HELP! Homeschooler...Need ideas for a Computer Engineering Degree

[davewill]

Hello!

My son is 16 and we home school.  He is not very motivated in general...doesn't really know what he wants to do... but has shown interest recently in engineering (programming code that tells electrical components what to do).  

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Thanks so much! 

I work in this field, called "embedded software" which basically means instead of writing software for people to use on a general purpose computer, you're writing software to control devices. Everything from your microwave oven, to the entertainment system in your car, to the radar and avionics in aircraft require embedded software to work.

There are three main degrees people who work in this field have:

Electrical Engineering: You study electrical circuits and learn to design everything from the electrical service for large building or the design of computer circuit boards, or even semiconductor design. It's a "hardware" degree rather than a "software" degree although a EE will also learn enough programming to write software, especially for directly controlling hardware. A significant number of embedded software engineers have this degree.

Computer Science: You study the science of writing computer programs. This includes algorithms, computer architecture, computer languages, systems analysis, etc... I'd say most embedded software engineers will have this degree.

Computer Engineering: This degree integrates parts of both of the above. It would be a solid choice for someone who wanted to enter embedded software, although it's less common simply because it isn't offered as widely.

The general ed credits for all three (I'm speaking generally) are going to be much the same. Math through Calculus (how much calculus varies), Linear Algebra, or Discrete Math. He'll also need science with labs for most schools. Personally, I wouldn't tie a 16 yo down to the Big3 for this field. I would instead try to get real college credits from a community college. I would have him aim at getting good grades, applying to a good school, and trying to score a good aid and scholarship package. WGU and the Big3 will always be there, but a degree from a decent engineering program will make a significant difference.

In the meantime, in the name of developing his interest further, I'd suggest he start experimenting and teaching himself a bit. The Arduino Starter Kit is a cheap and simple way to get his feet wet in both hardware and software. It comes with a how to book of interesting projects. 

https://store.arduino.cc/usa/arduino-starter-kit