College of Science & Engineering
Engineering is about building propulsion systems that send people to Mars, making zero-emission cars that run on electricity, creating a medical device that removes a blood clot in a beating heart, establishing a super-cold storage system to store vaccines, constructing structures and transportation systems that are safe and eco-friendly, and coming up with the next ubiquitous, low-power-consumption communications system that connects humans across the world at low cost.
Some highlights:
- CompE (Computer Engineering) develops strong theoretical foundation and hands on training in both the hardware and software aspects of computer systems and their applications.
- CompE faculty are first-rate teacher-scholars from top PhD programs with outstanding research activities and achievements and industry experiences.
- CompE students can directly work with faculty members on cutting-edge research.
- CompE program features SF State Scholars program which students can earn BS and MS in 5 years.
- CompE students have been very successful in winning awards in research competitions such as the Annual CSU Student Research Competitions (e.g. 1st place awards in 2020 and 2018).
- Engineering students have strong peer and community support from over 10 engineering student organizations such as the student chapters of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
- CompE Alums work for Intel, Microsoft, Western Digital, Qualcomm, and many other public and private companies locally and internationally.
- CompE Alums are accepted into first-rate graduate programs such as UCs, Stanford, Virginia Tech, and numerous other institutions worldwide.
- CompE students can pursue a MS degree in Engineering with concentration in Embedded Electrical and Computer Systems (EECS) at SF State.
Access the list of the major requirements to better understand the structure of the major.
The roadmap puts all of your graduation requirements into an easy-to-follow semester-by-semester plan so you know what to take to stay on track. Whether you are a freshman or a transfer student, you'll be able to find a roadmap that best fits you.
Besides your major requirements, students must complete their GE and University requirements. Be sure to make sure you've completed all of these requirements for graduation.
To learn more about this major, check out the major department’s website below. You can also find out how you can access their faculty advisors who can assist you not just with course choices, but also answer questions about the field and discuss your career plans.
School of Engineering
Hensil Hall Building, Room 807B
Phone: (415) 338-1228
Email: engrasst@sfsu.edu
Website: https://engineering.sfsu.edu/, https://engineering.sfsu.edu/computer-engineeringStudent Services Coordinator: Raul Contreras III
Freshmen Student Advising Information
After choosing “Basic Subjects” GE courses in Steps 1-3 of your Orientation process (if you haven’t done so, log onto your Orientation Profile page to follow the “Pre-Orientation Advising Module”), STEP 4 Choosing Major Classes will show you if there are any classes you can take to satisfy major requirements for your first and/or second semester.
Once you have determined your Roadmap above, review the first section below and write down any course recommendations based on your corresponding major roadmap on your Freshmen Class Planner worksheet.
First Semester Course Recommendations
For all Roadmaps
|
Major Class & Title |
Units |
Other Requirement Area(s) Met |
|
ENGR 100 - Introduction to Engineering |
1 unit |
Major Core |
|
ENGR 121 - Gateway to Computer Engineering |
1 unit |
Major Core |
|
ENGR 212 - Introduction to Unix and Linux for Engineers |
2 units |
Major Core |
|
MATH 226 - Calculus I#1, #2, #3 |
4 units 3 units 4 units |
Major Core Prerequisite for MATH 226 Prerequisite for MATH 226 |
|
If there are any course(s) listed above, please write each class into the space provided in “Step 4” of your Freshmen Class Planner. |
Advisor Footnotes:
- #1AP Calculus AB or AB subscore of 4 or 5 (but not 3) satisfies Math 226 requirement (4 units)
- #2Prerequisite for MATH 226 is high school pre-calculus with “B” or better, or high school calculus with a grade of “C” or better; or a college-level pre-calculus course with a “C” or better (i.e. MATH 198 or MATH 199)
- #3Take the First-Year Math Advising Exercise before choosing this course
- Mandatory Department Advising applies every semester with the Engineering Department (moved to its own section)
- Click here for Major Worksheet (moved to its own section)
If any of the class(es) above ends up being FULL by the time you register, consider choosing more General Education courses to build up your schedule
- There are no other alternate courses for this major
- If more units are needed, consider General Education courses from the areas suggested in the "GE Area Recommendations" section below
Once you have made your course choices for Steps 1-4, you may already have between 12-15 units chosen for your first semester—about 4 to 5 classes.
