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Computer science and electrical engineering

I am in sixth form, trying to decide what course to do, i want know everything from; how computers, microchips and processors work, up to how to write and design software, websites and coding, i don't know what course to pick and the course descriptions are fairly useless when you don't understand much of the terminology used. Can anyone who is knowledgeable in the subject give me some advice?
Original post by brad1504
I am in sixth form, trying to decide what course to do, i want know everything from; how computers, microchips and processors work, up to how to write and design software, websites and coding, i don't know what course to pick and the course descriptions are fairly useless when you don't understand much of the terminology used. Can anyone who is knowledgeable in the subject give me some advice?

Electrical engineering will concentrate on the theory and applications of high power and transmission systems like motors, generators, High Voltage transmission lines, power distribution, computer control systems, etc. It is unlikely to find a course that will cover the breadth of subject matter you described.

Similarly computer science is unlikely to give you the depth of knowledge to cover electronic components at the physical level. i.e. design of semiconductors, microprocessors etc. to gain an intimate and fundamental knowledge at that level.
Comp-sci sits in the middle ground and tends to focus on a higher levels of abstraction: object-oriented design, networking, algorithms, communications, distributed systems, open systems etc.

You may like to consider electronic engineering which will cover both the physics of semiconductors as well applications through both analogue and digital techniques, state-machines, microprocessors and fabrication of devices, control systems, real time systems etc. However, this is unlikely to cover web design and HTML type programming etc. Although you will undoubtedly learn microcontroller programming and one or two high level science based languages (C++, Python, Fortran etc).

Of the three, electronic engineering has the most maths and science content, electrical engineering majors on machines and their control, computer science majors on coding and algorithms.

May not help in deciding for you, but you should now see that each course has it's own merits and disadvantages from the wide specification you originally stated.
Reply 2
Original post by uberteknik
Electrical engineering will concentrate on the theory and applications of high power and transmission systems like motors, generators, High Voltage transmission lines, power distribution, computer control systems, etc. It is unlikely to find a course that will cover the breadth of subject matter you described.

Similarly computer science is unlikely to give you the depth of knowledge to cover electronic components at the physical level. i.e. design of semiconductors, microprocessors etc. to gain an intimate and fundamental knowledge at that level.
Comp-sci sits in the middle ground and tends to focus on a higher levels of abstraction: object-oriented design, networking, algorithms, communications, distributed systems, open systems etc.

You may like to consider electronic engineering which will cover both the physics of semiconductors as well applications through both analogue and digital techniques, state-machines, microprocessors and fabrication of devices, control systems, real time systems etc. However, this is unlikely to cover web design and HTML type programming etc. Although you will undoubtedly learn microcontroller programming and one or two high level science based languages (C++, Python, Fortran etc).

Of the three, electronic engineering has the most maths and science content, electrical engineering majors on machines and their control, computer science majors on coding and algorithms.

May not help in deciding for you, but you should now see that each course has it's own merits and disadvantages from the wide specification you originally stated.



Thankyou very much :smile:

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