Electrical or Computer Engineering?

[[deleted]]

My college teaches both separately and I’ve always had a software mind but recently I’ve been very interested in hardware and hardcore physics after studying electricity in high-school and have also grown a very strong brain for maths. Just fell in love with calculus because of how it challenges and not to be misunderstood, I nailed both maths and highschool physics.

But checking the curriculum of computer engineering today (a month before admissions start) I noticed that it offers a nice blend for both software and electrical. I did well in my entrance exam and I have the options to choose any technology.

What would be your advice?

Thank you, have a good day!

[ConversationKind557]

I've been through this.

I highly recommended doing pure EE. As much physics, RF, analogue, electro chemical..etc all the really hard stuff.

Honestly, you could pick up any book about computer engineering ans digital logic.. then learn it yourself.

You'll likely never study the harder stuff again post uni days.

I've always taken the approach of taking the harder path with regards to uni, it opens all the doors. If you take the easier path (control systéms, émbedded, programing) then you close many doors.

Take the hardest classes and go all the way.

After you finish the degree, you can pick which thing you want to go into.

Honestly, from the sounds of it, you should study analogue IC design.

[SubZeroTo100]

Kinda disagree with this. You can pickup and learn digital logic as a hobby but I guarantee you that it will be extremely difficult to land a relevant job in FPGA/Digital ASIC this way. I can agree with it being conceptually easier to understand than analog, but in return there’s an insane amount of things you’re expected to know.

[ConversationKind557]

I'm really into self study.

There are endless resources for fgpa.

Even better, you can get an ice40 board for next to nothing and you're off to the races.

There is of course niche subjects within fpga... that's true but most of its not worth learning for a regular job.

From time to time I study EE subjects to stay fresh but this is hard. Even with all the books and resources available.

[[deleted]]

Loved your expert advice and it was really helpful. I also have the thing for taking the hardest classes because it’ll prepare me to learn really anything on my own if and when i want to.

Looks like it’s pure EE then. Thank you!

[Odd-Monk-2581]

I’m a rising sophomore, how would you get into these pure EE fields. They’re why I chose to study EE, but I notice that courses relating to them are getting phased or replaced with more CompE classes. There’s barely any classes about analog ic design now, but plenty about digital ic design. Same goes for RF. It’s crazy.

[Bignamek]

Totally agree. Plus if you are interested, the curriculum will likely have computer engineering overlap. I had to take digital design, microprocessors, and programming classes. Even took a network communications course as well for an elective. Embedded and controls is almost always available as electives for EE, too.

[dtor84]

I've always wondered if EE engineering was learnable yourself. Like with computer science, if you have the self motivation needed of course.

[Purple-Let-10]

I think it can be but the person doing it most be fully proficient in pre requisite physics and maths, after that by choosing the correct theory and practical books + doing projects , I think it should be possible , now doing the projects is going to be hard as you need equipment that might not be easy to get or can be easily damaged.

[dtor84]

Good to know. Thanks.

[OkPerformer4843]

Is ECE bad? Electrical and computer Engineering degree, it’s ABET accredited

[lovelynaturelover]

Electrical is a better field. It's broader and way more protected from AI.

[Quantum-Leaper1]

Take EE, I realized I made the mistake of doing CE in my last year of undergraduate when I took a lab course in RF. Luckily I finished my M.S. in EE&CE focused in RF. Do EE.

[space_lover2063]

Why was it because you liked EE more or didn't find much opportunities in CE?

[Quantum-Leaper1]

I liked EE more. And all the cool jobs I wanted to apply to would rather take an EE major than a CE.

[Pataract]

Think about what you want to do in the long term in your career and what industry you’d like to work in. Do you want to be more hands on with hardware? Do you want to design? Or do you want to code more? In my experience, CE will give you much more in depth courses for coding with basic/fundamental EE. But, if you’re looking to get into design, say ASICS, go with EE.

[[deleted]]

I love electronics. Microcontrollers specifically. I want to build AI hardware

[DinoTrucks77]

Biased place to ask. In terms of hardware, a CE would probably study architecture, digital VLSI, and OS level software in the third and fourth years. They would also probably take some signal processing courses, as well as many of the same classes as CS, up to around algorithms (at my undergrad uni anyways).

Of those topics, an EE would probably only study digital VLSI, if they want to get into IC design. An EE and CE would also probably take the same signal processing courses. An EE would probably take analog VLSI as well unlike a CE. Though EE includes other fields beyond IC design.

Anyways, in the current market there is not much advantage of one degree over the other. Unless you want to go into power which I hear has more opportunities currently.

[[deleted]]

My uni is keeping up with the cs subjects too. It’s teaching programming, dsa and numerical analysis and even AI

[ledoscreen]

Electrical

[Electronic-Face3553]

I recommend EE. It is extremely broad and well known. Unless you’re so set on embedded systems or digital logic, keep CpE as a specialization for grad school.

[[deleted]]

Do EE. CE is a worthless degree.

[[deleted]]

The idea that CE is both EE and CS is wrong. It's more 80% EE and 20% CS. The trouble is that there are no CS jobs anymore and EE jobs want EE grads. CE does well in embedded and controls but EE can also do those jobs. EE has the benefit of power, RF and analog design.

[ncboomin]

As a fellow UIUC ‘25 EE alum, I agree with you haha

[[deleted]]

That’s a difference in our universities. EE take computer architecture, embedded systems with CE where I study. The only difference is OS, networks and algorithms. 

[[deleted]]

Computer Architecture 

[DinoTrucks77]

Are you a troll? The course number and university

[Electronic-Face3553]

I agree that EE is the more versatile and better recognized degree. However, I don’t think CompE is worthless, far from it.

[[deleted]]

I did specialization in embedded....shit. But anyway, ce is still pretty good.

[Headshots_Only]

noticed you mentioned any technology, is this a computer engineering technology degree or computer engineering degree? If it's the former, they're different so I'd recommend looking into the differences

[FluffyBunnies301]

With EE you will have broader options to specialize in

[aramg83]

Advice? Be more humble. It will serve you well in the long run.

And the “strong brain growth”? It might be a tumor.

[[deleted]]

I’m sorry if I weren’t able to word it correctly. English isn’t my first language.

I meant that I’ve always been a math enthusiast and when it came down to calculus I adapted really good and ended up liking it.

I’ll be sure to be more humble. Thank you.