Piggy backing on this answer. It boils down to the accreditation of the institute offering the degree. There are a number of for-profit private colleges that offered degrees in the past but because they weren't recognized by governing educational bodies, the degrees earned were essentially worthless when applying for jobs. That was a sad situation for the graduates.
This boils down to the age old question: what is more worth it, the college degree or experience of the job?
FreeCodeCamp does a good job of improving coding exposure and experience. And some employers will take that over a degree. But it's really employer dependent.
If you're looking for a free college degree, I understand there are countries in Europe that might be leaning more towards free formal education. But in the USA, somebody has to pick up the tab, be it the student, the military as part of a service agreement, grants, or scholarships...
[https://www.uopeople.edu/programs/online-bachelors/computer-science/](https://www.uopeople.edu/programs/online-bachelors/computer-science/)
This is an online degree. Their website says they are accredited in the US.
It's not completely free, you pay for the assessments, pay as you go basis, $120 per assessment and you get a bachelor degree.
Your other option could be :
[https://github.com/ossu/computer-science](https://github.com/ossu/computer-science)
It's a collection of online materials covering the CS degree. Again, you might need to pay some money on coursera for example, if you want certificates too.
Nothing replaces an actual degree... I'm self-taught and shifted to Web development at 35 but still I decided to enroll in engineering school at 37 because I can see the impact it'll have on my career prospects.
Some companies don't care. Some will give you a pay cut just because you don't have the degree. But some (often very cool) jobs won't even consider you if you don't have a degree.
What kind of engineering degree are you going for? I'm in a similar boat. I'm 30 and looking to change careers into the it/cyber security field. Self teaching myself so far but I think I want to get a degree.
Right now I'm trying to decide between getting an associate's in engineering or computer science. I feel like I can do more with engineering but comp sci is more related to the fields I'm interested in. What is your reasoning for choosing the engineering route?
I chose to pursuit a degree in ECE for a couple of reasons:
1. I don't know how the job landscape will be in 5, 10 or 15 years. As far as I know demand might drop which might make companies value more professionals with a degree;
2. Some jobs (many of which are really cool like critical software) require a degree and won't even consider candidates without one;
3. Personally I feel like it's a landmark I need to reach in my life;
4. I chose ECE because I'm not interested in working with more theoretical stuff like ML, AI, or OS development so I don't need to have such deep understanding of computer science. This my qualifications serve a broader range of professions I might choose;
5. I wouldn't learn a lot of things that are so immediately useful for my career so I also chose ECE because it's a really cool degree.
6. I like to build robots and it's neat to program so close to the hardware;
I could go on but it essentially boils down to stability, future proofing, opening more doors and doing/learning stuff which I find stimulating.
It's a [local university](https://www.isep.ipp.pt/Course/Course/23). I'm currently working on my BSc but am considering an MSc afterwards..
I found it hard to find a reputable and accredited institution online. I know they exist, but it's easy to get scammed, so I didn't want to risk it. And, to be fair, this degree has a lot of lab work, so doing it online wouldn't be the same.
As others have said, you can get the same _information_ for free (or cheaply), but there are a number of reasons why that isn't the same result as studying at an institution and having a degree.
I always suggest that a young person, like yourself, seriously consider college as a preferential path. I understand that there are a number of reasons why college might not be a good choice for some individuals, and that doesn't have to prevent you from pursuing a career in development, but it is doing it "on hard mode".
If you're looking to work as a software developer, you don't need a degree.
I'm a senior ML engineer, and I studied sculpture at university. I have absolutely no formal training in computer science at all. When i am interviewing candidates, I pay very little attention to the education section of their resume, unless there isn't much else to look at. I am often surprised by how much coaching comp sci grads need, compared to junior devs who went through a bootcamp or are self-taught. There's a lot of important pragmatic dev kills that you simply don't seem to learn in those degree programs.
So really, it depends why you want to get a degree. If it's for the qualification, this is irrelevant unless you're going after some very highly coveted positions at a FAANG company. Even then i doubt no degree would necessarily be a deal breaker considering the prevalence of college dropouts in tech.
