Computer
Engineering
an overview for high school students
Dr. Karen C. Davis
Electrical & Computer Engineering Department
University of Cincinnati
What you will learn about
•
What is computer engineering?
•
What do computer engineers do?
•
What are the employment prospects?
Electrical Engineering
What is Computer Engineering?
Computer Engineering Technology Computer Science Information Systems Computer Engineering
software hardware
• appliances and toys
• cell phones, mp3 players, and shoes (!)
• braking, steering, transmission
• audio, climate, driver information
• doors, seats, sun roof, restraints
How many computers
are there in the world
today?
A. millionsB. billions
billions!
How many of these are
laptop or desktop systems?
A. less than 2%B. about half
C. more than 95%
Computer Engineers design
•
embedded systems are
computers that control
every day items …
•
and also systems that
are important to the
global economy:
communications,
transportation, and
industrial automation
What does ASEE
say about
Computer
Engineering?
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE): www.engineering-goforit.com
analyze, design, plan,
develop, evaluate and
test:
• hardware
• software
What does IEEE say about
Computer Engineering?
Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE): tryengineering.org
design, construction, and
operation of:
• digital systems
Computer Engineering Basics
•
what is
hardware
?
–
keyboards, circuit boards, processors, CD
•
what is
software
?
–
operating system, editor, compiler, word
… and can we write
software
to
design
hardware
??
software can automate:
•
placement of
components
•
routing
interconnections
•
testing for errors
What do Computer Engineers do?
•
they apply theories and principles of science and
mathematics to design
–
hardware,
–
software,
–
networks, and
–
processes
•
and to solve technical problems, including
making choices subject to constraints regarding
–
structure and organization,
–
techniques, technologies, methodologies
–
interfaces, and selection of components
Video profiles of what
Computer Engineers do
“Bright Computer Science & Engineering majors typically secure highly collaborative, creative, diverse, challenging, well compensated positions that provide a flexible, fun lifestyle and appeal to a diverse population.”
Online video profiles include:
• a research scientist in computational biology
• a graduate student working on technology to improve forest firefighting
techniques
• a graduate student working to make textbook graphics readable to blind
students
• an undergraduate student working in India to connect rural communities through technology
What are the job prospects?
•
2007 UC CompEs co-oped at
– Duke Energy– General Electric
– Cincinnati Insurance Companies
– International Technegroup
– AK Steel
– Rockwell Automation
– Proctor and Gamble
– Texas Instruments
– National Radio Astronomy Observatory
– Apple
– Northrop Grumman
– Toyota
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
says about the future:
• one of the fastest growing occupations from 2004-2014 • one million new computing jobs in the US by 2014
Should
you
study
Computer Engineering?
•
do you enjoy breaking down complex problems in
order to solve them?
•
are you interested in computers and using
computers to solve problems?
•
are you good at mathematics and logic puzzles?
•
do you like the idea of creating innovative solutions
