Theoretical computer science -- This is a branch of mathematics. Going into this basically means going into academia as a mathematician. It gets into the nature of what makes problems "hard" and how to quantify that. You'll skim the surface of it while getting a CS degree, probably, for maybe one class, in like your third year. Machine learning -- Hot field these days, can be very math heavy, but these days very accessible. Can involve basically any field, from gaming to agriculture. Stuff like generating realistic voices, self-driving cars, and automatically translating between human languages. Big systems engineering -- Stuff like AWS, or like Reddit, or Facebook. Taking programs and making them handle 10s of thousands of requests per second without falling over, and then making them fast. Mobile apps -- somebody's gotta make iPhone apps. Desktop apps -- Weirdly uncommon these days, but people do still write programs that run on PCs. Video game development -- Basically covers any and all of the other parts of computer science, but for half the pay. Embedded systems -- software needs to run your car or refrigerator or watch or toothbrush or whatever. Cryptography -- Like normal mathematics except you get to talk about spies a lot more. Computer Vision -- overlaps with machine learning these days, very cool stuff. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) -- Study how people interact with computers. Overlaps with User Interface Design. Making websites. These folks divide themselves into "frontend" (They make the stuff that the user can see -- HTML and CSS and JavaScript) and "backend" (They make the stuff on the server that handles incoming requests). Regular ol' Software Engineering -- the profession of making big programs and making changes to them over time without drowning in complexity. The meet and potatoes of programming jobs. Answer from captainAwesomePants on reddit.com
🌐
Indeed
indeed.com › career guide › finding a job › 15 computer science fields
15 Computer Science Fields | Indeed.com
2 weeks ago - Learn what computer science is and discover 15 topics in the field you can study, such as artificial intelligence, software engineering and data mining.
🌐
Michigan Tech
mtu.edu › cs › what
What is Computer Science?
April 9, 2025 - Computing drives innovation in engineering, business, entertainment, education, and the sciences—and it provides solutions to complex, challenging problems of all kinds. Computer science is the study of computers and computational systems. It is a broad field which includes everything from ...
Discussions

Is computer science the highest category that encompasses all fields related to computers?
On July 1st, a change to Reddit's API pricing will come into effect. Several developers of commercial third-party apps have announced that this change will compel them to shut down their apps. At least one accessibility-focused non-commercial third party app will continue to be available free of charge. If you want to express your strong disagreement with the API pricing change or with Reddit's response to the backlash, you may want to consider the following options: Limiting your involvement with Reddit, or Temporarily refraining from using Reddit Cancelling your subscription of Reddit Premium as a way to voice your protest. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnprogramming
97
160
September 26, 2023
Recommend me some fields in CS that you find interesting!
._. Some might define this as math but it has many applications in computer science, Discrete and Computational Geometry, and Category Theory. I guess these are more topics and less fields but they’re still interesting in their own right. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/compsci
38
39
September 20, 2023
computer science fields?
Theoretical computer science -- This is a branch of mathematics. Going into this basically means going into academia as a mathematician. It gets into the nature of what makes problems "hard" and how to quantify that. You'll skim the surface of it while getting a CS degree, probably, for maybe one class, in like your third year. Machine learning -- Hot field these days, can be very math heavy, but these days very accessible. Can involve basically any field, from gaming to agriculture. Stuff like generating realistic voices, self-driving cars, and automatically translating between human languages. Big systems engineering -- Stuff like AWS, or like Reddit, or Facebook. Taking programs and making them handle 10s of thousands of requests per second without falling over, and then making them fast. Mobile apps -- somebody's gotta make iPhone apps. Desktop apps -- Weirdly uncommon these days, but people do still write programs that run on PCs. Video game development -- Basically covers any and all of the other parts of computer science, but for half the pay. Embedded systems -- software needs to run your car or refrigerator or watch or toothbrush or whatever. Cryptography -- Like normal mathematics except you get to talk about spies a lot more. Computer Vision -- overlaps with machine learning these days, very cool stuff. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) -- Study how people interact with computers. Overlaps with User Interface Design. Making websites. These folks divide themselves into "frontend" (They make the stuff that the user can see -- HTML and CSS and JavaScript) and "backend" (They make the stuff on the server that handles incoming requests). Regular ol' Software Engineering -- the profession of making big programs and making changes to them over time without drowning in complexity. The meet and potatoes of programming jobs. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnprogramming
4
1
January 3, 2022
Help list all the major cs career paths?
