Computer Engineering Major/B.S.

Computer Engineering Major/B.S.

Computer Engineering Major/B.S.

Computer engineers analyze, design, develop and program all types of information processing systems, commonly called “computers.” Yet the application of these systems goes far beyond simple computation. Computer applications are central to modern communications, health care, education, entertainment and industry. As a computer engineering major at UC Davis, you’ll get the fundamental skills you need to ensure your long-term employability in a rapidly changing field. You’ll also work with cutting-edge technologies in electronics, digital systems, circuits fabrication and other areas.

The computer engineering curriculum prepares students for careers in computer engineering or graduate studies by providing a solid background in mathematics, physical sciences and the traditional computer engineering subjects: electronics, computer hardware and computer software. The upper division units required in electronics, computer hardware and computer software consist of 13 units in electronics courses, 18 units in computer hardware courses and 12 units in computer software courses. The remaining units consist of 10 units of design electives and 9 units of technical electives. By carefully selecting these design and technical electives, students can focus on electronics, computer hardware or computer software, or distribute these units among the three areas. Students who complete the computer engineering curriculum will receive a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.

Computer Engineering Specializations

Computer engineering is a field that integrates computer science and electrical engineering to develop computer hardware and software. Although computer engineering mainly covers computer design, it also covers areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, computer networks, computer architecture and operating systems. Computer engineers are involved in many hardware and software aspects of computing, from the design of individual microcontrollers, microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers to circuit design. This field of engineering not only focuses on how computer systems work, but also focuses on the integration of computers into various applications.

Computer Engineering usually deals with areas including writing software and firmware for embedded microcontrollers, designing VLSI chips, designing analog sensors, designing mixed signal circuit boards, and designing operating systems. Computer engineers are also suited for robotics research, which relies heavily on using digital systems to control and monitor electrical systems like motors, communications, and sensors.

There are many specialty areas in the field of computer engineering including: Processor design; Coding, cryptography, and information protection; Communications and wireless networks; Compilers and operating systems; Computational science and engineering; Computer networks, mobile computing, and distributed systems; Computer systems architecture, parallel processing, and dependability; Computer vision and robotics; Embedded systems and the Internet of things; Integrated circuits, VLSI design, testing and CAD; Signal, image and speech processing; and Quantum computing.