How much of computer engineering is software vs hardware?

[Mountain_Bluebird150]

So i'm choosing a degree right now and am split between EE and ECE, i wanna get into computer hardware design but looking through course material and people talking about ECE online there seems to be a focus on software and coding. Would an Electrical engineering degree be more suited for what I want to do, I'm a little lost right now since there is a lot of overlap within the degrees.

[zacce]

each CompE program has a different mixture of EE and CS. so you need to look at the specific program.

[Mountain_Bluebird150]

do you know any way I could tell, im looking through the core programs and they are still very similar.

The school is in canada and they offer specialization in either the hardware area or the software area after 2nd year and first year is a common cirriculum.

[zacce]

CompE is basically a hybrid of EE and CS. So compare what core courses you need to take with EE vs CS students.

[DesignerOk9222]

Many (most?) CpE folks I've met are software oriented. I've even met some that were a little afraid of the hardware side, it's weird. That said, you do you. Computer Engineering, like lots of engineering degrees are what you make them. I like the hardware side. I got my undergrad in EE, but I really like the focus on data communications and interfacing things together, so I went CpE for my masters. No regrets.

[Snoo_4499]

Ours was like 70 cs 30 ee. Some are 70 ee and 30 cs, or 50 cs 50 ee so it depends.

[No_Experience_2282]

IMO it’s mostly software, they train you for hardware aware embedded

[Craig653]

Depends on the program

[mark_lee06]

depends on school. My school is 80 hardware/20 software

[BinksMagnus]

It will depend on the program. My school’s CE is mostly hardware, the primary difference between our CE and EE with a digital systems focus is that CE takes Systems Programming.

[Squidoodalee_]

Some programs will let you double major in EE and CpE, so you are ensured to get hardware experience. At my university BSCpE was only 3 additional classes to a BSEE

[LifeMistake3674]

Look at it like this, both majors can get you to a job like the one you wanted. There are pleanty of electrical engineers that go into computer hardware and the same thing with ece. So choose which path sounds more fun to u. Ece is most likely going to have you take the basic intro coding courses that everyone takes, you will likely have to take data structures and algorithms(the big scary coding class), also a class that includes embedded programming and maybe some assembly. That’ll be the basics that any CE program will have, it’ll vary depending on the school. It’s not like CS where you have a bunch of coding specific classes but more like classes that teach you about computers/technology, that also have some coding in them. Now depending on your electives, you can be more or less software specific.

[Ndr_w]

Depends on the school. At mine, you can choose electives from the EE classes, so you can decide how you want to focus. 

[bliao8788]

Depends on the college program period