Computer Engineers

[ChingChang]

Hey guys, I need some help. School's starting up soon and I will be sending out college applications before I know it. Before I send the applications, I need to know where I want to go, and before that I need to know what courses to take, heh.

So I've fallen in love with computers in the past two years, and I think a Computer Hardware Engineer is what I would like to do most. From what I've read, they design computer parts and are much like Electrical Engineers but deal with computer hardware, correct? That sounds like fun. I think I'd enjoy that

So do any of you Hardware Engineers have any suggestions? What courses should I take in College?
Thanks in advance

 

[headsup]

Hey guys, I need some help. School's starting up soon and I will be sending out college applications before I know it. Before I send the applications, I need to know where I want to go, and before that I need to know what courses to take, heh.

So I've fallen in love with computers in the past two years, and I think a Computer Hardware Engineer is what I would like to do most. From what I've read, they design computer parts and are much like Electrical Engineers but deal with computer hardware, correct? That sounds like fun. I think I'd enjoy that

So do any of you Hardware Engineers have any suggestions? What courses should I take in College?
Thanks in advance

Hi ChingChang.

I'm about to enter into my 4th and final year of a computer engineering course in the UK. I don't know whether you're stateside or how it works there, but here computer engineering pretty much means 1/2 computer science and 1/2 engineering, with a few speciality mixed courses thrown in.

If you've got the computer geek drive and particularly like the hardware side of things then
computer engineering is definately the way to go. For me, in the later part of my course, I can choose as I please between computer science and engineering modules. So I find myself doing stuff like AI and neural networks on the one hand, and systems modelling and VLSI design on the other. Its a broad, eclectic mix.

Just make sure you're not a pure theoretical computer science geek type, or you'll despise having to sit through all those boring engineering courses.

Good luck

Edited to add : um yeah, if you're posting on a hardware based forum, then I guess that means you like hardware

 

[MattParrish]

Hey ChingChang..

Just got your pm...sorry for the delay.

In my opinion, the lower level courses you can take are some of the most important. By "lower level" i mean the classes that will be the foundation for the rest of your computer knowledge. I recommend you take Digital Logic...understanding NAND gates and the like will give you a good foundation for future studies. Follow with some type of Microprocessor class (programming different processors). After this, it's up to you...

If your grades are good and you don't mind going into DEEP debt, CMU (Carnegie Mellon Univ.) has several awesome computer-related fields of study. The last time i checked, CMU out ranked MIT as the place to go for Comp. related studies. I'm considering going there in the near future for their new Information Security degree..

Best of luck!

Matt Parrish

 

[jen4950]

Hey ChingChang..

...
If your grades are good and you don't mind going into DEEP debt, CMU (Carnegie Mellon Univ.) has several awesome computer-related fields of study. The last time i checked, CMU out ranked MIT as the place to go for Comp. related studies. I'm considering going there in the near future for their new Information Security degree..

Best of luck!

Matt Parrish

I am currently working on my Master's with a guy who got his undergrad from Carnegie Mellon; if his performance now is any indication, they have a damn fine engineering program. (clarification: Civil Engineering, but all engineer's have the same basic CBK's)

 

[litesgod]

If your grades are good and you don't mind going into DEEP debt, CMU (Carnegie Mellon Univ.) has several awesome computer-related fields of study

And if you do mind going into deep debt, you may want to look into what I did. The first two years of engineering (just about any field, I went into Computer Engineering) are nearly identical no matter where you go. Calc, Physics, and intro engineering courses (mechanics, material science, thermodynamics etc) that aren't all that much fun if you are a computer person. Go to a community college for those first two years, get the BS courses out of the way and try and pick up a couple of decent CS or math courses (I would suggest Discrete Math and/or Linear Algebra as they will both be very useful). Depending on where you live, you may even be able to get into a decent state school after a community college and get your undergrad degree on the cheap (again, that's what I did - Binghamton University, one of the top state schools in the country) After that you can get a higher level degree wherever you want- if your grades are good then you won't have to pay for that degree. Personally, I was able to get a top-notch Computer Engineering degree for less than the cost of one year at a school like CMU.

 

[Jerry1978]

hehe whatever you do be prepared to do a lot of math because that's what computers are all about. i mean... A LOT OF MATH. as in vector calculus and beyond. most people that go into computers don't expect that so it's a friendly warning.

 

[mikeblas]

Personally, I was able to get a top-notch Computer Engineering degree for less than the cost of one year at a school like CMU.

If a degree from two years at a state school with undergrad work at a community college is a "top-notch" degree, what would you call a degree from a school like Carnegie-Mellon?

.B ekiM

 

[litesgod]

If a degree from two years at a state school with undergrad work at a community college is a "top-notch" degree, what would you call a degree from a school like Carnegie-Mellon?

I would also call it top-notch. In an undergrad program in engineering there is very little difference in curriculum. Yeah, CMU is a better school- and I wouldn't argue that it wasn't. But is it worth 42k per year? Combined cost of my 4 year degree was just over $20k- half of one year at CMU. Now that I'm done with my undergrad degree, and I've accomplished it with good grades, graduate oppurtunities abound. Not to mention that most of the faculty at Binghamton have degrees from schools like Cornell, RPI, Penn State and yes, even CMU. I spent two years working directly with said faculty, and even worked as a NSF research fellow- would I have had those oppurtunities as an undergrad at CMU? I never had a professor direct me to a TA when I had a question- how about at CMU?

