Computer Engineering

How to apply

Computer engineers can change the world. Whether it is the systems that control our phones, cars, planes or robots — every automated device has a software or hardware engineer helping to create it.

As a student in UBC’s Computer Engineering program, you will learn how to develop, design and test software, computer networks, and protocols.

After your first year, you will have the opportunity to bring your classroom learning to life in a Design Studio course. In your fourth year, you will have the option to collaborate with industry partners in a team-based Capstone project, or create your own business plan and prototype in the New Venture Design course. Don’t miss your chance to engineer your successful future — in real time.

Okanagan Campus
We are excited to launch the first cohort of Computer Engineering in September 2024 at the Okanagan Campus. More details will be released in the spring of 2024.

Learn more about Computer Engineering (Okanagan)

Vancouver Campus
Learn more at You UBC's program page or visit us at ece.ubc.ca

Learn more about Computer Engineering (Vancouver)

Why Study This Program

Computer Engineering graduates are well positioned to start successful careers in a variety of different industries. Common areas of focus they can pursue include: software, biomedical, robotics, operating systems, energy systems.

Courses & Specializations

Students will first complete a foundational first year of engineering and then take specialized courses beginning in second year, once they are placed into their engineering discipline. Here is a sample of the courses Computer Engineering students can take in each year of study.

Year 2
CPEN 211	Computing Systems I
CPEN 221	Software Construction I
CPEN 281	Technical Communication
ELEC 201	Circuit Analysis I

Year 3
CPEN 331	Operating Systems
CPEN 391	Computer Engineering Design Studio II
CPSC 320	Intermediate Algorithm Design and Analysis

Year 4
APSC 450	Professional Engineering Practice
CPEN 481	Economic Analysis of Engineering Projects
CPEN 491	Computer Engineering Capstone Design Project

For a more in-depth look at the Computer Engineering curriculum, please consult the Computer Engineering Program website.

Enhance Your Education (further education)

Graduates of the Computer Engineering program looking to continue their education can pursue professional programs and graduate studies. The analytical and problem-solving skills students gain from an undergraduate engineering degree translate well into the qualities needed for Medical and Law School. These students also make strong candidates for UBC’s Master of Engineering Leadership in Dependable Software Systems which offers the unique combination of business and engineering courses for students looking to further their studies and gain the relevant skills to design and maintain reliable software systems.

Careers

With a mean base salary of $108,117 (source) and an expected employment growth rate of 1.2% over the next 5 years (source), graduates of Computer Engineering are well equipped to pursue careers in computer and telecommunication hardware manufacturers, manufacturing and telecommunications firms, information technology consulting firms, government, educational and research institutions, information technology units, and the health industry (source). Common career titles (source) for Computer Engineering graduates include: capacity planning analyst, computer systems engineer, hardware design engineer, optical systems engineer, radio systems engineer, telecommunications engineer, spacecraft electronics engineer, data communications specialist.

Employers

Both current students and graduates are able to work for a wide range of employers. Some of the biggest employers of UBC Computer Engineering students over the past several years include: Visier, Hootsuite, Intel Corporation, and SAP.

Alumni

Design Teams & Clubs

Design Teams

There are over 30 Engineering Design Teams at UBC. Joining an engineering design team is an excellent opportunity for students from all disciplines to collaborate on a wide variety of design projects and gain relevant teamwork, leadership, and technical skills transferrable to future careers. Some of the design teams related to Computer Engineering include:

Learn more about UBC’s Engineering Design Teams

Clubs

There are many ways engineering students can get involved, including joining clubs relevant to their discipline. Clubs relevant to Computer Engineering include:

Research

Undergraduate students can get involved with research where they have the opportunity to participate in research projects being conducted in the Electrical and Computer Engineering labs. Topics of research within the department include:

