Engineering Can an electrical engineer be a software engineer and vice versa?

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Differences in training between electrical engineers (EEs) and software engineers (SEs) suggest that transitioning from EE to SE is more common than the reverse. While both fields share the title "engineer," their roles are not interchangeable, and additional specialized training is often necessary for such transitions. Students are encouraged to pursue a degree in electrical engineering with a focus on software, as this approach provides a solid foundation in programming while enhancing understanding of hardware. Additionally, firmware development, typically associated with low-level software on devices like FPGAs, is predominantly handled by EEs, highlighting the unique skill sets within each discipline.
Minhtran1092
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Or are differences in how one engineer is trained such that you either become one or the other but not both?
 
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It's probably easier for an EE to become a SE rather than the other way around. In any event, additional special training will be required. In general, just because the professional title includes the word 'engineer' does not mean that the various jobs are interchangeable.
 
I know personally a good number of people who transitioned from EE to software. I don't know of a single person who did the opposite.

A good middle ground if you're a student is to study EE and focus on software within the degree. You won't get as many advanced CS courses but you'll be a competent programmer with perhaps a better feel for how the hardware works.

One other thing, firmware (low-level 'software' typically running on an FPGA or the like) is almost always written by EEs in my experience. That's interesting stuff, I've had to do a bit of it myself (I'm an EE).
 

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