comp sci, math or actuarial (3 Viewers)

[tito981]

I have had a recent debate on which of these degrees I should pursue in uni.

I initially wanted to do actuarial as I thought it was a high level math field that meant I could specialise into either finance/consulting, but i recently I have researched into these specialisations and people have recommended to go into stats/math if you are looking to pursue finance/consulting. So im kinda torn as I know the actuarial degree is a lot more difficult than a stats degree, but I have heard these graduates are more sought after. But I also have interests in comp sci, as I have done a few online classes and have done it throughout year 10 and enjoyed it.

So now my only dilemma is which field is more sought after math/actuarial or comp sci and which field has more room for expansion, ie allows a constant progression of career salary wise while also having long term field growth (although i think both of these fields will continue expanding). Any other insight into people's experiences in these fields would be appreciated aswell (i have read older threads but they seem a bit outdated),

 

[andrew12678]

Finance is pretty broad, if you mean it in the sense of working in IB/Big 4 Accounting/Banks then I would probably include a commerce degree (with finance major) in some kind of combined degree at a Go8 uni. If you are looking for Quant/Trading/Data Science then maths/stats/actl/comp sci would be all be better choice than commerce. If you want to be an actuary then you should choose an actl degree. For management consulting, any degree is actually fine, it's dependent on how intelligent you are and how well do in cases.

I personally did Comp Sci and Stats for my undergraduate majors, don't believe I was any more or less saught after in comparison to actl people for roles in Quant/Trading/Data Science/Consulting and nor do I think my degree was easier than actuarial. Actl people would have definitely be more favourable for actual Actuary roles which I obviously didn't apply for haha. Salary wise I think all of these careers have constant progression of salary as you become more senior with some dependencies on the company/your own ability. Hard to say which fields are continually expanding or have better long term growth, perhaps fields more tied to tech would be better in this regard.

There are also other forums that you can use to find more information about this namely Whirlpool (in Graduates section, for some aussie info), Reddit(CSMajors, cscareerquestion, FinancialCareers), TeamBlind, Wall Street Oasis etc

 

[quickoats]

I know the actuarial degree is a lot more difficult than a stats degree

This is debatable

 

[pikachu975]

I have had a recent debate on which of these degrees I should pursue in uni.

I initially wanted to do actuarial as I thought it was a high level math field that meant I could specialise into either finance/consulting, but i recently I have researched into these specialisations and people have recommended to go into stats/math if you are looking to pursue finance/consulting. So im kinda torn as I know the actuarial degree is a lot more difficult than a stats degree, but I have heard these graduates are more sought after. But I also have interests in comp sci, as I have done a few online classes and have done it throughout year 10 and enjoyed it.

So now my only dilemma is which field is more sought after math/actuarial or comp sci and which field has more room for expansion, ie allows a constant progression of career salary wise while also having long term field growth (although i think both of these fields will continue expanding). Any other insight into people's experiences in these fields would be appreciated aswell (i have read older threads but they seem a bit outdated),

IMO for VERY long term purposes, actuary is more likely to be automated than comp sci and comp sci may obviously expand to more fields (AI etc)

TECHNICALLY you can just learn coding yourself, do some projects, and get a job in software, as I think employers favour projects a lot. However to become an actuary a degree is pretty much mandatory alongside the 3 levels of qualifications.

To become a fully qualified actuary you have the 3 year degree + 2 years for part 2s (while working) and 1.5 or more years for part 3s (while working) so it's a pretty long grind to keep in mind. You get pay rises at each completion though.

I work in the corporate area and a lot of the work is using Excel and having meetings/communicating with the team so if you'll enjoy that then go ahead, although I feel like comp sci would have a better work life balance (better if someone working in this field may comment). At least at MQ the actuary stats subjects are harder than every other stats subject here so I'd have to agree with your comment about stats degree (may be different at UNSW, who knows).

In terms of more potential jobs I can't really quantify it. For actuarial you can go into similar fields (risk analysis, data analysis) using your skills and for comp sci there's just heaps of fields and every company needs them (although offset by having more graduates each year). In the end job prospects should not be a worry if you're a good candidate.

 

[vishnay]

I have had a recent debate on which of these degrees I should pursue in uni.

I initially wanted to do actuarial as I thought it was a high level math field that meant I could specialise into either finance/consulting, but i recently I have researched into these specialisations and people have recommended to go into stats/math if you are looking to pursue finance/consulting. So im kinda torn as I know the actuarial degree is a lot more difficult than a stats degree, but I have heard these graduates are more sought after. But I also have interests in comp sci, as I have done a few online classes and have done it throughout year 10 and enjoyed it.