If more units are needed, you will proceed to "Step 5 - Choosing GE Courses" from your Orientation Advising Module after considering the following recommendations...
|
GE Area |
Advisor Notes |
|
A1 Oral Communication |
Covered in “Step 3” on the Freshmen Class Planner |
|
A2 Written English Communication |
Covered in “Step 1” on the Freshmen Class Planner |
|
A3 Critical Thinking |
Covered in “Step 3” on the Freshmen Class Planner |
|
B1 Physical Science |
Met within major core courses |
|
B2 Life Science |
Choose any |
|
B3 Laboratory Science |
Met within major core courses |
|
B4 Quantitative Reasoning |
Covered in “Step 2” on the Freshmen Class Planner |
|
C1 Arts |
Choose any |
|
C2 Humanities |
Choose any#1 |
|
D Social Sciences |
Choose any#1 |
|
D US History |
Choose any#1 |
|
E Lifelong Learning & Self-Development (LLD) |
Covered in “Step 1” on the Freshmen Class Planner |
|
F Ethnic Studies |
Choose any#1 |
|
US/CA Government |
Choose any |
Advisor Footnotes:
- #1 Metro Academy students—these areas may be covered in your Metro Ed Plan
Second Semester Course Recommendations
If MATH 226 is completed in the first semester…
|
Major Class & Title |
Units |
Other Requirement Area(s) Met |
|
CHEM 115 – General Chemistry I: Essential Concepts of Chemistry OR#1 CHEM 180 - Chemistry for Energy and the Environment |
5 units
3 units |
Not GE
GE: Area B1 & B3 |
|
ENGR 213 – Introduction to C Programming for Engineers |
3 units |
Major Core |
|
MATH 227 - Calculus II |
4 units |
Major Core |
|
PHYS 220 - General Physics with Calculus I#2 & PHYS 222 - and General Physics with Calculus I Laboratory#2 |
4 units |
Major Core |
If MATH 226 is NOT completed in the first semester…
|
Major Class & Title |
Units |
Other Requirement Area(s) Met |
|
CHEM 115 – General Chemistry I: Essential Concepts of Chemistry OR#1 CHEM 180 - Chemistry for Energy and the Environment |
5 units
3 units |
Not GE
GE: Area B1 & B3 |
|
MATH 198 – Prelude to Calculus II#3 |
4 units |
Prerequisite for MATH 226 Major Core Course |
Advisor Footnotes:
- #1 Most Engineering students take CHEM 180 instead of CHEM 115
- #2 Take both Physics Lab and Lecture at the same time
- #3 Prerequisite for MATH 198 is MATH 197 with a “C” or better
- #4 AP Calculus AB (or AB subscore), or BC score of 4 or 5 (but not 3) satisfies Math 226 requirement (4 units)
- #5 Prerequisite for MATH 226 is high school pre-calculus with “B” or better, high school calculus with a grade of “C” or better; or a college-level pre-calculus course with a “C” or better (i.e. MATH 198 or MATH 199)
If any of the class(es) above ends up being FULL by the time your register, consider choosing more General Education courses to build up your schedule
| AP exam (score 4 or 5) | Course Equivalencies |
|---|---|
| Calculus AB (or subscore) or BC | Math 226 (4 units) |
| Physics C: Mechanics | PHYS 220 and 222 (4 units) |
Engineering has mandatory advising every semester during the advising weeks in November in the Fall semester & in April in the Spring Semester.
Some career fields are:
- Computer hardware engineers
- Embedded systems engineers
- Robotics engineers
- Controls system engineers
- Software engineers
Transfer Student Advising Information
Please see the box above labeled “Major Curriculum/Roadmaps & GE/University Requirements” for information on what courses to take in your first semester at SF State. View our Frequently Asked Questions for Transfers for helpful tips and additional information.