Computer Engineering, M.S.

Get a Master's in Computer Engineering

Today’s ever-increasing digital society demands computer engineers who can research, design, implement, and manage every aspect of electrical systems and their components. This can include detailed knowledge of computer architecture, software, wireless communication, signal processing, electromagnetics, fiber optics, and physical electronics.

A master’s in computer engineering from Florida Tech provides the type of high-level engineering training that gives graduates the skills they need to enter the technical workforce. Businesses in every major industry from aerospace to communications to the medical industry, electronics and computing demand employees who are prepared for complex work environments where they can provide sound engineering solutions.

Flexible Curriculum

Graduates with a computer engineering degree develop in-depth technical expertise in electronics, as well as the needed expertise for their particular degree program. Florida Tech’s master’s in computer engineering is uniquely flexible, allowing students to design their degree to their specific interests. This could include such areas as semiconductor modeling, machine learning, wireless communication, computational electromagnetics, and more. This advanced technical proficiency not only prepares students to begin their career, but also to have a solid foundation prior to entering a doctoral program.

Graduates of Florida Tech with a master’s in computer engineering are prepared for the highly competitive technical workforce, skilled in a number of areas related to computing and electronics.

With a master’s degree, graduates have the expertise they need to begin their career in just about any industry including the aerospace, automotive, medical, railway, and nuclear industries, as well as non-electrical industries such as computers, communications, and energy. Florida Tech engineering and technical degree programs empower future leaders.

Experienced, Respected Faculty

Professors in the master’s in computer engineering program bring many years of experience in the field to the classroom, where they mentor students to succeed, encouraging them to develop new ideas. Small class sizes ensure personalized attention from professors who get to work one-on-one with students, mentoring them in classroom study and relevant, topical field research. Florida Tech’s program is built on its reputation of over 50 years of excellence in engineering education.

Curriculum That Transfers to the Workplace

As technological innovations continue to develop, employers demand employees with advanced expertise reflective of the issues currently facing their industry. Florida Tech consistently updates degree programs like the master’s in computer engineering to give students robust topical curriculum that reflects prevailing trends, theoretical applications and best practices in the industry.

High-Tech Research Facilities

Florida Tech is at heart a research university and provides students with the tools and facilities they need to conduct cutting-edge research in their preferred area of expertise. Florida Tech’s advanced research centers and laboratories are home to essential engineering equipment and software. Students earning a master’s in computer engineering also have access to the Wireless Center of Excellence (see below).

Florida Tech is home to a number of centers and institutes where faculty members and students work side-by-side conducting research. Students in the master’s in computer engineering program have access to laboratories related to signal processing, computational electromagnetics, wireless communication, and fiber-optics.

Desirable Location

The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us). While many students in the computer-engineering program are working professionals, Florida Tech’s proximity to more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations in the Florida High Tech Corridor—one of the largest high-tech workforces in the nation—makes Florida Tech an ideal choice for a master’s in computer engineering. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.

As a top-tier research institute, Florida Tech offers students opportunities for computer engineering internships and research. Pairing classroom learning with hands-on fieldwork engages students in modern topics facing the industry they have chosen for their career, preparing them for the type of work they will likely do when on the job. Having a chance to develop imaginative solutions to complex computer engineering issues motivates students to think creatively and further expand their knowledge of the industry.

Capstone Research Experience

In addition to computer engineering internships from any of the surrounding companies in the high-tech workforce of Melbourne, FL, the program also involves another hands-on learning approach through the capstone research experience. Graduate students in the master’s in computer engineering program pursue research topics that align with their career goals, and the capstone research experience gives students a chance to apply coursework knowledge and expand their learning beyond the classroom into the type of complex computer engineering challenges they will face in their career. Working independently or collaboratively with faculty or peers, graduate students choose a topic relevant to computer engineering to apply their knowledge and expand their expertise. Advanced research topics can include speech processing, machine learning, image processing, software systems, and wireless communication.

Get Published

Students are encouraged to submit articles for publication in respected industry journals such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. Submitting articles and attending conferences and workshops offer a deeper knowledge of the industry. Combined with computer engineering internships and research, students have a wide range of methods for expanding their knowledge outside of the classroom.

Wireless Center of Excellence (WICE)

Florida Tech boasts a wide range of cutting-edge research facilities and laboratories, including the Wireless Center of Excellence, dedicated to fostering the next generation of wireless engineering professionals through education and research. WICE provides the opportunity for students and faculty to conduct research in a variety of wireless-related topics, including propagation modeling, wireless systems engineering, personal communications systems, and wireless sensors.

When considering careers in computer engineering, graduates will quickly see the range and opportunity of jobs the industry provides. As a graduate of Florida Tech, students have the comprehensive technical expertise they need to be highly attractive to employers.

Many graduates begin a career immediately following a successful internship with one of the many technical companies in the local area. Companies such as Harris, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins, NASA, GE, and Leonardo DRS are just a few of the companies located here.

Florida Tech graduates are prepared for careers in computer engineering that include:

• Software engineer
• Hardware engineer
• Electrical engineer
• Computer architect
• Computer programmer
• Systems programmer
• Systems analyst
• Wireless communication engineer
• Mobile technology specialist
• Analog engineer
• Decision science consultant
• Analytics application developer

Careers in computer engineering can also include leadership roles on technical and development teams including management of computer engineering staff, supervising programmers and systems analysts, leading software engineers, and performing strategic planning and implementation. Graduates with a master’s in computer engineering will find career opportunities in a variety of industries that will offer positions in research, design, or management.

Career Outlook

The US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides information about a variety of computer engineering industry segments:

• Employment of electrical and electronics engineers is projected to grow 4% percent through 2022, with similar growth for electro-mechanical engineers, as these professionals continue to develop and apply emerging technology in new applications.
• Employment of computer hardware engineers is projected to grow 7% through 2022. Software engineers will experience higher growth, as high as 22%, as innovation happens more in software and application development than in computer hardware. As mobile and wireless technologies continue to explode, careers in computer engineering for graduates interested in software will be plentiful.
• Computer network architects will also experience generous growth of 15% through 2022, related to the expansion of corporate wireless and mobile networks.

Additional employment growth will also come from the demands of cyber security concerns, new technologies in online record keeping, cloud computing advances and changes in the systems and processes in the financial industry.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook provides information on careers in computer engineering as well as hundreds of other occupations, including entry-level education, overall working environment and employment prospects. Visit the website for more information.

Doctoral Program

Some graduates of Florida Tech with a master’s degree in computer engineering continue their research in our doctoral program. Not only will they advance their research, but this advanced technical proficiency can also lead to increased earning potential and job opportunities.