What is Computer Engineering?
Computer engineering started as a specialization of electrical engineering but quickly became its own branch grounded in the theories and principles of computing, mathematics, science, and engineering. It blends many aspects of computer science with electrical engineering to develop and integrate the hardware (physical circuits) and software (computer programs) components of modern computing systems and computer-controlled equipment including sensors, robotics, computer networks, and machine learning/AI systems.
There are many types of computer engineers, including:
- Software engineers who create apps, programs, video games, and more.
- Hardware engineers who optimize the physical equipment used in computing, such as your phone.
- Network engineers plan, build, and secure computer networks.
Computer engineers work in many industries, including computing, aerospace, telecommunications, power generation, manufacturing, defense, and electronics. They design devices from tiny integrated circuits and microprocessors to whole systems like telecommunications networks. Specific devices and systems include:
- Consumer electronics like TVs, microwaves, and gaming consoles
- Laptops and desktops
- Cellular/mobile phones and wearables
- Devices needed to make the internet work, including servers
- Embedded sensing and control systems needed in aircraft, spacecraft, cars, (especially driverless cars), and automated factories
Watch the video below to learn more:
Physics and especially mathematics are essential subjects to take and excel in at school. If your school or community offers coding classes or camps, you should definitely try and attend these. At university or college, you will need to take computer science courses as well to graduate with a computer engineering degree. Depending on where you study, there will be different specializations that you can pursue as an undergraduate or graduate student or young professional. Learn more by watching the video called So You Want to Be a COMPUTER ENGINEER (11:32).
Here are some general tips for choosing a university or college program:
- Make sure the program is fully accredited locally and/or internationally.
- Choose an institution that offers a broad computer engineering program so that you can sample as many of the sub-disciplines as possible to find the best fit for you.
- Consider accredited engineering programs offered by technical or community colleges.
We live in a highly digitized world increasingly dependent on computing technologies and systems. Therefore, computer engineers are highly sought after in a wide variety of industries. In most parts of the world, they are highly valued and very well paid.
To learn more about the kind of work you could do, check out GE's Digital Technologies team: Digital Technologies | GE Research
Typical employers include large private companies and research organizations:
- Computing companies like Apple and Google
- Tech start-ups
- General Electric
- Automotive companies like Tesla
- Telecomm companies like Verizon
Watch the following videos to meet some inspiring computer engineers.
