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I'm not quite sure if this is "the place" to ask this, but I figured I'd give it a shot. I attend a decent (but not extraordinary) engineering school (that of Virginia Commonwealth University), and I'm a little irresolute as to what subject matters I should pursue as an aspiring software engineer/developer/programmer. A BS in computer science is a given. Because of its similarity to other degrees offered and because of an abundance of applicable credit hours I attained prior to enrollment, it is possible for me to earn up to four different degrees in certain areas in four years' time. Because we are the only school in the state (and one of only forty in the nation) to offer bioinformatics at the undergraduate level, I am strongly gravitating toward dual degrees in computer science and bioinformatics with minors in computer engineering, mathematics, chemistry, and music. Note: I have no desire to pursue bioinformatics occupationally; I simply think it would be a strong credential for (computer science) graduate school (thoughts?). Below are the combinations I am most strongly considering (minors not listed), next to the number of additional credit hours necessary to complete each combination. The key is located directly above.

CMSC - Computer science
BNFO - Bioinformatics
CE - Computer engineering
EE - Electrical engineering
PHYS - Physics
MATH - Mathematics

CMSC = 78
CMSC + CE = 134
CMSC + CE + EE = 147
CMSC + CE + PHYS = 147
CMSC + CE + EE + PHYS = 160
CMSC + CE + BNFO = 167
CMSC + CE + MATH = 171
CMSC + BNFO = 106
CMSC + MATH = 112
CMSC + BNFO + MATH = 131

Not limited to the preceding, below are all the majors and minors offered my institution.

Accounting
African-American Studies
Art History/Criticism/Conservation
Art Teacher Education
Bioinformatics (biological/genomic, computational, quantitative)(no minor)
Biology
Biomedical Engineering
Business - General
Business/Managerial Economics
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Clinical Laboratory Science
Computer Engineering - General
Information Systems
Crafts/Folk Art/Artisanry
Dance
Dental Hygiene
Drama/Theater Arts
Electrical/Communications Engineering
Emergency Management/Homeland Security
English Language & Literature - General
Environmental Studies
Fashion Design
Film Production/Cinematography
Financial technology
Foreign Language & Literature - General
Forensic Technologies
Global Studies
Graphic Design
Health Teacher Education
History - General
Illustration
Information Sciences/Systems
Interior Design
Kinetic imaging
Law Enforcement Administration
Marketing Management
Mass Communications/Media Studies
Mathematics (applied mathematics, biomathematics, general math, operations research, statistics)
Mechanical Engineering
Music - General Performance
Nursing (RN)
Painting
Parks, Recreation & Fitness - General
Philosophy
Photography
Physics
Political Science/Government
Psychology - General
Radiologic Technology/Medical Imaging
Religion/Religious Studies
Sculpture
Social Work
Sociology
Urban Studies
Women's Studies

The relevant part(!): from an employer's perspective, which combination(s) of majors/minors (within presumed practicality) would make me the most "qualified" occupational candidate and result in the highest starting salary in a career in software/programming? Thanks for reading.

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— this is a good crossroads to be at. Rather than piling on every possible major because you can, pick one complementary area that maps to a clear career lane (systems/hardware, data/ML, or computational bio) and use the extra time you’d otherwise spend on coursework to get at least one high-quality internship, a year-long research project, or 3–4 substantive portfolio projects. ’s suggestion to check BLS data is helpful for market context; treat those statistics as one input, not the whole decision. (naceweb.org)

For timing and payoff: software development remains a large, fast-growing, well-paid field. The BLS lists software developers among the faster‑than‑average occupations with strong median pay and large projected openings; that broad demand is why a solid CS foundation is so marketable across specializations. Use those projections to prioritize which technical electives and internships will actually open doors. (bls.gov)

If your interest is hardware, embedded, or low‑level systems, a computer‑engineering or electrical‑engineering track gives direct, employer‑facing advantages; hardware roles typically expect an engineering degree and command higher median wages in that specialty. For algorithmic, ML, or theory paths, a heavier math/statistics load (especially linear algebra, probability, and discrete math) will repay itself in grad‑school competitiveness and job options. (bls.gov)

Practical checklist to act on now: prioritize one meaningful secondary focus (not several), lock in at least one paid internship or a faculty‑mentored research project, and publish or showcase work on GitHub or a personal site — employers and recruiters increasingly look for demonstrable experience and open‑source/portfolio evidence. If grad school is a likely goal, admissions committees explicitly reward research experience and rigorous quantitative preparation. Use the BLS/NACE reports and GitHub/industry signals to validate which skills and internships matter most for the exact role you want. (naceweb.org)

Member Avatar for MGD

I've gotten my AAS in Applied Science with a major in programming, and I'm about head in the same direction at a different University with some options but not as many as I would like to see.....In the past, whenever I've had issues concerning career development, I've always been able to find solace at bls.gov. This is the bureau of labor statistics web site. If you go to the OOH section,(Occupational Outlook Handbook), you'll find a plethora of information on careers and career options, present and future. There database must be huge......the site includes graphs, charts, breakdowns, averages, and tons more.......

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