Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Software Engineers For Applications
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Alabama State and University of South Alabama.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider University of South Alabama, Alabama State, and UA Hunstville.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Oakwood University and Tuskegee University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Oakwood University, Tuskegee University, Samford University, and Alabama State.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Birmingham Southern, Oakwood University, Tuskegee University, and Samford University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Samford University, Birmingham Southern, and UA Hunstville.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Alabama State and Oakwood University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Birmingham Southern, Tuskegee University, Samford University, and Oakwood University.
Working as an Computer Applications Software Engineer in Alabama
Computer applications software engineers analyze the needs of people who use computers and design software using programming language. They collect client requirements, plan and design applications, amd provide support and enhancements for software products. They also oversee the testing and implementation of these applications. They often create customized programs for their clients as well. Read a detailed Computer Applications Software Engineer job description and schools overview.
State Requirements
The State of Alabama does not require computer applications software engineers to have any specific licenses in order to take up the profession. Employers, however, prefer candidates who have a bachelor's degree and a thorough understanding of numerous computer systems.
Major Industries
Computer software engineers, applications work in industries like Management & Technical Consulting Services. Other industries in which they are employed include:
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services
- Architectural and Engineering Services
- Scientific Research and Development Services
- Commercial Goods Merchant Wholesalers
- Insurance Carriers
- Colleges and Universities
- Management & Technical Consulting Services
- Accounting and Bookkeeping Services
- Activities Rel to Credit Intermediation
- Advertising and Related Services
Major Employers
A few of the major employers of computer software engineers, applications in Alabama include:
- CAS Incorporated (Computer Systems Design and Related Services)
- Information Engineering (Architectural and Engineering Services)
- Southern Research (Scientific Research and Development Svc)
- Advance Medical Associates (Commercial Goods Merchant Wholesalers)
- Health Spring Of Alabama Incorporated (Insurance Carriers)
- Athens State University (Colleges and Universities)
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight Alabama Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Birmingham, Huntsville
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master, Post- Bachelor's Certificate
- Locations: Bessemer, Madison, Mobile
- Programs: 7 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Locations: Birmingham
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Diploma
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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate
Colorado Technical University Online
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate, Master
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
International Academy of Design & Technology Online
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Coursework, Diploma
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Milwaukee School Of Engineering • Milwaukee, AL
Studying Software Engineering (completion in 2006)
• 10/2/2011
"I'm happy with what they gave me. Wish I didn't have so much debt and had enjoyed my time more."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You will be good at your job if you go here, but expect to work hard. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Due to its size, MSOE is not as well-known as it should be. Those who do know it swear by it. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I was very prepared, and being around others from other schools, it is obvious how much better my education was. If nothing else, the school taught me to work hard. |
| Instruction | 7 | Teachers were a bit academic, I would have liked to see more experience, though they were all very smart though. No TAs and we still had small classes. |
| How Difficult | 10 | It was not easy. Many long nights over four years. The school was also very expensive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix of teaching styles. There were as many lab hours as lecture. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | One basically has a set schedule for four years if you want to finish on time. There's some flexibility but not too much. You'll see the same people in the classes so there's a chance to work together. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school had decent facilities but was not large. But the school is 100 years old and ever-expanding to accommodate student needs. |
| Social Life | 3 | Activities consisted mostly of engineers studying. The campus consisted largely of males and stunted the social aspects of the school. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Everyone in my graduating class of about 200 was placed in 2006. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | You must be self driven at MSOE. Otherwise you will not graduate. |
Cal Poly • San Luis Obispo, AL
Studying Computer Engineering (completion in 2012)
• 10/15/2011
"It fulfilled my expectations. It was a learning environment."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is fun, hard, and you learn a lot. Companies love Cal Poly. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | CPE at Cal Poly is ranked in the nation. It is very well known in industry. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Computer Engineering at Cal Poly is a great program. I loved both the EE and CS classes, but not the GE's. There wasn't a web UI class though, that would have been nice. |
| Instruction | 9 | Cal Poly's motto is learn by doing, so consequently I designed and implemented a lot of projects from start to finish. This prepared me very well for the industry. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The engineering title required me to take very difficult math and physics classes. CS and EE classes were challenging, but also very fun. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We get to build a lot of things, especially in EE labs. CS is hands-on with a keyboard. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Getting classes was very hard. They did allow community college transfer grades, which was very nice. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | A lot of work was put into helping students achieve good grades. A new Mac lab was just installed that has very nice computers. |
