Differences Among Majors

All engineering majors use principles of science, math, and problem solving to create cost-efficient, reliable, and safe solutions to technical problems. Engineering is where science meets real-world applications to create products people need and things to make people’s lives better.

Electrical, computer, software, and cyber security engineers, as well as computer scientists, all create and improve technologies that help people, too. They work in health care, cell phone and computer manufacturing, and other industries, and all work on teams to do their work. But what is the difference among these majors at Iowa State? Here’s a brief overview to help you decide which major best fits your interests.

Computer Engineering
Computer Engineering

Computer engineering combines electrical engineering and computer science skills. Computer engineers design and develop computer systems and networks. They often solve problems at the hardware and software interface—such as how to get an application to do what you want it to do when you touch the screen of an iPad, or how to make sure the software that runs your car’s anti-lock braking system works with the car’s other systems and actually works when you hit the brakes.

Career opportunity examples

Computer/embedded systems engineers

Information security officers/analysts

Network engineers

Systems engineers

Digital forensics investigator

Choose this if you like…

Building computers and electronic devices

Getting into the guts of smartphones, iPods

Working with networking and/or security

View the four-year degree plan (flowchart) and technical electives.

Visit the ISU Catalog to view degree requirements and course descriptions.
Cyber Security Engineering
Cyber Security Engineering

Cyber security engineers protect computer and networking systems from potential hackers and cyber attacks. They prevent cyber hackers from infiltrating data with their knowledge in the fundamentals of cyber security, computers, networks, and software systems.

Career opportunity examples

Cybersecurity architect

Penetration tester, performing simulated cyberattacks on a company’s computer systems and networks to help identify security vulnerabilities and weaknesses

Cybersecurity product designer

Integration of cybersecurity into devices

Choose this if you like…

Helping protect people

Solving dynamically changing problems

Working in interdisciplinary teams

View the four-year degree plan (flowchart) and technical electives.

Visit the ISU Catalog to view degree requirements and course descriptions.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineers design and improve electronics. They work with energy in large-scale systems such as developing wind, solar, and other energy technologies that provide electricity to the world or wireless technologies that people use to communicate. They also work with small and even nano-scale energy to create circuits to run things like smartphones and MP3 players.

Career opportunity examples

Power systems engineers

Electric utility managers

Hardware/electronics engineers

Communications network engineers

Biomedical engineers

Choose this if you like…

Using electricity and renewable energy technologies

Working with tiny circuits, devices inside phones, tablet PCs

Seeing people use GPS navigation and medical imaging

View the four-year degree plan (flowchart) and technical electives.

Visit the ISU Catalog to view degree requirements and course descriptions
Software Engineering
Software Engineering

Software engineers design, build, and maintain software systems throughout the life cycle of the system. They often work with safety-critical software, such as software that runs flight control systems in airplanes, and they ensure that software systems are reliable, efficient, and affordable. In addition, they work to satisfy customer requirements. For more information on software engineering, visit the ISU Software Engineering page.

Career opportunity examples

Engineering project managers

Software architects

Software consultants

Choose this if you like…

Troubleshooting software problems

Working with a team and with customers

Seeing a product from beginning to end

Visit the ISU Catalog to view degree requirements and course descriptions

Pre-college preparation

To prepare for a career in one of our majors, it is important to take math and science classes in high school. Also, take advantage of any computer or electronics courses your high school offers, or participate in after school clubs and activities. Iowa State offers opportunities with outreach programs for students in grades K-12 to learn more about engineering.

For more information on pre-college preparation, check out the university’s Admissions Requirements.

Differences Among Majors

Computer Engineering

Cyber Security Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Software Engineering

Pre-college preparation