Computer Engineering

Return to: USC Viterbi School of Engineering 

Undergraduate Degree

Undergraduate Program Educational Objectives

Graduates of the Computer Engineering and Computer Science program are expected to attain the following educational objectives within a few years of graduation:

• Graduates will apply analytical and critical thinking principles of both computer engineering and computer science to their chosen professions.
• Graduates will successfully engage in life-long learning to continue to be contributing members of their communities in fields within and outside the traditional scope of computer engineering.
• Graduates will exhibit high professional and ethical standards to become productive leaders in society.

Undergraduate Program Criteria

The program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Computer Science provides both breadth and depth across the range of engineering topics implied by the title. The curriculum includes probability and statistics, including appropriate applications; mathematics, including discrete mathematics through differential and integral calculus; sciences (defined as biological, chemical or physical science) to develop an understanding of the scientific method and provide students with an opportunity to experience this mode of inquiry in courses for science or engineering majors that provide some exposure to lab work; and engineering topics (including computing science) necessary to analyze and design complex electrical and electronic devices, software and systems containing hardware and software components.

The computer science portion of the curriculum covers the fundamentals of algorithms, data structures, software design, concepts of programming languages and computer organization and software; provides an exposure to a variety of programming languages and systems, including at least one higher-level language; and includes advanced course work that builds on the fundamental course work to provide depth.

Graduate Degrees

The graduate program in computer engineering, offered through the Department of Electrical Engineering, is designed to provide students with an intensive background in the analysis, structure, design and function of digital computers and information processing systems. In addition to giving each student a fundamental background in digital logic, computer architecture and operating systems, a wide variety of elective courses allows for study in the following specialized areas: artificial intelligence; computer architecture; computer networks; computer system performance; design automation; fault-tolerant computers; microprocessors; parallel processing; real-time systems; robotics; and VLSI design.

Programs

• Computer Engineering and Computer Science (BS)

• Computer Engineering (MS)

• Computer Engineering (PhD)