<p>I know there is a thread already about whether or not computer science is better than engineering, but most people were comparing it to EE. I want to know what your thoughts are about whether computer science is better than computer engineering. While computer engineering is fairly similar to EE, it is also quite similar to computer science. Which field is better?</p>
<p>At my school, CE and CS majors by and large end up in the same types of positions. Do whichever one interests you more</p>
<p>They’re all horribly boring and a waste of time.</p>
<p>Chocolate ice cream is where it’s at.</p>
<p>^That’s so true, most computer engineers end up doing software. If you know 100% that you want to work designing and making software, CS is a better option. If you want to learn about computer hardware and take the core CS classes, then do CPE. BTW, I want to delete that thread :(</p>
<p>I can’t believe it got 6000+ views and so many replied. Although, It was more of a trolling thread haha. I believe that EE is the most prestigious and popular engineering degree. So that’s the degree most people in this forum have or plan to major in it</p>
<p>Currently, I love using computers and fixing them but I don’t know much about fixing hardware issues. I would love to learn though! I also don’t program, so I don’t know which is better for me. I’m leaning more towards computer engineering because I really want to learn about fixing hardware related problems for computers. I also like the idea that I can help create all types of technology, not just laptops and tablets. I feel like computer engineering basically a mix of CS and EE. Is that true or is it more of one than the other?</p>
<p>Computer Engineer is a mix of EE and CS. In most schools, they take EE and CS classes. It is mostly EE. What happened is that a lot of people were double majoring in EE and CS, thus CPE was created to solve that problem. They all share almost all the requirements so the first 2 years are almost identical. You can enroll as CPE, if you take EE or CS classes and you don’t like one of them, you can switch and major in the one you like. If you like both, you should finish CPE. They are all good, so I wouldn’t worry too much about jobs if you are good and like your area of study, you will get a good job. And please, don’t be one of those guys that switch to liberal arts because of the work required. That’s a big mistake</p>
<p>That makes a lot of sense! I never realized it was actually made to be a mix of both. I did see that they take more EE classes than CS, so if I decided I wanted to go into programming with a CE major would I be okay?</p>
<p>Yes, it is ok. Most computer engineers end up programming.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks so much for the information! One more thing, do CEs learn about as much as EEs, in the way that they could get an EE job if they wanted to? What I’ve gathered from my research is, yes, they take similar EE courses, but on a small scale (micro).</p>
<p>There is not that many EE related jobs. You can still get a job if you show that you are a good engineer but you would have to compete with full EE majors and some with master degrees</p>
<p>There are far more job opportunities in CS, common sense can affirm the aforementioned. However, choose wisely; most importantly choose what you enjoy. If your asking which discipline is in more demand, has more jobs, yada yada, then it is not absurd to say that there are more openings in CS than EE, MechE, and CompE put together, with shrinking CS enrollment to make things more interesting. As a senior at Stony Brook University, I had over 10 internship offers, and I barely tried.</p>
<p>^10 internships! I’m junior and only had 1 internship! damn how did you pulled 10. I hope your not lying, Although, you are right that CS has more opportunity than any other 4 year degree. But your 10 offers are definitely above the average offers that CS people get, maybe I should improve my written skills and make some kickas s project to get more offers.</p>
<p>In my opinion telling people to do CS might be bad for them. It is a field you have to love. A huge amount of people drop CS because they go for the money. Well, it is still ok if enrollments go down because then we can still be on the top and get a high paying job doing what we love to do! :)</p>
<p>He had 10 internship <em>offers</em>, not internships. Although I definitely know people who have seemingly done way more than their fair share of internships.</p>
<p>Good stuff. I have no real substance to add, but as a confused freshman now trying to choose between the same majors, I just like to through it out there that there are other parties interested when the topics come up.</p>