So now my only dilemma is which field is more sought after math/actuarial or comp sci and which field has more room for expansion, ie allows a constant progression of career salary wise while also having long term field growth (although i think both of these fields will continue expanding). Any other insight into people's experiences in these fields would be appreciated aswell (i have read older threads but they seem a bit outdated),

there's gonna be huge demand for compsci grads in the future esp with tech central

atlassian and wisetech global both have their headquarters in sydney and sydney is gonna keep growing in terms of tech

with a comp sci degree the posssibilities imo are nearly endless unlike actuarial where u don't have nearly as many options

if ur unsure maybe do actuarial/compsci so u can see what u like

 

[uniqueusername1]

there's gonna be huge demand for compsci grads in the future esp with tech central

atlassian and wisetech global both have their headquarters in sydney and sydney is gonna keep growing in terms of tech

with a comp sci degree the posssibilities imo are nearly endless unlike actuarial where u don't have nearly as many options

if ur unsure maybe do actuarial/compsci so u can see what u like

Yea acturial seems really narrow

 

[uniqueusername1]

Lots of growth in tech 100%

 

[vishnay]

Yea acturial seems really narrow

i can't comment on that but im certain compsci is much much more broad

 

[uniqueusername1]

i can't comment on that but im certain compsci is much much more broad

Thats what many have told me. But yeah acturial + computer science is a good option. It may be harder but, hopefully OP survives haha.

 

[tito981]

I personally did Comp Sci and Stats for my undergraduate majors, don't believe I was any more or less saught after in comparison to actl people for roles in Quant/Trading/Data Science/Consulting and nor do I think my degree was easier than actuarial. Actl people would have definitely be more favourable for actual Actuary roles which I obviously didn't apply for haha. Salary wise I think all of these careers have constant progression of salary as you become more senior with some dependencies on the company/your own ability. Hard to say which fields are continually expanding or have better long term growth, perhaps fields more tied to tech would be better in this regard.

Thanks for the response.

I have not done as much research as I have on actl and stats than I have on comp sci, so how much maths does comp sci cover, is it basically the same as a normal maths degree in terms of when applying for jobs (ie does a comp sci degree equally a sought after for math based jobs such as a Quant/Trading/Data Science/Consulting) and with your experience with doing a double degree what is the workload like? with the other commenters saying side projects are a big factor when applying for jobs, would the double degree be too much if you are purely looking for swe roles?

 

[andrew12678]

how much maths does comp sci cover

Not much haha, a computer science major may get you to take discrete maths (from the maths department) but otherwise there really isn't that much explicit study of maths, of course you'll see it inherently here and there in courses like algorithms, security and machine learning but it's often assumed knowledge

is it basically the same as a normal maths degree in terms of when applying for jobs (ie does a comp sci degree equally a sought after for math based jobs such as a Quant/Trading/Data Science/Consulting)

Yep probably viewed as the same for Trading/Consulting but the general assumption amongst recruiters is that comp sci students are better programmers so it might be more favourable for Data Science/Quant where you need to code (and ofc SWE)

double degree what is the workload like

I did a double major within 1 science degree, workload is just like any other degree in terms of units each semester and same goes for a double/combined degree. If you plan your study well and stay on top of things you'll have plenty of time to do other things e.g. I worked 2-3 days a week as a quant during my undergrad.

commenters saying side projects are a big factor when applying for jobs

Side projects are a good especially for SWE, but work experience/internships are even better

double degree be too much if you are purely looking for swe roles

You can definitely get into SWE internships/grad positions at FAANG (well Australian FAANG so Canva, Atlassian etc) with just a comp sci degree but doing a double/combine degree won't hurt your chances or make you a more preferable candidate. Your performance at solving algorithmic interview questions largely defines whether you get in

 

[Porogamiii]

You can definitely get into SWE internships/grad positions at FAANG (well Australian FAANG so Canva, Atlassian etc) with just a comp sci degree but doing a double/combine degree won't hurt your chances or make you a more preferable candidate. Your performance at solving algorithmic interview questions largely defines whether you get in

Sorry to hijack, but how important would you say attending a go8 uni like UNSW is for comp sci? Do employers care more about the uni reputation or personal projects + internships to land an interview? I'm just trying to decide between UNSW and UTS, where I would prefer UTS because it's more convenient for me + I like the campus more, but if UNSW is that much better at landing a job, I would consider it more highly.

Thanks!

 

[uniqueusername1]

Sorry to hijack, but how important would you say attending a go8 uni like UNSW is for comp sci? Do employers care more about the uni reputation or personal projects + internships to land an interview? I'm just trying to decide between UNSW and UTS, where I would prefer UTS because it's more convenient for me + I like the campus more, but if UNSW is that much better at landing a job, I would consider it more highly.

