Computer engineering focuses on hardware and electronics, while computer science focuses on programming and software design. Both require advanced math, physics, and programming, but computer science students take more classes in software design and operating systems. Computer engineers build computer networks and embed systems into objects, while computer scientists design programs that take advantage of hardware. Both work together to create efficient and effective systems.
Computer engineering and computer science have many overlapping characteristics, but the main difference lies in how the acquired skills are used. While computer engineering focuses more on hardware and electronics, computer science focuses on computer programming and software design. Both areas involve the study of advanced mathematics, physics, and programming, but computer engineers are more likely to use these skills to build hardware than to create programs. Computer scientists, therefore, use their knowledge to understand how programs and operating systems work and how to create better software solutions for hardware.
Students in computer engineering and computer science graduate programs take several courses that overlap between programs. Both programs usually require more lessons in calculus, linear algebra, physics, computer architecture, networking, and programming. The main difference is that computer science students take significantly more classes in software design, data algorithms, and operating systems than computer engineering students. Computer engineering students take different courses in electronics, artificial intelligence, digital logic circuits, and digital hardware and tend to study more physical concepts. Both computer engineering and computer science students usually finish their studies by completing a major project that demonstrates their learned skills.
Computer engineering involves a much more physical approach than computer science. Computer engineers build computer networks, assemble hardware, and embed computer systems into many types of objects. They might be assembling circuit boards or even working in a lab to find a way to make computers more efficient or more portable. Computer engineers might also work with computer scientists when scientists are creating the programs that will be used with systems created by computer engineers. A small difference between the programming used in computer engineering and computer science is that the engineers could create the program that makes the system work properly and let the computer scientists create various programs for the main operating system.
A computer scientist focuses more on the abstract details of software engineering but also has much of the hardware knowledge that computer engineers have. They know how hardware and software interact and they know how to design programs that take advantage of the hardware’s characteristics. When creating their programs, computer scientists use their knowledge of numerical analysis and algorithms to ensure that a program calculates its values correctly. They create software patches, complete programs, and even entire operating systems and usually work in a team within a company that includes software engineers and other computer scientists.
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