Ask HN: Is Computer Engineering a worthwhile MS degree?

[jwindle47]

I’m a software engineer with a CS degree. I was accepted to a school for ECE. I have the option to go either CE or EE, but can’t decide. What things outside of typical software dev to CEs do? Should I focus on the hardware side or the really low level software side? It’s all interesting to me but I’d love to hear more from expert engineers on the different paths.

My hope is to combine my CS and programming experience along with my masters program in interesting ways. To understand the stack all the way down to the hardware level and be able to implement end-to-end solutions that way. My issue is not knowing anything about the fields in industry

[Mike-at-Ac28R]

I wouldn’t focus on low level software and hardware. I believe that opportunities in these areas will shrink over time as hardware gets cheaper and newer tools allow people to work at a higher level of abstraction.

Think of how assembly language has become niche, or how web tools help you put together simple UI’s that would previously have taken days. Or relational databases with SQL that killed off the previous generations. We are working on tools that substantially reduce the coding/testing burden, and I’m sure we are not the only ones.

If you focus more on the skills that a CS degree will help you develop you can’t go far wrong, no matter what the future holds.

[GianFabien → Mike-at-Ac28R]

Somebody has to write and maintain the tools that support those abstractions. Then there is the frequent requirement to optimize systems which putting on another layer of abstractions won't solve.

Most of the fresh opportunities lie in the area of atoms, real hard tangible problems that software can't solve.

[jwindle47 → GianFabien]

This is exactly where I’m at with my CS career. I am tired of abstraction. I want to be able to strip it away and work at the lowest levels of the stack. I’ve worked in embedded real-time environments before and found working with the system constraints to be highly rewarding. Yes there are tools that can write and test code for us now, but it’s also true that someone still has to build the low level high performance stuff.

What opportunity do you see in the realm of atoms?

[GianFabien → jwindle47]

One huge opportunity is in the electrical energy space. With renewables our transmission systems and the control of those many resources is lagging. From control systems point of view having a small number of well controlled sources of energy, aka power stations, it was simpler to manage the load and distribution. Now we have millions of capricious generators of which hundreds are very large, e.g. wind farms and solar farms. Even with grid scale batteries it is like herding stray cats.

[toast0]

What's the underlying reason you're seeking a Master's degree? Do you want a job that requires one? Will it help meet immigration requirements? Are you just seeking knowledge? (probably not a great reason to go) Do you want to learn things that require access to equipment that's not personally attainable, but will be available at a school?

I have a bachelor's in CE, but never had a reason to get a masters. Undergrad in-major courses were a mix of regular high level software stuff, but not compilers and things, lightweight software engineering courses about process and awareness of formal methods (in depth formal methods in the Software Engineering major), some embedded systems work, and then a bit of electrical engineering: IIRC, we did some basic chip layout but my school didn't have any fab resources so no practical work there. A little bit of FPGA stuff.

With that degree, I just write software, mostly for servers, at Internet companies. I don't build hardware or anything, but maybe I'd be prepared for an entry level job in hardware, probably get roped into doing drivers though.

[jwindle47 → toast0]

Its knowledge mainly, my company is covering tuition and I’ve always had a desire to understand computing “all the way down.” If the outcome would be that I’m still working similar jobs, I’d be alright with that. I commented on a different parent about what coursework I’m considering, maybe that would help me break into something lower level and not just be another backend job?

[GianFabien]

It very much depends on where you plan to live and work. Work opportunities are not evenly distributed.

Computer engineering has become a niche and there are few potential employers. Most computer manufacturers assemble computers from components and subsystems from Intel, AMD, TMSC, Nvidia, etc. Although it does require a great deal of expertise, it is not typical of what is taught as CE.

Consider what the proposed CE curriculum covers. In many cases university courses fail to keep up with the pace of technology. Industry experience is far more valuable than theory. There just isn't enough time during a semester to develop in-depth practical experience in any given area.

Electronic / embedded systems engineering have broader potential areas of application. FPGAs are potentially a very good skill to have. But, as above, consider in light of employment opportunities.

At the lowest design levels EEs obsess over transmission line effects and EMF radiation from PCB traces. These days advanced electronic circuits are microwave transmitters.

[oumua_don17 → GianFabien]

>> It very much depends on where you plan to live and work. Work opportunities are not evenly distributed.

This, a million times, and is often overlooked.

In fact, I would say that you should try working it out backwards. Find the place where you will really enjoy to live and find the best possible work you can do aligned with or leveraging your current skills with decent prospects for future growth.

Twice in my career, I found work that was interesting but in places where I didn't like to live. And living well is way more important than working!!!

[jwindle47 → GianFabien]

Super valuable advice. The program I’m considering has VLSI design, chip architecture, and FPGA work all at the graduate level. I don’t know if the school has fabs but it’s seemingly well known and well funded so maybe?

As a part of this degree I’ve also selected coursework that is more related to CS. I’m looking at a compilers class, OS class, and neural networks as well.

With a focus on FPGA do you think that’s broadly applicable and evenly distributed geographically? I am prepared to move for certain industries, like working in space technology

[GianFabien → jwindle47]

Space tech is yet another cool industry. It is most certainly localized in a small number of locales and competition for jobs is fierce.

As for FPGAs, the skills in that area are most in demand by companies producing advanced electronics, e.g. video, networking, some industrial and scientific processes.

I see BioTech / MedTech as being two very high potential areas. Of course, the manufacturers of such equipment are generally located in already highly industrialized areas.