Hello. I'm a senior in high school and was wondering what kind of degree I would need to be a computer programmer. The kind of job I am thinking of would be like a systems programmer or a visual texturing programmer for a company like PMDG. I was wondering what kind of degree is required to attain a job in this industry? So far I'm looking into either software engineering, aviation management, or computer engineering. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Best Regards,Robert

Although I cant speak for what kind of degree is required, I will recommend that you start learning as soon as you can. Go to the book store and buy a beginners programming book and start learning the basics of coding before you even get to college.

BS in computer science or software engineering...I wouldn't do computer engineering as I'd just get a electrical engineering degree--but that's not what you want to do...You can pm me questions...I have already gone through the process of selection and I know a lot about what you need to know in college. I am a BS Mechanical Engineering sophomore at TCU.Oh and start doing things like basic on your own. In school they will probably teach you how to do Java or C.

Ok thanks. My ultimate goal is to be an airline pilot but I thought I might do flight sim design on the side. I'm thinking about probably getting a double-major in Aviation Management and Software Engineering. Minnesota State University Mankato has both of them and they are extremely cheap.Best Regards,Robert

If you want to become a pilot I would probably do something like engineering and get a minor in software engineering or something.

For what it's worth...I had the airline pilot dream, then the air traffic controller dream, and now I'm living the dream as an engineer... my "backup, backup plan."Have backup plans. You may find an aviation career untenable.My engineering firm employees several dozen computer programmer types. They have educations ranging from HS diploma with extensive OJT to masters degrees in a variety of fields, from English to Mechanical Engineering, to Electrical Engineering. There are some that are EE-computer programming/science. A few MBAs too. The living legend of IT at my company is a degreed draftsman that forged the way from drafting boards to our 3d design environment.It seems to be much more difficult to get a computer guru to understand the widgets and processes of engineering. It's easier to get an engineer with intimate knowledge of widgets who understands computer programming. The winning combination seems to be put an engineer in the lead and support him with some true programmers.Steve Perry

Hello. I'm a senior in high school and was wondering what kind of degree I would need to be a computer programmer. The kind of job I am thinking of would be like a systems programmer or a visual texturing programmer for a company like PMDG. I was wondering what kind of degree is required to attain a job in this industry? So far I'm looking into either software engineering, aviation management, or computer engineering. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Best Regards,Robert

my $0.02 ... being a

yea have a back up plan.. My dream and goal since I was a little boy was to be a pilot... But I ended up being a Flight Attendant which I love because I can still hear those engine roaring for taking off.. but I wish i was the one in control of it...Geoncarlos Colon

I understood that coming out of the military (flying in some capacity) helped open the doors to being a pilot. Is that still true?I also agree with Steve. Engineer->coder = easy. Coder->Engineering Capability = rare. Math skills are the basic building blocks to most tech intensive jobs. Don't know if it will get you a pilot

Yeah these guys are telling the truth...First of all like most I had the ATP fever. I am working on a private right now as a secondary hobby, but the airline industry sucks...I can give you a guy who has a lot of knowledge about it.Secondly engineering is a great degree to pursue and I do agree that you are in a better position in life with it, but it is hard! You need to be prepared to literally pull a rabbit out of your a** every day...it gives me the challenge that I love. The math is very intense and so are the engineering classes. One example is fundamentals of digital logic...Less than half of us really understood how it works (computer logic i.e. and, or, not gates in normal logic plus sequential logic-- elements of memory). We lost about half of our class in the first semester so beware, but if are smart and can apply yourself go for it. Plus some of the engineering girls are really hot. :(

I understood that coming out of the military (flying in some capacity) helped open the doors to being a pilot. Is that still true?

