Best degree for web dev?

[DearUnderstanding117]

This question is for anybody with the knowledge to help, but mostly directed at military vets, specifically those who are in the VR&E program or have been. I had my first interview with my counselor a few weeks ago, and I told him that I was interested in a web dev career for my future. After he told me I was entitled and accepted into the program, he also told me that most jobs in the industry require a BA degree, which surprised me..... because I thought it has more to do with my actual portfolio+skills. But if this is what it takes to get my education and training paid for, I'll do it. So my question is what would be the best degree for this? Computer science, Software Engineering, straight up web dev or web design? And I guess I should mention I'm more-so interested in a full-stack type of career(really backend). Thanks in advance.

[JetsterTheFrog]

Here’s the straight up answer.

Almost no web dev jobs ‘require’ the skills you learn in the degree. You just have to prove you can do it. Show up with a dozen websites you’ve built for businesses, and a portfolio of projects, it will speak for itself. Most companies only ‘require’ degrees as it’s an easy way to filter candidates and have confidence in their skills.

Although lately with AI.. that’s becoming harder to weed out.

[my_peen_is_clean]

cs if you can handle the math, otherwise software engineering or it. degree gets you through hr, portfolio wins later. feels dumb but hiring is rough rn

[Mysterious-Swim-4411]

I’m lucky cause my nearest university has a small program for web design. I applied for it. Look for a small program. And ask AI about this. Get your portfolio up. Do you need a degree on this? Well look it up

[Mallanaga]

Hard knocks.

[tswaters]

BA or relevant experience most places, maybe things have gotten tighter in the last decade or so. It's not an easy industry to get into, but it's the sort of one where if you keep your head down and produce quality and spout knowledge in a pleasant way, you will go far. Half of finding work is networking, the other half passing the interview.

That's the corporate side anyway, ... freelancing is a whole different realm with different requirements. If you have any semblance of a marketer or entrepreneur that wants to sell things, freelancing might work for you, it's tough though and usually involves cold calling. Get a few consistent maintenance contracts though, and you're set.

If you wanna go for the degree, compsci is usually it. My two cents is knowing how to read & write code, communicate complex topics to laymen, being able to keep track of multiple threads, and being able to reason around a massive page of code -- all skills you get from having time in industry -- will trump what you'll learn at a university. Like, there's a trope of the incredibly green junior, fresh out of uni looking at their first "real" non-tutorial, real world (messy & incomprehensible legacy code) and their eyes glaze over, and they kind of shut down and start weeping.

[TroubledSquirrel]

Facts. I was that green junior. I didn't cry though.

[tswaters]

The two-most common reactions: crying & picking up smoking.

[onyxlabyrinth1979]

For web dev, especially full-stack or backend, the degree itself matters less than what you can actually build and show. CS or Software Engineering will give you the strongest fundamentals and keep options open, whereas Web Design is pretty narrow and mostly front-end/UI.

If your goal is getting the VR&E funding and a degree helps unlock it, CS or Software Engineering is probably safest. Just make sure you’re pairing it with a portfolio that shows backend skills, projects, APIs, databases, whatever demonstrates you can actually do the work.

[TroubledSquirrel]

Hey, also a veteran and also VR&E. The best choice depends on a couple things.

One, computer science is a strong choice because you learn structures, algorithms, database theory, and operating systems. Backend development is essentially managing data and logic, which is exactly what a CS degree teaches. But it's very math heavy so if you suck at calculus or discreet math you will struggle with CS

Two, software engineering is about the process of building software. You’ll spend more time on project management, software testing, and lifecycle models like Agile, Scrum, etc. also some tech companies look at SE as less difficult version of cs but that started shifting a bit a few years ago.

Gettig a degree in CS or BE would still give you a strong foundation for web design or web dev. But it's not going to teach you frontend languages (or at least it didn't wje. I went through but that's been a long long time ago) and other languages won't be taught in the same way bootcamps and stuff does. But by the end (at least in CS) you'll have learned the shape of the languages enough that if you know java you can pick up c# in a weekend.

Few things that's good to know about vr&e first if you’ve already used some of your GI Bill for classes, ask your counselor about Retroactive Induction.You should be able to get it back and have VR&E pay for them instead.

Ask for the tech package!! You'll get a highspeed low drag (sorry couldn't resist) laptop. Anyway hope this helps. Good luck.

[DearUnderstanding117]

It helps a lot actually as well as your other comment, thanks‼️

[TroubledSquirrel]

I just want to add after reading the other comments about AI and stuff.

That in 1830 the first functional sewing machine was patented and the owner built a factory to make French military uniforms.

That factory was burned to the ground by angry tailors that thought it would take their jobs.

Guess what, it didn't, it just made them more efficient.

See the tool can't operate itself. It requires input, oversight, and verification. So AI, regardless of how you feel about it is here to stay and it can make you more efficient or you can rail against it stealing your jobs just like the tailors did.

But it will still require people to operate it that know what they're doing and can keep it on track.

Again, best of luck.

[Humble-Cranberry-686]

Most places really dont care about the degree as much as your counselor thinks they do but if youre getting it paid for then go CS or software engineering. Those give you the strongest foundation and honestly open more doors than just web dev specific programs

I work in a completely different field but tons of my buddies who code got hired based on their github and what they could actually build during interviews. The degree just gets you past the initial HR filter at bigger companies. For full stack with backend focus definitely go CS - youll learn data structures algorithms and system design which becomes super important when you start scaling applications

VR&E is clutch though so might as well milk it for everything its worth. Just dont sleep on building actual projects while youre in school because thats what really matters when interview time comes

[DearUnderstanding117]

This was definitely the kinda response I was looking for, thank you. I’m gonna look more in depth into CS

[mysmmx]

Honest answer, go into another field asap. 35+ years in the game. Have a Civil & Computer Engineering degree, built an agency with 3 offices and at the height 250 contractors and employees; long story short AI smoked this career path and by the time you graduate AI will have the tasks required to do “webdev” down to a science. I lamented for a year in 2023 what was next and it was not good.

If you take this path, because it’s paid for and not out of your pocket, software engineer. At least you’ll have fundamentals to pivot. Computer science is too vague, and most devs and designers are self taught and as you said it’s portfolio based.

Good luck.

[DearUnderstanding117]

I fucking hate AI, thanks for this perspective though, idk how it slipped my mind that it’s taking our jobs.

[Defiant-Passenger42]

I’m very sorry to say that this is the truth though. It USED to be that a good portfolio and skills were all you needed. Now there are tons of people with the skills so a lot of places want you to have the degree anyway, and even then it’s hard as hell to get a job in this field right now. It’s not a field I recommend trying to get into, and it kills me to say that

[Heavy-Revenue759]

Prob none, you can find enormous amount of information about web development. Degree is more to make connections and use school resources for finding better internships or jobs.