<p>hey guys I've been admitted to Berkeley EECS as a junior transfer and now I'm facing a dilemma..
as far as I understand, there are 4 + 1 (1 for CSE) optional paths you can take in order to get B.S..electronics, network, computer system, general + computer science
now at my current level I'm quite proficient in Java and C++, have studied some of the general algorithm theory on my own, and working on an android app as my side project..
on the other hand I'm also interested in circuits and electronics, occasionally build fun electronic stuff, love soldering :P, and also working on a little project with microcontrollers..
both areas are on an intermediate level, I love both hardware and software applications of eecs, but I'm having a hard time deciding which of the activities should be moved to a "hobby level" and which one should I infuse with my blood and sweat spending nights at the library :)
my question, which would be probably addressed to the veterans of EECS major, is how are the program and the knowledge acquired are different (well the core courses seemed completely different but do they are they connected to each other e.g. ee somehow helped me with cs or vice versa)?
and also, would you say that electronic-focused engineer can do the job of a software engineer just as good (or a little worse :) in case of a labor shortage, I guess..)?
last part of the question...I don't really care about my future salary (let's say it is not in the list of determining factors of my career); however, I do want to know what's going on with
a job market of electrical engineers
thanks, really appreciate your responses</p>
<p>The options don’t really mean anything except which faculty advisor you get. Both fields are pretty good career-wise, though I don’t really know anything about EE.</p>
<p>The various areas of EECS can make a difference based on what kind of work you want to do. For example, do you want to work in power generation and transmission, communications/RADAR/signals, semiconductors/electronics, computer architecture, or computer software?</p>
<p>Well the problem is that I’m still uncertain. Choosing between electronics and software, while I have more experience in programming (which probably can attribute to an easier start in the field as well as higher possibilities of internships) than in building circuits, I do enjoy both. However, as far as I understand, those fields are different as, for instance, theoretical and experimental physics. And it’s going to be my 3rd year…I am supposed to be done with those kind of decisions…</p>
<p>I don’t think you’re in too bad a position if you enjoy several different topics, and you don’t necessarily really need to choose that soon anyways. In terms of making the “right” choice I think eventually you’ll just have to sit down and decide what you like the most.
I can’t claim to understand the future of the fields since they change around some, but all of EECS has a lot of opportunities, so it doesn’t matter too much. And they’re pretty connected to each other, so I guess if you’d like to take a variety of courses in EE and CS it would actually work out pretty well and you’d gain a good breadth of knowledge. I think overspecialization might actually be a worse danger. The EECS guide seems to encourage more variety, too.</p>
<p>You may want to look in the [sample</a> curricula](<a href=“http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Content/Chapter4.pdf]sample”>http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/Content/Chapter4.pdf) for each option, and perhaps consider designing your own curriculum in consultation with your major adviser based on your interests. Note that there is a “general” option for students with broader interests.</p>