Biomedical Technologies
- Work in this group spans the wide range from microscale tools for basic science and drug discovery to bedside applications in the clinic. Their interdisciplinary research projects include microsystems for single-cell manipulation, photonics for imaging of tissue samples, signal processing for medical imaging, and medical instrumentation and robotics. Strong interaction with the Faculty of Medicine, the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), the BC Cancer Research Agency, the biomedical device industry, and other many collaborations drives our technology development to address challenges in biomedical engineering.
Communication Systems
- Work in this group spans various areas including coding, relaying, channel modelling, statistical signal processing, multiple access, scheduling, routing, multimedia, image processing, target tracking, optical transceiver, sensors, antenna, as well as distributed security design. They collaborate with companies, academic institutions and government agencies in British Columbia, Canada and around the world on joint projects.
Computer and Software Systems
- Researchers in the computer engineering area are working on a range of techniques cutting across hardware and software layers in computer systems. We are focused on high-performance, adaptable, dependable, secure and predictable computer systems. Our innovation is driven by the realization that the user is the ultimate arbiter in a computer system, and hence we actively involve users in improving the techniques we build. Our unique emphasis on a cross-layer approach allows us to achieve unprecedented levels of performance and usability.
Emerging Micro/Nano Technologies
- With a strong emphasis on experimentation and fabrication, the applications will span the areas of biomedical devices, nano-computing, nano-devices, energy, optical communications, sensors and actuators. Their dedicated team of visionary and exploratory researchers working together on multidisciplinary problems creates a unique advantage for the ECE; Students will be engaged in theory and practice, studying the core engineering curriculum, as well as courses in nano and micro technologies.
Energy Systems
- The generation, transmission, distribution and processing of electrical energy, including renewable and sustainable energy sources and their integration within the modern electrical grid and community. Using applications such as the protection and reliable operation of the grid, electromechanical actuators, electric propulsion, electrical power systems of vehicles, aircraft and ships, we aim to have students gain experience through theoretical and practical training, for the continued management of increased electrical load demand. Utilizing innovative research to minimize such demand and the future impact of increased demand, students will develop a focus on alternative energy sources, better grid management, and will learn project-and-problem based applications.
Optimization, Learning, Control
- We approach engineering and societal problems brought to our attention from industry or applied sectors by focusing on their mathematical underpinnings. We find that abstracting the problems to their core challenges is the first step to gaining the clarity needed to solve them. Bringing together insights, techniques, and expertise from optimization, statistics, learning, signal-processing and control, we develop theoretical frameworks and algorithmic solutions. We verify and apply our findings through partnerships with industry, healthcare and government.

Minors & Dual Degrees

Engineering students are able to complement their studies with 5 Minors available or a Dual Degree with Arts. Students interested in a minor can apply to their chosen option in their third year of study. A minor or dual degree will likely extend your degree past 4 years.

Co-op

Participation in the Engineering Co-op Education program gives students the opportunity to gain up to 20 months of paid relevant work experience during their degree. This experience provides an excellent opportunity for students to explore different industries, apply their studies to the working world, and create connections with future employers. The Co-op program will extend your four year degree to five years. Participation is optional and students apply to join Co-op in their second year of study.

International Experiences

Students can embark on an unforgettable experience abroad while earning credits towards their engineering studies. Opportunities include the Coordinated International Experience (CIE) exchange program and the Go Global exchange program. The CIE program is customized for Applied Science students and features 17 international partner institutions across 3 continents. All of the international experiences allow students to build an international network of peers, professors, and potential employers.

Explore Program Options

Spotlight
Why study computer engineering?