Tbh this can be considered a really small list. There are way more career path to choose from Such as computer graphics , game engine design, simulation design ( like cad , blender ) requires heavy knowledge of maths and CS. And many many more More on reddit.com
🌐 r/csMajors
76
273
April 16, 2021
People also ask

What is the highest paying field in computer science?
Artificial intelligence and information security tend to be among the highest-paying fields, with average salaries ranging from $120,000 to $130,000 per year.
🌐
uopeople.edu
uopeople.edu › home › academic degrees › what are the best computer science fields?
Best Computer Science Fields to Study in 2025 | UoPeople
Which field is best in computer science for the future?
Fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data science are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. These specializations offer strong job security and high salaries.
🌐
uopeople.edu
uopeople.edu › home › academic degrees › what are the best computer science fields?
Best Computer Science Fields to Study in 2025 | UoPeople
Is there a lot of math in computer science?
Yes, but the depth of the math required depends on the program and degree level. Most computer science degrees feature courses in calculus, algebra, and statistics. Students also work with discrete mathematics for algorithms.
🌐
computerscience.org
computerscience.org › degrees
Computer Science Programs: Cost, Types, What to Expect
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › computer science fields?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: computer science fields?
January 3, 2022 -

Hi, I am 16 and I am still not sure what to do, i just know i want to work on computer at home.

I tried watching some basic python tutorials, but my brain cannot process and store the information for some reason when I don't know what I want to do specifically and it lists the information as "not necessary to store" , i guess. It already feels overwhelming for me, can you list some computer science fields that can navigate me to my possible "dream career" ? Making apps sounds good for me but i dont know if it would be "fun" in long term, cyber security sounds interesting, but idk as well, i have no idea how it looks. sry for english and ty

Top answer
1 of 3
6
Theoretical computer science -- This is a branch of mathematics. Going into this basically means going into academia as a mathematician. It gets into the nature of what makes problems "hard" and how to quantify that. You'll skim the surface of it while getting a CS degree, probably, for maybe one class, in like your third year. Machine learning -- Hot field these days, can be very math heavy, but these days very accessible. Can involve basically any field, from gaming to agriculture. Stuff like generating realistic voices, self-driving cars, and automatically translating between human languages. Big systems engineering -- Stuff like AWS, or like Reddit, or Facebook. Taking programs and making them handle 10s of thousands of requests per second without falling over, and then making them fast. Mobile apps -- somebody's gotta make iPhone apps. Desktop apps -- Weirdly uncommon these days, but people do still write programs that run on PCs. Video game development -- Basically covers any and all of the other parts of computer science, but for half the pay. Embedded systems -- software needs to run your car or refrigerator or watch or toothbrush or whatever. Cryptography -- Like normal mathematics except you get to talk about spies a lot more. Computer Vision -- overlaps with machine learning these days, very cool stuff. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) -- Study how people interact with computers. Overlaps with User Interface Design. Making websites. These folks divide themselves into "frontend" (They make the stuff that the user can see -- HTML and CSS and JavaScript) and "backend" (They make the stuff on the server that handles incoming requests). Regular ol' Software Engineering -- the profession of making big programs and making changes to them over time without drowning in complexity. The meet and potatoes of programming jobs.
2 of 3
3
maybe try something more interactive like codecademy, learning by doing is definitely easier especially since just listening to concepts might feel very abstract in the beginning. if you decide you hate it then thats a step forward as well!