There is nothing at all wrong with going to top-tier schools if you can afford them. But honestly, is an undergrad education really worth 150k in debt when there are affordable paths to getting a well rounded undergraduate education? Once you move up to grad school- then choose a place like CMU.

 

[Menelmarar]

I'm at Southern Polytech University in GA starting my 4th year in Computer Engineering. Its basically an extension of Electical Engineering.

The first 3 years are basically the same as a EE, but then it dives off into more specific design courses. The programming is nowhere near as involving as a Computer Science degree and I do nothing anywhere simliar to what my roomates who are CS majors do.

Ive had some extensive work in Assembly for some basic intel microcontrollers, VHDL, and a little bit of crappy Visual Basic for automating test equipment.

And as one suggested before, I highly advsie AGAINST going to a communityschool. You'll meet so many people at an engineering univserity that have your own intersts and not the dead beats I've known at community schools doing liberal arts shit.

Plus, I'm still working on my core, Our engineering department lays out some very well organized spreadsheets that tells you what you should be taking each semester as you go along so there is no guess work. And before starting down any path you can see each and every class laid out that will have to be taken. And on this spread sheet they mix throughout the entire program your core and your major classes. I like how they set it up, every semester I had a mix of engineering and core classes, and not gotta bogged down with a full semester of difficult engineer, or boring and worthless core.

Flowchart Comptuer Engineering:
http://ecet.spsu.edu/studentinfo/03cpetfc.pdf
Flowchart Electrical Engineering
http://ecet.spsu.edu/studentinfo/03eetfc.pdf
Compare them yourself. This is only at one school, within one educational program.

 

[mikeblas]

I would also call it top-notch. In an undergrad program in engineering there is very little difference in curriculum. Yeah, CMU is a better school- and I wouldn't argue that it wasn't.

I'm not sure how to measure the dollar difference, or even if it's possible to do so.

There's more to a school than cirriculum, isn't there? Staff, faculity, student-professor ratio, lab availability, lab quality, campus features, quality of other students, extracurricular groups, and so on. Lots of those things make a tangible difference.

There's the repuatation that a true "top-notch" degree carries on a resume at some employers. I don't give a crap about it; for me, demonstrable skills in problem-solving and reasoning ability are far more important than where someone went to school. At other employers, they think degree pedigree is actually a deciding factor.

.B ekiM

 

[litesgod]

I'm not sure how to measure the dollar difference, or even if it's possible to do so.

There's more to a school than cirriculum, isn't there? Staff, faculity, student-professor ratio, lab availability, lab quality, campus features, quality of other students, extracurricular groups, and so on. Lots of those things make a tangible difference.

There's the repuatation that a true "top-notch" degree carries on a resume at some employers. I don't give a crap about it; for me, demonstrable skills in problem-solving and reasoning ability are far more important than where someone went to school. At other employers, they think degree pedigree is actually a deciding factor.

Honestly could not agree with you more. In no way do I feel I was cheated out of any of this by going to a state school/community college. Part of this is because the CC I went to had an Math/Science program run by a retired professor from Cornell with his degree in high energy physics. My engineering professors all had 20+ years of real world experience- which in engineering for me counts much more than a Ph.D. does. Same basic thing holds true for Binghamton- I would say 90% of the professors in engineering at Binghamton have a degree from a top-tier engineering school, the other 10% have an incredible amount of experience.

To each their own though, I just present the community college/state school route as a very affordable alternative to a school like CMU. As far as the reputation- that is a big concern for me. But more and more people are starting to realize that a degree from a prestigious college doesn't guarantee a quality education, and instead are looking for those problem-solving skills. Out of curiousity, what is your degree pedigree and what are you now doing with it? I've just recently graduated- so I'm still trying to figure out the next step.

 

[Trinz]

Nothing wrong with a State supported school as long as it has a good program. Most of the top schools in VA are state supported. Like VA Tech and UVA. I started out as Computer engineering at Virginia Tech and then dropped out after my second semester for a few reasons. One being that I don't like electrical stuff. Someone mentioned it before and our Electrical and Computer Engineering program are managed by the same department. Hopefully you'll know what you want by the end of your first year. I didn't figure it out til maybe the second half of my 3rd... So now I'm an ME/CS double major... and my parents want to kill me...

I know a few people that start in community college but few that had all their credits transfer. Might as well start where you want. You don't want to waste the early GPA boost on community college. Anyway Tech is like 10 in state and maybe 20 or so out of state for a year. Our faculty is also top notch but hey you're going to get good and bad professors anywhere. Good companies recruit at our school just as they do at places like CMU and Cornell... You can just party more ... or convince yourself that you can....

