Computer engineers design computer systems, both hardware and software, to create new technologies and meet the ever-changing needs of society. The field of computer engineering covers a wide range of topics including computer architecture, operating systems, communications, computer networks, robotics, artificial intelligence, supercomputers, computer-aided design and neural nets. Whether designing and developing new products or improving manufacturing processes, computer engineers work at the frontier of technology.
Computer engineers understand how to design and make the hardware that helps our newest “intelligent” tools and machines — and houses and cars – get smarter, smaller, cheaper, faster and safer. Students who enroll as Computer Engineering majors at UK study at Kentucky’s flagship research institution, meaning you’ll be learning from top faculty looking to make the next big breakthrough in their field. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty are readily accessible both inside and outside the classroom and students have every opportunity necessary to grow personally and professionally.
Courses cover all the essentials: circuits, software, semiconductors, embedded systems, computer architecture and others. The undergraduate degree culminates in the capstone design courses where seniors work in teams to handle real-world problems outside the classroom and get a taste of real world engineering work. Undergraduate certificates are also available in power and energy as well as nanoscale engineering.
Industries Looking for You
"Computer engineering stood out to me because of the blend of physical and abstract design."
2019 Computer Engineering Graduate
Fall 2023 first-time freshmen: Automatic admission to the College of Engineering will be based on meeting the below requirements. However, if you cannot take or choose not to submit ACT or SAT scores with your admission application, a holistic review will be used to determine your admission to the engineering program.
Students may directly enroll as pre-engineering students; however, there are minimum admission requirements. Minimum freshman entry requirements are an ACT math score of 25 or higher (or a SAT math score of 590 or higher) and a 3.0 or higher unweighted high school GPA. Additionally, students must also meet the minimum Kentucky statewide academic readiness requirements for reading and writing. If you do not meet the initial admission requirements, please contact visit@engr.uky.edu for information about alternative routes to admission to the College of Engineering.
Admission requirements for transfer students can be accessed here.
The smartest, most talented engineers around the world are devoting themselves to tackling immense global challenges. As a First-Year Engineering (FYE) student, you get to join them!
In 2008, the National Academy of Engineering identified 14 “Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century”—opportunities to greatly increase humanity’s sustainability, health, security and joy of living. Themes include making solar energy economical, enhancing virtual reality, reverse-engineering the brain, securing cyberspace, providing access to clean water and more.
These ambitious goals demand engineers roll up their sleeves and get to work, which is why we put them front and center during your first year as an engineering student. We have designed the FYE program to inspire you. We want you to discover your passion. We want you to explore where you might make your unique contribution. We want you to get your hands dirty and make stuff that might, one day, lead to a breakthrough.
Why wait until you’re taking upper-level classes to figure out what interests you? Through real engineering classes taught by top faculty and exposure to engineering’s greatest challenges, the FYE program gets you into the game from day one.
In addition to fulfilling UK Core and College of Engineering requirements, students must complete the Computer Engineering curriculum. The following curriculum meets the requirements for the B.S. degree.
Growth and learning also happen outside the classroom. It happens in labs working alongside professors and graduate students. It happens on student design teams in the capstone design courses. It happens on cooperative education rotations and internships with companies all over the country. It happens by competing in student robot competitions. There are also numerous education abroad programs. The Engineering Career and Co-op Center can assist you with developing job, co-op and internship search skills, participation in education abroad programs, participation in research endeavors and building career networks so you can secure a rewarding career in your chosen field of study.
Learning also happens in student organizations, on field trips and on community service projects. UK students can get involved with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, the Society of Women Engineers, Engineers Without Borders, and others.
While there are endless ways to create an unforgettable journey as a Wildcat, we can only think of one that gives you the chance to step outside the classroom and into exploring new parts of the world around you: participating in an Education Abroad opportunity! Whether it’s in a study, research, service, or internship program, taking your UK experience international with EA is the most hands-on way for you to expand your global perspective while making yourself a more well-rounded, marketable candidate to future employers no matter your field. As you take these first steps towards investing in your future, EA encourages you to take advantage of all the opportunities UK has to offer. Take a look at some of the many suggested opportunities UK Education Abroad & Exchanges has to complement your major! #ukyabroad
View Major Advising Page
Computer engineers understand how to design and make the hardware that helps our newest intelligent tools, machines, houses and cars get smarter, smaller, cheaper, faster and safer. Computer engineers work in a variety of industries: film and television, aerospace, automotive, business machines, professional and scientific equipment, computers and electronics, communications and medical technology to name a few. They work in public utilities, for NASA, at the National Institutes of Health, at the Department of Defense, for consumer electronics companies, and much, much more As researchers, they study everything from fuel cells to nanotechnology.
Computer hardware engineers research, design, develop, and test computer systems and components.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | Click the link for more info.
Median Salary
$128,170
per year in 2021
Number of Jobs
76,900
in 2021
10 Year Job Outlook
3,700
new jobs (average)
Computer hardware engineers usually work in research laboratories that build and test various types of computer models. Most work in computer systems design services and in manufacturing.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Read MoreComputer network architects design and build data communication networks, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and Intranets.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | Click the link for more info.
Median Salary
$120,520
per year in 2021
Number of Jobs
174,800
in 2021
10 Year Job Outlook
7,500
new jobs (average)
Most computer network architects work full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Read More
College of Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
453 F. Paul Anderson Tower
Lexington, KY 40506-0046
(859) 257-8042
