How to Become a Computer Scientist Without a Degree in 2024

Many Computer Scientists come to their roles with an advanced degree in computer science, either a master's or a doctorate. However, not every computer science position demands a degree. On the contrary, many people working in computer science today either have a college degree in another field or no degree at all.

If you want to become a Computer Scientist but do not have a computer science degree, consider what roles would be appropriate for your goals, experience level, and current skill set. Researching the requirements for the position you want is essential. Still, consider the variety of available avenues and whether they will require you to get one or more degrees to qualify you. Read on to learn more about how to become a Computer Scientist—whether you have a computer science degree or not.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Computer Scientist Without a Degree

Pursuing a Computer Scientist career without a degree holds distinct advantages and drawbacks. While you might think only of drawbacks to start, consider the potential pros of launching a career in this way.

First, college or university degree programs are expensive. If you can save that money for other uses like retirement savings or purchasing a home, you can feel good about starting your computer science career without thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Second, a four-year commitment is a substantial amount of time. Concise training like a bootcamp or certificate program will shave years off of that. Third, college programs do not always include job placement or mentoring services, while many course providers do.

The potential drawbacks to skipping college are more apparent. First, you take a chance that you will not find the perfect job because it does require a degree. Second, the focused training of a bootcamp curriculum may be too much in too little time for some learners. If you are new to computer science, choose a beginner-friendly course that can take you from a novice to a confident job candidate in a few months or weeks.

Learning Methods to Become a Computer Scientist Without a Degree

Most people new to computer science are unaware of the multiple avenues to becoming a Computer Scientist without a degree. Although one option is to seek computer science roles based on a degree in another related discipline—like math, physics, or electrical engineering—many computer science professionals take a different route. Consider the following alternate methods.

• Certificate programs - A program like the Data Science Certificate from Noble Desktop can qualify computer science novices for many entry-level data science or Python engineering positions.
• Bootcamps - Bootcamps typically run a few days or weeks, and multiple bootcamps comprise many certificate programs. Check course providers for software development, web development, computer science, or data science bootcamps.
• On-demand learning - Although on-demand or asynchronous learning may not offer the same engagement level as live training, some computer science beginners prefer to start with this method. It can save time and money, especially for busy professionals.
• Independent study through free tutorials/seminars - Free online resources work as starting points for many computer science novices. However, most people need formal training or on-the-job experience next, so these tutorials or seminars should be entry points, not final training options.
• Part-time jobs or internships - A part-time job or internship can be an excellent way for students to get computer science knowledge and experience.

A certificate of completion from a comprehensive bootcamp or certificate program may be the fastest, most effective method to qualify for a computer science role. On-demand videos can be a good entry point to prepare computer science beginners for a formal course, but they can be challenging to use as qualifications. The self-taught method typically offers the fewest advantages, as it might be hard to determine what skills and knowledge a candidate will need for an entry-level role. Finally, if a person currently holds a part-time position or internship with a company they want to progress in, that can also be a means to a computer science career.

What is a Computer Scientist?

The expression Computer Scientist refers to a broad category of computer science roles, including numerous titles. Positions for Computer Scientists can include titles like:

• Applied Scientist
• Computational Scientist
• Computer Vision Scientist
• Cybersecurity Research Scientist
• Machine Learning Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Staff Scientist

These are a few of the many titles these skilled professionals can hold. It can be challenging to determine which online job listings are not Computer Scientist if they have the word Scientist in them. However, here are some of the commonalities among Computer Scientist roles overall:

Typical Responsibilities

Job responsibilities for Computer Scientists vary, depending on level, industry, and title. Computer Scientist roles can require research, communication, mathematics, innovation, and writing for publications. Their tasks can relate to software, hardware, networks, and computer programming languages.

Reporting Structure for This Position

Many Computer Scientists work on large projects for teams, although some may work independently for research and development. They may work in business, medicine, government, system administration, data science, or other fields. Computer Scientists may report to management or team leaders.

Typical Working Environment

While there is no typical working environment for Computer Scientists due to the diversity of positions, a team approach is the most common. In addition to their combination of technical skills, Computer Scientists of all types should expect to use multiple soft skills (communication, time management, attention to detail) to work well with managers, engineers, programmers, and other specialists.

Can You Really Become a Computer Scientist Without a Degree?

While you can become a Computer Scientist without a degree, the means to get there become more challenging as you go down the learning methods mentioned above. In other words, a certificate of completion from a respected course provider can offer the most practical way, whereas the self-taught method can be the most challenging.

Remember that many Computer Scientists enter the field with degrees in relevant or related fields. Other possible degree programs include the following:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Computer Programming
• Cybersecurity
• Electrical Engineering
• Information Technology (IT)
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Robotics & Autonomous Systems

This list is by no means comprehensive. If you currently work in an industry that requires computer science expertise and have a specific role in mind, consider what options you may have other than a computer science degree.

Steps to Become a Computer Scientist

The steps to becoming a Computer Scientist can vary from industry to industry or even person to person. Some employers are happy to fill entry-level positions with candidates new to the field if they hold a certificate of completion from a respected course provider.

The best path to starting a computer science requires research: find the requirements for the position you seek. If you know you want a position as a Machine Learning Scientist, the steps you take can differ from those of a Cybersecurity Research Scientist.

If you have not chosen a field or specific role, consider taking a general computer science bootcamp or certificate program. For example, the Data Science Certificate from Noble Desktop covers Python, SQL, and machine learning, all topics essential to entry-level data science or Python engineering roles. Other relevant programs include the Python Developer Certificate, Full-Stack Web Development Certificate, and JavaScript Development Certificate.

Learn the Skills to Become a Computer Scientist at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers multiple training options for students planning to learn computer science, in-person and online through teleconferencing. Topics include web development, data science programming, and software engineering. Consider the following programs:

• Data Science Certificate - One of Noble Desktop’s most popular programs, this course includes Python training as part of a more comprehensive data science curriculum. Attendees learn Python fundamentals like database analysis, automation, and formatting. You’ll also master other topics like SQL and machine learning.
• Full-Stack Web Development Certificate - The Full-Stack Web Development Certificate course provides students with intensive, comprehensive front and back-end coding training, teaching them to build and maintain websites. Through hands-on projects, the students will learn CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, SQL, Python, and Django, eventually becoming proficient in designing and developing complete web applications.
• Python Developer Certificate - The curriculum for this in-depth certificate program includes a 60-hour unit on Python Web Development with Django. In this intensive course, you’ll learn about URL dispatchers, automation, GitHub, and SQL. Attendees should have some experience with HTML and CSS before enrolling.
• Python Programming Bootcamp - The Python Programming Bootcamp is an intensive course designed to thoroughly immerse students in Python, one of the most sought-after programming languages in the tech industry. Not only will students be introduced to the basics of writing and running Python scripts, but they will also delve into more advanced topics such as file operations, regular expressions, working with binary data, and leveraging the extensive functionality of Python libraries.
• JavaScript Development Certificate - The JavaScript Development Certificate covers programming and development basics, including object-oriented programming (OOP), variables, arrays, string methods, and more. Tools and techniques include the MERN tech stack (MongoDB, Express, React, and Node), Visual Studio Code, Git, and GitHub. The course comprises eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions, and graduates can retake the program for up to one year at no additional charge. Applicants should be familiar with HTML/CSS before enrollment.