![[Featured Image] Two young professionals who followed computer science career paths work in an office, one sitting at a computer and the other standing over their and looking at the screen.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/4XPfZ82kFAuwbFWzWqnLOM/5cfdc936235ad2a5cde21fb6edec0fdc/GettyImages-2114011643.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
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5 Computer Science Career Paths
Explore computer science career paths in this helpful guide outlining academic requirements and salary information for 14 potential jobs in the field.
December 31, 2025
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Computer Science
Explore articles about computer science, artificial intelligence, and software development. Learn about careers in computer engineering, cryptography, and related fields, essential technical skills, and opportunities across industries.
![[Featured Image] A c++ developer is sharing a project with a co-worker of an application to help improve a system.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5R9awM51PaLI0PrN6Y9iSN/858932b459bbdbf7eb8573b6d86f596a/GettyImages-1138451175-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A young person sits at a laptop in a required class for their computer science degree.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/38jhyGvZbkr7Dapb5aqYOW/01dfa17bd0ced62998c0833e00167a3d/GettyImages-513633874-converted-from-jpeg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Two computer scientists in a server room work simultaneously on a tablet as they explore quantum computing principles.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5TZVKKjhSXz9BOisi7xcIi/afff94a629eedbfc931221dcb033257c/GettyImages-1818616410-converted-from-jpg__1_.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A business professional works at their desk using several types of computers to accomplish their various tasks.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7tLSufunwJNy4BywKCPqm5/9dcd42db868e199c4c2a7cfb8798fa9b/GettyImages-2234269233-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A technician standing in a server room secures data with advanced cryptography algorithms.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/66fd9RTEFPv0j16lnwB2q5/8f7384350d562d697ce19ca1b8900264/GettyImages-1445360258.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Explore popular computer science courses
University of Michigan
Skills you'll gain: Database Design, Data Processing, Debugging, Web Scraping, File I/O, Data Visualization, Relational Databases, Restful API, Web Services, SQL, Databases, Data Visualization Software, JSON, Data Presentation, Extensible Markup Language (XML), Data Structures, Data Cleansing, Programming Principles, Python Programming, Program Development
Skills you'll gain: Django (Web Framework), Bootstrap (Front-End Framework), Restful API, Version Control, GitHub, Git (Version Control System), Responsive Web Design, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Jest (JavaScript Testing Framework), JSON, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Unix Commands, Back-End Web Development, API Testing, Relational Databases, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Database Management Systems, HTML and CSS, Mobile Development, Python Programming
Skills you'll gain: Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), User Interface (UI), User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, JSON, Figma (Design Software), User Experience Design, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), User Centered Design, Wireframing, Object Oriented Design, Command-Line Interface, Javascript, Unix Shell, Debugging, Pseudocode, UI Components, Computer Science, Application Programming Interface (API), Unit Testing, Application Development
![[Featured Image] A learner in a plaid shirt sits in a library at a table with a stack of books, researching adaptive learning platforms on a tablet as they seek the option that best meets their needs.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/pQkuVKDYYr8eSoLWUc64t/9223dad0baec9bc6e069a981454479ee/GettyImages-527859306.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A professional sits at a laptop in their home office using an adaptive learning program and writes notes on paper.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7fLyhI9B6jEQ8GYvYYcNdN/d575f8f9ad24b8c5e5e32dc3e8800a6d/GettyImages-2229142471.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] After researching how to learn blockchain, an aspiring professional practices on a desktop computer located in a work environment, focused on the code displayed on the screen.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/2tK3MQFEcGTAnkDFvtdjGd/6f8b058444f4e39b4d3275223a47575f/GettyImages-2198068249.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A crypto analyst and a colleague work together in an office, analyzing cryptocurrency charts and data.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/4xp6yGQtWXfPMnxOG05a30/452b5f21fd8854b55483ca65059a3f88/GettyImages-2165655874__1_-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A crypto mining engineer and a colleague discussing progress in an office environment, analyzing cryptocurrency mining charts on a computer.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5R3DfnuHt1udHdAnRikzug/49af494a6c4e72fb4ccad565e4835b4c/GettyImages-1364393716-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A person in their home office is on their laptop, working on getting a computer science certification.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/2LwG91dOvDr1r1Qu1Vnz1m/4b2219c84a86d3e4d4e0fe61d5206c35/GettyImages-1457327850-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A computer scientist collaborates with a colleague in an office setting.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7hENMHZW2pMMkQCHK8xPUH/5147b66d2de63b386860f8b7a577fe0e/GettyImages-1371160707-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Feature Image] A prospective master’s degree learner researches MS in CS salary details on a laptop while planning their educational and career pathways.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7hyGTmCRB09jwiOkqcnH0K/c9201e5d3295a5e5262b92ca877b24ce/GettyImages-2196790819-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Video thumbnail] Computer Science Jobs](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3eLl2HRpm71Nposa1Grr4/057b0b01de7f17d22aed9fd0e4d8fe50/Chelsea_-_Computer_Science_Jobs_-_Thumbnail_-1.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Computer science is the study of computer hardware and software. As a discipline, it encompasses subjects from artificial intelligence and cryptography to computer engineering and software development. It touches various industries, including game development, financial services, and government.
With so many options and opportunities available, it can be tricky to know where to start. On Coursera, you'll find expert resources to support your goals, whether you're just starting or are ready to take the next step in your career. Explore computer science topics, including:
Interested in information technology? Learn more about information technology and explore popular information technology certifications.
Interested in artificial intelligence (AI)? Dive into the exciting and fast-moving field of artificial intelligence, learn what AI is, and explore popular job descriptions for working in AI.
Interested in software development? Discover more about what a software developer does and popular software development courses.
Ready to start learning? Explore our catalog of computer science, information systems, and artificial intelligence.