| Social Life | 9 | Intramural sports are really fun, and the night life in San Luis Obispo is amazing. Soccer games vs. UCSB are very popular. |
| Placement Services | 9 | The schools job fairs are crazy. There is a lot of work done do get students the jobs they want. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | People love Cal Poly. Many good companies recruit here, because many of their employees are alum. |
University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign • Champaign, AL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 10/23/2011
"I believe that I got a good education out of it. My social life, on the other hand, was somewhat lacking, but that was my own fault."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a great school for the field, and provides both education and fun to those seeking it. It's hard to get both, but you can make the choice. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | As I mentioned, it is one of the top 5 in the US. Most people outside of CS have probably never heard of it, but in the field, it is well-known. |
| Program Quality | 10 | It is one of the top 5 universities for computer science in the US, and it shows. It was a difficult program but I feel that I learned a great deal. |
| Instruction | 8 | A lot of required classes proved to be not useful in my everyday life. But I understand that different career paths in the field require different skills, so I'd say it covered a broad amount of information that is useful to everyone. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I pulled about one all-nighter a week. Most classes were difficult, and had a heavy workload. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I'd say it was more hands-on, because most of my computer classes didn't even have required textbooks. I did most of my learning through programming assignments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | I guess I actually don't know, since I never took summer, evening, or online classes. I know that those three were offered. I don't think weekend classes were, though. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had a brand new, huge, computer science building, and computer labs all over campus. Top-of the line equipment everywhere. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was the founder and president of a social club, and was in a computer club as well. I didn't participate in sports or many parties or other social events, though there were plenty. It is, after all, a "party school." |
| Placement Services | 10 | There were about 4 career fairs every semester, and emails and announcements regarding job and internship opportunities. There were also free services offering job interview practice and resume help. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I suppose some alums are very tied to the school. I am not one of them, as I didn't have much school pride. |
Carnegie Mellon • Pittsburgh, AL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2009)
• 10/25/2011
"I had a good time, learned a lot, and met a ton of smart people and got to pick their brains a bit. Also I learned how to work my butt off which has already started paying off."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | CMU is a good school, with a lot of different areas to go into. There aren't many places that can boast world class graphics, ai, ui, algorithms, entertainment, or robotics research, let alone all of them. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | CMU has one of the top CS programs in the country. I think it is pretty well deserved too. |
| Program Quality | 9 | CMU has a "learn it yourself" attitude to many things which were not the subject of a particular course. (So they wouldn't teach C++ for a graphics class which used C++). Also the academic rigor made for a smooth transition into the workplace. |
| Instruction | 8 | In terms of curriculum, I have no issue. Doing functional programming at the same time as systems work and generative music (in just one semester!) provides a breadth of experience that's hard to get on the job. My one complaint is the occasional low quality lecturer. That said if the focus of a CS class is the lecture, there may be a problem. |
| How Difficult | 10 | I may have brought this upon myself, but I loaded up on classes early on to get requirements out of the way. But then when I finished those, I loaded up again to take advantage of all of the prerequisites that I had gotten along the way. Aside from that, many of the course in the CS program were grueling to put it lightly. 15-251(a sort of discrete math course) and operating systems are legendary, to say nothing of 15-213 (systems). |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most courses had no textbook. If there was one it was either, not used, written for the course, or an industry classic (like k&r). If a data structure or algorithm was taught in class, 8 times out of 10, it was coded. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | The reasoning behind course schedules are pretty opaque and often it was unclear how often and when a course was being run. This included courses needed to graduate. The summer options are pretty nice however. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Classrooms and computer labs were great and plentiful. I heard that the library is nice if you are in the humanities, but I had trouble finding resources specific to CS. (One time I asked my adviser if there was a CS library/section of a library and he just pointed to his bookshelf and asked what I was looking for.) |
| Social Life | 8 | Surprisingly good for how nerdy people are. Not everyone does things in the same way and the school pretty much embraces that. Sports were on the same footing (or less than) as non-major drama, A Capella, robots, construction, whatever. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Many of the career services are run centrally by the school. This is a problem with a school as academically diverse as CMU because they don't really know much specifically about different majors. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | While many professors and former students are well connected, there isn't much in the way of alumni networking. It is almost as if everyone graduates and then runs away from each other. |
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