Studying Computer Science

About twenty years ago, not having a computer was usually the norm rather than an exception. These days, the opposite is true. You’d be hard pressed to not find computers at work or even in homes. We use computers for a wide assortment of tasks ranging from booking tickets to doing coursework to processing financial transactions to fly planes and missiles across the oceans.

Computer science is the broad discipline that is behind all these advancements. It deals with designing computers and networks, software packages and storing and processing information. In addition to these core subjects, these days it is possible to study specialisations like cyber security and data science as well.

Some of the most popular universities in the United States that offer programmes in computer science include:

• New Jersey Institute of Technology
• University Of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Maryland University
• Northern Arizona University
• University of Central Oklahoma

Salary and Career Prospects

Computer science professionals are needed by virtually every company in every sector, including IT and tech, retail and hospitality, banks, pharmaceutical companies and the government.

Some of the roles graduates take up are Software engineer, Data Analyst, IT Consultant, Web Developer or Database Administrator.

Salaries vary depending on qualifications, job role, location and experience. As a guide, computer science professionals earn around an average of $75,000 a year (53 lakhs INR).

Why study in USA?

The United States of America is the most popular destination for international students. Its universities are widely regarded as being among the best in the world for teaching, learning and research. In fact, American universities consistently outrank non-American universities in QS World Rankings every year.

The US economy is the world’s largest. The country is the birthplace of conglomerates like Amazon, Dell, Microsoft, Citi Group, Ford and Walmart. American companies operate in pretty much every sector or industry, ranging from IT and technology to pharmaceutical to retail, transport, and hospitality. Different regions of the United States are known for excelling in different industries. California, for example is a world-leading IT and technology hub and New York is a major business, banking and finance hub. In addition to this, several international agencies like the United Nations, World Bank are headquartered in USA.

The country is a popular tourist destination, with millions of tourists drawn to its vibrant cities, breathtakingly beautiful national parks and landscapes, excellent dining, hospitality and leisure options and historic buildings, museums and art galleries. New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle are among the biggest cities.

There is no language barrier because English is the de facto official language. However, USA is a multicultural country and several hundred languages are spoken at community level.

International graduates are able to apply for a post-study work permit, or optional practical training (OPT) as it is called in the States for a period of up to 36 months.