🌐
University of the People
uopeople.edu › home › academic degrees › what are the best computer science fields?
Best Computer Science Fields to Study in 2025 | UoPeople
2 weeks ago - Data structures are the ways information is organized (like arrays or hash tables), while algorithms are the step-by-step procedures for manipulating that data. Specialists in this area play a critical role in optimizing applications, improving search engines, and reducing computational costs. It’s foundational knowledge for nearly all areas of software engineering and computer science research. ... Computer architecture focuses on how computer systems are structured and how their components interact. Professionals in this field design and optimize the hardware that powers devices—from personal computers and smartphones to large-scale servers.
🌐
Coursera
coursera.org › coursera articles › degrees › degrees by topic › what can you do with a computer science degree? 10 in-demand fields
What Can You Do With a Computer Science Degree? 10 In-Demand Fields | Coursera
1 month ago - While computer science tends to be thought of as a hard major, it's also considered a good major because of the job opportunities it can often lead to. Explore 10 established and emerging fields ...
🌐
Northeastern University
graduate.northeastern.edu › home › how to choose a computer science specialization
How to Choose a Computer Science Specialization
January 2, 2025 - Seventeen of the 50 positions on Glassdoor’s list of the best jobs in the United States—which was based on earning potential, job satisfaction, and the number of job openings in 2021—were in the computer science and technology field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for these roles exceeds $145,000 per year. Even more promising is that job growth for computer and information science roles is expected to increase by 23% by 2032—nearly eight times the national average for growth across all jobs. The average unemployment rate for many STEM roles is also well below the national average, according to U.S.
Find elsewhere
🌐
ComputerScience.org
computerscience.org › degrees
Computer Science Programs: Cost, Types, What to Expect
October 25, 2024 - The searchable database provides internship opportunities in full-stack engineering, product management, data science, and information security. This YouTube channel provides introductory videos about programming, languages, and game design projects. The best computer science degree depends on your professional and educational goals. An associate degree in computer science offers the quickest path to the field, while a bachelor's is the most widely applicable degree.
🌐
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Computer_science
Computer science - Wikipedia
1 week ago - Formal methods are best described as the application of a fairly broad variety of theoretical computer science fundamentals, in particular logic calculi, formal languages, automata theory, and program semantics, but also type systems and algebraic data types to problems in software and hardware specification and verification. Computer graphics is the study of digital visual contents and involves the synthesis and manipulation of image data. The study is connected to many other fields in computer science, including computer vision, image processing, and computational geometry, and is heavily applied in the fields of special effects and video games.
🌐
MIT EECS
eecs.mit.edu › research › computer-science
Computer Science – MIT EECS
Computer science deals with the theory and practice of algorithms, from idealized mathematical procedures to the computer systems deployed by major tech companies to answer billions of user requests per day. Primary subareas of this field include: theory, which uses rigorous math to test algorithms’ applicability to certain problems; systems, which develops the underlying hardware and software upon which applications can be implemented; and human-computer interaction, which studies how to make computer systems more effectively meet the needs of real people.
🌐
Shiksha
shiksha.com › home › engineering › computer science engineering
What is Computer Science Engineering?: Subjects, Fees, Admission 2025, Career Options
1 month ago - You can take up a variety of job profiles such as Network Concentration Engineer, Computer Systems Engineer, Systems Programmer, Computer Hardware Engineer, Digital Signal Processor, Networks Engineers, VLSI Engineer, etc. The career scope is very vast in the CSE field. Here are some frequently asked questions regarding CSE courses: ... Yes, as there are various great career opportunities available after completing computer Science and computer engineering degrees.
🌐
Teach Computing
teachcomputing.org › blog › areas-of-computer-science
Areas of computer science guide | Computing Quality Framework - Teach Computing
Read on as we cover the many branches of computer science and how it can encourage personal and professional development, opening doors and exciting minds in an increasingly digital world. ... Computer science is the study of computers and their systems, including how they work, and how we can use them to solve problems and create new technology. It covers a broad field ...
