Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering: What’s Right for You?

Everyone has been there. You’re trying to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life. It’s usually not an easy decision, and it can change your life.

Whether you’re in college trying to choose a major or a member of the workforce trying to embark on a new career path, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Maybe you enjoy problem-solving or are interested in the latest technology. Then, computer science and engineering might be right for you. But what’s the difference?

Keep reading to learn all about the different aspects of computer science vs. computer engineering.

What Is Computer Science?

Put simply, computer science is the scientific study of computers and how they work. However, that can entail many different aspects. Nearly every computer scientist starts out learning how to program.

Learning a language like Java or Python can be a good introduction to the kind of thinking that computer science requires. It can help to understand things like how applications and operating systems actually work.

Computer science also deals with data structures and algorithms. Data structures have to do with how information is stored in a computer’s memory. Algorithms have to do with how a computer performs operations.

Computer science gets into some of the more theoretical aspects of computers such as Turing machines and computational complexity. For this reason, computer science can rely on math more than computer engineering.

There is another big difference between computer science and computer engineering. Computer science deals with things like cybersecurity and cryptography. These aspects keep information secure in computer systems.

What Is Computer Engineering?

If computer science contains so many different aspects, then what is computer engineering?

One key difference is that computer science deals mostly with software and theory. Computer engineering deals with hardware and the application of that theory.

That’s not to say there is no software involved in computer engineering. Instead of a particular language or application, engineering deals with how software runs on a computer system in general.

Computer engineering involves how computers are built and put together. Computers have many electronic components. This means there is an overlap between computer engineering and electrical engineering or physics.

Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering

So which one should you choose? When it comes to computer science vs. engineering, if you like programming and learning about the theory behind how computers work, computer science may be the right choice.

However, if you enjoy taking apart electronics to see how they work, computer engineering might be a better choice. Another important aspect to consider is the computer science vs. computer engineering salary.

For more information about salary working in the computer industry, you can check out 11 best ways to make money programming from home.

You Can Decide

Now that you know some of the key differences between computer science vs. computer engineering, you can decide which one is better for your next career decision.

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