Does Software Engineering Require Math?

Despite its name, software engineering does not require math. At least, it doesn’t require as much math as you might think. There are numbers and problem-solving, but you won’t have to break out your AP Calculus certificate or trigonometry textbook to program—or engineer—software.

Math Problems and Software-Engineering Problems Aren’t the Same

You may remember from math class what math problems look like. There are a lot of numbers and symbols next to each other that are supposed to mean something. Or, there’s a paragraph discussing a lot of watermelons, trains, miles-per-hour, and gobbledegook.

You won’t find that in software engineering.

What you will find are multiple programming languages that follow patterns or syntax to generate solutions that solve problems using computers. Software engineering is about tackling issues from whatever angle makes sense. There can be multiple solutions to a single problem.

You Don’t Have to Be Good at Math to Be Good at Programming

So, do you have to be good at math to be good at software engineering or programming? No. It’s more important for you to have a passion for problem-solving and technology. If you start learning a programming language, like Python, and you have the right attitude and persevere, you’ll have a better chance of becoming a software engineer than if you just knew math.

You Could Learn Software Engineering at Hackbright

You can learn software engineering at Hackbright, and now you know you can do it without an advanced math degree. Learn more about our tech stack, our community, and our events. Or, jump right into the Software Engineering course information to learn about our courses.

Does Software Engineering Require Math?