Electrical Engineering Degrees

What is an Electrical Engineering Degree?

The next time you walk down the street, take a look at the people around you. Or the next time you run into Starbucks, stop for a minute to take a gander at the people sitting around. What is the most prominent activity you notice most everyone taking part in? My guess is that most people's attention will be focused on their iPhone, Android, or MacBook. We, as a society, have come a long way from rotary phones and telegrams and it's all due to electrical engineers.

Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the creation of electrical equipment. The equipment they manufacture doesn't stop at Android phones or iPhones. It also includes electric motors, machinery controls, lighting and wiring in buildings, power generation, and even radar and navigation systems that we typically know as GPS devices. Some of the high-tech projects that electrical engineers work on include giant generators that help power entire cities or even designing an airplane's electrical system! Imagine how proud you would be to say you helped build or improve such huge technological advances.

You don't have to just imagine how you would feel—enrolling in school can help guide you towards that goal. Depending on the university, you can earn a Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Technology or Bachelor of Applied Science to work towards becoming an electrical engineer. The coursework included in an electrical engineering degree includes physics, mathematics, computer science, project management and specific topics in electrical engineering. After you earn your bachelor's degree, you have a better opportunity to score an entry-level position as an electrical engineer. In order to be a certified electrical engineer, you must meet other requirements; work experience is among those requirements. Only licensed, certified Electrical Engineers can work for private or public clients in the U.S. That's not so bad, though, because who doesn't enjoy learning all they can about their particular field?

With that being said, it's important that you're creative, curious, analytical, and detail oriented if you're thinking about enrolling in school for electrical engineering. Professional electrical engineers must also work well in a team setting, as many hands are needed to create and manufacture such awesome technologies. Clear communication, both orally and written, is very important for success as well.

All frills aside, electrical engineers work a normal 40-hour work week in an office or lab setting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 2% employment growth in the engineering field over several decades. There's a strong demand for electrical devices which is expected to stimulate job growth. But the competition for your future job doesn't just lie in the United States. You will be competing against professionals worldwide as many electrical services are performed in other countries. However, if you do land a job, you can expect a nice annual salary between $52,990 and $82,160. The average electrical engineer earned an average of $60,000 annually (BLS). Those numbers should get your wheels turning!

So, stop tinkering around with your old, broken radar detector and earn a degree in Electrical Engineering so you can create a fantastically new device!