Computer Engineering
Computer Engineering Undergraduate Program
B.S., B.S./M.S.
Computer Engineering Mission Statement
Computer Engineering focuses on the design, analysis and application of computers and on their applications as components of systems. The UCSC Department of Computer Engineering sustains and strengthens its teaching and research program to provide students with inspiration and quality education in the theory and practice of computer engineering.
Program Objective
The UCSC Computer Engineering program prepares graduates for a rewarding career in engineering. UCSC Computer Engineering graduates will have a thorough grounding in the principles and practices of Computer Engineering and the scientific and mathematical principles upon which they are built; they will be prepared for further education (both formal and informal) and for productive employment in industry.
Program Description
Engineering is a profession that emphasizes analysis and design, applying the knowledge of mathematics, science, and technology to the benefit of humanity. A good engineering education has three parts: a sound foundation in mathematics and science, substantial design experience to develop skills and engineering aesthetics, and a broad education in the humanities and social sciences to learn how and where to apply the skills developed.
Computer engineering is a broad subject, with the focus on making digital systems that work. It overlaps with computer science on one end (software systems) and with electrical engineering on the other (digital hardware). The emphasis of our program is on design rather than analysis—on making things work, rather than on explaining the abstract theory of computation or electronics.
The computer engineering program, leading to a B.S. degree in computer engineering, has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) since 1988. The program’s emphasis on problem solving provides both excellent training for future engineers and a strong background for graduate study.
Because the field is so broad, four specialized tracks for completing the program have been identified: systems programming, computer systems, networks, and digital hardware. Descriptions of these tracks follow in the section on major requirements.
Many computer engineering students continue their education through the M.S. degree. The Department of Computer Engineering offers an accelerated combined B.S./M.S. degree in computer engineering that enables eligible undergraduates to move without interruption to the graduate program. Interested computer engineering majors should contact their adviser for more details. The graduate program of the Department of Computer Engineering also offers both the standard M.S. and the Ph.D. degrees.
Every major and minor must have a computer engineering faculty adviser, assigned by the SOE Undergraduate Advising Office, and with that adviser must formulate a program of proposed course work that meets the major or minor requirements.