How to choose a direction in IT: Software Engineering, Computer Science or Data Science?

Purpose: To help students understand the diversity of IT-specialties and highlight the strengths of Software Engineering. When an applicant opens the list of directions in a technical university, his eyes run out. Everywhere there is the word “computer science”, “systems” or “software”. How do I know exactly where to submit documents? Let’s look at the main tracks with simple examples. Fundamental informatics It's pure science. They study mathematics, algorithm theory and cryptography in depth. This is a great choice for those who want to create new encryption techniques or work in an academic environment, but there will be less focus on creating ready-made commercial products. Data Science and Machine Learning Data scientists are mathematical detectives. Their task is to find patterns in terabytes of information. They predict the demand for goods, train neural networks and work with complex statistics. There is less code than mathematical models. Software Engineering (09.03.04) If computer science is physics, software engineering is construction. An engineer doesn’t just write an algorithm, he takes an idea and turns it into a workable product. Choosing this direction at the POAS department, you learn the full cycle of software creation (Full-stack development). You will design SQL database architecture, write powerful server code in Python or C#, and create modern client interfaces with React. Software engineering is a way for those who want to see a real, tangible result of their work and eventually grow to the position of Team Lead, managing entire development teams.