Studying
Electrical Engineering
in the USA
One
of the most important decisions a person makes is choosing
the right career. After all, the average person spends
eight hours a day, five days a week, fifty weeks a year
for forty years working in their chosen field. A career
in electrical engineering in the US offers the potential
for a challenging, rewarding, and lucrative career.
More than 1.2 million engineers work in America today,
making engineering the nation's second largest profession.
According
to Graduating Engineer magazine, job opportunities for
new engineers are projected to be four percent greater
than they were last year, with starting pay averaging
$40,000 a year. An engineering degree also opens doors
to other exciting careers; many engineering graduates
have moved into other professions where their engineering
background has been a valuable asset. Did you know that
P.A.M. Dirac, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics,
was an electrical engineer? Alfred Hitchcock, Neil Armstrong,
and Jimmy Carter were likewise all engineers.
What
do electrical engineers do?
Electrical
engineers design digital and analogue circuits similar
to the ones on the dashboard of your automobile, and
the control circuitry of the Space Shuttle. They also
write programs to simulate the operation of these circuits
on a computer. Another speciality is the hardware and
microcode design of state-of-the-art microprocessors,
like the Pentium III running at a mind-boggling 500
MHz. One must have a minimum of a BSc. in electrical
engineering to qualify for these jobs. Another niche
for an electrical engineer is to work as professor in
an electrical engineering department at a university.
These individuals love to teach their craft, and also
carry out basic research in specialised areas of electrical
engineering. The minimum qualification for this job
is a Ph.D. in electrical engineering or a closely related
field, and starting salaries can be as high as $60,000.
How
can I tell if electrical engineering is right for me?
To
be perfectly candid, electrical engineering is not for
every Tom, Dick and Harry! You must enjoy dabbling in
mathematics and science in school, and be able to articulate
your ideas lucidly and write fairly well. You must be
in the top 20 percent of your class. You must be creative
and naturally curious about how and why things work.
You must have an insatiable appetite to tinker with
your radio, TV and assorted electronic gadgetry and
an irresistible urge to disassemble (and eventually
reassemble!) these 'toys'. Last, but not least, you
must not be dollarphobic! You can test your creativity
in engineering and proficiency in mathematics and science
by sending an e-mail to
newton@ieee.org with the subject line "I wannabe
an engineer".
Why
should I study in the US?
When
a judge asked the bank robber why he robbed banks, the
curt response was "Frankly, your honor, that's
where the money is". US companies like Intel, IBM,
and Motorola are the world's only manufacturers of state-of-the-art
microprocessors like the Power PC and the Pentium III
that are the heart of Macintosh computers and PCs. Frankly,
US companies prefer to hire engineers who have graduated
from accredited programs in the US. Electrical engineering
degrees granted by accredited institutions in America
command respect world-wide, and deservedly so. The Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) demands
that universities with accredited programs meet high
standards. More information on the ABET 2000 criteria
can be found by visiting the following web site: www.abet.org.
Membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) brings added benefits. The URL is www.ieee.org.
What
are the requirements for an engineering degree in the
US?
It
takes an average of four to five years - after 12 years
of high school - to complete the requirements for a
BSc in electrical engineering. This is equivalent to
120-128 credit hours. Students normally take four to
five courses (12-16 credit hours) for eight to ten semesters,
with two semesters (fall and spring) in a year. There
are many variations on the basic theme delineated above;
for instance, a 3-2 dual-degree program can lead to
two degrees, one in electrical engineering and the other
in physics, in a total of five years. There is a lot
of overlap between a physics and an electrical engineering
program, making it possible to finish two degrees in
five years.
The
BSc. degree is adequate for the majority of job opportunities
in the US; however, there are certain special occupations
where the minimum qualification is a Ph.D. in electrical
engineering; for example, a research faculty position
normally requires a Ph.D. In major US universities,
one must take approximately 45 to 60 credit hours of
graduate-level courses, in addition to carrying out
research on a topic selected by mutual agreement between
the student and the dissertation advisor. The results
of the research must be reported in a thesis, and must
be defended in front of a committee of around five members.
The completion of the Ph.D. can take from four to six
years after the BSc. degree. Some individuals settle
for a master's degree, which may take about two years
after the BSc., and there are non-thesis options available
in most instances.
Where
can I find more information about engineering?
The
best way to find more information is to surf the net!
There are essentially three genre of web sites you want
to visit.
Author
Asif Shakur, Ph.D.
Chair of Physics and Engineering
Salisbury State University
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