Computer engineering is the heart of technological innovation. If you’re interested in pushing what’s possible in virtually any industry – from health care to communication, transportation to energy generation, gaming to entertainment – computer engineering could be the way to do it.Computer engineers apply their wide-ranging expertise in areas that include electrical engineering, hardware, computer science and mathematics to solve an incredible array of problems. Using their problem-solving skills and an integrated approach, they design systems and develop solutions that are efficient, dependable, secure and safe. Computer engineeringWhat is computer engineering?Computer engineering is a discipline of engineering that focuses on building computer systems, which include both hardware as well as the software that runs on these systems.“At UBC, our computer engineering program takes a broad view of the entire system,” says Dr. Sathish Gopalakrishnan, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “We want our students to have a good understanding of the electrical engineering that allows us to build the hardware – like the microprocessors or circuit boards – and then to understand how to write the software that runs on these components.”Dr. Sathish Gopalakrishnan Many universities, like UBC, offer both computer science and computer engineering programs. There is some overlap, but they are distinct areas of study. Computer science tends to focus more on the theory and practice of what it means to compute. Computer engineering does some of that, but emphasizes system design and the integration of software and hardware design. “Understanding the interplay between hardware and software is very important,” says Dr. Gopalakrishnan. “Think of something like a smart watch. If you’re writing a program for it, your program will be much more efficient – and much less of a drain on the watch’s battery power – if you understand the hardware behind it. You might even come to the realization that specific tasks can be done through hardware design rather than software. A computer engineer will understand both dimensions.” What kind of work would I do as a computer engineer?Computer engineering is a vast field, encompassing everything from hardware development to cybersecurity and automation. You can take your career in many different directions depending on your specific interests. Some computer engineers design hardware, like microprocessors, CPUs, graphic processing units used for machine learning or other applications. Others work on the high-level architecture to translate that hardware design into the actual electronic circuits and determining how they are fabricated. Computer engineers are integrators, working at the interface of hardware and software. Dr. Gopalakrishnan cites the example of an autonomous car and all the integration between hardware components and software needed to make it work. New developments in hardware technology generate new requirements on the software side, and computer engineers are needed to translate their deep understanding of the underlying hardware when writing code for operating systems. Other computer engineers work in program and project management roles. This requires developing a strong understanding of users’ needs and then determining what’s possible to achieve, prioritizing features, and guiding teams of engineers and software developers to design and implement the solution. “I think computer engineers stand out in their versatility to work in many different areas and for their ability to be the integrators who are able to connect expertise,” says Dr. Gopalakrishnan. What broader industry trends are shaping the demand for computer engineers?Without doubt, artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming our world. As Dr. Gopalakrishnan says, “not only is the field of computer engineering advancing because of artificial intelligence but those technologies are influencing the field itself.”Tasks that software developers used to do are now being automated through machine learning tools. This is enabling computer engineers to be much more efficient and to complete complicated coding in significantly less time. Sustainability issues are also of growing importance. Although the environmental costs of computer technology are not as apparent as the environmental costs of other activities like mining or manufacturing, they are very much present. AI tools, for example, consume significant electricity and use large amounts of water to cool data centres. Computer engineers will be at the forefront of determining how to make these processes more efficient – and to make thoughtful decision about when it is appropriate to use these tools and to what extent.With our ever-greater reliance on technology – be that to manage energy systems or to launch a fleet of autonomous cars – issues of risk, safety and reliability are more important than ever. Computer engineers will continue to be in even more demand for their systems approach and deep understanding of computer systems and technology. What’s it like to study computer engineering at UBC?Computer engineering students gain a solid foundation in all aspects of the field through courses in electrical engineering, computer science and hardware systems. Electives enable students to dive deeper into specific areas of interest, whether that’s hardware design or software architecture, machine learning and artificial intelligence, quantum computing or network security. Computer Engineering at Okanagan CampusComputer Engineering at Vancouver Campus Many of the assignments are project-based. Dr. Gopalakrishnan, for example, teaches a third-year course where students work in teams to design and build an autonomous car, which enables them to integrate many of the things they are learning in second year into something.“This year, one team is developing a car that can be steered using a brain-computer interface,” he says. “It’s not fully autonomous, but the EEG band can be used to steer the car. Another team is trying to optimize the car’s speed while ensuring it is still safe. Another team is adding functionality so their car can communicate with other autonomous cars and make decisions.” This course, and others like it, give UBC students firsthand knowledge of how building better hardware can enable technological advances.Read about what some of our Alumni have to say: Many computer engineering students apply to co-op, and students are in high demand from top employers. This can be a great way to test out different career paths, gain experience and grow your processional network, all while still a student.Applied Science Co-opInterested?“I think a lot of people assume that computer engineers just write code,” says Dr. Gopalakrishnan. “But it’s so much more than that. Computer engineers bring a very deep understanding of systems building to their work, which enables them to be integrators and team leaders.” Explore computer engineering at UBC:Explore our programWatch a video about the computer engineering program at UBCTake a look at the final year capstone projects by filtering your search for “computer engineering”Read profiles of current computer engineering students and alumni by filtering your search for “computer engineering.” Apply for Student Design Teams Recent Capstone ProjectsStudent and Alumni Spotlights

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