Have you ever wondered where a master’s degree in Computational Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CoBB) will take you? In this series, we will highlight career paths for our graduates, beginning with software engineering.
What is software engineering?
Sofware engineering is an emerging field that covers all aspects of software development, including design, testing and maintenance. Software engineers have a front seat to the creation of everything from web applications to databases and video games. They apply programming languages and engineering principles to build software solutions for today’s technology-driven world.
What careers are available in this field?
Software engineering is a versatile profession with opportunities to work in a variety of industries, such as finance, government, data science, manufacturing and health care.
Possible job titles include:
- Applications developer
- IT consultant
- Web developer
- Cyber security analyst
- Software engineer
- Systems developer
- Quality assurance analyst
- Program manager
What is the salary and career outlook?
The software engineering field is expected to grow 17% between 2023 and 2033, which is much faster than average.
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are projected to be about 140,000 openings for software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers each year over the next decade.
As of 2024, the median pay for software developers in the United States was $131,450 per year.
What skills are needed to succeed?
A combination of technological and soft skills is needed to succeed as a software engineer.
Many jobs require the following technical skills:
- Programming languages, like Python, Java and C++
- Cloud computing
- Knowledge of operating systems
- Database architecture
- Design testing and debugging
Soft skills like problem-solving, communication and time management are also needed to excel in this field.
How do I become a software engineer?
A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field is required to land a software engineer job.
By pursuing a master’s degree, you will have opportunities for advancement in the field, including increased earning potential, enhanced technical skills and access to higher-level roles. The Computational Biomedicine and Biotechnology master’s degree at Pitt equips students with interdisciplinary training in programming, machine learning and data science so they can stand out in the software engineering job market.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply today.