What is Computer Engineering?

Computer Engineering majors have careers anywhere there are computers, which is virtually everywhere. Our graduates can be found doing anything from designing controllers embedded in cars up to building the latest hot game. Farther afield, as the technology sector has found increasing economic power, our graduates go on to professional degrees in business or law to lead and advise technology companies from an informed standpoint.
Between strong demand and rapid turnover, jobs abound for good systems and applications programmers, hardware designers, network managers, and consultants in many areas. Computer engineers make the Web faster, improve the machines we use, design and build PDAs like the Palm, and iPAQ. CE majors also provide the computational power underlying fields as varied as oil exploration, health care, airplane design, and weather modeling. Applications programmers are responsible for writing instructions to solve specific scientific or commercial problems. Systems programmers develop software which makes computer programming and operations simpler.

Typical employers include firms devoted to the design and production of computer software and hardware, and also aircraft, automotive, telephone, chemical, insurance companies, banks, retailers, utilities, publishers, accounting firms, research organizations, universities, and financial and data processing firms. The Federal Government hires computer specialists in the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Treasury, and Energy, as well as in NASA, the General Accounting Office and General Services Administration. State and local governments also employ computer engineering graduates, and teachers for college and high school.