Career Options and Outlook
Unlike many undergraduate degrees, graduates with a bachelors degree in Computer Science can expect to land an interesting job in their discipline. Your degree in Computer Science from the University of Toronto will prepare you extremely well for a rewarding career. Or, if you have a passion to go further and deeper in your field, you will also be in a very strong position to apply to graduate school.Very Strong Job Market
This is a particularly good time to study computer science because there are so many jobs available! In 2006, employment in IT reached its highest level ever in the history of the United States ("IT Employment Reaches Record High In U.S."). The situation in Canada is similar. More people are employed in IT now that at the height of the IT boom ("IT Industry needs new blood").At the same time, enrolment in computer science and computer engineering programs has been down across North America in recent years. Fear about offshore outsourcing is probably one reason for the drop in enrolment, but in fact, it is predicted that offshoring will create more jobs in the US than the number lost ("Study Plays Down Export of Computer Jobs"). And Canada has been one of the top beneficiaries of outsourcing from the US!
With lots of jobs and a shortage of people to fill them, the opportunities are tremendous for computer science graduates. For the latest information, see CareerNews, a summary of articles on career-related topics offered by the Association for Computing Machinery.
Terrific Jobs
Not only are there many jobs for computer science graduates , but there are many terrific jobs. Software Engineering was recently rated the best profession by CNNMoney.com ("Software Engineering best profession"). High salaries, great prospects, and opportunities for creativity were key to this number one rating.DCS Connects You to Work Experience and Career Mentors
There's more to preparing for a great career than schoolwork.
Our Professional Experience Year program offers a full year of real-world experience, usually undertaken between the third and fourth year of studies.The experience gained and contacts made are invaluable, and employers pay our PEY students very well. Students also receive tremendous training and support from the PEY office throughout the entire process, from finding the right PEY placement, to making the transition to work, and then returning to school again. PEY students come back with a much better sense of how to focus their studies. Their CGPAs go up significantly, on average. They are very well prepared to choose the right job upon graduation, and are snapped up by employers. We also offer a Career Mentorship program for senior computer science students. This program connects students to alumni of the department who have successful careers in industry, for invaluable insight, guidance,and career advice. Undergraduate students also participate in programs like the Backpack to Briefcase Series offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T.