrow it down I'd recommend having a look at the curriculum of both degrees, seeing if you prefer one to another and also seeing if you can do some data science modules within a comp sci degree (that might be the best of both worlds). Some universities (including Heriot-Watt) do a Computer Science (data science) degree. This generally means that you spend the first couple years of your degree just doing computer science and then for the last year or so you specialise into data science. Honestly, this might be a great option for you. Here's the link to our degree like this just so you can conveniently see it but I'm sure if you look around, other universities may offer something similar :smile:

: https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/study/undergraduate/computer-science-data-science.htm

I hope this helps a little and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask!

- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)