<p>Hi, I'm currently in an Associate of Applied Science program (computer networking), and I've been thinking of transferring to a local university to pursue a BS degree.</p>
<p>There are a few majors I'm considering:
Physics
Computer Science
Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology</p>
<p>My technical community college has a transfer agreement with a nearby university for the ECET program, which is why I was considering that. My interests are primarily computers (operating systems, hardware, etc) and electronics (I'd love to fiddle around with an arduino once I can figure the basics out).</p>
<p>My ideal line of work is building and repairing computers, small electronics and things of that nature. Someday, me and a friend want to build robots and various electronic devices as a hobby. I like working directly with things, instead of designing them. My math skills are rusty, but I generally perform above average in mathematics. I would prefer spending hours in math than hours writing endless revisions in humanities.</p>
<p>Also, I realize my ideal 'career' might not require a university education, but I want a very strong and educated technical background, and something that I can fall back on.</p>
<p>Given all that information, does that make engineering technology a better fit for my goals? Or should I go with EE/CE/CS/etc for a stronger understanding, even if I'm not seeking an engineering position? There are very few engineering jobs in my area, and I'm not willing to move very far.</p>
<p>At the risk of repeating myself, I already acknowledged in the original post that my “ideal line of work” might not exactly require a university education. Regardless, I am young, intelligent, and willing to learn and invest my time into a BS degree NOW, so that I can have a solid theoretical and practical understanding of the things I desire to accomplish – as well as something to fall back on, should my future business endeavors fail me.</p>
<p>That’s a lot of money, work, time, and dedication to have a major that offers high paying jobs and not use it and have a job where you don’t need a degree. After taking some EE or CS classes you may discover that you like this stuff better and work in professional areas. In my opinion, it’s not worth putting in all that effort just for a fall back for a tech job.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to discourage you from being a technician, I’m just saying you may change your mind after an engineering program. I hear usually engineering degrees with “technology” in name offers more hands-on work then just theoretical. You should probably look into Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology.</p>
<p>I worked as a technician before I got my BSEE, and you definitely do not need a BS in anything to do what you say you want to do. That having been said, the line between technician and engineer can get pretty blurry in areas, and there are some BS-requiring positions that would allow you to do what you want and get paid better for it than if you had only a technician’s credentials. If you are certain that (a) you do not want to do design and that (b) you do not want to do grad school, I would say that the technology degree better aligns with your interests at this time. If you are uncertain, I would consider starting in a BSEE program - going from BSEE to BSEET is much easier than the other direction, and initially the programs are very similar, such that postponing the decision would not hurt you.</p>