The Ohio State University

Electrical engineers find innovative ways to use electricity, electronic materials and electrical phenomena to improve people’s lives. Computer engineers design computer systems, both hardware and software, to create new technology and meet new societal needs.

The field of electrical engineering encompasses a very broad spectrum of technical areas, including computers and digital systems, electronics and integrated circuits, communications, systems and control, electromagnetics and electro-optics, energy conversion and power distribution, robotics, signal processing, solid state electronics, and photonics.

The field of computer engineering covers a wide range of topics including computer architecture, operating systems, communications, computer networks, robotics, artificial intelligence, supercomputers, computer-aided design and neural nets. 

Electrical engineers and computer engineers work at the frontier of high technology and are involved in research, the creation of new ideas, and the design and development of new products, manufacturing, and marketing activities. 

Students interested in computing careers may pursue either electrical and computer engineering or computer science and engineering. These programs are not interchangeable—students should examine the curricular requirements for each major to determine which one meets their interests.