Need by Friday ( A two-paragraph critique of at least 300 meaningful words offer
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Need by Friday ( A two-paragraph critique of at least 300 meaningful words offering suggestions on how to improve the initial response you read.) Regarding on the bottom
Spencer Howard
Charles Kovach
English 101
07DEC2022
The Opportunities of a Career in Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineers encompass one of the largest fields in engineering. They work on electrical systems in transportation, lighting, and power generation to name a few. Electronics Engineers also fall under the Electrical Engineer in name, however are more focused on signals generation, audio systems, or other small electronics. If you can think of anything electrical or electronic, it was almost certainly designed or worked on by an electrical engineer at some point. Becoming an electrical engineer is a relatively difficult process but offers a steady and robust career path.
Electrical engineers will at least require a bachelor’s degree to start entry level jobs. Some jobs require a master’s degree or higher to keep pace with rapidly changing technology. A bachelor’s of science in engineering requires a significant number of physics, mathematics, and general engineering. Courses generally include high level calculus and differential equations in math. A Project manager and Chemical engineer, Grady Gordon, gave some good insight into how to best pursue a degree in engineering. “My math professor once told me math is not academic, it’s a sport. It takes routine practice to get it right and do it well. If you want a degree in engineering, practice until you get it right.” (Grady Gordon).
Electrical engineers have a broad swath of career choices and have degree specialties to match. They will take courses that focus on electrical or electronic specialties. The University of California offers several pathways for specializations at all of its campuses. Focuses include communications, digital signal processing, electronic circuit design, frequencies, and semiconductors and optoelectronics, all available in a full-time, in person, 4 year program (University of California). Each is designed to fill a specific role in the field. Other programs at different universities offer additional specialties such as controls, electrophysics, or power systems like at the James Clark School of Engineering. This School also rolls computer engineering as an electrical engineering specialty, as both fields often go hand in hand (James A. Clark School of Engineering).
The average tuition at UC schools is about $13,700 for a California resident (UC Admissions). USnews.com’s ranking of best engineering schools in the US reports that an electrical engineering degree from UC Santa Barbara will cost Students approximately $12,500 per year in tuition. According to research.com, the average cost of an engineering degree among the best engineering colleges is $15,800 per year (Bouchrika, 2022). This far exceeds their estimate of the average tuition cost of about $6,700 in yearly tuition for public schools. The cost of education is often cited as a reason for an attrition rate of about 41% of the program nationwide (Painter, et al, 2017).
Electrical engineers need a Fundamentals of engineering (FE) license or certificate. This is typically completed during school. From here, they can apply for internships or as an engineer in training (EIT). The next step is acquiring a Professional Engineer license. Requirements vary by state. In California, EITs with an ABET accredited bachelors degree and 24 months of qualifying work experience may qualify to take the PE exam and become PE licensed. EITs with an accredited Masters degree or higher only require 12 months of qualifying work experience and EITs with a non-accredited bachelors degree require 48-72 months of qualified work experience. Also specific to California, is 3 separate categories of licensure, practice act, title act, and title authority. An individual taking the licensure exam will only be licensed for the branch of engineering for which they applied (Board for Professional Engineers, State of California). So it’s important for someone to understand what type of electrical engineering they’d like to be before they apply.
Furthering one’s education, such as with a masters or doctorate, could expand career opportunities to new and introductory technologies. A master’s degree program will take about 2 years of full time school to complete and can make an individual a competitive candidate for jobs in research and development. Many masters programs focus on new technologies and methods that would make a work candidate far more competitive (Bouchrika, 2022).
Electrical Engineers inside the United States make, on average, roughly $100,000 a year (Dept of Labor Statistics). Some can earn as little as $75,000 a year for entry level positions or as much as $200,000 or even $300,000 for management or director positions. Wages also vary with benefits. Benefits like health, dental, and vision insurance are common. They also usually offer good retirement benefits, tuition assistance, and unique benefits like relocation assistance.
Most electrical engineers work a steady, 8-hour a day, Monday thru Friday, generally at an indoor office setting. They can work in a large variety of fields from power generation and distribution, to defense or scientific development. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022) In California, there are about 27,000 electrical engineers working in various industries. That number is expected to grow by nearly 9% to accommodate California’s rapidly changing power and electronics industry. (Employment Development Department) States, like California, that are investing heavily into new energy sources and expanding their power production need electrical engineers to design, integrate, and oversee production.
The heavy influence of climate change places a high reliability on green energy sources like solar, wind, and nuclear, along with improving existing hydropower, to replace fossil fuels. Electrical Engineers are pivotal in this change, as massive improvements need to be made to aging infrastructure. On a smaller scale, the growth of new electronics facilities is needed to accommodate the components needed to make those changes to electric infrastructure. Furthermore, jobs will continue to exist and possibly grow as more people will try to improve the efficiency of existing technology and create new ones with the goal of lower emissions in mind. At the epicenter of energy, electrical engineers can actively work to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world. As research.com puts it, “The occupation offers diverse career options and brings prestige to students who pursue it.” (Bouchrika, 2022). There is no shortage of opportunities for someone who pursues and succeeds in this field.
Becoming an electrical engineer is a difficult and lengthy process. Programs at Universities have low levels of acceptance and high levels of attrition. While not always required, it is best done at an ABET accredited school to be qualified and eligible for licensing in a timely manner. The time invested in going to school and working as an EIT pays off in the long run, with decent wages, benefits, and a typically good quality of life. For those who complete their school and licensing process, a wide and growing career field awaits them with incredible opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills.
Works Cited:
Gordon, Grady. Personal Interview, 29SEP22.
Board for Professional Engineers, State of California. “Professional Engineer Application.” Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, State of California, https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/appintrope.shtml.
University of California. “Electrical Engineering Transfer Pathway.” Electrical Engineering | UC Admissions, https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/transfer-requirements/uc-transfer-programs/transfer-pathways/electrical-engineering.html.
James A. Clark School of Engineering. “Electrical Engineering Specializations.” Electrical Engineering Specializations | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, https://ece.umd.edu/undergraduate/degrees/bs-electrical-engineering/specializations.
University of, California. “Tuition & Cost of Attendance.” Tuition & Cost of Attendance | UC Admissions, https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/tuition-financial-aid/tuition-cost-of-attendance/.
“2023 Best Graduate Schools – US News.” University of California–Santa Barbara Engineering School Overview, 2022, https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools.
Painter, Jackson, et al. “Why Engineering? Students’ Reasons for Choosing an Engineering Major.” 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings, 2017, pp. 1–7., https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2–29126. Accessed 13 Oct. 2022.
Bouchrika, Imed. “Engineering Majors Explained: Cost, Requirements, Careers & Salary.” Research.com, 14 Oct. 2022, https://research.com/degrees/engineering-majors.
“Electrical and Electronics Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Sept. 2022, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm.
“Occupation Profile.” Occupation Profile, California LaborMarketInfo, Employment Development Department, State of California, https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/cgi/databrowsing/occExplorerQSDetails.asp?soccode=172071.
