Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers have a vast amount of knowledge of electrical phenomena and technology, and work in an array of capacities that support total engineering efforts in the industries that employ them. Electrical engineers apply the laws of electrical energy and the principals of engineering to the generation, transmission and use of electricity. They design everything from generating systems in dams to the smallest of electrical circuits in spacecraft, and all the everyday electronics in between including televisions, radios, stereos, and computers.
Representative Job Titles and Area of Specialization
| Circuit Designer* | Communications Engineer* | | Control Engineer* | Robotics Engineer* | | Power Systems Engineer* | Electronics Technician | | Professor/Teacher | |
* See Training section
Nature of the Work
There are four well defined branches of electrical engineering: power, communications, electronics, and control systems.
Electrical engineers who specialize in power are involved in the generating of, transmission, distribution and application of power from such sources as water, fossil fuel, nuclear, and solar energy
Electrical engineers specializing in communications are involved in equipment engineering, circuit transmissions, traffic plant and acoustical engineering. This branch of engineering designs systems that receive, transmit and deliver information into audio and video forms.
Electronics engineers develop and implement computer systems and enhance electronic aids like heart monitors.
Those with a specialization in control systems design such products as automatic regulators, guidance systems and robotics controls.
Places of Employment
| Universities and colleges | Consulting firms | | Federal/state/local governments | Armed Forces | | Aeronautical/aerospace industry | Automotive industry | | Chemical industry | Computer industry | | Construction industry | Defense industry | | Electronics industry | Environmental industry | | Food and beverage industry | Transportation industry | | Water/waste water industry | Nuclear Industry | | Machine tool design industry | |
Training
Generally in engineering, the higher the level of training and education you have, the better. A bachelor's degree is usually the minimum requirement in most of these positions, and an advanced degree is usually necessary in all positions designated by the asterisk. Those considering a career in teaching and research at the university level will need to pursue a doctorate.
For further information and/or career counseling contact the Career Center, Veitch Student Center, Northwest Wing, University of California, Riverside, 951.827.3631.
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