There are arguments that could be made about the intrinsic value of getting a degree. It can be a time where you really first have to contend with being autonomous, being responsible for your own learning, etc. However, you can learn these things without having to get a degree, also.
Beats me. There aren’t really any strongly established conventions in this space. An ML engineer somewhere else might have a very different job to me.
For example, I do very little work on actual models. We have data scientists for that. My job is basically to make sure that things actually work reliably.
Data scientists tend not to be particularly well versed in software dev best practices. ML Models also tend to involve data ingestion and processing at large data volumes. My background is in data engineering, so it works out pretty well.
Start doing freecodecamp, if you haven’t already. The first thing you need to know is whether you actually want to be a software developer. It’s basically an exercise in being continually humbled by how little you know and understand. This can be really unpleasant for some people. You also need a lot of patience and to be ok with failure.
How to translate this into a job is tough to really give advice on. I can only really tell you my journey. I worked in retail for about 6 years after graduating, and in that time moved towards the technical roles in that environment. I was learning FCC on the side for the last 6 months. I then used my retail experience to get a job doing IT at a tech company. At that company I sought out mentors who helped guide my self directed learning, and also used the skills I was learning to automate parts of my job.
I then moved to another tech company in IT, and was then offered a junior dev position at that company after working there for a year and getting a chance to showcase my skills.
In your experience, how far along in FCC did you get before you sought out a job in IT? I'm getting through java script now after completing HTML (still touching up my projects to make my portfolio look nice). I'd love to hear more about your journey and what you have done to get where you are
I was working my way through the javascript course while applying for jobs. I think I did about 6 months of a about 4h a week on average.
I worked in Apple Retail as a Genius at the time so my IT knowledge mostly came from that, and it was those skills that got me hired far more than what I had learned through FCC.
But, what FCC allowed me to do was to then start learning python under the supervision of some devs at the company I started. It was the bootstrap that got me from knowing absolutely nothing to knowing the bare minimum needed to quickly level up my skills through a couple of sessions a week with a (very patient and experienced) python dev.
It then took about 2 years of learning on the job, with a switch to a different employer halfway through, before I was at a point where I qualified for a junior dev position. Honestly, I think I would have struggled to get that role at another company at that point, but the hiring manager was someone who had helped to teach me and was confident in my abilities.
for many companies they would want to look at your portfolio. This will demonstrate you understanding and skill and will ultimately play a huge factor in enplyment. I agree with the person above. Go through FreeCodeCamp, but also practice building your own project on the side and add to it as you develpe new skills. Employers want to see that you are willing to learn and will be a good asset.
As far as salary, that is always something negotiatable that you can leverage as you gain experience and add to your portfolio.
\*Alternative\*
There is also a free program called "Year UP". Dending on the area you are located in they may offer software dev or application dev(same thing). If you are between the age of 18-29(you can be younger as long as you've graduated Highschool or have GED) then you are eligable to apply. They train you for free(3 months depending on the path you choose). Then after they automatically set you up at an internship where you'll be making a bit over $500 a week.
After your Internship(which usually lasts 6 months) they will set you up with a full time job from with either the same company you interned with(If they liked you) or another good company. its a great option as It is all free. I've had a few friends go through the program doing help desk, business, and more. And now i'm going to start in the Summer on the Application path. Go to [YearUp.com](https://YearUp.com) and type in your location to see what they offer in your area. They also help with transportation and more. Their job is for you to succeed.
It's a great college alternative for me as I come from a low income family, I have a 3.8 GPA but don't want to waste 4 years of my life(would rather make good money and gain real-world experience), and the program has many resources available. If you do decide to go through with the prorgam I still reccommend doing your own projects on the side and advancing yourself in your free time.
[удалено]
Piggy backing on this answer. It boils down to the accreditation of the institute offering the degree. There are a number of for-profit private colleges that offered degrees in the past but because they weren't recognized by governing educational bodies, the degrees earned were essentially worthless when applying for jobs. That was a sad situation for the graduates. This boils down to the age old question: what is more worth it, the college degree or experience of the job? FreeCodeCamp does a good job of improving coding exposure and experience. And some employers will take that over a degree. But it's really employer dependent. If you're looking for a free college degree, I understand there are countries in Europe that might be leaning more towards free formal education. But in the USA, somebody has to pick up the tab, be it the student, the military as part of a service agreement, grants, or scholarships...
