Electrical Engineering Major

• What is Electrical Engineering?
• What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?
• What Kinds of Students Major in Electrical Engineering?
• What Courses Do Electrical Engineering Majors Take?
• List of Electrical Engineering Jobs
• What is the Median Salary Range for Electrical Engineering Careers?
• College and University Departments to Consider

What is Electrical Engineering?

Electrical Engineering is a broad-based and rapidly growing field that encompasses everything from batteries and power supplies to microchip fabrication to the invention of autonomous robots and devices that can recognize human speech. Electrical engineers design, develop, test and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment. Our society depends upon electrical engineers for computer chips, microprocessors, radar systems, electric utilities, machinery controls, lighting, aerospace navigation systems, wiring in buildings and wiring in autos. Everything that uses, produces or distributes electricity is dependent upon electrical engineers for their development and maintenance.

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What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?

Various specializations related to a major in Electrical Engineering may be offered by colleges and universities. These specializations may be of greater or lesser interest to you. A few of these specializations related to this field include, but are not limited to:

Biomedical Engineer	Communication Specialist
Computer Electronics	Computer Engineer
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	Electromagnetics
Embedded Computer Systems	Integrated Circuits and System
Plasma Electronics	Power Distribution
Power Generation	Power Transition
Signal Processing	Solid State Electronics
Telecommunications Specialist

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What Kinds of Students Major in Electrical Engineering?

In order to succeed in this major, a student should enjoy studying the physical sciences and mathematics. This student also needs a strong grasp of oral and written communication skills. Working with electronics and computers in general requires the student to be able to concentrate, to be organized, to deal with frustrations, to be a self-starter and to be motivated to learn on their own.

Is Electrical Engineering the right major for you?
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What Courses Do Electrical Engineering Majors Take?

The required and elective courses you would take for Electrical Engineering majors vary considerably among institutions. Courses are listed here that are illustrative of the breadth of topics you are likely to experience were you to major in this field.

Aerospace Engineering	Analytic Geometry
Antenna Systems Design	Audio Visual Processing
Biochemistry	Calculus
Chemistry	Computer Science
Device Operations	Device Physics
Integrated Circuit Design	Material Science
Mechanical Engineering	Physics
Telecommunication Systems

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List of Potential Jobs in Electrical Engineering

These professions and professional organizations illustrate the types of positions you might qualify for if you complete this major. Some majors are more directly related to employment than others, however. You should consider the likelihood of employment after graduation carefully, if you do not plan to go on for graduate work in a field. Even with the completion of graduate work in some fields, however, employment is difficult, so you should determine what the prospects are for this or any major. Employment possibilities are often enhanced by the selecting employment-related courses and by the enrollment in second major or in a minor.

Computer and Office Equipment	Computer Engineer
Computer Systems Analysis	Defense Related Fields
Electronic Components	Engineer Technician
Engineering and Architectural Services	Federal Government
Inspector

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What is the Median Salary Range for Electrical Engineering Careers?

U.S. Median Salary(starting):$60,200

U.S. Median Salary(mid-career):$102,000

Note: These numbers are national averages so you could make more or less than these amounts. Actual expected salaries will vary depending on your chosen career path, experience, and even your geographic location. Are you interested in detailed information about the forecasted demand for a particular profession? Are you interested in the estimated salaries such positions are likely to pay? This government Web site allows you to search on a particular job, whether listed here or not, to give you this information.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Colleges and Universities offering majors in Electrical Engineering

MyMajors complete list has 1,010 schools in the USA with a major in Electrical Engineering.
-View the national listing!

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