What can you do with a degree in Computer Science? Some computer science graduates have moved into industry (as programmers) or entered graduate programs (from applied sciences to medicine to law).
Still others have pursued entrepreneurial/business routes, found a home in the evolving world of digital media, or used their computational skills to move into finance, banking, or health care.
Put simply, computer science serves as an entryway into just about every scientific and business-related field, and increasingly acts as an accelerator for success in academia and industry.
In fact, our alumni have been going into so many different fields and areas, that we find it difficult to keep up with them and maintain this page…
“I found that being around so many intelligent and motivated people inspired me to think very big about what I wanted to do in my own life." Danielle Feinberg ‘96, Pixar
Some examples of areas you can explore are
Artificial Intelligence: Develop computers that simulate human learning and reasoning ability.
Computer Architecture: Design new components and systems for everything from high-performance, networked parallel machines to low-cost and lowpower iPods.
Computer Design and Engineering: Design new computer circuits, microchips, and other electronic components.
Theoretical Computer Science: Investigate the fundamental theories of how computers solve problems, and apply the results to other areas of computer science.
Information Technology: Develop and manage information systems that support a business or organization.
Operating Systems and Networks: Develop the basic software that computers use to supervise themselves or to communicate with other computers.
Software Applications: Apply computing and technology to solving problems outside the computer field - in education or medicine, for example.
Software Engineering: Develop methods for the production of software systems on time, within budget
The following is a table of where our students go post graduation, though it’s hard to keep this table updates as career options for CS graduates keep expanding!
| Primary Occupation Post Harvard | % |
|---|---|
| Computer Software, Hardware, Systems | 23 |
| Banking, Finance, Communications | 11 |
| Engineering & Science | 11 |
| Education | 8 |
| Full-time student | 7 |
| Law | 6 |
| Consulting | 6 |
| Medicine, Healthcare, Public Health | 5 |
| Arts, Government, Politics | 5 |
| Other | 18 |
Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Harvard University
After completing his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at Harvard, Salil Vadhan received a C.A.S. in Mathematics from Cambridge University (1996) and then went on to earn his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics at MIT (1999).
His primary research interests are in computational complexity theory, cryptography, randomness in computation, and the interplay between these areas.
Co-Chief Operating Officer for the Technology Division of Goldman Sachs, with operational oversight of the division’s business units* Schermerhorn joined Goldman Sachs (in Equity Systems) in New York in 1990, and has headed technology for the NASDAQ Business Group as well as the Asset Management Group.
He became a managing director in 1998 and a partner in 2000. In addition to gaining a lifelong friendship with Harvard College Professor Harry Lewis, Schermerhorn also met his wife, Miriam Esteve ‘85 (Applied Math), at Harvard. She now serves as Head of Operations and Technology for the Global Wealth Management Division of Citigroup.
Lead lighting artist at Pixar Animation Studios
As lead lighting artist at Pixar Animation Studios, Feinberg led the team that rendered the aquatic universe in Finding Nemo, from the surge and swell of plant life to the bounce and pop of billions of bubbles. Her exposure to computer graphics began at age eight with designing spirographs in LOGO.
Today she has a list of future classics to her credit, including A Bug’s Life; Toy Story 2; Monsters, Inc.; and most recently, The Incredibles and WAL-E.
