Computer Engineering

Computer engineering sits where hardware and software meet. It is about designing systems that are fast, reliable and efficient, from embedded devices and processors to large-scale computing systems. Industries need engineers who understand how software interacts with physical hardware and how design decisions impact performance, power and reliability.

At Colorado School of Mines, the Computer Engineering minor offered through the Computer Science Department is taught with a practical, engineering focused mindset and helps you build an integrated perspective. You’ll learn how computing systems work from the ground up and how to design solutions that balance constraints across hardware and software.

This minor strengthens your bachelor’s degree by adding systems-level thinking and practical computing knowledge. It signals to employers that you can work across technical boundaries and contribute to the design and implementation of complex engineering systems.

Program Overview

The Computer Engineering minor bridges software and hardware to give you a deeper understanding of how modern computer systems are designed. You’ll explore programming fundamentals, data organization and algorithmic thinking, while also gaining hands-on experience with digital systems, circuits and embedded devices. The minor emphasizes how software interacts with hardware and how design decisions at each layer influence overall system performance.

At Mines, computing education is applied, rigorous and grounded in engineering reality. The coursework emphasizes problem solving and applied understanding while you learn how computers are structured internally and how operating systems manage resources. Because Mines is an applied science and engineering university, the minor prepares you to work with real constraints such as timing, memory, and power.

When you graduate with a minor, you add systems level thinking, stronger technical versatility and a deeper understanding of computing infrastructure to your bachelor’s degree.

Program Options

The Computer Engineering minor is offered through the Department of Computer Science.

• To earn a minor, students must take at least 18 credits.
• Courses for the minor focus on programming, data structures, operating systems and digital logic.