3 answers
jaydin
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
3
Questions
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What classes should I focus on in high school to become a computer engineer?
I am a sophmore, and love computers. Mainly the hardware. And am looking to become a computer engineer.
#computer
#computer-engineering
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3 answers
Chris Mortham
Technical Program Manager
3
Answers
San Jose, California
Updated
Chris’s Answer
Hi there! I was a Computer Engineering ("CPE") major for my undergraduate degree. Generally, you'd find the following classes helpful:
1) If your school has any kind of programming or IT type courses, you'll be doing a lot of programming for CPE courses (even with a hardware focus), so these would be an excellent start; my high school didn't offer anything like this at the time, and I was fine, but it would definitely have helped
2) Math: CPE will usually require Calculus 1-4 plus Linear algebra and a few other advanced math courses
3) Physics: CPE usually requires a few physics courses & at least one advanced/modern physics course
4) English: This one may be surprising, but being able to express yourself well in written form is actually quite important both for school and in the working world; many "tech-types" overlook this, and then struggle with communication in the workplace
If available, a statistics class might also be a good choice, as you'll likely be required to take at least one of those in college and some people really struggle with it if they haven't been exposed to it before
1) If your school has any kind of programming or IT type courses, you'll be doing a lot of programming for CPE courses (even with a hardware focus), so these would be an excellent start; my high school didn't offer anything like this at the time, and I was fine, but it would definitely have helped
2) Math: CPE will usually require Calculus 1-4 plus Linear algebra and a few other advanced math courses
3) Physics: CPE usually requires a few physics courses & at least one advanced/modern physics course
4) English: This one may be surprising, but being able to express yourself well in written form is actually quite important both for school and in the working world; many "tech-types" overlook this, and then struggle with communication in the workplace
If available, a statistics class might also be a good choice, as you'll likely be required to take at least one of those in college and some people really struggle with it if they haven't been exposed to it before
Teresa Zhang
30
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Los Angeles, California
Updated
Teresa’s Answer
Computer science and math.
Keith Warren
IT Support
4
Answers
Memphis, Tennessee
Updated
Keith’s Answer
Hello!
I majored in EE (Electrical Engineering) and rubbed elbows with a few Computer Engineers. They mostly concentrated on the following course offerings:
Introduction to software engineering.
Computer organization.
Applied algorithms for engineering.
Microprocessors.
Probability theory in computer and electrical engineering.
Systems programming.
Control systems.
Microcomputer architecture.
These are in addition to your general course loads like English, Advanced Math, etc.
I would like to quote this portion of information from https://www.onlineengineeringprograms.com/faq/how-to-become-a-computer-engineer:
"Computer engineers must not only have an eye for detail when examining physical structures or lines of code, but they also should be patient and persistent when solving problems. Even though computer engineers may be focused on small computer parts or programming languages, technology is a scalable field meaning their efforts can be far-reaching and impactful across all industries".
I wish you much success on your computer engineering journey!
I majored in EE (Electrical Engineering) and rubbed elbows with a few Computer Engineers. They mostly concentrated on the following course offerings:
Introduction to software engineering.
Computer organization.
Applied algorithms for engineering.
Microprocessors.
Probability theory in computer and electrical engineering.
Systems programming.
Control systems.
Microcomputer architecture.
These are in addition to your general course loads like English, Advanced Math, etc.
I would like to quote this portion of information from https://www.onlineengineeringprograms.com/faq/how-to-become-a-computer-engineer:
"Computer engineers must not only have an eye for detail when examining physical structures or lines of code, but they also should be patient and persistent when solving problems. Even though computer engineers may be focused on small computer parts or programming languages, technology is a scalable field meaning their efforts can be far-reaching and impactful across all industries".
I wish you much success on your computer engineering journey!