What are the differences in computer engineering and computer science? Which one is better for what career path?

Hi Carmen!

I am a rising junior Computer Systems Engineering major at the University of Georgia. I went through a similar thought process to decide between Computer Engineering and Computer Science when I was in high school.

I would say that the distinction between Computer Engineering and Computer Science depends on the school you are looking at. Every school has their own set of required classes and electives for each major. For example at UGA, Computer Systems Engineering involves a lot of Computer Science courses and elective options for those interested in a software career. It also involves a good portion of core engineering hardware courses and a few business related courses (geared towards start-up management). So, such a degree will give you a good width of knowledge within multiple fields and will give you the advantage of being able to work in a role which requires cross-functional understanding. It will also give you the freedom to choose between different career paths (software, hardware or a mix of both).

This being said, computer engineering will require a lot of math and core science (physics and applied physics courses like Circuits) coursework. So, it is important for you to make sure that you are interested in learning these concepts.

I would encourage you to go look at the coursework required for both Computer Engineering and Computer Science for the schools you are looking to apply for. It would also be helpful to look at basic course objectives for some of the courses required for each major. After you do this research, you may conclude that a certain major is better over the other at a certain school.

Hope this helps! Feel free to reach out with more questions!

I do not know too much about the details of Computer Engineering; however, this article is fairly accurate: https://www.lewisu.edu/experts/wordpress/index.php/computer-science-vs-computer-engineering-whats-the-difference/

From my experience, most people that I know that were studying Computer Engineering have switched to study Computer Science or Software Engineering; thus, I would choose wisely such that you do not waste time taking extra classes.

If you are looking to create software, then I would choose CS or Software Engineering; if you are more interested on the hardware side of things, then Computer Engineering is perfect.