The main purpose of the existence of this department is to belittle its adjoining department by offering common courses to the EC and CS students which then the CS students end up nailing. Apart from this it offers a couple of programming courses, air-conditioned labs to play minesweeper and a sprawling cycle stand that takes pride in its ancient history. Every once in a while a couple of CS grads get crore plus offers and the news does the rounds in the dailies. Apart from that, there isn’t much that goes on round the year.

Computer Science, compared to the other branches of engineering, is a relatively newer field of study. The exponential burst came with the advent of corporate giants like Apple and Microsoft. Contrary to popular belief, its relevance increases day by day.

The branch comprises of two main components - Computer Science and Computer Engineering. Computer science deals with the theoretical foundations of information and computation, along with practical techniques for the implementation and application of these foundations. In other words, it is the systematic study of algorithmic methods for representing and transforming information, including their theory, design, implementation, application, and efficiency. The roots of computer science extend deeply into mathematics. Computer Engineering on the other hand, typically focuses on computer hardware and software. It is, in a nutshell, an integration of computer science and electrical engineering. The curriculum covers both aspects.

Subjects like Data Structures and Algorithms, Discrete Structures, Computer Architecture, Operating Systems and Networking etc are vital for a complete understanding of the branch. The writers of the guide would advise the freshmen to master the courses on Programming, since almost the entire CSE curriculum depends on it.

There are wide areas of research that are open for any person who studies CS: Machine Learning (including Sub-domains of AI, Robotics, Natural Language Processing), Network Security, Compilers, Cryptography, Mobile Operating Systems, Real-time OSes, Cloud and Distributed Computing, Discrete Mathematics, Programming Languages, Data Mining, Database Management Systems, to name a few. Apart from that, there’s the field of Data Analytics, incorporating concepts of DBMS and Statistics, famously known as Big Data.

CS grads who know their basics are high in demand, but the catch here is precision. You cannot fool or wriggle your way out of any situation. As an engineer, you need to understand and deal with the realities of the problem and find out a viable solution. That takes a lot of study and practice. A job in CSE is only (AND ONLY!) dependent upon your ability to find solve problems.

In the industry, the job descriptions include Software Engineers, Data Analysts, System Programmers, Software Program Manager and Software Architect. Additionally, if you pursue higher studies (M.S. or PhD), you are also entitled to jobs in Universities and Research Teams in different Companies and organisations .

Students apply for internships in both industry and academia. During interviews, companies mainly test your ability to code under dire circumstances and your command over basic Algorithms and Data Structures.

The mean salary in India for a CS undergrad is easily between 10-18 lakhs. The average package is however, an unhelpful quantity, owing to the huge window in the pay package.

A large number of Cyber Security or Capture the Flag (CTF) contests and Data Science challenges have cropped up in the last few years. However, Algorithmic coding still remains the most celebrated sport in the CS community.