What Can You Do With a Computer Engineering Degree?

Computer engineering encounters similar problems and concepts as computer science, but there are several key differences between the fields. The data below looks at some of those differences and identifies overlaps between computer engineering, web development, computer science, and other related fields.

Learn more about the computer science field, including related degrees and career paths, at the link below.

Whether you are a new student, seasoned professional, or are changing careers, computer engineering degrees offer multiple pathways to meet your needs. These paths accommodate various backgrounds and support different career goals. Learn more about each path below and find out which best suits your needs and interests.

Certificate programs offer a viable alternative to higher education. They leave open the possibility of further study and give students a compact overview of computer engineering. Most programs focus on developing a set of foundational skills in key areas like computer architecture, networking, or object-oriented programming.

Because they use a condensed approach, computer engineering certificates usually take less time to complete than a degree — usually a year or less. That said, most entry-level computer engineering roles require at least a bachelor’s degree.

These programs develop a deeper knowledge than certificates, but are not as comprehensive as other degree options. Associate degrees build technical skills and provide instruction in written and oral communication, project management, and data analysis.

A computer engineering associate degree will usually require 60 credits and include courses in topics such as engineering computation and circuit analysis. Most students graduate within two years, and some continue their studies by transferring to four-year institutions.

This degree will qualify you for most entry-level computer engineering roles, including positions in hardware design and systems integration. These programs usually take up to four years to complete and teach high-level concepts like circuit theory and data infrastructure. Transfer students may be able to complete the degree in less time.

Students can pursue electives in related subjects like computer science and information systems. Depending on the school, computer engineering majors may also complete a culminating capstone project. This component gives students the chance to apply new skills to real-world computer technology problems.

Advanced positions in computer engineering may require a master’s degree. This is especially the case for senior-level roles in project or field service engineering. Further training can also help computer engineers keep their industry skills and knowledge up to date.

Earning a master’s degree in computer engineering takes around three years, but could take longer for part-time students. Master’s programs build on previous education and give students the opportunity to hone their expertise in concentrated areas of study, like network communications, hardware architecture, or cybersecurity.

Computer engineering specialists interested in data science, research, or postsecondary education typically earn a doctorate in the field. This highly specialized course of study lasts 5-6 years, depending on the school and individual circumstances. It includes coursework in core areas, qualifying examinations that assess expert-level skill, and a dissertation project that contains original research.

Some computer engineering doctoral programs accept post-bachelor’s students with professional experience. Others may require a relevant master’s degree for admission. Learners can focus on new and emerging areas like mobile computing, nanotechnology, machine learning, and digital health imagining.

Prospective schools should hold some form of institutional accreditation. This independent quality assurance measure ensures the value and worth of your degree.

Some programs may also possess specialized accreditation, which provides additional backing specific to computer engineering. This accreditation comes from organizations like the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Employers look for [a computer engineer’s] experience with the latest technologies. The ability to write code without bugs quickly is also assessed in interviews.

I worked on multiple projects and internships during my engineering degree. I was selected for the Google Summer of Code challenge, which gave me exposure to open source products. I took on internships at several companies, which gave me insights on several fronts.

Create projects that solve real-world problems and build a portfolio website showcasing your work. There is no substitute for experience. Keep coding and building stuff, learn from mentors, and collaborate with your peers.

As a Google engineer, I would start off the day by implementing features that were decided at the beginning of the quarter. Part of the day was spent discussing designs, reviewing my peers’ code, and learning from tech talks. About 30% of the day went into debugging issues in the product.

As a CTO, I hardly spend 5% of my time coding, but I am involved in major technical decisions on all projects. Mornings start with quick standup meetings with different departments. Mid-morning is spent in design discussions. [I spend] afternoons in deeper discussions and the rest of the day in answering emails, mentoring, and syncing up with other departments of the organization.

As a Google Engineer: product managers, testers, and peers.

As a CTO: Engineers, product managers, customers, and different departments like finance for infrastructure costs, marketing for automation, customer support for optimizations, and the UX team for project scopes. Significant time is spent on strategy meetings that focus on company growth.

8-10 hours per day.

Product managers, team lead, interns, client representatives, and testers.

As a Google engineer: Computer languages, algorithms, design patterns, coding best practices, and security principles.

As a CTO: You will need knowledge in a wide range of topics, like:

Continuous learning is a challenge, as the field is rapidly evolving with new technologies coming up every day. But if you are a good learner, then there is tremendous growth potential. The role gives you immense satisfaction when it affects a lot of people. For example, the code I wrote for Google Search would help millions of people get better search results every day. Computer engineers get a lot of such opportunities. Most of the fast-growing startups today are tech startups.

I always wanted to heal and help people but had a fascination with computers. Today I am the co-founder of CureSkin. We built an AI app that analyzes photos of skin and helps patients like a doctor would. This was made possible with my background in computers. As a computer engineer, you can contribute and make an impact in other domains like health care, finance, etc. With other educational backgrounds, your opportunities would mostly be limited to your field of expertise.

Anyone who can break down complex pieces of information into smaller chunks can learn coding. Skills that will help you include:

Computer engineering covers a wider range of topics, including programming languages, microprocessors, hardware, and basic electrical engineering. Exposure to different subdomains will enable you to innovate at multiple levels. For example, at CureSkin we are working on a next-generation smart watch with sensors that can measure skin parameters in real time and help the user choose the right [skincare] routines. With an engineering background, I can understand the entire system, the various components needed, the software needed to run the customised software on top of it, and I can holistically handle tradeoffs on several parameters.

Without an engineering background, I would have to rely on multiple domain experts and might end up in a suboptimal solution. In other words, having a breadth of knowledge helps you climb the career ladder, where big picture thinking is needed. Other computer science degrees are definitely useful when you want to go deep, but engineering will give you more breadth.