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What is the difference between a computer engineering major and computer science major?

What is the difference between computer science and software engineering ?

  • i hv just given the exam of iit-jee . i m well satisfied by it as well . now i m a bit confused in between software engineering and computer science . since on the site of different colleges of iit it is written computer engineering , but since from my knowledge computer engineering is no word . please tell me that is there is any further course division in computer engineering or all the students of computer engineering studies all thinks in a similar manner ? if i will choose computer engineering what preprations i need to do before ?

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    Computer Sciences encompasses the "exact" aspects in Computing. For instance, electronics are physics needed to design chips, which both are based on math. Professionals often work in rather/highly theoretical fields like numbers theory, compiler design, etc. In the early days, these positions were often filled by mathematicians or people who studied physics. You could call CS the theoretical foundation of all three fields mentioned. Computer Engineering (CE) is about designing computers, it's about hardware. What components are needed, how are they developed, what are needed specifications so the various parts work together well, etc. E.g. your PC, your tablet, as well as your iPad have been developed by CE. Software Engineering (SE) is about designing and developing software. Techniques, technologies, good practices, testing, and so on. To make an example, your browser has been developed by Software Engineers. In SE, for any given problem usually there is not just THE single correct solution. Instead, there are usually several possible solutions, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefor SE is not an exact field and thus it's not a "science" like math, physics, chemistry, etc. Due to this aspect many people relate SE partially to an art. However, SE uses findings reached in Computer Sciences.

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I'm coming to realize I'm not enjoying Computer Science, but I do enjoy programming and that is what I want to do once I graduate. I've had hardly any classes on Software Devlopment or programming i'm a Jr now and have only taken intro to proramming and intermediate programming, and yet tons and tons of math. Coming into this major I thought Computer Science was the same as Software Engineering but now i'm realizing they arn't. I also thought the major would really hit you hard in programming which it isn't. I checked at the university in canada, waterloo and they actually fall into 2 different departments entirely. It says Computer Science is in a Math department, while SE is in Engineering. I don't like math, so why am I in a math intensive major? I've gotten all A's in all my math classes, Calc I-3, Diff EQ, matrices, etc but I don't enjoy doing it. I realize Software Engineering would also have to do math, but i'm thinking maybe it wouled offer more programming and more classes on actual Software Devlopment, Methods, etc, rather than just giving me a few programming courses and the rest math. My college doesn't offer Software Engineering and I am a Jr. so switching colleges may seem pretty drastic but if i graduate as a CS, would I be missing out on alot if I didn't switch to become a SE? I also heard alot of the SE majors arn't even accredited majors, meaning they havn't been around long enough to see if it even passes as a real major. What I want to do with my life after graduation is Software Devlopment of some kind, not sure what, but in that field and later I would like to get into more business. Any info would be great!

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