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Dunedain979
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I'm wondering if a degree in electrical engineering is still worth pursuing today? Would it be a better choice to get a degree in mechanical engineering? Any advice on this matter would be appreciated.
Yeah, I can't fathom what could possibly make someone believe EE was "outdated". There must be some misunderstanding at work here.phinds said:I'll do you the courtesy of assuming that you are serious even though it is astounding to me that anyone could even ask such a question. Do you have any concept of how much of the world depends on various forms of electronics devices? Do you think updates to these things, and new such things, are going to design themselves?
russ_watters said:Yeah, I can't fathom what could possibly make someone believe EE was "outdated". There must be some misunderstanding at work here.
Maybe, but then the EEs would first have to make them smart enough to do so.phinds said:Do you think updates to these things, and new such things, are going to design themselves?
SteamKing said:Even Scotty on the USS Enterprise had to deal with blown fuses and fried power conduits all the time.
I don't think EEs are going anywhere anytime soon, unless you have some revolutionary energy concept which is going to totally replace electricity.
Not unless humans are capable of controlling this revolutionary new power source solely with the power of the mind.donpacino said:energy concept != control concept
that energy concept would power things, but you would still need electronics for the "brains"
Dunedain979 said:I'm wondering if a degree in electrical engineering is still worth pursuing today? Would it be a better choice to get a degree in mechanical engineering? Any advice on this matter would be appreciated.
Maybe confusion to distinguish between levels of study or levels of knowledge practiced. Two decades ago, the community colleges had Electronics courses for vocational programs. Student could study AC and DC current and circuits and whatever else goes with those topics, and LABORATORY instruction and exercises. Such courses are no longer common, and in fact, very few community colleges offer these courses. Instead, you need to be an Engineering student at a university and have your "circuits" course as one of your first Electronics, and then there is the focus on digitial electronics and you can no longer study about resistors, capacitors, potentiometers, transformers as you were able to at a cc so many years ago.russ_watters said:Yeah, I can't fathom what could possibly make someone believe EE was "outdated". There must be some misunderstanding at work here.
To be sure, EEs do a lot more than work with just microelectronics. For the really leading edge microelectronic research, having a physics PhD might be more advantageous than having strictly an EE background.mpresic said:I know someone who got an EE from Cornell in 1968. He left the EE field. Although he is very successful today as a professor, look at all the developments in EE (the microprocessor, very large scale integration), that he left behind. EE is no more outdated today than it was in 1968. Mechanical Engineering is also a worthy pursuit though. Both fields should be in high demand for the foreseeable future.
symbolipoint said:Maybe confusion to distinguish between levels of study or levels of knowledge practiced. Two decades ago, the community colleges had Electronics courses for vocational programs. Student could study AC and DC current and circuits and whatever else goes with those topics, and LABORATORY instruction and exercises. Such courses are no longer common, and in fact, very few community colleges offer these courses. Instead, you need to be an Engineering student at a university and have your "circuits" course as one of your first Electronics, and then there is the focus on digitial electronics and you can no longer study about resistors, capacitors, potentiometers, transformers as you were able to at a cc so many years ago.
mpresic said:I know someone who got an EE from Cornell in 1968. He left the EE field. Although he is very successful today as a professor, look at all the developments in EE (the microprocessor, very large scale integration), that he left behind. EE is no more outdated today than it was in 1968. Mechanical Engineering is also a worthy pursuit though. Both fields should be in high demand for the foreseeable future.
A little more commentary would be helpful.donpacino said:simply not true
I said what I did based on what courses are available at various colleges in my geographical area. Change in what is available have happened in the last several years. Electronics courses at local community colleges? Not available at very many compared to 20 years ago. This is not related, as I see it, to how important is electrical engineering. Maybe the courses are just no longer popular at community colleges any more, or result of budget changes.donpacino said:simply not true
ModusPwnd said:Do you have a source for this claim of "high demand"?
Electrical engineering has been shedding existing positions.
http://www.computerworld.com/articl...l-engineering-lost-35-000-jobs-last-year.html
Pay has not outpaced inflation.
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1149198
The Beuaru of Labor statistics predicts slower than average growth in the field.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htmCertainly there is a demand, but I see no evidence of high demand in the foreseeable future. We have electrical engineering graduates working along side community college graduates as maintenance technicians at my job.
With the exception of the first link (which you didn't connect to the point you were arguing), a 15 year old source and another that doesn't address the point you are arguing isn't much help, there is little provided there to address your point.ModusPwnd said:Do you have a source for this claim of "high demand"?
Electrical engineering has been shedding existing positions.
http://www.computerworld.com/articl...l-engineering-lost-35-000-jobs-last-year.html
Pay has not outpaced inflation.
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1149198
The Beuaru of Labor statistics predicts slower than average growth in the field.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htmCertainly there is a demand, but I see no evidence of high demand in the foreseeable future. We have electrical engineering graduates working along side community college graduates as maintenance technicians at my job.
cpscdave said:Fun Fact: There are actually only two types of engineers. Electrical Engineers and those who weren't smart enough to be Electrical Engineers :D
StatGuy2000 said:Then do you concur with the OP's basic premise in his/her post that electrical engineering is "outdated"? And that he/she would be better off studying mechanical engineering instead (the same Bureau of Labor statistics predicts slower than average growth in mechanical engineering, same as electrical engineering)?
mpresic said:I have to admit the demand for EE is not what it was when my colleagues and I left university in the mid 80's. EE's often got more than one offer from DEC; AMD; IBM, ATT, Harris, etc. Physicists were worse off but usually got an offer where I was. However, when I was looking for a position as little as 2-3 years ago, my career advisor told me offers in technical (and other) fields were way down. Probably the bad economy was responsible.
mpresic said:I have to admit the demand for EE is not what it was when my colleagues and I left university in the mid 80's. EE's often got more than one offer from DEC; AMD; IBM, ATT, Harris, etc. Physicists were worse off but usually got an offer where I was. However, when I was looking for a position as little as 2-3 years ago, my career advisor told me offers in technical (and other) fields were way down. Probably the bad economy was responsible. I met physics grads working at computer repair shops. About the time I found a position, some others I know got offers, so I thought maybe we all turned the corner. This was too optimistic.
Sad to say, Modus Pwnd correctly observes events are not fortuitous as they should be. There are many good professionals who are underemployed.
ModusPwnd said:No, I don't think its outdated. I was addressing the claim of high demand. Things in average (or low) demand can still be current and relevant.
russ_watters said:With the exception of the first link (which you didn't connect to the point you were arguing), a 15 year old source and another that doesn't address the point you are arguing isn't much help, there is little provided there to address your point.
For the first link, a 10% drop in employed EE's screams "statistical anomaly" to me, but even setting that aside, it cites an unemployment rate that is below average (up from "way below average" the year before), which is pretty much by definition "high demand".
You could argue that the sudden 10% drop is the start of a crash, but I wouldn't be placing any bets on that unless you can identify a cause.
ModusPwnd said:Really though, I wouldn't encourage someone to pursue a technical field.