Ask HN: Web Dev Certificate or CS Degree? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Web Dev Certificate or CS Degree?

4 pointscoddojo7 comments

I live in Seattle, http://webdev.seattleu.edu/ Seattle university is offering 1 year Web development certificate teaching CSS3 HTML5 and JS . Should I pursue this? is it worth to find a career as a web developer or should I just go to school get my CS degree and become a programmer?

I basically have 2 and half years left of schooling to get a BA in CS but this seems like a short route only a year and I can get a job as a web developer?

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> I basically have 2 and half years left of schooling to get a BA in CS

Have patience and finish the degree. A degree isn't required but it will generally open more doors, especially for your first job (i.e. when you have no, or little, actual experience) and it sounds like you're already about halfway done (i.e. it's worth the extra year and a half).

I was in a similar position as you (except instead of pursuing a web development certificate I was debating dropping out entirely, after having success with a side project and various development jobs).

Although I would have done just fine if I dropped school, I'm happy that I stuck with it. I feel now that I have a much deeper understanding of computing, especially after taking advanced algorithm analysis courses, AI, and more.

As a hiring manager I would definitely prefer a person with a CS degree without CSS3, HTML5 and JS knowledge to a person with web dev certification but without degree. All these stuff is quite easy to learn in a month or two, in case of right CS background.

Do you want to study computer science?

The degree could potentially open up new areas of work for you.

Yes but I'm more interested in Web development you know?

It's worth sticking it out and having the degree. Technologies change, fundamental concepts in Computer Science don't.

Honestly, neither. Make a web application that interests you no matter how small, or large. You'll learn more there than either a cert. or CS degree can give you.

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