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Computer Engineering, B.S.

Computer Engineering, B.S.

What is a computer engineering degree?

Computer Engineering BS

Computer engineering, quite different from computer science, is focused on the design and analysis of computer hardware, software, operating systems, and computer networks. In addition to a strong foundation in programming and software design, students seeking a computer engineering degree gain a complete understanding of complex computer systems and are provided with multiple opportunities to design, build, and test their own.

Whether you want to develop new methods of automation, design high-performance software, or engineer new robotic technologies, a computer engineering degree from Florida Tech develops a strong background in engineering, programming, and electronics. New technical electives also allow you to specialize in unique career-track subfields such as systems engineering, nuclear technology, and energy engineering, making you a hot prospect in the eyes of future employers.

Gain Practical Experience

Due to the rapid pace of technological advancements, the field of computer engineering is always changing. This makes it a highly interesting, challenging, and lucrative field of study.

Florida Tech is listed among the Fiske Guide's “Engineering/Top Technical Institutes” and Parade Magazine’s “College A-List in Engineering.” Because of the school’s focus on integrated lab experiences, internships, peer-group study, and faculty-led or international research opportunities, students who seek a computer engineering degree from Florida Tech demonstrate through practical application their mastery of the curriculum and are able to enter a variety of competitive career fields.

Seniors take courses in computer architecture, virtual instrumentation, and Internet programming. This includes a design project in collaboration with a team of peers who design, develop, prototype, and present a complex engineering system. Additionally, graduates with a computer engineering degree can design complex computer systems.

As a result, students get practical experience, an expanded professional network, and perhaps even a pre-graduation job offer.

Why pursue a computer engineering degree at Florida Tech?

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Get the facts about graduate studies at Florida Tech

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

You have three graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

  5. 100% Online
  6. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. At an Education Center near you
  2. Get the Education Center Brochure

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

World Renowned Faculty, and One-on-One Attention

As one of the top computer engineering schools in the country, Florida Tech’s academic environment fosters innovation and exploration. Florida Tech boasts small classes and low student-to-faculty ratios, with most classes taught by PhD-level professors whose greatest interest is helping students succeed.

Because of our small classes, Florida Tech professors can offer students personalized attention and are easily accessible for assistance and advice. We have a diverse faculty with specialties in a variety of areas who are active in teaching and research, and occupy important roles in professional organizations. Many of our faculty members have won Florida Tech teaching and research awards, served on national and international committees, and worked with institutions around the world.

Our faculty includes a IEEE Fellow, a IEEE Life Fellow, a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Signal and Imaging Systems Engineering.

ABET | Engineering Accreditation CommissionAccreditation

The undergraduate computer engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Additional information can be found on the department’s ABET information page.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Another advantage Florida Tech may have over other top computer engineering schools is its facilities. The F.W. Olin Engineering Complex epitomizes Florida Tech's commitment to academic excellence and cutting-edge technology. This state-of-the art facility provides students with an outstanding learning environment. The complex has three levels linked by the latest electronic and communications technology, a 142-seat multimedia auditorium, and 26 specialized research and teaching laboratories, all supporting multiple departments within the College of Engineering.

Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-tech Corridor

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a computer engineering degree. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.

The area has the fifth largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

In addition to research and computer engineering internships, students can join professional organizations:

  • Florida Tech's student chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (known as FIT-IEEE) competes in robotics competitions and professional conferences.
  • Eta Kappa Nu is an honor society designed to recognize engineering and computer sciences students for outstanding academic achievements during their time at Florida Tech.
  • High-achieving students may also become members of Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honor society.

Students can also participate in student government or over 100 other student organizations on campus.

How will a computer engineering degree prepare me for the future?

Peerless Study and Internship Opportunities

Internships are an important and valuable part of hands-on learning for students to gain insight into computer engineering careers. The program’s reputation and proximity to a variety of high-tech companies means you can also expect to find many computer engineering internships and build valuable on-the-job experience.

Outside the classroom, Florida Tech students can obtain computer engineering internships at many local and national companies, including:

  • NASA
  • Harris Corp.
  • Northrop Grumman
  • Google

These computer engineering internships allow students to build valuable work experience and make connections that help them succeed in the workplace after college.

Stunning Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Another way that Florida Tech remains one of the top computer engineering schools is by offering quality research experiences to undergraduate students. The computer engineering faculty is diverse, with research interests that include wireless communication, image processing, speech recognition, and more. In addition, students have access to a ten-week summer research experience funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

The Student Design Showcase gives our seniors an opportunity to present their projects to local industry judges who examine and evaluate each project and give constructive feedback. Often non-seniors are invited to work on the senior project teams, which gives them valuable project experience. Topics for these projects vary widely. Some past student projects include:

  • An electric racing vehicle
  • An automatic trash-collecting robot
  • Home automation control by cell phones

In addition to computer engineering internships, Florida Tech students can complete research on a wide variety of computer engineering topics on faculty research teams, including:

  • Fiber optics
  • Microelectronics
  • Internet programming
  • Wireless systems
  • Speech and image processing
  • Machine learning

With real-world research experience and computer engineering internships in a variety of fields, our graduates are better prepared for a future career or graduate school.

What can you do with a computer engineering degree?

Digital logic. Computer design. Systems engineering. These are the skills gained with a computer engineering degree from Florida Tech that lead to a challenging and exciting computer engineering career. Florida Tech's dynamic, focused computer engineering degree program develops graduates prepared to specialize in unique career sub-fields such as systems engineering, nuclear technology and energy engineering.

Florida Tech's program culture is of innovation and hands-on learning. Students are not only taught the material critical to computer engineering but are mentored toward demonstrating – through practical application – mastery of that material. As a result, computer engineering students graduate from Florida Tech with the confidence and competence to enter a variety of competitive career fields.

Get Recruited Upon Graduation

Students who graduate with a computer engineering degree are likely to find careers focused on the design, development and testing of computers and computer systems. Companies that have recently offered internships or a computer engineering career to Florida Tech graduates include:

  • Florida Solar Energy Center
  • Harris Corp.
  • IBM
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Microsoft
  • NASA
  • GE
  • Software Productivity Solutions
  • The Boeing Company
  • Rockwell Collins

Career Outlook

The US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job applicants with a computer engineering degree from an accredited program will have better chances of finding a job. For those interested in pursuing a computer engineering career, the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook provides detailed information about hundreds of occupations, including entry-level education, overall working environment, and employment prospects.

According to the Bureau, employment of computer engineers is projected to grow by nine percent through 2020. Job growth is expected to occur in computer consulting firms as manufacturers increasingly contract out the design of hardware. Many hardware engineers work closely with software developers when designing computer products.

Other Career Options

A computer engineering career involves incredibly challenging and exciting work. Working with artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, water impurity detection systems (increasingly critical where potable water is scarce such as in drought-ravaged areas) and robotics are all common. In addition, students with a computer engineering degree often find a career such as the following:

  • Computer engineer
  • Hardware engineer
  • Computer and information systems manager
  • Computer and information research scientist
  • Computer programmer
  • Electrical engineer
  • Information technology
  • Information technology manager
  • Chief technology officer
  • Software developer

Graduate and Doctoral Programs

Graduates of the computer engineering program at Florida Tech are prepared to pursue advanced degrees in computer engineering and related fields, both here at Florida Tech or at prestigious institutions such as:

  • Stanford
  • MIT
  • Johns Hopkins
  • Virginia Tech
  • Yale
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Stanford University
  • UC Berkeley
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
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