Engineering Computer Science Career OptionsCompared to a traditional Business Computer Programming degree, an Engineering Computer Science degree offers a more "in depth" study of computers and computer programming. Topics such as compiler design, operating system theory, analysis of algorithms, digital design, discrete math, etc provide the skills to build the next generation of hardware and software tools used by others to write programs, edit documents, build web pages, etc. In Computer Science, you can specialize in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics, Parallel Computing, Real-Time Embedded Computing and many areas of Computer Architecture.

Computer Science studies are in the college of Engineering and require the same Math skills as any other field of Engineering. The strong Math background of Computer Science students makes them prime candidates to develop computer HW and SW systems for any other field of engineering. People with backgrounds in CS work in many fields of Engineering such as:

• Space exploration- satellites, probes to distant planets, the Space Shuttles, the Space Station, etc. Building the hardware and software to control these devices is an exciting career opportunity for CS graduates.

• Communication. Satellite, cell phones, wireless networks, communication, etc. These technologies are created and supported by people with Electrical Engineering and Computer Science degrees.

• Transportation. These days, passenger planes are "fly by wire" - they are electronically controlled. Ditto fighter planes. In fact some of the newest fighter planes are so quick to respond that no human can react fast enough to safely fly them. So these planes are essentially totally controlled by computer. The pilot's controls are merely inputs to the computer. All of these systems need people skilled in CS and EE to build and support them. Most new automobiles have many of their functions under the control of an on-board computer. For instance, some no longer have a throttle cable to link the gas pedal to the carburetor/fuel injectors. Instead, the "gas pedal" simply has a sensor on it that sends a signal to the computer that then regulates the amount of fuel that is sent to the fuel injectors. This allows for tighter control of the operation of the engine to produce greater power output while at the same time, reducing emissions. Amazing!

• Defense. From planes to tanks to trucks to bombs. In today's military, the emphasis is on making these items much "smarter". Imbedded systems inside a missile will guide it based on GPS coordinates or fly it towards a spot marked on the target by a laser. And in today's changed world, you can bet that there will soon be a great need for Engineers to build a missile shield for the USA. The skill requirements of the people that will develop systems to detect and shoot incoming ballistic missiles down will be quite high. How exciting it would be to be part of that effort!

• Consumer electronics. For every microprocessor that is installed in a PC, there are over a hundred that reside in small consumer electronics! Hand held games, TVs, VCRs, phones, DVD players, even microwave ovens, electronic thermostats, stoves and ovens! These devices require special skills to make them work.

• Manufacturing. Increasing numbers of tasks are now controlled by computer. Whether we're talking about a robot that welds car bodies together, to the control of an assembly line in a warehouse, these tasks are possible thanks to computer scientists giving these machines the "brains" to do their jobs.

These are just a few examples. The list is endless. Additional good news is that graduates with degrees in Engineering Computer Science are also sought by employers to do traditional Business programming.

Currently, the average starting salary for a college graduate with a BS in Engineering Computer Science is $50,000.