From the global positioning system (GPS) that can continuously provide

the location of a person or vehicle to giant electric power generators,

electrical and electronics engineers are responsible for a wide range of

technologies. Electrical and electronics engineers design, develop,

test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical and electronic

equipment. Some of this equipment includes broadcast and communications

systems; electric motors, machinery controls, lighting, and wiring in

buildings, automobiles, aircraft, and radar and navigation systems; and

power generating, controlling, and transmission devices used by electric

utilities. Many electrical and electronics engineers work in areas

closely related to computers. However, engineers whose work relates

exclusively to computer hardware are computer hardware engineers.

Electrical and electronics engineers specialize in different areas such

as power generation, transmission, and distribution; communications; and

electrical equipment manufacturing, or a specialty within one of these

areas-industrial robot control systems or aviation electronics, for

example. Electrical and electronics engineers design new products, write

performance requirements, and develop maintenance schedules. They also

test equipment, solve operating problems, and estimate the time and cost

of engineering projects.

Electrical and electronics engineers held about 292,000 jobs in 2002,

making up the largest branch of engineering. Most jobs were in

professional, scientific, and technical services firms, government

agencies, and manufacturers of computer and electronic products and

machinery. Wholesale trade, communications, and utilities firms

accounted for most of the remaining jobs.

Thomas Edison was one of the world’s greatest and most prolific inventors, but he is also known as a great electrical engineer. Electrical Engineering is the discipline of engineering that covers all of Edison’s work with electricity and electric devices.

The largest technical professional organization in the world, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE (I-triple E), honors Edison’s achievements with the IEEE Edison Medal, an award presented to an electrical engineer for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering, or the electrical arts.

Although Edison was self-taught, he has inspired thousands of young people to pursue careers in electrical engineering, which requires a college degree in the field. There are twenty universities in Texas that offer the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and one, Lamar University, is here in Beaumont. There are over 350 BSEE programs in the United States.

Electrical engineering offers many career paths that include working for an electric utility, like Entergy!

Here is a list of things electrical engineers can do:

• Telecommunications that includes radios, television, cellular phones and satellite technologies.
• Instrumentation and Control, which keeps our chemical and petroleum industries productive, efficient and safe.
• Power, which keeps the lights on and the air conditioners cooling!
• Robotics, an exciting field with robots that help doctors perform surgery, robots that explore the oceans and other planets, robots that fly and even robots that search disaster areas for survivors.
• Computers, machines that our modern day civilization cannot work without.

Electrical engineers impact our lives in many, many ways and Edison paved the way for much of what electrical engineers work with, constantly improving on the foundation that he laid.

Here are some links to help you find out more about becoming an Electrical Engineer:

IEEE

What jobs can you do with an electrical engineering degree?

Careers in Electrical Engineering

Career Cornerstone Center: Electrical Engineers

How to become an Electrical Engineer

JustGoogle “ee career paths”

Please visit Lamar University, Electrical Engineering Department.

This is our regional university located in Beaumont, Texas, which has

an excellent EE Department – check them out, they can help you with your

future career.