What it’s about:

Electrical and communications engineering deals with the design, manufacture, and operation of the range of devices and systems that depend on electricity-from wireless telephones to giant power generators. You examine superconductors, wave propagation, energy storage, fiber optics, reception, and amplification, from both a theoretical and an applied perspective.

What the study of this major is like: 

Most electrical and communications engineering programs begin with an introduction to the design process that stresses engineering fundamentals and suggests some of the careers you might pursue after graduation. You also start with mathematics, physics, and some chemistry courses that are the basis for many engineering courses you will take later on.

Your other courses cover engineering science and design, humanities, social sciences, and electives that correspond to your concentration. In humanities and social science courses, you see how the work that engineers do impacts society. You will probably participate in a significant design project in your fourth year, or perhaps earlier. Most students find the experience rewarding because it brings together what you’ve learned in various courses and helps you understand what engineering can accomplish. These projects, which are usually team efforts and may involve professional engineers and instructors, often require a written report and perhaps several oral presentations.

You learn by attending lectures and by working on computers, but especially by doing homework. Working through your homework problems and making sure you understand the concepts they illustrate is essential. Most engineering students do homework in small groups, but you should find out what your professors’ policies are-sometimes instructors prefer that you work independently. You’ll also take a number of lab courses, in which you explore abstract principles you learn in the classroom. Labs also provide opportunities to develop teamwork skills and your ability to write clear technical reports.

Your education does not necessarily take place entirely on campus. You will probably take a number of field trips to engineering labs and factories. You may also work as an engineering summer intern-an invaluable experience that can help when you seek your first job. In addition, many international programs allow engineering students to work or study abroad while earning academic credit.

Although there is much similarity among programs, there are also variations in coverage or emphasis. Some programs stress computer engineering; others may have more courses in digital communication technology and information science. All programs prepare graduates for entry into the profession, but some devote more attention to preparing students for graduate school. Graduates from these programs, which tend to emphasize theory over application, may need more on-the-job training before they can work independently in industry.

The ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) standards for approving engineering programs in the United States require that programs clearly state their objectives. These goals (published in college catalogs) might help you clarify a program’s focus to see if it fits your interests. As in all areas of engineering, your education never really ends, because of the need to keep up with the rapid advances in electrical and communications technology.

Career options and trends:

Production engineer*; design engineer; engineering manager; systems analyst; consulting engineer*; field engineer; research engineer.

Licensure (or registration) as a professional engineer (PE) is often required of engineers working in the public sector (for instance, for power companies and government agencies) but not of engineers working for private firms. Although some electrical engineers (EEs) are licensed, most are not.

As the economy strengthens, job prospects are likely to be favourable, especially for graduates who have had engineering intern experience. Consulting engineering firms are expected to generate the fastest job growth. Because most products today involve electricity and electronics, EEs are found in almost every industry at every level, doing all kinds of work-from designing integrated circuits to performing instrumentation on a ship in the Antarctic Ocean.

Source: CollegeBoard 2012 Book of Majors