Choosing Electrical Engineering Concentration

[renji]

hey all,

i am new to the forum and i have a question. i tried the search and got no results. my question is about the choices of concentration in Electrical Eng. at the university i will be attending next summer.

we have two choices to specialize in- Micro and Nano Devices and Systems or Networks and Communication Systems.

which do any of you EE's out there suggest has more job opportunities now or in the future? I read communications was the most complicated for EE's, but also the most sought after.

any info would help,

thanks

i also just noticed i posted this in the wrong electrical forum, SORRY.

 

[Jiggalolo]

I don't think it really matters since most everything a practicing Electrical Engineer learns is OTJ (on the job) anyways. When I was in school, I concentrated on both the Nano Devices & Communications background (Power discipline was not offered at University of California schools). However after graduation, my first job dealt with Power as most of the lucrative jobs are in Power Engineering. Three years later, I am still working in the Power industry. I think the courses I took in Nano Devices & Communications really helped me a lot in the Power industry. But if you plan to continue your education to get an MS or PHD, I'd suggest you pick one and stick with it. Also make sure you enjoy the subject as I did while in school. Hope this helps.

 

[SparksFlyingPE]

I don't think it really matters since most everything a practicing Electrical Engineer learns is OTJ (on the job) anyways. When I was in school, I concentrated on both the Nano Devices & Communications background (Power discipline was not offered at University of California schools). However after graduation, my first job dealt with Power as most of the lucrative jobs are in Power Engineering. Three years later, I am still working in the Power industry. I think the courses I took in Nano Devices & Communications really helped me a lot in the Power industry. But if you plan to continue your education to get an MS or PHD, I'd suggest you pick one and stick with it. Also make sure you enjoy the subject as I did while in school. Hope this helps.

I agree with Jiggalolo. Power is a hot field in CA right now. That's the industry I'm in. What I'm seeing here is that a frightening number of power engineers in the industry now will be retiring within the next five years or so. There aren't many new engineers going into power (most of them going analog or digital) so there's going to be a huge shortage. That's not to say that the other fields aren't great, but don't limit yourself based on what your college offers.

I've been an electrical power systems designer for the last 10 years (started in drafting, learned power design on the job), finishing my BSEE degree now, but the only power schools in NorCal are CalPoly SLO, Sac State and San Francisco State. None of them are near me so I'm finishing up my BSEE at nearby San Jose State. Power is not a concentration choice there- it's pretty much digital or analog. While the analog EE courses I'm taking have almost nothing to do with 3-phase 480V power distribution systems, I am learning a lot about the guts of VFD's (variable frequency drives), electronic circuit breaker trip units, photovoltaic systems, etc. I have a deeper appreciation for power because many of its more sophisticated components involve electronics, microprocessors and semiconductors.

My point: Don't stress too much about which concentration you choose right now. Look at the course descriptions and pick the ones that seem most interesting to you. Definitely do internships each summer - that will help you decide what interests you in the work world and what doesn't. Good luck, you have a great future ahead of you! :thumbs:

 

[z06dustin]

I agree with all above, except that Power is the most lucrative. I think you can make more money as a comm or computer engineer..... but the difficulty can be finding work.

My honest opinion; go get a job in the field if you can and work some. I worked at Intel, General Dynamics, and a local power utility while going to school. I selected my specialty after getting some experience. So if you can land a job in an industry you're interested in, it'll really show you if you're any good / will have fun daily or if you'll hate it.

Just my 0.002$.

 

[Jiggalolo]

I agree with all above, except that Power is the most lucrative. I think you can make more money as a comm or computer engineer..... but the difficulty can be finding work.
My honest opinion; go get a job in the field if you can and work some. I worked at Intel, General Dynamics, and a local power utility while going to school. I selected my specialty after getting some experience. So if you can land a job in an industry you're interested in, it'll really show you if you're any good / will have fun daily or if you'll hate it.

Just my 0.002$.

I agree that computer scientist/engineers may make more money than a power guy (not that much more) if they can land a job. I think currently jobs in Power engineering are recession proof, this may change as nothing is guaranteed. You have to understand that in the Power industry your skills will be acquired through actual work experience, not something you can learn from a few lab courses/internships while in college. I too have worked at Intel and also Agilent as an mixed mode designer. Although the experience was great, you get the feeling you can always be replaced by a younger, sharper graduate. When I say lucrative, I am not talking about salary, because different folks get paid based on their expertise and how much the company thinks your worth, but rather I am talking about the industry itself. I feel that power engineering is more important now than ever with everyone is talking about infrastructure upgrades due to the fact that the population is growing larger and there is a need for more reliable, more sustainable energy sources. In any case, I commend the original poster on choosing electrical engineering no matter what path they end up choosing.

 

[Wolverine]

It's been said that an engineer's half life is about 6 years - that is, every 6 years, half of everything you thought you knew is outdated. I would offer that this is particularly true for the computer & communications side of EE.

But the power industry really hasn't changed a lot in the last 100 years - we still spin generators to push electrons through wires to bring electricity to the masses. There have been amazing developments in microprocessor controls, but what I'm getting at is that the power industry is mostly stable and will continue to be, especially as the baby-boomers begin to retire.

If you're a whiz-bang self-starting entrepreneurial kind of guy who loves constantly working with new technology, one of the other disciplines might net you more dough. If you value stability, I would say power is the place to be in EE. Nuclear is going to be even hotter in the next 20yrs.

Echo the above advice about interning, co-op'ing, or pulling a summer student gig in something you're interested in, to find if it suits you.

 

[oostertoaster]

I'd just add that you should choose whichever specialty you enjoy more. Whichever you choose, you'll be doing most of your learning on the job anyways, and whichever field you choose will be your career for a long time. If you take the money out of the equation, which concentration do you enjoy more? If you're good at what you do, you'll be able to find work with either choice. Like everyone else has said, most of it is on-the-job training anyways; your choice of concentration won't permanently decide which jobs you take.