Electrical vs Computer Engineering info?

<p>I've heard they are similar and have a couple classes difference and lead to close to the same job opportunities.</p>

<p>However, when I ask what each major applies to, I get very different answers.</p>

<p>Can anyone tell me in detail what each entails and their difference is in what you learn and job opportunities?</p>

<p>I might just double major if they are so similar in course load. If you want, you can tell me the benefits of double majoring and if it is worth it. =)</p>

<p>EDIT: Or should I major in one and do a grad degree in the other? Pros and cons vs double major?</p>

<p>I understand that I asked lots of abstract questions, so just help as as well as you can.</p>

<p>CompE is very similar to EE except that it is more focused on computer hardware and software. You will learn a bit about things like compilers, microcontrollers, how all the parts in a computer work together on a detailed level, etc. EE is more broad and you might just take one microcontrollers and one basic programming class.</p>

<p>Double majoring depends on your school. At some schools it is easy to double major in EE and CompE. At others it requires a lot more credits because of limits set on how many credits can be shared between two degrees.</p>

<p>^ Thanks for the answer.</p>

<p>Anyone else have input?</p>

<p>EE is hella broad and you could be studying things like circuit design, circuit device design, integrated circuit fabrication, antenna design, or systems level design and theory (<- this last one envelopes a lot of coursework and subareas). If you go into the device-level subjects or the systems level subjects (not so much circuits or fabrication), it is a fair amount of math (you’ll do a lot with waves).</p>

<p>CompE is less broad and involves studying the design of computer systems (at a higher level of abstraction–you aren’t designing the building blocks) and learning how to program them. Computer systems could be processors, computer networks, or the software that runs on top of them.</p>

<p>Regarding double majoring: don’t do it unless you really are interested in studying a variety of subjects. It isn’t useful to do it. It is better to do one thing and do it well, than to be able to do a lot of things poorly. This idea is old as hell . . .</p>

<p>Double major in EE and CompE is incredibly worthless. No one in the field is going to be impressed; if anything, you look silly as it’s obvious you did it for the sake of doing it and not because it has any merit (it doesn’t).</p>