CS empowers you to solve problems in all sorts of domains. Here’s where alumni since 1984 can be found:
033 Asset Management · 2Wire Inc. · AAA Northern California, Nevada, Utah · Ab Initio Software Corporation · Acccenture · Accel Partners · Accenture · Access Global Partners · Action Verb LLC · Active Endpoints, Inc. · Acumen Fund · AdNectar · Adobe Systems · Aegon · Agile Communications, Inc · Agilex Technologies · AIG · Akamai Technologies · Alliance Growth Equities · Alverno College · Amazon.com · Amdocs · American Express · Andera, Inc. · Angelo, Gordon · Apple, Inc. · AQR Capital Management · Aravo Solutions · AristoDigital · Asprova Corporation · AT Kearney Inc · Athenahealth, Inc. · Authoria, Inc. · Autodesk Inc · Autonomy · Bain Capital · Bainwood Huang & Associates · Barclays Capital · BBN Technologies · Beaver Lakefront Resort, Inc. · Bee North, LLC · Bellevue Hospital Center · BessemerVenture Partners · Big Tent Design · Bingham McCutchen · Blackhorse Asset Management · Bloomberg, LP · Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina · BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd · Booz Allen Hamilton · Boston Consulting Group · Boston Harbor Ship Yard and Marina #F3 · Boston University · Briar Rose LLC · Bridgewater Associates · Bronto Software, Inc · Building Educated Leaders for Life · CA, Inc. · California State University - Hayward · Caltech · Cambridge Semantics · Cardozo School of Law · Carnegie Mellon University · Children’s Hospital · Ciplex.com · Citadel · Citigroup · ClearNow, Inc. · Clever Machine · Cliff Island Software · CNA Insurance · CoBu Technology · Code Red · Cognex Corp · Colorado Technical University - Kansas City · Columbia Presbyterian Hospital · Columbia University/Harlem Hospital Center · CommonMind LLC · Computational Models Inc · Computer Partners Inc · Congregation B’nai Torah · Contra Costa Community College District · Council on Spiritual Practices · Credit Suisse · Credit Suisse First Boston · CrossTech Group · CTB/McGraw-Hill · Cuil · D. E. Shaw & Co. · Daiwa Securities America · Dangermarc Studios · Daniel’s Jewelers ·Danoo, Inc. · Dartmouth Medical School · Data Deletives · Davis Polk & Wardwell · DE Shaw & Co. · Deloitte & Touche · Department of Justice · DeSales University · Deutsche Bank · Diamond Management & Technology Consultants · Dimagi Inc. · Dixie State College · DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration · DoubleClick Inc. · DoubleDyno, Inc. · Dowling & Partners Securities, LLC · Draper Fisher Jurvetson · Eastport Analytics Inc · Eastwan Kodak Co · Effici LLC · Electroactive Inc · Ellington Management Group · EMC Corporation · EMC*2 Corp. · Endeca Technologies · Entelos, Inc. · etrials Worldwide, Inc · Evans Griffiths & Hart, Inc · Facebook · FAS Computer Services · Feith Systems & Software, Inc. · Feldman Gale, P.A. · Fidelity Investments · First Potomac Realty Trust · Fish & Richardson P. C. · Five Oaks Technologies, Inc. · Flixster, Inc. · Fluidnet · Flybridge Capital Partners · Fore Research and Management · Forest View Elementary School · Franklin W Olin College of Engineering · Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center · frog design · GaoHua Securities Limited · Gartner, Inc · Genentech, Inc. · Goldman Sachs · Google · Goose Networks, Inc. · Greater Greater Washington · GreenRoad Technologies Inc · Greenwich Capital · Guardian Technologies International, Inc. · Guidewire Software · Harvard Business School · Harvard College · Harvard University · Hasbro, Inc. · Highland Financial Holdings Group · HLCSoft · Holland & Davis LLC · Horizon Asset International Limited · Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin · Hyperion Solutions · Idiom Technologies · IL2000 · iLike · Imagen Incorporated · IMakeNews, Inc. · Immunity, Inc. · Index Ventures · Industry Aspect LLC · Information Builders Inc · Ingeeni Studios, Inc. · Integrative Bodywork · Intel Corporation · Intel Semiconductor Ltd · Interactive Factory · InterfaceThis · International Air Transport Association · International Business Machines · Intuit · ISI · iSkoot, Inc. · J P Morgan · J2 Interactive LLC · Jamison Group · Janus Capital Group · Jefferies International Limited · Jones Day · Joy Health & Wellness, LLC · Juniper Networks · KANTOR Management Consultants · Katzenbach Partners LLC · Keane, Inc · Khosla Ventures · Kiva Microfunds · Knesset of Israel · Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP · Kowintec, Inc · Krauss Dermatology · La Quinta High School · Legacy Investments, Inc · Legg Mason · Linden Lab · LinkedIn · Liquid Machines · Lithium · Lonely Planet · Lontra · LookSmart · LucidEra · Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects · Mage Sports, LLC · Marathon Asset Management · Marin Academy · Marin Software · MarketMind Technologies · Marsh Croft Property Group, LLC · Masergy Communications · Massachusetts General Hospital · Match.com · Maveron · McKinsey & Company · McKinsey & Company, Israel · McMaster-Carr Supply Company · MDCIV, Inc. · MDT Advisers · Medtronic · Mercatus LLC · Mercer Management Consulting · Metacapital Management · Metaphor Computer · Micro Office Solutions · Microsoft · Microsoft Research · Mindworks Software LLC · MIT · MIT Computer Science and AI Lab · MIT Lincoln Laboratory · MLB Advanced Media · MobiTech 3000 LLC · Morgan Stanley · Morgan Stanley Smith Barney · Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton, P.C. · Mozilla Corporation · MySpace · Nassau University Medical Center · National Institute of Standards and Technology · National Institute on Aging · National Institutes of Health · Network Appliance · Network Appliance, Inc. · Neufeld Scheck & Brustin, LLP · New Enterprise Associates · New Mountain Capital LLC · New York Law School · nextstop.com · NFL · Nintendo Technology Development, Inc. · Northeast Orthopaedic Specialists, PC · Northeastern University · Numeric Investors LLC · Ocala Eye · Olympian Gaming, LLC · OPNET Technologies · Opnet Technology · Optaros Inc · Oracle / BEA Systems / Plumtree Software · Oracle Corporation · Orange Academy · Orion IT Services · Outbound Light Group · Outcome Sciences, Inc · Parfums Christian Dior · Passport Technologies · Patterson Harkavy LLP · Paulson & Co., Inc. · PDI/Dreamworks Animation · Peerspin, Inc. · Philadelphia VA Medical Center · Phillips & Nelson Media · PictureCode · Pittsburg Unified School District · Pivot Inc. · Pivotal Labs · Pixar Animation Studios · Pleco Software · Pluralsight · PopCap Games, Inc. · Positive Energy · Princeton University · Procter & Gamble · Project Einstein, Inc. · Protea Systems · Publishers Circulation Fulfillment, Inc. · Pyramid Research · Qualcomm Flarion Technologies · Quia · Quorum Federal Credit Union · QVT Financial LP · Random Walk Computing · Raytheon · RBC Capital MarketsCorporation · Reach Network · Rembrandt IP Management, LLC · Renaissance Technologies · Reservoir Labs · Resource Capital Group · Richland District Two · Robbins Russell Englert Orseck Untereiner & Sauber LLP · Round Two, Inc. · Salt River Project · Samasource.org · Sears Holdings, Inc. · Seaweed Systems Inc · ServiceMaster Chesapeake · Sevanta Systems · Sharpcast · Shaw Systems Associates Inc · Shelflink Inc · Shumway Capital · SiBEAM, Inc · Sienna Ventures · Skyward Mobile · Slide · Small Business Administration · SmartDraw.com · SmartTurn · SNiP · Solid Concepts Company · SRI International · St. Catharine’s College · St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center · State Street Associates · State Street Global Advisors · Stentor Inc · Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School · Suburban Radiologists, S.C. · Sun Microsystems · SunGard Higher Education · SunTrust · Symantec Corporation · Tandberg · Techcelerator · Tellme Networks · Teradyne Inc · The Cutler Group · The Invus Group LLC · The Walt Disney Company · Third Sky Inc · TIBCO Software Inc · Ticketmaster Inc · Tom Stone Gallery · Topix.net · TrafficBroker · Treehouse Enterprises · TripAdvisor Inc · TTI-C · Tudor Investment · Tufs University · Tulane Law School · Two Sigma Investments · Tykhe Capital LLC · U.S. Federal Government · UBS Financial Services · UCSF · Union College · Univ. of Southern California · University of Auckland · University of California, Berkeley · University of Maryland · University of Maryland, College Park · University of Michigan · University of Minnesota · University of New Hampshire · University of Pennsylvania · University of Washington · US Agency for International Development · US Foodservice · US Secret Service · Vanderbilt University · Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Venrock · VidaTech Incorporated · Viewlogic Systems · ViPS · Virgin HealthMiles, Inc. · VistaPrint · Visto Corp · VMware, Inc · VMware, Inc. · Washington State 8th District · Weight Watchers International · Weill Cornell Medical College · Windward Mark Interactive · Wireless Generation · WorldChain Inc · Xaraf Management LLC · Xaverian Brothers High School · Yahoo! · Yale University · Yam’s Electronics Fty Ltd · Yieldex · Zantaz Inc. · Zappos.com, Inc. · zeo Capital Advisors, Inc. · Zyasoft LLC