Computer Engineering

Computer engineering occupies the space where software and hardware meet. Unlike pure computer science, which focuses primarily on algorithms and programming, computer engineering asks how computing systems are designed and built at the level of electronic circuits, processors, and embedded systems. It draws on electrical engineering, digital systems design, and software development to produce graduates who understand computing from the silicon upwards and can design the physical and logical architectures on which software runs.

At Edge Hill University this three-year, full-time degree develops your understanding of microprocessors, operating systems, digital logic, embedded systems, and the software that brings hardware to life. You will explore how processors are designed, how signals are encoded and transmitted, how operating systems manage hardware resources, and how robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence are implemented at a systems level. The programme gives you a thorough grounding in both the theoretical principles and the practical skills that computer engineering demands.

The degree includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, as well as work placement opportunities, all of which give you the chance to develop professional experience alongside your academic study.

Computer engineering graduates find opportunities across a wide range of industries. Roles in embedded systems development, hardware design, firmware engineering, robotics, telecommunications, and systems integration are among the most direct. The semiconductor and electronics industries, aerospace, automotive, consumer technology, and defence all employ computer engineers.

The combination of software and hardware knowledge is particularly valuable in the growing fields of the Internet of Things, autonomous systems, and industrial automation. For those who wish to continue their studies, postgraduate programmes in computer engineering, electronic engineering, robotics, or AI offer pathways into research and advanced professional roles.