Degrees based around hardware?

[Flamez Rogue]

I've been doing a lot of looking around lately into universities and such. Currently I'm 19 and have had a tech interest since around 17. I'm not having much luck finding information about degrees to get a career in hardware engineering. Although I am still interested in software I find myself much more interested in the inner workings of hardware. I've taken time to learn what I can about the operation of CPU's, Motherboards, Memory, SSD's and HDD's as much as one can self teach. Is there any specific path or classes I should be taking to gain a knowledge of hardware engineering or something similar to it? Any help on the topic would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[T.Vengeance]

I think what you're looking for is called Computer Engineering.

[Excon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_with_computer_engineering_programs

[Flamez Rogue]

I think what you're looking for is called Computer Engineering.

 

Been looking around for that one. Seen classes for software engineering, degrees for computer science. Never anything hardware specific. I'll make sure to do a closer look and do some asking around.

[MdX MaxX]

Been looking around for that one. Seen classes for software engineering, degrees for computer science. Never anything hardware specific. I'll make sure to do a closer look and do some asking around.

Electrical Engineering is more up your alley. That's where you primarily deal with circuits and their components.

[LAwLz]

Just a little warning. Electrical engineering (which it sounds like you're interested in) isn't like putting together builds on PcPartPicker, or reading about how Samsung released a very big SSD. It's far closer to physics, chemistry and very advanced math.

[Saladin]

Just a little warning. Electrical engineering (which it sounds like you're interested in) isn't like putting together builds on PcPartPicker, or reading about how Samsung released a very big SSD. It's far closer to physics, chemistry and very advanced math.

This. Start with calculus (at least 2 semesters) and physics (at least 2 semesters, usually classical mechanics followed by electricity and magnetism). MIT has very good FREE YouTube classes (recordings of actually classes) that will cover all this material.

[qwertywarrior]

electrical engineering is hell

u will have no social life

[Saladin]

electrical engineering is hell

u will have no social life

wait a minute who told the engineers that other people have social lives?

[qwertywarrior]

wait a minute who told the engineers that other people have social lives?

i read that like 3 times

i didnt quite understand what u mean sry

[Saladin]

i read that like 3 times

i didnt quite understand what u mean sry

just joking about how hard engineering is compared to other fields and how in college it always seems like everyone but the engineers are having fun... exception being the mechanicall engineers... always building things... terrible terrible things... B)

[qwertywarrior]

just joking about how hard engineering is compared to other fields and how in college it always seems like everyone but the engineers are having fun... exception being the mechanicall engineers... always building things... terrible terrible things... B)

for some engineering is a joy

its something they love

 

people who are after engineering for money  will have a hard time

and also an unhappy future

 

for me i tried engineering and was just a bad experience

( i blame the teachers )

 

i tired accounting and its a joy

it was fun and exciting for me  - 1 year let to get my bachelors ! 

( i blame the teachers )

[Saladin]

for some engineering is a joy

its something they love

 

people who are after engineering for money  will have a hard time

and also an unhappy future

 

for me i tried engineering and was just a bad experience

( i blame the teachers )

 

i tired accounting and its a joy

it was fun and exciting for me  - 1 year let to get my bachelors ! 

( i blame the teachers )

I completely understand, a similar thing happened with me... its how i know to be afraid of the mechanical engineers (do not piss off people that enjoy making catapults). also people who do any job just for the money arent going to find happiness in at work.

[Stephie_Girl]

Maybe micro-architecture engineering???

[IdeaStormer]

Don't for get Physics.

 

Remember the with a general degree like Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science (with hardware emphasis) you can get through more doors come interview time than with specific majors which are a subset of those listed above, the last thing you want to do is pigeon hole-ing yourself on day one. If you want to work in the computer hardware field you can always pick your (major's) electives in that field, keeping your degree as wide open as possible for easier maneuvering in the job market.

 

Also, just because you are in a specific major there's nothing keeping you from taking courses in another, yes it will eat into your personal time but when you're in college, college and learning should be your job, not a secondary option to getting drunk. You can always get drunk (aka party) once you have a job and some good money to spend.

 

Think long term big picture, not just what you will do tomorrow morning after a long gaming session.

[Flamez Rogue]

If I had a choice of the computer industry I wouldn't mind learning about and development of hyperthreading solutions on CPU's

[Glenwing]

Electronic Engineering is probably closest to what you're looking for.  This is like Electrical Engineering but more focused on electronics, whereas Electrical Engineering is much more broad.  Computer Engineering does not deal with only hardware, it deals with systems as a whole; you will be doing things like writing firmware, etc...