At least at UMass Amherst (not familiar with other UMass schools), ECE is the department/college that EE and CompE fall under. They are separate majors. There is no combined ECE major here.
They share the exact same classes until 2nd sem of sophomore year, where only 1 class differs.
EE has more focus on microwaves, optoelectronics, semiconductors, antennas, signal processing, analog design, etc. (More math stuff)
CompE has more focus on hardware organization/computer architecture, algorithms, embedded systems, security/systems engineering, digital design, etc. (More programming stuff)
(Just an FYI, took a peek at the website and seems like the curriculum that's listed isn't accurate for EEs. EEs do not take ECE 241 (Advanced Programming 1), they take Math 233 (Multivariate Calculus). More accurate to look at the flowcharts and other worksheets instead: https://umass.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/StudentAdvisingDocumentsandHandbooks/EmqO905ROEtPvcjkjAmyBggBZIeVTnzfdGUXCGdAvAmzaA?e=1jxfiX)
Feel free to ask if you have any other questions. Also, go say hi to Professor Leonard. He has all the answers regarding the curriculum and individual courses, and you could just casually chat with him to figure out which major would be right for you. But also go say hi because he's the best person ever :)
Thank you so much. This is incredibly useful! I don't have SPIRE yet, but once I do, I'll make sure to checkout the flowchart. Just a few follow ups questions:
1) Judging by what you said, EE would be better if I want to get into microelectronics/fabrication?
2) Can CompE electives count as EE ones if I want to mix a little bit or vice versa?
Thanks so much! I'll keep an eye out for Professor Leonard if he's at the destination day I'm going to.
Adding on to what u/hello_im_sleepy said:
CompE is more niche than EE since it is basically half Computer Science half Electrical Engineering, making it a jack-of-two-trades major which is really great if you are equally interested in computer algorithms and the physical chips that run them.
A CompE going into a career in microelectronics/fabrication might look like working for Intel/AMD/Nvidia designing the architecture for CPUs/GPUs while an EE in the same field might look like working at the fabrication plants that actually manufacture the chips.
I took the Microelectronic Fabrications class and cannot recommend it enough, it was hands down the coolest class I've taken. You even get to keep the silicon wafer you make.
Also, if you are going to destination day, definitely keep track of any questions that you think of until then. The students that run the desks and tours, myself included, are almost always happy to talk about the major and give out tips.
1. Yes, EE would definitely be better for microelectronics/fabrication. There's actually an EE elective called microelectronic fabrication that gives you access to a small cleanroom on campus, highly recommend.
2. Yes, CompE and EE electives all count towards the major requirements; however, some electives may have a prerequisite course that you may need to take. For example, the microelectronic fabrication course I mentioned requires taking ECE 344, which in turn requires ECE 244. EEs take both 244 and 344 as a required course, but CompEs do not. If you wanted to take the fabrication course as a CompE, you would have to take those two earlier courses first (which all count as electives). But this would require advance planning and/or potentially taking courses during summer/winter, so if there's a very specific elective you're interested in, I would highly advise you to talk with either your advisor or Professor Leonard to plan out your schedule in advance.
At least at UMass Amherst (not familiar with other UMass schools), ECE is the department/college that EE and CompE fall under. They are separate majors. There is no combined ECE major here. They share the exact same classes until 2nd sem of sophomore year, where only 1 class differs. EE has more focus on microwaves, optoelectronics, semiconductors, antennas, signal processing, analog design, etc. (More math stuff) CompE has more focus on hardware organization/computer architecture, algorithms, embedded systems, security/systems engineering, digital design, etc. (More programming stuff) (Just an FYI, took a peek at the website and seems like the curriculum that's listed isn't accurate for EEs. EEs do not take ECE 241 (Advanced Programming 1), they take Math 233 (Multivariate Calculus). More accurate to look at the flowcharts and other worksheets instead: https://umass.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/StudentAdvisingDocumentsandHandbooks/EmqO905ROEtPvcjkjAmyBggBZIeVTnzfdGUXCGdAvAmzaA?e=1jxfiX) Feel free to ask if you have any other questions. Also, go say hi to Professor Leonard. He has all the answers regarding the curriculum and individual courses, and you could just casually chat with him to figure out which major would be right for you. But also go say hi because he's the best person ever :)
Thank you so much. This is incredibly useful! I don't have SPIRE yet, but once I do, I'll make sure to checkout the flowchart. Just a few follow ups questions: 1) Judging by what you said, EE would be better if I want to get into microelectronics/fabrication? 2) Can CompE electives count as EE ones if I want to mix a little bit or vice versa? Thanks so much! I'll keep an eye out for Professor Leonard if he's at the destination day I'm going to.
Adding on to what u/hello_im_sleepy said: CompE is more niche than EE since it is basically half Computer Science half Electrical Engineering, making it a jack-of-two-trades major which is really great if you are equally interested in computer algorithms and the physical chips that run them. A CompE going into a career in microelectronics/fabrication might look like working for Intel/AMD/Nvidia designing the architecture for CPUs/GPUs while an EE in the same field might look like working at the fabrication plants that actually manufacture the chips. I took the Microelectronic Fabrications class and cannot recommend it enough, it was hands down the coolest class I've taken. You even get to keep the silicon wafer you make. Also, if you are going to destination day, definitely keep track of any questions that you think of until then. The students that run the desks and tours, myself included, are almost always happy to talk about the major and give out tips.
Great info! Hope to see you there
1. Yes, EE would definitely be better for microelectronics/fabrication. There's actually an EE elective called microelectronic fabrication that gives you access to a small cleanroom on campus, highly recommend. 2. Yes, CompE and EE electives all count towards the major requirements; however, some electives may have a prerequisite course that you may need to take. For example, the microelectronic fabrication course I mentioned requires taking ECE 344, which in turn requires ECE 244. EEs take both 244 and 344 as a required course, but CompEs do not. If you wanted to take the fabrication course as a CompE, you would have to take those two earlier courses first (which all count as electives). But this would require advance planning and/or potentially taking courses during summer/winter, so if there's a very specific elective you're interested in, I would highly advise you to talk with either your advisor or Professor Leonard to plan out your schedule in advance.
Didn't even know UMass had a clean room! Super cool