Computer engineering (or Computer Systems Engineering) encompasses broad areas of both electrical engineering and computer science. Computer engineers are engineers who have training in the areas of software design and hardware-software integration. In turn, they focus less on power electronics and physicsFact: date=April 2008 than do electrical engineers. Some areas computer engineers are involved in are ASIC design, FPGA development, firmware development, software development, hardware-(firmware/software) integration, circuit design, and system-level design and integration.

Academic discipline

The first computer engineering degree program in the United States was established at Case Western Reserve University in 1971 by Jimmy Prater; as of 2004 October there were 170 ABET-accredit computer engineering programs in the U.S. Today, a large number of universities around the world offer computer engineering programs. Within a university, computer engineering degree programs are often referred to as "CompE," "CpE," "CoE," or imprecisely as "CE," which has traditionally been used to refer to Civil Engineering.

Both computer engineering and electronic engineering programs include analog and digital circuit design in their curricula. As with most engineering disciplines, having a sound knowledge of mathematics and sciences is necessary for computer engineers.

In many institutions, computer engineering students are allowed to choose areas of in-depth study in their junior and senior year, as the full breadth of knowledge used in the design and application of computers is well beyond the scope of an undergraduate degree. The joint IEEE/ACM Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering defines the core knowledge areas of computer engineering as:

• Algorithms
• Computer architecture and organization
• Circuits and signals
• Database systems
• Digital logic
• Digital signal processing
• Electronics
• Embedded systems
• Human-computer interaction
• Operating systems
• Programming fundamentals
• Social and Professional issues
• Software engineering
• VLSI design and fabrication
• Computer Networking
• Distributed Systems

See also

• Association for Computing Machinery
• Electrical engineering
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Computer science

External links

• Computer Engineering Conference Calendar