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Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
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2026-2027

Computer Engineering

College of Engineering

 
Program description

Computer engineers are responsible for developing the powerful computer systems that have become a part of our everyday life. Applications for computer engineering span the spectrum from high-performance, general-purpose computing systems such as desktop workstations used in all facets of business, to small microprocessors embedded in larger systems and functioning as controllers. These latter applications, known as embedded systems, can be found in control systems for trains, aircraft and automobiles; medical equipment; telecommunications systems; and consumer electronics and appliances. This explosive growth of computer systems in use in almost every new appliance or vehicle has resulted in a strong demand for engineers trained in the development of these systems, and all indications are that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.

Career opportunities

Computer engineers (or computer hardware engineers) research, design, develop, test, and oversee the manufacture and installation of computer hardware, including computer chips, circuit boards, computer systems, and related equipment such as keyboards, routers, and printers.


This field should not be confused with computer software engineers, who design and develop the software systems that control computers. The work of computer hardware engineers is similar to that of electrical engineers in that they may design and test circuits and other electronic components; however, computer hardware engineers do that work only as it relates to computers and computer-related equipment. They work on the design, planning, development, testing, and even the supervision of manufacturing of computer hardware -- including everything from chips to device controllers. They also focus on computer networks for the transmission of data and multimedia. The work of a computer engineer is grounded in the hardware -- from circuits to architecture -- but also focuses on operating systems and software. Computer engineers must understand logic design, microprocessor system design, computer architecture, computer interfacing, and continually focus on system requirements and design.

Change of major requirements

VCU GPA of 3.0 or greater, with a minimum of 12 VCU credit hours earned. Completion, with grades of B or higher, of MATH 200, MATH 201, and any of PHYS 207, EGRE 101, or ENGR 101. If attempted, MATH 200, MATH 201, MATH 211, MATH 301, MATH 307, PHYS 207, PHYS 208, CHEM 101, and/or CHEM 102 must be completed with a 3.0+ GPA. All attempted engineering and computer science courses must be 3.0 or greater.


The historical repeat course option does not apply to these averages.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Computer engineer
  • Computer network architects
  • Computer systems engineer
  • Controls engineer
  • Hardware design engineer
  • Mechatronics engineer
  • Microsystems engineer
  • Network engineer
  • Product engineer
  • Test engineer
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • College Professor
  • Lead Research Scientist
  • Research & Development Engineer
  • Senior Embedded Software Engineer
  • System Architect
Professional associations and resources
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 307
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
Additional tuition/fees
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 3.0+ cumulative GPA to declare
Transfer Maps

Contact information

Department name:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Building/room location:
601 West Main Street, Room 203
Phone:
(804) 828-0181
Email:
electricalengr@vcu.edu
https://egr.vcu.edu/departments/electrical/
Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):
Monroe Park
Major map compass icon
Major map

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future.
  • Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
  • Connect with the Student Alumni Council to connect to VCU alumni.
  • Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Schedule an appointment with your major advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Continue progression in engineering and mathematics coursework.
  • Learn about double-majors or minors that pair easily with your major.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty.
  • Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty and apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
  • Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit.
  • Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities.
  • Get to know other VCU students and meet new friends from all over the world at a monthly Global Café.
  • Consider working for the College of Engineering as a tutor in your strongest subjects.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Build a professional resume and upload it to Handshake.
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Consider taking ENGR 395 Professional Development: gain key skills for finding internships, co-op’s, or research opportunities.
  • Apply for internships, co-ops, & VIP Teams.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Meet with a coach at the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Consider attending a regional or national career fair like BEYA, SWE, SHPE, NSBE, or oSTEM to gain exposure to more industry employers.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Meet with your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Begin selecting Technical Electives, being aware of the prerequisites to fourth-year Technical Electives.
  • In consultation with your advisor, identify which third-year courses are prereqs for the 3 capstones for CPE.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Attend civic meetings, such as school board, neighborhood association, city council, or state legislative sessions.
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Design a community-engaged research project.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office to explore post-graduate scholarship and fellowship opportunities.
  • Motivate your peers by presenting at Leaders Unleashed: Student Leadership Conference or at TEDxVCU.
  • Practice professional communication and interpersonal skills that embrace cultural differences.
  • Update your engineering resume to include how you have developed your communication and interpersonal skills for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
  • Work as a tutor in your strongest subjects.
  • Joining VINE or another in-major mentoring network.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through Big Interview or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services or the Writing Center.
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Talk to advisors, faculty, and Engineering Career Services about graduate school versus a job.

Excel
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Apply to graduate for your undergraduate degree.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Declare any possible outstanding minors for which you may already have credit like math, physics, or computer science.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about internationalization in your field.
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
  • Volunteer at an organization devoted to the arts, environment, education, or policy.
  • Work as a tutor in your strongest subjects.
  • Visit the Museum District’s many offerings, such as the VMFA and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, or AmeriCorps.
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Present your research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) or another discipline-specific conference.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Fill out VCU’s First Destination Survey.
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2026-2027

Computer Engineering

College of Engineering

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future.
  • Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
  • Connect with the Student Alumni Council to connect to VCU alumni.
  • Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
Experience Year 2
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Schedule an appointment with your major advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Continue progression in engineering and mathematics coursework.
  • Learn about double-majors or minors that pair easily with your major.
  • Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty.
  • Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty and apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
  • Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit.
  • Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities.
  • Get to know other VCU students and meet new friends from all over the world at a monthly Global Café.
  • Consider working for the College of Engineering as a tutor in your strongest subjects.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Build a professional resume and upload it to Handshake.
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Consider taking ENGR 395 Professional Development: gain key skills for finding internships, co-op’s, or research opportunities.
  • Apply for internships, co-ops, & VIP Teams.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Meet with a coach at the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Consider attending a regional or national career fair like BEYA, SWE, SHPE, NSBE, or oSTEM to gain exposure to more industry employers.
Year 3
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Meet with your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Begin selecting Technical Electives, being aware of the prerequisites to fourth-year Technical Electives.
  • In consultation with your advisor, identify which third-year courses are prereqs for the 3 capstones for CPE.
  • Attend civic meetings, such as school board, neighborhood association, city council, or state legislative sessions.
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Design a community-engaged research project.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office to explore post-graduate scholarship and fellowship opportunities.
  • Motivate your peers by presenting at Leaders Unleashed: Student Leadership Conference or at TEDxVCU.
  • Practice professional communication and interpersonal skills that embrace cultural differences.
  • Update your engineering resume to include how you have developed your communication and interpersonal skills for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
  • Work as a tutor in your strongest subjects.
  • Joining VINE or another in-major mentoring network.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through Big Interview or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services or the Writing Center.
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Talk to advisors, faculty, and Engineering Career Services about graduate school versus a job.
Excel Year 4
  • Apply to graduate for your undergraduate degree.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Declare any possible outstanding minors for which you may already have credit like math, physics, or computer science.
  • Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about internationalization in your field.
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
  • Volunteer at an organization devoted to the arts, environment, education, or policy.
  • Work as a tutor in your strongest subjects.
  • Visit the Museum District’s many offerings, such as the VMFA and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
  • Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, or AmeriCorps.
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Present your research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) or another discipline-specific conference.
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Fill out VCU’s First Destination Survey.
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.