<p>Personally I am pretty confident I’m doing CmpE, but mostly just because it’s a lot easier for me to get into that program. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>^^ As a freshman in college trying to decide between the 2 majors, if it weren’t for the fact that you can get into the CmpE program a lot easier, which would you choose? What are your deciding factors for both sides? A college student could have a lot of different view points that would be helpful.</p>
<p>@tt6238</p>
<p>It would be tough. I’m actually considering EE too, and almost nothing is off the table (I don’t have to pick for a couple years), but I think it would be CS. </p>
<p>It seems like I’ll probably end up in software either way, and CS would probably make me a better software engineer. But I know so little that I’m basically guessing. </p>
<p>My life goals maybe be different than yours though, and they make my choice less of a concern. I’m 26 and have no interest in building or supporting a family. So while my goal is to live in CA, I can’t imagine ever needing more than $75K/year. I don’t really want to make my life about work either. Like, I was thinking of doing a PhD and going into chemical research or something, but it dawned on me recently that I don’t want to have to worry about all the stuff I would have to worry about. So, currently my goal is to work in a air conditioned building someplace warm, do something I find really interesting (I have wanted to learn python since I was a teenager but am lazy [trying to teach myself this summer while taking an ENGR class]), and then clock out at 5 or 6pm and enjoy my life. Maybe travel 1/12 of the year or something. </p>
<p>I blindly assume that CS would be a more flexible and likely way to live like that, but then again I could probably live like that with almost any major if I put in the kind of work I’ve put in over the last year, so I’m not super worried about it.</p>
<p>Hardware sounds really interesting too, and always dealing with new, odd little esoteric systems sounds like a fun specialization and whatnot. I guess I just don’t know enough to be confident in which one is “best,” but one I need a 3.0 at community college to get into a top program, and the other I need like a 3.6 to qualify for consideration. So, since I don’t know anyway, I’ll take the path of least resistance.</p>
<p>^^ Why go through all the trouble while one can just be a web designer with enough pay, little school, a lot flexibility, and in demand:</p>
<p><a href=“http://money.cnn.com/m/#!/2013/05/21/news/economy/web-developer-job.json?category=Latest%20News”>http://money.cnn.com/m/#!/2013/05/21/news/economy/web-developer-job.json?category=Latest%20News</a></p>
<p>Maybe the job is not secure or hard to find?</p>
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<p>Start living in CA, and it won’t be hard to imagine.</p>
<p>@PoppinBottlesMGT- My life goals are a little different, but not extremely. I do want to be able to support a family if needed. I do want to be able to live a comfortable life, and not always have everything about work so I have time for personal interests. The thing is that what I do for fun is basically what I would be working as… But I do want to have time for family. You brought up a good point about how you will probably end up as a software engineer. Most computer engineers end up doing software, so that is definitely something to think about… My intentions are also DEFINITELY not all about money, but I do have to be realistic. I need enough money to support myself and a family, and I wouldn’t mind some extra cash to be able to live a --little-- luxurious.</p>
<p>@GenDad</p>
<p>I know someone my age with no degree who makes like 50K doing nothing but HTML emails and seems happy. Web design just doesn’t appeal to me so much. I also am enjoying the mathy challenge of school, and would much rather be working on something a little heavier. </p>
<p>@RacinReaver</p>
<p>Heh, fair enough. I have really low standards of living though. Like, I currently live in a house that would be condemned if the right people were aware, which also has no AC in the deep south. My $300 laptop is my nicest possession, and I am not really unhappy as is. My main complaint is that I hate the climate here. So I am not worried about money. If I can get a CS/ENGR job, I will have as much as I want.</p>
<p>@tt6238</p>
<p>Yeah, nothing wrong with caring about money as a means to whatever lifestyle you want or w/e. With my SN and whatnot especially, I think I come off like a money-hating hippie on here sometimes when I mention it not being a factor for me, but I think most of that is just that I’m white trash to the point where I don’t really grasp money as a concept all that well and thus am oddly flippant toward it. </p>
<p>It’s also likely that the second I can afford to buy something nice, that will become my lowest acceptable form of life, and that habit will escalate until I’m bitterly switching into a management job I don’t like and buying jetskiis.</p>