Depends. I know the majority of the helo pilots at operations like MedCenter Air, Mercy Air, etc. are ex-military due to the requirements for NVG experience and just experience in general. Fixed wing is a lot different. Most airlines don't care, an hour is an hour.Back in the day being ex-military would be a golden ticket at an airline, now, not so much.I'm in agreement with everyone else. Flying is great fun, but being a career pilot isn't nearly as glamorous as it used to be. My father is a CFII, so I grew up around aviation. I started flying when I could see over the panel, soloed when I was 16. I got my private late at 18, but that's a long story. All through highschool I KNEW I was going to be a airline pilot. Long story short, I became a firefighter, fell in love with the fire service, and haven't looked back. I still fly, but just as a hobby. Point being, don't get caught up in one goal. You never know where you're gonna end up.Scott

I'm sort of a "programmer"(spelling not so much) but to be an official one you would need to focus in Computer Science, the money's definately good there (my budy's in it). But make sure you get a descent lab teacher or you can be ######ed over by him.Personally I became a graphic designer/scripter and I can tell you all the programming I do is the same crap we did for Java and data models that we had to do in CS.As much as it's terribly special... it isn't., but th degree pays more bills than GD let me tell you.The only thing, be advised that you need around ~2500 hours to even apply for commercial airlines (like B1900D), take that into account (the Navy will at least take people with Glasses for Helo pilots, but for everything else if you have glasses you're screwed(according to recruiters at the time...lolololol)). I wanted to start flying, but it would have taken too long, too much money when I started. Be aware of that.Otherwise programming is easy as hell once you get the basics, just be ready to learn the syntax. (sorry CS peeps, I did most of the circulum at least).But despite, being where I am today and all that. I hate my job. It's great and I can support myself, but at this point I think flying from place to place with <b>no personal time</b> would be more fun (I've definately heard some terrible stories of life from people my age flying cargo where their life sucks... maybe depends on how much of an introvert you are).Also many EE majors == a dual CS major with like 1 other class. Just get past Calc 2 :(Oh, and most GD stuff doesn't give you anything in the way of programming, I'm lucky I had some of CS tbh, just saying.Oh yea,John Gordonseriously this full name stuff is a bad idea on the internets, google your name.

Thanks guys for all of the advice. My dilemma with flying is that I have ADD. The FAA will not let you get your medical license while you are taking medicine for ADD. In order to get the medical I would need to come off the medicine for 90 days. Then if all else is good, they will grant me a Special Issuance Medical (SI). This is not something I would want because most major airlines will not hire a candidate with an SI. However, if my doctor says that the ADD has gone away or is no longer affecting me, they can take the SI off and I would then have a normal unrestricted medical. So I'm going to wait until after college to come off my medicine. I was hoping to use some sort of engineering, preferably civil engineering, as a stepping stone to be a pilot. On the side I would get my licenses and ratings. This I've heard from others is much better than getting all of your licenses through college because you won't have to go thousands of dollars into debt to do it. Once I get all of my licenses, I plan on working as a flight instructor for a few years. After that, I plan on applying for a regional like ASA or American Eagle. Hopefully by the time I am 30-35 I will have enough hours to apply for the majors. My backup careers would have to be Civil Engineering with an emphasis in airport design, software engineering hopefully creating FS addons or FS itself, airline dispatcher, ATC, or aviation management. A double-major in Aviation Management/Civil Engineering would allow me to do pretty much all of those careers and then some. My ultimate goal is to fly the heavy iron and I just hope that my ADD doesn't get in the way.Best Regards,Robert

A lot of what we do isn't just about "being a programmer", it relies on knowing high level math and physics stuff that allows us to accurately model what's going on with a real plane's systems and flight characteristics. Several of our core programmers have degrees in stuff like computational fluid dynamics or aeronautical engineering, the programming knowledge is just a tool that goes along with the hard science stuff. You still have to know HOW to program something - it's sort of like knowing what to say when speaking a language, not just knowing the words if that makes any sense.

I worked in software development for a short time (functional analysist in engineering managment), the programmers are the bottom rung of the ladder! They are the grunt workers, easily replaced.