Master in COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Offered in English at Università di Pisa across two years, this master's programme belongs to computer engineering, a discipline that combines electronics and computer science to design and build computing hardware and the systems that depend on it. The field typically covers digital and analog electronics, computer architecture, embedded systems, and the integration of hardware and software, distinguishing it from computer science programmes that focus more heavily on software alone. Students commonly study topics such as microprocessor and system-on-chip design, signal processing, computer networks, and real-time and embedded systems, often alongside software engineering and programming coursework needed to build the systems that run on this hardware. Laboratory work is a significant part of computer engineering training, involving the design, testing, and debugging of physical circuits and embedded devices alongside the software that controls them. At the master's level, students often specialize further in areas such as Internet of Things systems, robotics, telecommunications hardware, or very-large-scale integration circuit design, depending on their interests and the structure of the curriculum. Graduates of computer engineering programmes find work designing hardware and embedded systems for consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, and industrial automation companies, as well as in telecommunications and semiconductor firms. Others move into roles bridging hardware and software, such as firmware engineering or systems integration, or into research and development positions working on emerging technologies like autonomous systems and connected devices. The combination of electronics and computing knowledge also supports careers in technical consulting and product development, wherever hardware and software must be designed together. As computing increasingly extends into physical devices and infrastructure, training that spans both domains remains a distinct and practically oriented specialization within engineering education.