Understand the scientific and engineering aspects of computers

Sandeep Jain 

Undeniably, both the aspects of computer science, both Scientific and Engineering, somehow interrelate with each other in various outlooks, but this can't prompt us to ignore the distinctive nature of the two disciplines.

Computer science came out as an independent field of study around the 1950s (or the early 1960s), and is now considered as a formation of various separated disciplines, majorly computer engineering and computer science domain. And, these two domains gave birth to this long-established debate of scientific and engineering aspects of computer science. In this article, we’ll discuss the several facets of computer science from scientific and engineering perspective to enable candidate to make an informed choice for their career:

What’s the Difference: Computer Science vs Computer Engineering?

Computer science concerns the study of computational theory and concepts such as data structures, algorithms, statistical models, operating system concepts, computer architecture, software engineering principles, and various others. Individuals in this discipline are majorly responsible for algorithms analysis, symbolic representation of data and instructions, protocols for data communication, and other related tasks.

On the other hand, computer engineering is the fusion of computer science and electrical engineering. Candidates of this discipline are majorly concerned with the development of computing systems whether it is for smartphones, laptops, or any other relevant device. They are more likely to spend most of their time in labs.

However, despite the work difference, computer science and engineering are somehow entirely dependent on each other and the end goal of both aspects is to come up with optimal solutions using computer devices.

Applications in the real world

To understand the application of computer science and engineering in the real world, open the search browser and look up for anything you want, play a game, listen to music, watch videos, etc. on your laptop or any other device, or you can do some online shopping or book a cab from anywhere. The key factor behind all these is computer science as well as computer engineering and respective concepts such as programming, networking, cyber security, etc.

Furthermore, the latest technologies like IoT, Blockchain, AI and ML, Cloud, etc. have widened the area of practical implementation of computer science and engineering discipline.

Computer science contribution to other disciplines

Both the aspects of computer science — Scientific and Engineering are correspondingly responsible and dependent on each other for any practical implementation or solution. If we look at the designing and construction of smartphones, the computer scientists are responsible for writing operating systems, data communication, networking, etc., whereas, computer engineers are responsible for designing and integration of chips and circuits, and other related tasks to construct together the required components for smooth functioning.

So, if we talk about contributions of computer science in other disciplines, then there are numerous domains which get advanced by computer science such as healthcare and medicine, environment, astronomy, music and art, human assistance, and various others.

How computer science benefits society?

From connecting with people from anywhere in the world, advancements in the healthcare sector to predicting natural disasters, computer science has indeed been very beneficial for society as it has made the lives of humans quite easy by offering optimal, satisfactory, and affordable solutions to real-world problems. And on top of that, computer science is leveraging the education sector (which is one of the crucial factors for the progress of society) with various advancements such as e-learning, ed-tech, etc. Considering the rapid evolution of this discipline, there is much more to come in the upcoming times as well that'll transform the world.

Career Prospects

The career scope and demand for both the disciplines i.e., computer science  and computer engineering are quite high. There are various job profiles that are available for a computer science  candidate, such as software developers, web developers, database administrators, etc, and if you are into computer engineering, then you can look for roles such as embedded software engineer, hardware engineer, electrical design engineer, and more.

Also, companies like Apple, Google, Dell, etc. hire candidates from both the disciplines, and offer a high-paying job for the skills required in these professions.

 — The writer is Founder, GeeksforGeeks

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