Computer Engineering Colleges

Computer engineering colleges offer students the opportunity to study the in-demand field of working with computers. There are many different types of computer engineering colleges. It’s best if a student who wants to attend a school to study computers research all of their options when forming a decision.

Topics of Study in Computer Engineering Colleges

Traditionally, students who study at a computer engineering college study to become computer scientists who work in all types of fields, including programming, medical and science research, business information, and in such diverse fields as music and art. They become well-versed in topics like programming, programming language, hardware and software systems design, computer languages, and computation theory in order to work in these fields.

College Education

The first type of computer engineering college is a traditional 2- or 4-year school, where students either obtain an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree. Many top computer engineering colleges model their curriculum after the standards set forth by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), which is the professional society for computer science. Many computer engineering colleges will offer a variety of services to help students succeed, including individual advisers for each student, qualified faculty, smaller classes, and internship and hands-on-learning opportunities.

Courses in Computer Engineering Colleges

Computer engineering colleges offer a variety of courses for majors to choose from. Students will study algorithms, coding, debugging, and programming language. They’ll also learn about the relationships between software and hardware, machine operations, among others. As with most college majors, students are sometimes required to take a class in ethics when studying at a computer engineering college, along with coursework on risk, privacy, responsibility, computer crime, and liability.

Master’s and Ph.D. Degrees in Computer Engineering Colleges

There are further opportunities to study at computer engineering colleges besides obtaining 2-year and 4-year degrees. Some students continue their education by enrolling in a master’s of computer engineering program. In the master’s program, students usually learn advanced engineering practices for software, databases, networks, and other topics. Students sometimes have the option of studying part-time. Often, people with advanced degrees in the computer engineering field are able to obtain high-level positions in government and business, like director of information technology and chief information officer.

Doctorate Degree

Students wishing to pursue a doctorate degree from computer engineering colleges often study computer engineering research, and have the ability to research new problems in the field, often publishing their findings. They prepare a thesis based on their research, which is presented to a doctoral committee. Those possessing a doctorate’s degree usually teach computer engineering at a 2- or 4-year college or university.

Rankings of Computer Engineering Colleges

There are independent rankings of computer engineering colleges to help students in their college selection process. Probably the most well-known of the rankings is the one conducted by U.S. News and World Report. The most recent ranking of computer engineering schools has the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at No. 1, with Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, the University of Illinois at Champaign and the University of California at Berkley rounding out the top 5 spots.

Training for the Future

Computer engineering colleges are training students for increasing job requirements for design hardware, software, and managing a host of different computer systems in the industry. Students are often allowed to form their own courses of study for the final two years of their undergraduate programs because the field is so vast. It is impossible for students to learn everything about the field while studying for their undergraduate degree. Students often get a lot of on-the-job training after they graduate, and many go on to obtain advanced degrees.