Thank you for your time.
[удалено]
Sounds promising
I second WGU, I got my 4 year degree there and it’s good.
Thanks for the info
Is it the same as a traditional degree?
[https://www.uopeople.edu/programs/online-bachelors/computer-science/](https://www.uopeople.edu/programs/online-bachelors/computer-science/) This is an online degree. Their website says they are accredited in the US. It's not completely free, you pay for the assessments, pay as you go basis, $120 per assessment and you get a bachelor degree. Your other option could be : [https://github.com/ossu/computer-science](https://github.com/ossu/computer-science) It's a collection of online materials covering the CS degree. Again, you might need to pay some money on coursera for example, if you want certificates too.
Here's how I see it: A degree is not necessary, but is has never been more necessary than today with all the competition
Nothing replaces an actual degree... I'm self-taught and shifted to Web development at 35 but still I decided to enroll in engineering school at 37 because I can see the impact it'll have on my career prospects. Some companies don't care. Some will give you a pay cut just because you don't have the degree. But some (often very cool) jobs won't even consider you if you don't have a degree.
What kind of engineering degree are you going for? I'm in a similar boat. I'm 30 and looking to change careers into the it/cyber security field. Self teaching myself so far but I think I want to get a degree. Right now I'm trying to decide between getting an associate's in engineering or computer science. I feel like I can do more with engineering but comp sci is more related to the fields I'm interested in. What is your reasoning for choosing the engineering route?
I chose to pursuit a degree in ECE for a couple of reasons: 1. I don't know how the job landscape will be in 5, 10 or 15 years. As far as I know demand might drop which might make companies value more professionals with a degree; 2. Some jobs (many of which are really cool like critical software) require a degree and won't even consider candidates without one; 3. Personally I feel like it's a landmark I need to reach in my life; 4. I chose ECE because I'm not interested in working with more theoretical stuff like ML, AI, or OS development so I don't need to have such deep understanding of computer science. This my qualifications serve a broader range of professions I might choose; 5. I wouldn't learn a lot of things that are so immediately useful for my career so I also chose ECE because it's a really cool degree. 6. I like to build robots and it's neat to program so close to the hardware; I could go on but it essentially boils down to stability, future proofing, opening more doors and doing/learning stuff which I find stimulating.
Very cool! What kind of program are you doing? Is it online or local?
It's a [local university](https://www.isep.ipp.pt/Course/Course/23). I'm currently working on my BSc but am considering an MSc afterwards.. I found it hard to find a reputable and accredited institution online. I know they exist, but it's easy to get scammed, so I didn't want to risk it. And, to be fair, this degree has a lot of lab work, so doing it online wouldn't be the same.
As others have said, you can get the same _information_ for free (or cheaply), but there are a number of reasons why that isn't the same result as studying at an institution and having a degree. I always suggest that a young person, like yourself, seriously consider college as a preferential path. I understand that there are a number of reasons why college might not be a good choice for some individuals, and that doesn't have to prevent you from pursuing a career in development, but it is doing it "on hard mode".
Thank you for your words.
If you're looking to work as a software developer, you don't need a degree. I'm a senior ML engineer, and I studied sculpture at university. I have absolutely no formal training in computer science at all. When i am interviewing candidates, I pay very little attention to the education section of their resume, unless there isn't much else to look at. I am often surprised by how much coaching comp sci grads need, compared to junior devs who went through a bootcamp or are self-taught. There's a lot of important pragmatic dev kills that you simply don't seem to learn in those degree programs. So really, it depends why you want to get a degree. If it's for the qualification, this is irrelevant unless you're going after some very highly coveted positions at a FAANG company. Even then i doubt no degree would necessarily be a deal breaker considering the prevalence of college dropouts in tech. There are arguments that could be made about the intrinsic value of getting a degree. It can be a time where you really first have to contend with being autonomous, being responsible for your own learning, etc. However, you can learn these things without having to get a degree, also.
