Academics

Why Major in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering?

You can’t go wrong with your decision to major in either electrical or computer engineering. Both majors are consistently ranked between the top 5 to 7 programs in the nation by U.S News & World Report, and students from both majors are highly recruited.

Talk to a current student

Reach out to the

ECE Advising Office– we have staff, faculty and peer advisors to help!

Or contact one of our student ambassadors for an inside look at the student experience.

See ambassadors >

Careers in ECE

Check out some of the broad areas of impact our electrical and computer engineers are equipped to tackle to make this world a better place for all.

Careers in ECE >

What’s the difference between Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering?

A major in electrical engineering gives a broad overview of specialties including information technology, circuits, wireless communications, robotics, power and energy, optics, nanotechnology, computer hardware, control, electromagnetics and more. It is a lab-intensive major especially in the upper classes, so if you like hands-on activities, you’ll enjoy this major.

A major in computer engineering focuses more deeply on computer hardware and software, and embedded systems. There are still plenty of hands-on projects, as most everything these days is controlled in some way with a computer.

Overview of senior-level courses in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering

Graduate work in areas such as computer security, computer networks, machine learning, and data science can be pursued with a degree in either Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering.

Each major culminates in a major design experience course (MDE), taken in your senior year. Some students take more than one MDE, and if approved, students can substitute one of these for a different MDE, even from a different major. The current offerings (as of Fall 2020) are as follows: