Show Menu
Cheatography

What is the difference between CS, CIS,CE, and SE? Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

What is the difference between Computer Science, Computer Information Systems,Computer Engineering, and Software Engineering?

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Computer Science

Computer Science: What is a computer? (What can a computer do?)
focuses on unders­tan­ding, designing, and developing programs and computers. At its core, Computer Science concen­trates on data, data transf­orm­ation, and algori­thms. Advanced courses present specia­lized progra­mming techniques and specific applic­ation domains. The CS program is less structured than the CE and SE programs, giving students more flexib­ility to build depth or breadth in a variety of applic­ation domains or in the fundam­entals of Computer Science.
 

Computer Inform­ation Systems

What can the computer tell us about this data?
deals with building and mainta­ining software systems. It is more softwa­re-­ori­ented and has a greater emphasis on large software applic­ations than Computer Engine­ering. It is more applied than Computer Science, placing greater emphasis on the entire software develo­pment process, from idea to final product. It is also more discip­lined than Computer Science, applying more systematic practices to help ensure that products are reliable and safe.
 

Computer Engine­ering

Computer Engine­ering: How can we build a computer?
deals with designing, develo­ping, and operating computer systems. At its core, Computer Engine­ering concen­trates on digital hardware devices and computers, and the software that controls them. Advanced courses focus on standard designs and techniques for specific applic­ation domains. In contrast to CS and SE, Computer Engine­ering emphasizes solving problems in digital hardware and at the hardwa­re-­sof­tware interface.
 

Software Engine­ering

What problems can we solve with the computer?
deals with building and mainta­ining software systems. It is more softwa­re-­ori­ented and has a greater emphasis on large software applic­ations than Computer Engine­ering. It is more applied than Computer Science, placing greater emphasis on the entire software develo­pment process, from idea to final product. It is also more discip­lined than Computer Science, applying more systematic practices to help ensure that products are reliable and safe.