Mercer University

BSE Computer Engineering

Design New Systems

The central focus of Mercer’s computer engineering major is the engineering design of systems which operate in real-time with computers embedded in the system as a component or controller. The embedded computer is often a single chip “microcontroller” or a custom-designed small computer which consists of a small number of chips.

Our computer engineering major teaches:

• Electronics fundamentals
• General engineering fundamentals
• Engineering design
• Computer system principles

Lead the Way

Computer engineering is a rapidly expanding field fueled by the progress in semiconductor chip size and speed. The amount of memory available on a single chip has quadrupled every 3 years for more than 2 decades. Processor and logic chips are not far behind in this growth pattern, and this has led to astonishing increases in the power of computers, especially at low costs.

As a consequence, computers are found embedded in the design of everything from household appliances to automobiles. The growth in chip capacity also leads to the ability to put a lot of software on just 1 or 2 chips, enabling these embedded, low-cost computers to run more complex software. That drives computer engineering programs like ours to include not only modern programmable chip-based hardware design but also modern software design methodology in anticipation of the implementation of more complex software on even cheaper systems.