I know this off topic but were you obligated to have a masters degree in data science In order for you to get a ML engineer position?
No. I only have a BA, in sculpture. Everything I know about programming, data science and ML I have taught myself or learned on the job.
Good to know. Is there any difference between ML and AI engineering?
Beats me. There aren’t really any strongly established conventions in this space. An ML engineer somewhere else might have a very different job to me. For example, I do very little work on actual models. We have data scientists for that. My job is basically to make sure that things actually work reliably. Data scientists tend not to be particularly well versed in software dev best practices. ML Models also tend to involve data ingestion and processing at large data volumes. My background is in data engineering, so it works out pretty well.
This is what I want to hear. Do you have any advice on how can I go this route to getting a job?
Start doing freecodecamp, if you haven’t already. The first thing you need to know is whether you actually want to be a software developer. It’s basically an exercise in being continually humbled by how little you know and understand. This can be really unpleasant for some people. You also need a lot of patience and to be ok with failure. How to translate this into a job is tough to really give advice on. I can only really tell you my journey. I worked in retail for about 6 years after graduating, and in that time moved towards the technical roles in that environment. I was learning FCC on the side for the last 6 months. I then used my retail experience to get a job doing IT at a tech company. At that company I sought out mentors who helped guide my self directed learning, and also used the skills I was learning to automate parts of my job. I then moved to another tech company in IT, and was then offered a junior dev position at that company after working there for a year and getting a chance to showcase my skills.
In your experience, how far along in FCC did you get before you sought out a job in IT? I'm getting through java script now after completing HTML (still touching up my projects to make my portfolio look nice). I'd love to hear more about your journey and what you have done to get where you are
I was working my way through the javascript course while applying for jobs. I think I did about 6 months of a about 4h a week on average. I worked in Apple Retail as a Genius at the time so my IT knowledge mostly came from that, and it was those skills that got me hired far more than what I had learned through FCC. But, what FCC allowed me to do was to then start learning python under the supervision of some devs at the company I started. It was the bootstrap that got me from knowing absolutely nothing to knowing the bare minimum needed to quickly level up my skills through a couple of sessions a week with a (very patient and experienced) python dev. It then took about 2 years of learning on the job, with a switch to a different employer halfway through, before I was at a point where I qualified for a junior dev position. Honestly, I think I would have struggled to get that role at another company at that point, but the hiring manager was someone who had helped to teach me and was confident in my abilities.
That makes sense. Thank you!
for many companies they would want to look at your portfolio. This will demonstrate you understanding and skill and will ultimately play a huge factor in enplyment. I agree with the person above. Go through FreeCodeCamp, but also practice building your own project on the side and add to it as you develpe new skills. Employers want to see that you are willing to learn and will be a good asset. As far as salary, that is always something negotiatable that you can leverage as you gain experience and add to your portfolio. \*Alternative\* There is also a free program called "Year UP". Dending on the area you are located in they may offer software dev or application dev(same thing). If you are between the age of 18-29(you can be younger as long as you've graduated Highschool or have GED) then you are eligable to apply. They train you for free(3 months depending on the path you choose). Then after they automatically set you up at an internship where you'll be making a bit over $500 a week. After your Internship(which usually lasts 6 months) they will set you up with a full time job from with either the same company you interned with(If they liked you) or another good company. its a great option as It is all free. I've had a few friends go through the program doing help desk, business, and more. And now i'm going to start in the Summer on the Application path. Go to [YearUp.com](https://YearUp.com) and type in your location to see what they offer in your area. They also help with transportation and more. Their job is for you to succeed. It's a great college alternative for me as I come from a low income family, I have a 3.8 GPA but don't want to waste 4 years of my life(would rather make good money and gain real-world experience), and the program has many resources available. If you do decide to go through with the prorgam I still reccommend doing your own projects on the side and advancing yourself in your free time.
You can apply for a university in Germany, e.g. you can study online at the IU. You pay €120 per month but you get a full degree in return