Visit all the schools too. That made me decide between UVA and VT (Penn State would've cost almost double and CMU and Cornell waitlisted me). VT had much more open space,had some hella fine ladies, and good food... Too bad we're out in the middle of nowhere.

edit: Yeah the hella fine chicks thing didn't hold true. It's just that we have a tendency not to pay attention to ugly chicks. They don't go out so much though... only on dark and rainy nights so that if you're drunk enough.... you'll take one home...

 

[madflava54]

I go to Unv. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We have a good EE program, engineering overall. I'm out of state, but instate people ahve it really nice. I believe out-of-stateres like me pay almost 9k more in tuition. Anyways, look around and you will find great schools for a good price.

 

[mikeblas]

Out of curiousity, what is your degree pedigree and what are you now doing with it?

I started out consulting. Now, I've been at the same company for more than a decade. I've written and contributed to several books and a couple-dozen magazine articles. I've done a few dozen talks including several key-note presentations, and I figure about a third of the talks I've done have been to audiences larger than one thousand people. I've just applied for my third patent.

I dropped out of college. I think I have about 45 credits, so I'm something like a sophomore, right?

It's entirely what many people need, but I think the education system in the US is burning in need of change. Maybe moreso at the grade-school level than in higher education, but I can't imagine how much further along I'd be if I wasn't encumbered by my education.

.B ekiM

 

[Menelmarar]

Some people do great with no degree.

Guy that lived in the room next to me freshman year. Really talented programmer. Got noticed in the news when showing off some tech stuff to the public.

Got several job offers, got hired after his freshmen year as a programmer for online casino games with a 77ksalary.

 

[Whatsisname]

Just go EE. They do everything computer engineers do and more.

 

[BillLeeLee]

I'm a pure CS student, never really liked the engineering stuff myself.

Keep up that math work, EEs need more than CS majors (beyond Ordinary Differential Equations) as well as physics.

Can't really tell you what courses to take, I only know two computer engineering majors. One dropped and went to Biochem (she didn't want to do ECE in the first place) and I helped her with some of her beginning courses, mostly dealt with logic gates, karnaugh maps. The other one became a CS major in his third year and now transferred somewhere else.

Probably begin with courses in logic and such, that's what my school's first EE course is like.

FWIW, my school, WPI, is supposed to be great for EE. ECE (electrical and computer engineering) at my school is currently a joke. It's just EE + 2 or 3 courses dealing specifically with actual computer engineering. They're changing the entire EE major right now to receive accredidation for it to become a full fledged Computer Engineering major (and dropping EE in the process). Bleh.

 

[dawtips]

i goto the university of washington which is supposedly top 10 in the computer science/eng field. i just got rejected to CE for the 2nd time, its hard!

 

[daba]

I go to UC Berkeley College of Engineering, which is #1 this year.

It's not an easy task -- you'll age more than you ever have in those 4 years than you have your entire life.

 

[jen4950]

i goto the university of washington which is supposedly top 10 in the computer science/eng field. i just got rejected to CE for the 2nd time, its hard!

You guys keep saying CE. I keep thinking Civil Engineering- We like computers too (and have been around a helluva lot longer)!

 

[jen4950]

I go to UC Berkeley College of Engineering, which is #1 this year.

It's not an easy task -- you'll age more than you ever have in those 4 years than you have your entire life.

No shit- I'm ready for a freaking job!

 

[FoolOnTheHill]

One other thing to look at when choosing a college would be to see what (if any) kind of co-operative program they may have. This fall I will be starting at Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) for computer engineering. I chose them because they have a five year program that includes three six-month long co-operative jobs that are independent of classes. So, three times during college, I'll get to take a six-month break from classes and work a full-time, paid job to be able to see what type of job I'll want to secure when I leave college. I may even leave with a garanteed job at a company when I graduate.

Some may not like this program, but it is definitely something worth looking into. I'm glad I checked it out, it helped me pick Drexel over Penn State, Lehigh and University of Delaware. (three of the best engineering schools in my area.)

Good luck with everything!

 

[Trinz]

You guys keep saying CE. I keep thinking Civil Engineering- We like computers too (and have been around a helluva lot longer)!

Yeah at VT the computer engineers are referred to as CPEs. CEs are def Civil Engineers.

 

[litesgod]

You guys keep saying CE. I keep thinking Civil Engineering- We like computers too (and have been around a helluva lot longer)!

Yeah at VT the computer engineers are referred to as CPEs. CEs are def Civil Engineers.

I agree- CE is already claimed by Civil Engineers. I've never heard of CPE's, and I don't really like it- to close to CPA and God knows I don't want to be mistaken for a business major. I have heard of CSE's (being Computer Science Engineers) and mostly CoE's. Anyone know the abbreviation for a Chemical Engineer? ChE?

 

[Trinz]

I agree- CE is already claimed by Civil Engineers. I've never heard of CPE's, and I don't really like it- to close to CPA and God knows I don't want to be mistaken for a business major. I have heard of CSE's (being Computer Science Engineers) and mostly CoE's. Anyone know the abbreviation for a Chemical Engineer? ChE?

ChE is what I know.

 

[BillLeeLee]

At my school, computer engineers are ECE (Electrical and Computer engineering).

Chemical engineers are CM.