To become a computer hardware engineer, you need to at least have a bachelor's degree from a college or university. And to get into a college engineering school, you should have successfully completed advanced courses in math, physics and chemistry in high school. Calculus is required, and is a primary component of the math used in engineering school. If you enjoy math, chemistry and physics, then engineering may be a good fit for you.
A bachelor's degree in electrical or electronics degree is required to become a computer hardware engineer. The relevant courses in the engineering program include semiconductor physics, Verilog and circuit design.
Many computer hardware engineers have master's and doctorate degrees in engineering. There are many areas of specialization, including RFIC design, VLSI design, semiconductor physics, MMICs and CAD design.
Even with the proper university training, often there is a gap between the skills learned in school and what is required in industry to do hardware design. Some universities or companies offer intensive training sessions to get graduates up to speed to be able to work in the industry. Focused courses include layout, simulation, schematic capture, Verilog, RFIC design and switched-capacitor design.
There are many software tools that are required to design electronic components such as computer chips and printed circuit boards. The companies that make the software tools have education services where you can learn how to use the software, which is often quite complicated and requires specialized training. CAD (computer-aided design) tool training is usually paid for by the company that you work for. But many EDA (electronic design automation) vendors, such as Mentor Graphics, provide free training for people who are unemployed or who are students.