Electronics and Communication engineering OR Computer engineering?

Hi Rijan,

The "tech world" is gigantic, constantly growing & forever changing. New types, job titles & capabilities are constantly being added by innovative & curious thinkers. I hope to answer your questions & help you in your journey... so let's break it down like this:

{Insert any Type} of Engineering: This is going to be what's considered as a very technical role. Engineers in any field are usually the brains, the nuts & bolts, the creators & guru's or experts of a certain field.
For example, a storage engineer would be an expert on all things storage; they really grasp the principles & even contribute to improving or creating new storage technologies.

Now specifically - your mentioned areas...

1. 
   

   Electronics: you'll be the guy who knows everything there is about the behaviors of electrons, and how to design, test and develop things that use electricity. Think robotics, mobile device, medical & nano-tech hardware.

   
   


2. 
   

   Communications: the world loves being connected; the faster; stronger, broader that connection, the happier. And connectivity is increasing with wearables, the internet of things & phones! You'll be the guy designing and fortifying the systems that make those connections possible. This blends into a lot of tech areas...

   
   


3. 
   

   Computer: {the name really needs to change, it's a bit out-dated in my opinion} So this is a very broad area, it can include software development, data networks, hardware, systems, databases, architecture, the list is endless. You'll be the guy who probably knows a lot about everything tech. Perhaps find a few of those things to focus on.

   
   


4. 
   

   Information Technology: my absolute favorite! Why? Because it's everything. It's the catch all.. it is as generic as it comes to describing a career. The info-tech world encompasses it all, hardware, software, developers, operations, virtualization, wearables, apps, personal computers, enterprise xyz, datacenter, personal computers, routers, the internet, social media platforms, platforms in general, gadgets, and of course "the cloud" :)

   
   

Pro's & Con's:

Con's: you have to figure out what in this area interests you. With so many possible's all I can say is: good luck :)

Pro's:
- you will ALWAYS have a job. Always. You might lose it occasionally as companies downsize or poorly handle their budget, but you'll have 5 more before the day is over..
- constantly changing
- can make positive, powerful changes for the better in peoples lives
- unlimited choices
- you can work in any industry in any part of the world because at the end of the day, it's all 1's and 0's right?

The key is to figure out what you like - that when you wake up, you're excited.

And don't stress! I have a marketing degree & have never used it once! I found my passions centered around virtualization and social media analytics..

Hi Rijan,
I think you need to go back a few steps and ask yourself what do you like to do? What is your passion? Many people have one major and end up doing something different! For example, if you like programming, then an IT, Computer Science or Engineering related degree would be helpful. However, you still need to prove your skills during the interview.

I have worked with many people that just have a few certifications and do very well. Their major in college was irrelevant later in life. College major is important. But, don't worry about splitting hairs too much.

One good way to decide on your IT related major is to take a look at the course list. Will you be bored or excited about the courses? It would be better to pick a major in which the courses are interesting to you. Then, the good grades and job will follow. Good luck!

I might get called out for this but I think they are both pretty similar.

With that said Computer Engineering is pretty hot right now if you went into something like peripheral hardware(Smart Watch/FitBit/etc.).

Either way they are both strong fields.

foundation is imp. but electronic / communication cannot work with software . I would recommend electronics / commuications engineering and in parallel learn software programing

It all depends on your passion and interest. However according to me Electronics and Communication Engineering will provide you better opportunities. You can also choose to learn Software engineering or specialize in programming.

Hi,
You have a great answer above with Christa. I will add that when you go to college for Engineering, your first year will be pretty much the same regardless of your major...you can take elective courses in either field and then decide what you want to do for sure and change majors if necessary.

Either way, you are on the right track and a good career path...no worries...Good luck!

I am and Electronics and Communication graduate but I wish I had graduated in Computer Science. That said, it doesn't mean that you cant learn the subjects taught in Computer Engineering being an ECE student. Keep in mind, it would require an extra effort from your side if you are interested in coding and are learning it on your own being an ECE student.

I had friends in ECE who learnt how to program in java which the Computer Engineering students didn't. So it largely depends on your interest what you want to learn.

Speaking in general, the courses taught in computer engineering are very high in demand in market today. So its relatively easy to find a job for a computer science graduate than a ECE graduate. Also, the salary for these jobs are higher on an average since the demand in market is high. Most ECE graduates end up taking an IT job because there is no core job available for them in their country.

Hi, I know this is an old question but it is an important question most students ask themselves including me when I started my career. I hope my answer is useful some one Answering this out of my experience, I don't suggest a particular stream in engineering, I would chose what you like most, do you want to work on computers/programming take Computer Engineering and if you want to work on electronics like how to design, build circuits and for communications where you will be working on wireless transmissions like 4G/5G, WiFi and Satellite technologies and many more then take up ECE.

This all comes to your personal interest. If you want to settle down in an IT/Software company then Computer Engineering will make it easy but with Electronics and Communications also you can go into that industry, but you might need to work bit harder. If you want to settle as a Hardware/Design Engineer for Electronics or Communication technologies then you have to go with ECE only.

Both the fields have good opportunities outside, it's just for Software engineer there are bit more in India.

Put your everything in whatever engineering you take up and learn the concepts, understand the subject then you will be successful after finishing your graduation.

All the best!