»Engineering Career Pathways

Engineering degrees are versatile. They give you the option to choose from dozens of career pathways, and pursue your interests. But what you want to do as an engineer — and how to get there — may not always be clear.

On this page, you’ll find a breakdown of some of the most common engineering degrees (all of which we offer as undergraduate engineering programs here at Chapman). Underneath each degree is:

• A description of the degree and how it’s different from other engineering degrees.
• Skills you will use in the field for each degree.
• Career pathways you can pursue with each degree.
• Other tips and details you might want to know as an aspiring engineer.

Computer Engineering

Computer engineering combines principles of electrical engineering and computer science. It’s a broad field with opportunities to work with hardware and software. Computer engineering is similar to software engineering. But unlike software engineers, computer engineers also focus on hardware design. If you're interested in building computers and designing electronics, computer engineering might be a good fit for you.

Jobs in the field often have to do with the integration of hardware and software. Embedded systems engineering is a good example. Embedded systems engineers might design PCBs or ICs, for example, while also developing software or firmware for the system.

Computer engineers also get to work with new and emerging technologies. They make innovations in all tech fields, from consumer electronics to enterprise technology to medical devices to robotics — and much more.

Computer engineering skills:

• Embedded systems: Computer engineers design and manage devices that have a dedicated function within a larger system.
• Digital logic: Computer engineers create computing hardware to carry about specific computational goals.
• Hardware-software integration: Computer engineers ensure that hardware and software components work seamlessly together.

Computer engineering roles:

• Embedded systems engineer.
• Real-time software engineer.
• Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designer.
• Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designer.
• Hardware test engineer.
• Systems integration specialist.
• Communications system engineer.
• Computer systems engineer.

Computer Science

Computer scientists plan, develop, test and apply software and hardware across many industries and settings. If you’re interested in software development, cybersecurity or bioinformatics, a computer science degree may be a good decision for you.

At the same time, computer scientists also look at the big picture. Enterprise network engineers develop and deploy large-scale networks (such as SD-WANs) for businesses. AI engineers leverage machine learning and big data for automation.

Computer scientists can also go into academia. Academics in the field study topics such as software theory and information theory. They conduct academic research, write papers and attend conferences.

Computer science skills:

• Algorithms and programming: Computer scientists build step-by-step procedures for calculations, data processing and automated reasoning.
• Theoretical foundations: Computer scientists have a stong foundation in computation theory, complexity theory and information theory.
• Software and hardware interaction: Computer scientists understand how software and hardware work together to perform computing tasks, at the level of the operating system and above.

Computer science roles:

• Academic researcher.
• Artificial intelligence engineer.
• Database manager.
• Network architect/engineer.
• Security specialist.
• Software developer.
• Systems analyst.
• Technical writer.
• Video game developer.

Data science

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “[d]ata scientists use analytical tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data.”

At Chapman, our Data Science program combines an engineering foundation with a business curriculum. Students learn to combine their expertise in data with business administration techniques. This reflects the career pathways data science students can pursue once they graduate.

Data scientists often work at tech companies or in government. But they can also work in many other industries. Education, government, healthcare and urban planning are just a few examples. Their role is to analyze large amounts of data to guide business decisions or solve tech problems. They use data models to optimize processes, build AI tools and more.

Data science skills:

• Big data analysis: Data scientists use various techniques and tools to analyze large data sets.
• Machine learning: Data scientists implement algorithms and statistical models that enable computers to perform tasks without explicit instructions.
• Statistical methods: Data scientists must understand principles and procedures for collecting, summarizing and analyzing data to make informed decisions.

Data science roles:

• Business analyst.
• Data engineer.
• Data scientist.
• Risk manager.
• Systems analyst.
• Machine Learning/AI Engineer.
• ML Ops.
• AI Ops.

Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineers build and design electronic devices. They also develop electrical equipment and electrical systems, such as transportation or communication networks.

Almost all modern industries run on these devices and systems. This means that electrical engineers can work in a wide range of fields. A few examples include the aerospace industry, consumer electronics/appliances, healthcare/medicine, telecommunications, transportation, unmanned vehicles/tech, utilities and more.

The day-to-day of an electrical engineer depends on the industry they work in. It also depends on the products they work with. Some might design circuits or embedded systems. Others might work in signal processing for communication networks. Others might design industrial control systems for manufacturing — and much more.

Electrical engineering skills:

• Circuit theory: Electrical engineers understand how electrical circuits function, including the principles of Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's laws.
• Signal processing: Electrical engineers analyze, modify and synthesize signals for sound, images, and scientific measurements.
• Electromagnetics: Electrical engineers work with electric and magnetic fields and their interactions, crucial for understanding wave propagation, antennas and microwave technologies.
• Microelectronics: Electrical engineers design and construction microscale electronic components, focusing on semiconductor devices and integrated circuits.

Electrical engineering roles:

• Biomedical device engineer.
• Controls systems engineer.
• Digital signal processing algorithm specialist.
• Dynamics and controls engineer.
• Electronics engineer.
• Power systems engineer.
• Space systems engineer.

Software Engineering

Like the name suggests, software engineers work mainly with software. The career pathways open to them reflect that strong software focus. Software engineers can develop and design systems-level software, for example. They can also specialize in computer/mobile/web apps, or go into video game development. The field is a good fit for those who enjoy writing software or games, and are interested in emerging trends and technologies.

On the job, software engineers need to have strong knowledge of programming languages and software development pipelines. Nearly every industry needs software, so software engineers have plenty of options to specialize in their own area of interest.

Software engineering skills:

• Software development life cycle (SDLC): Software engineers, create, test and deploy software.
• Quality assurance: Software engineers ensure that software meets specified standards and requirements before deployment.
• System architecture: Sofwtare engineers work with system architecture for a variety of systems.

Software engineering roles:

• Software engineer.
• Embedded software engineer.
• Software developer.
• Applications developer.
• Systems developer.
• Systems analyst.
• Data scientist.
• Data engineer.
• Web developer.
• Web designer.
• Cyber security analyst.
• Game developer.