Thanks!

I think your ability to find jobs is determined by your individual performance not so much by uni. But, people prefer to tend to go to more prestigious university for a slight edge. But, if you are gonna grind, get good marks and you have a genuine passion i'm sure you won't find it hard to find a job in any uni.

 

[andrew12678]

Sorry to hijack, but how important would you say attending a go8 uni like UNSW is for comp sci? Do employers care more about the uni reputation or personal projects + internships to land an interview? I'm just trying to decide between UNSW and UTS, where I would prefer UTS because it's more convenient for me + I like the campus more, but if UNSW is that much better at landing a job, I would consider it more highly.

Thanks!

Agreed with what @uniqueusername1 said. Your individual CV is the most important factor. In terms of landing the interview, I would tend to think that your grades (at whatever uni) matter the most, followed by personal projects or related experience with choice of university being a very minor factor. Then your ability to get the offer is largely upon you to perform during the interview. I personally didn't go to UNSW and had no trouble getting offers from Australian FAANG and other "big" companies.

 

[tito981]

I did a double major within 1 science degree, workload is just like any other degree in terms of units each semester and same goes for a double/combined degree. If you plan your study well and stay on top of things you'll have plenty of time to do other things e.g. I worked 2-3 days a week as a quant during my undergrad.

Side projects are a good especially for SWE, but work experience/internships are even better

You can definitely get into SWE internships/grad positions at FAANG (well Australian FAANG so Canva, Atlassian etc) with just a comp sci degree but doing a double/combine degree won't hurt your chances or make you a more preferable candidate. Your performance at solving algorithmic interview questions largely defines whether you get in

How did you go about getting interns during your undergrad? Did you just do projects and apply?

Also what would you advise to someone that has little experience in programming doing HSC this year to get ahead on their CV?

Thanks.

 

[andrew12678]

How did you go about getting interns during your undergrad? Did you just do projects and apply?

Also what would you advise to someone that has little experience in programming doing HSC this year to get ahead on their CV?

Thanks.

I just applied to roles I was elligible for. Wouldn't say I had a lot of personal projects or the best set of technical knowledge relative to the people applying (mentioned in other posts that I had 0 programming knowledge from high school). However, I had things on my CV that were in my favour and sometimes other qualities other than just tech skills matter e.g. answering behaviour questions and getting along with the interviewer.

My advise would be to maybe learn Python after you finish your HSC, especially during that long break between high school and uni. Then learn Data Structures and Algorithms from Princeton Algorithms, Part I on Coursera (haven't done it myself, but is highly recommended by others) and then practice interview questions on LeetCode etc. This should make university comp sci really easy for you

 

[tito981]

I just applied to roles I was elligible for. Wouldn't say I had a lot of personal projects or the best set of technical knowledge relative to the people applying (mentioned in other posts that I had 0 programming knowledge from high school). However, I had things on my CV that were in my favour and sometimes other qualities other than just tech skills matter e.g. answering behaviour questions and getting along with the interviewer.

My advise would be to maybe learn Python after you finish your HSC, especially during that long break between high school and uni. Then learn Data Structures and Algorithms from Princeton Algorithms, Part I on Coursera (haven't done it myself, but is highly recommended by others) and then practice interview questions on LeetCode etc. This should make university comp sci really easy for you

Alright, thanks for all the insights! I will use them to the best of my ability.

 

[vishnay]

Agreed with what @uniqueusername1 said. Your individual CV is the most important factor. In terms of landing the interview, I would tend to think that your grades (at whatever uni) matter the most, followed by personal projects or related experience with choice of university being a very minor factor. Then your ability to get the offer is largely upon you to perform during the interview. I personally didn't go to UNSW and had no trouble getting offers from Australian FAANG and other "big" companies.

wait what uni did u go to then?

 

[s97127]

I just applied to roles I was elligible for. Wouldn't say I had a lot of personal projects or the best set of technical knowledge relative to the people applying (mentioned in other posts that I had 0 programming knowledge from high school). However, I had things on my CV that were in my favour and sometimes other qualities other than just tech skills matter e.g. answering behaviour questions and getting along with the interviewer.

My advise would be to maybe learn Python after you finish your HSC, especially during that long break between high school and uni. Then learn Data Structures and Algorithms from Princeton Algorithms, Part I on Coursera (haven't done it myself, but is highly recommended by others) and then practice interview questions on LeetCode etc. This should make university comp sci really easy for you

i thought you were doing medicine at Sydney uni?

 

[uniqueusername1]

i thought you were doing medicine at Sydney uni?

Maybe he switched haha.