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Computer Science Vs Computer Engineering

Computer science focuses on computational theory like algorithms and programming languages, while computer engineering applies computer science by designing hardware like circuits and processors. Specifically, computer scientists develop ways to process and store data through code, while computer engineers design and prototype hardware to connect software to components, such as in embedded systems, microprocessors or IoT devices. Software engineering bridges the two fields by applying computer science theories to create functional software applications that leverage underlying hardware.

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Cristian Acevedo
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128 views

Computer Science Vs Computer Engineering

Computer science focuses on computational theory like algorithms and programming languages, while computer engineering applies computer science by designing hardware like circuits and processors. Specifically, computer scientists develop ways to process and store data through code, while computer engineers design and prototype hardware to connect software to components, such as in embedded systems, microprocessors or IoT devices. Software engineering bridges the two fields by applying computer science theories to create functional software applications that leverage underlying hardware.

Uploaded by

Cristian Acevedo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Computer Science vs.

Computer Engineering: What’s the


Difference?
As technology evolves and spins off into highly specialized fields, so do the careers
and advanced degrees that support it. As these degrees and specialties
increasingly narrow their areas of focus, it can be helpful to understand how they
play into the larger technology landscape by breaking them down into two core
curriculum: computer science and computer engineering. And while there’s
common ground between them, knowing where these two fields both overlap and
diverge is a good place to start.

THE THEORETICAL: COMPUTER SCIENCE

Computer science is primarily concerned with computational theory, namely the


architecture, data, algorithms, and programming languages that comprise the
software that’s run on a computer. Computer scientists are focused on things like
code, algorithms, artificial intelligence, database design, and software design.
Therefore, computer scientists are scientists and mathematicians who develop
ways to process, interpret, store, communicate, and secure data.

THE PRACTICAL: COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Computer engineering takes that theory and applies to to real life. Essentially it’s
computer science put into action, married up with the field of electrical engineering.
If computer science happens in code, in the abstract, computer engineering often
happens in the lab. It involves designing and prototyping the tiny circuits and
processing units that bridge the computer’s hardware components with the
software it’s running—whether the implementations are embedded systems,
microprocessors, networked IoT devices, or “smart” anything. Therefore, computer
engineers are electrical engineers who specialize in software design, hardware
design, or systems design that integrates both.

WHERE BOTH ENDS MEET: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

You can’t talk about computer science and computer engineering without touching
on software engineering—the bridge between the two that provides the
architecture for the instructions the hardware executes.

A software engineer bridges both disciplines together, applying computer science


theories to software. A software engineer gets even more hands-on with
programming by translating those concepts into functional applications that
leverage the hardware they run on.

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