Definition of Electrical/Computer Engineering

With the widespread use and integration of computers into our everyday lives, it’s hard to separate what an Electrical Engineer needs to know and what a Computer Engineer needs to know. Because of this, JBU offers an integrated electrical/computer concentration in our engineering program.

Electrical engineers are responsible for a wide range of technologies, from portable music players to the global positioning system (GPS), which can continuously provide the location of a vehicle. Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electronic equipment such as broadcast and communications systems. Many electrical engineers also work in areas closely related to computers. However, engineers whose work is related exclusively to computer hardware are considered computer hardware engineers. Electrical engineers specialize in areas such as communications, signal processing, and control systems or have a specialty within one of these areas—industrial robot control systems or aviation electronics, for example.

Computer engineers research, design, develop, test, and oversee the installation of computer hardware and supervise its manufacture and installation. Hardware refers to computer chips, circuit boards, computer systems, and related equipment such as keyboards, modems, and printers. The rapid advances in computer technology are largely a result of the research, development, and design efforts of computer engineers.