I am now a sophmore in college majoring in CSE and am having serious doubts about my future. My parents, friends, and other family members keep telling me how there is no future in the computer industry and that all good jobs are being outsourced to other countries, where they can afford to pay employees substantially less and get the same service. I used to think the economy was just in a recession and that things would always pick up, but now I am not so sure. I think I should keep my options open and try and find something else I might want to pursure like business, however, the workload would be insane if I double majored, and I don't think I'd be able to handle it. So my question is, is it gonna get any better in the near future (2 years), or should I just pursue another major altogether? I am not driven by money or gaining massive amounts of wealth, but would like to pursue a job that can provide me with enough to support a family comfortably.
Computer Engineering? A worthless major?
- Thread starter OneOfTheseDays
- Start date
A degree in CE even with most of the jobs outsourced is better than a psychology degree anyday...
I'd say 75% of the kids in my class got jobs right out of school or within 2 monthes of graduating...I graduated in May. Keep in mind there's 3 major defense contractors in the area, sun, ball aerospace, xilinx, hp, avaya, lucent, tons of tape backup companies, and tons of startups. The CE major is way more valuable than a CS major and a EE major as you can do both jobs. Hell, this is the only major that I know not having problems getting jobs except maybe nurses.
I'd say 75% of the kids in my class got jobs right out of school or within 2 monthes of graduating...I graduated in May. Keep in mind there's 3 major defense contractors in the area, sun, ball aerospace, xilinx, hp, avaya, lucent, tons of tape backup companies, and tons of startups. The CE major is way more valuable than a CS major and a EE major as you can do both jobs. Hell, this is the only major that I know not having problems getting jobs except maybe nurses.
Then you just narrow the possible job possibilities because no one wants to hire a EE to do software engineering. You really can't go wrong w/ CE. EE's are having a lot harder time finding jobs around here than CEs and CS majors.
Well, your family is partially right... but specifically wrong. There will ALWAYS be a need for the good computer engineers here in the US. A lot of the companies that really ARE the computer industry (Intel, AMD, nVidia, ATi (although Canadian)) do their design in the US. Sure, some of it will be outsourced--but i don't think we'll ever get to the point to where Intel only hires American management and does all of its design AND manufacture overseas. Not to mention, there are a lot of other jobs (that aren't specifically computer design related) such that CPEs will be VERY necessary.... think of all the controllers that have to be designed for mechanical objects, all of the computational mechanics that goes on, etc etc.
Now... your family may be partially right in that the huge boom in computer industry in the late 90s may have caused far too many students to go into EE/CPE.... thus playing with the "supply" part of the supply-demand balance. This has happened before in other industries--very specifically the glut of aerospace engineering students in the 70s, who (unfortunately) were almost all laid off after the space program fizzled and Carter proceeded to dramatically reduce spending. So.... it may be a tough time for a large portion of the CPE graduates in the future--either less will work in specific CPE jobs or salaries will go down. But the major is far from worthless.
On a personal level, YOU need to decide if you like/want to do CPE type work. Because that's what it comes down to--if you really want to do it.... and if you'll be happy doing it. Don't look at your major/college career/special education as a "i'll major in what gets me the best job"... do what you want to do... and what you do well.
Good luck!
Now... your family may be partially right in that the huge boom in computer industry in the late 90s may have caused far too many students to go into EE/CPE.... thus playing with the "supply" part of the supply-demand balance. This has happened before in other industries--very specifically the glut of aerospace engineering students in the 70s, who (unfortunately) were almost all laid off after the space program fizzled and Carter proceeded to dramatically reduce spending. So.... it may be a tough time for a large portion of the CPE graduates in the future--either less will work in specific CPE jobs or salaries will go down. But the major is far from worthless.
On a personal level, YOU need to decide if you like/want to do CPE type work. Because that's what it comes down to--if you really want to do it.... and if you'll be happy doing it. Don't look at your major/college career/special education as a "i'll major in what gets me the best job"... do what you want to do... and what you do well.
Good luck!CE major is far from useless, if you're an engineer with any skill then you'll still find a job. Also, as a CE you're learning not only engineering but more importantly problem-solving skills that you can apply anywhere in life. I'd take a CE degree any day.
CrazyDe1, I disagree that CE is more valuable than an EE major. Your specialization is different, there are a lot of jobs that an EE can choose to specialize in that a CE can't (eg. Power Engineering). EE is a much more flexible domain than CE since you have more choices in your specialization (since you learn more about analog circuitry, which in reality is the base of digital circuitry).
CrazyDe1, I disagree that CE is more valuable than an EE major. Your specialization is different, there are a lot of jobs that an EE can choose to specialize in that a CE can't (eg. Power Engineering). EE is a much more flexible domain than CE since you have more choices in your specialization (since you learn more about analog circuitry, which in reality is the base of digital circuitry).
There's also this job called applications engineering which is very well suited for CE's. They're not going to start outsourcing applications engineering.
Oh yeah, think about it this way. Anyone can pickup a book and learn how to web program, program in C++, program in java. How many people can understand the hardware and write code that works for the hardware as well? How many people can debug both hardware and software? It takes a very very bright person to pick up a book and be able to figure out how the hardware interacts with the software and be able to have the tools to teach themselves how to use scopes and logic analyzers. Not to mention a considerable amount of time.
Oh yeah, think about it this way. Anyone can pickup a book and learn how to web program, program in C++, program in java. How many people can understand the hardware and write code that works for the hardware as well? How many people can debug both hardware and software? It takes a very very bright person to pick up a book and be able to figure out how the hardware interacts with the software and be able to have the tools to teach themselves how to use scopes and logic analyzers. Not to mention a considerable amount of time.
You might be less qualified for Software Engineering as an EE than CE, but I'm betting CS is probably the degree your seeking if that is what you want to do with your life. There are many more fascets to Electrical Engineering than there are Computer Engineering. I guess what I'm saying is that there are few things a CE can do that an EE can't, but not so vice versa. IMO.
not sure where you went to school (as it may be a matter of semantics), but I would much rather have an EE or CS degree over a CSE degree. Ideally, I would go with a EECS degree if you school offers that.
Right, I'd agree with that, however I have a friend who was a CE who got a job in power engineering. I don't know about your school but in our school the EE and CE classes are almost exactly the same up until junior year at which point the electives change. The CE's take a few CS and embedded systems classes while the EE's take EM2 and Circuits 4. The senior labs are basically the same, most of the CE's take the same power lab elective as the EE's do.
National semiconductor, national instruments, TI, they all hired CE's this year as well too.
just because you are a 'something' engineer doesnt mean you will have to go into that field. with an engineering degree, employers know that you have work ethic and are an intelligent person.
this guy i talked to, got a degree in nuclear engineering. he then went into banking for a few years. after that he got an mba, and went into business. today he owns grocerygateway.com (internet groceries site that delivers in the toronto area). he's a millionaire.
this guy i talked to, got a degree in nuclear engineering. he then went into banking for a few years. after that he got an mba, and went into business. today he owns grocerygateway.com (internet groceries site that delivers in the toronto area). he's a millionaire.
thanks a lot for the replies guys. So from what I gather, a CS degree is pretty much not worth anything these days since anyone can pickup a programming book. But a CSE or a EE degree is pretty valuable since not just anyone can do the things CE or EE engineers can do without taking courses. I'm pretty sure I want to go into CE right now, I'm very interested in how things work internally and I like problem solving a lot.
lol, if you really believe that anyone that picks up a book can be a great software developer is true, then you havent even begun to see what real developers are capable. I consider myself a talented person but every day i see examples of greatness when it comes to development. There is always some one better then you and if you suck or are unsure of yourself now, get out because the jobs that are left here in the US are for those who know what they are doing not all of these half ass jokes of programmers who think they are tough $hit cause they learned how to make a fix to their phpbb board.
I think I read somewhere that computer engineering is still a fast growing field and growing somewhat faster than other engineering fields, could be wrong.
CS is really where youre screwed....
Luckily for me im MIS.... its damn tough to outsource management..... could you switch to an MIS major?
Luckily for me im MIS.... its damn tough to outsource management..... could you switch to an MIS major?
as ameesh has already said, you obviously have no idea what CS is. a CS degree is only worthless if you are stupid. and please, MIS? i don't know about other schools, but at mine, that's where all the CSE rejects go.
I agree with Ameesh. I'll leave it at that.
Anyone that says that an EE degree is worth less than CompE degree is smoking some serious rock. If you really believe that, you are so delusial that no argument I can make on a message board will change your mind.
Anyone that says that an EE degree is worth less than CompE degree is smoking some serious rock. If you really believe that, you are so delusial that no argument I can make on a message board will change your mind.
or maybe your just being an elitist EE major?
at my college CE takes basically the same classes as EE and some CS classes as well.....so its basically a major in EE and a minor in CS but only counts as one major
i dunno about UT but the CE majors work harder than the EE majors
EE may not be worthless than CE
then again CE i don't think is worth less than EE
Of the several EE friends that I had, one with an impressive GPA ended up working for a lowballing Taiwanese company, the other one went into sales, and the other one ended up going to grad school because he couldn't find a job (mind you, he was actively searching for a year and a half). If you get a BSEE, it's worthless. Now if you're speaking MSEE, that's another a whole new ballpark. MSEE's can find jobs where they can actually apply their knowledge instead of doing some mindless task like BSEE's.
I'm not saying a CompE is worth less, a CompE is just about the same. They take the same first two years at UT, except for one math class. Then an EE has an option of doing two EE tech areas, or one EE tech area and one CompE tech area. The CompEs have the option of doing two CompE tech areas, or one EE tech area and one CompE
By default CompEs only have ONE electronics course. That seems grossly lacking IMO.
EE Cirriculum
CompE Cirriculum
EE Tech Areas
CompE Tech Areas
4 years for any technical area is insufficient. The same holds true for chemistry, CompE, aerospace, etc. The guys at IBM that came and talked to us said that lab work is the extent of a lot of BSEEs for this reason.
CompE is the same way. Think you're going to be designing video chipsets wth a Bachelors?
Although your first-hand account is not statistically valid. *most* BSEEs find $50K jobs within 4 months of graduating.
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