🌐
Indeed
ca.indeed.com › career guide › finding a job › 14 fields of computer science to explore as a career choice
14 Fields of Computer Science To Explore | Indeed.com Canada
November 19, 2025 - Computer science is a composition of several fields and specializations. The discipline is part of a larger group of computer-related disciplines, such as computer engineering, software engineering, information systems, and information technology. Understanding the fields of computer science is vital to determining what area you can specialize in as you pursue your interests.
🌐
Quora
quora.com › How-many-fields-are-in-computer-science
How many fields are in computer science? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): To put it simply, we might divide it into ‘jobs’. I’m not sure I know all of them: Circuit designer Various engineers (materials science perhaps) Code builders Business administration (?) Government applications (?) Interface designers Game designers App designers Networ...
🌐
University of Michigan Computer Science
cse.engin.umich.edu › academics › undergraduate › majors-and-minors › computer-science-eng-major
Computer Science Major (Eng) | Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan
The computer science program requires students to have a solid foundation in computer software, hardware, and theory, but also gives each student ample opportunity to take advanced electives in areas of computer science such as databases, architecture, networks, artificial intelligence, and graphics, or in emerging interdisciplinary areas such as electronic commerce, web information systems, and computer game design.
🌐
Southeast Missouri State University
semo.edu › blog › blog-posts › computer-science-vs-ai
Computer Science vs. AI: How the Fields Fit Together
July 9, 2025 - Before choosing between computer science and AI, these future tech leaders should thoroughly understand each discipline and how they are interconnected. This will help them select a degree program that best serves their career plans and goals. Some advanced computer science degree programs offer AI-specific courses as part of their broader computer science curriculum. Computer science is the broad study of computers and computing, encompassing all the elements that comprise computer systems. This field of study combines principles and theory with knowledge of the practical applications of algorithms, hardware, and software to build and improve computer systems.
🌐
California State University, Northridge
libguides.csun.edu › comp › careers
Computer Science Careers - What You Can Do with a CS Degree - Computer Science - LibGuides at California State University, Northridge
Some students choose to minor or double major in complementary fields like business, biology, or design, depending on their career interests. Graduate programs allow students to specialize further, often in high-demand areas like machine learning, human-computer interaction, or robotics. Many computer science careers—like software development or IT—only require a bachelor’s degree.
🌐
Online Masters Degrees
onlinemastersdegrees.org › home › careers › computer science
Today's Top Computer Science Careers and Fields
August 15, 2024 - The world of computer science is a large one, so before you jump into a graduate program, it is a good idea to chart your course. It can be helpful to work backward here, and start by thinking about the types of jobs you want after you earn your MS. To help you with that, we’ve broken down the 10 most popular computer science fields and explored some jobs within each.
🌐
University of North Dakota
und.edu › home › und blog › computer science vs. information technology
Computer Science vs. Information Technology: Choose Your Path | University of North Dakota
September 30, 2025 - Explore the distinctions between computer science and information technology. The former delves into theory, computation and algorithms, while the latter focuses on the practical implementation of computer systems and networks for business needs. Find out which field aligns with your career goals and better fits you.
🌐
Coursera
coursera.org › coursera articles › computer science and engineering › computer science › 7 careers in computer science fields
7 Careers in Computer Science Fields | Coursera
July 15, 2025 - The study of computer science and computer science jobs are on the rise due to the increase in technology use. When you choose to study computer science, you may explore different fields as potential career routes. Many jobs in computer science fields focus on designing and improving software ...
🌐
Southern New Hampshire University
snhu.edu › about-us › newsroom › stem › what-can-you-do-with-a-computer-science-degree
Computer Science Degree: Career Opportunities & Paths | SNHU
June 6, 2025 - Because of that, there is a wide range of potential careers within the field, from software engineering to computer programming or system analysis. With a degree in computer science, one of many technology programs, you can enter into a career path with dozens of potential job roles suited ...