Professional Associations for Electrical Engineers

 Electrical engineering has been at the forefront of every technological gain of the past century. This growth is perhaps most evident in the development of today's increasingly smaller transistors, as the number of components placed with an integrated circuit doubles continuously.

Enabling all other technologies and far outpacing them in development speed, electrical engineering has increasing demand and positive career possibilities for qualified professionals.

Electrical engineers earn $87,180 yearly on average, according to U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

A basic market pricing report was composed using data from a Salary.com survey of employers through all industries. This report showed $61,740 as a typical entry-level salary for an electrical engineer in the U.S.

Another report issued by Florida State University showed electrical engineers as ranking fifth nationally in 2010-2011 with salaries beginning at $60,800 and reaching $104,000

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Computer Engineering Degrees

Most people own or have ready access to a personal computer. These marvels of modern technology have revolutionized everything from the way we get our news to how we communicate with friends and relatives to how we entertain ourselves. However, the traditional PC or laptop is only one type of computer. Virtually every modern machine and process is computer-controlled. Some computers are tiny, as in the smallest cell phones and MP3 players.

Other computers are actually massive networks of thinking machines, working on terabytes of data and cranking out billions of calculations per second. The common factor making these machines possible is the Computer Engineer. Computer Engineering differs from Software Engineering and Computer Science in that it focuses on the actual hardware that’s responsible for performing the work. Software is the set of instructions used by a computer to get work done.

Without Computer Engineers designing the hardware platform it runs on, the software would be so many useless bits of data. While they need to know the principles of software operation, Computer Engineers are responsible for designing the components of a computing system. Whether that computer is in the Stealth Bomber or under your car’s hood, all computers have similar components and functions, varying mostly in size, shape, and application.

Computer Engineers design everything from the Central Processing Unit to primary and secondary memory storage to input and output methods. Even if they are using off-the-shelf components, they’re responsible for making sure the integration works flawlessly.

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Civil Engineers Career And Salaries

Civil Engineers focus on six basic infrastructure systems. The structural engineer focuses on design and analysis of buildings and bridges. The geotechnical engineer designs and builds tunnels, pipelines, embankments, and foundations. The environmental engineer analyzes and solves problems involving air and water quality and management of waste and hazardous materials.

Water resources engineers seek ways to improve water sources through hydrology, meteorology, and fluid dynamics. Construction engineers manage projects for erecting buildings, digging tunnels, and laying roads. Transportation engineers design, construct and maintain highways, railways, airfields and ports.

Graduates work for nongovernmental organizations, private companies, government agencies, public or private institutions, national research laboratories, or educational institutions. As for research, while masters-degree graduates can be involved through projects or assignments, it is primarily only those at the Ph.D. level who perform research in this field.

Bureau of Labor Statistics for Occupational Employment and Wages (BLS) show civil engineers as those who perform planning, designing of building structures and facilities, and overseeing their construction and maintenance. These structures include water and sewage systems, roads and railroads, airports and harbors, bridges and tunnels, channels and dams, irrigation projects and pipelines, and power plants. The Bureau's data include engineers for geo-technical, architectural, structural, traffic and ocean expertise. Hydrologists are not included

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What is a Chemical Engineer?

Chemical engineers are not only the lab coat wearing scientists who stand over beakers, mixing formulas in laboratories. They also work in the field, putting into practice the knowledge gained in laboratories, as well as their own brand of chemistry that applies the physical sciences and the life sciences.

They use mathematics and economics to create processes for converting raw materials or chemicals into forms that are more useful. Today's chemical engineers are involved with biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, and fuel cells, to name a very few of their specialties!

Chemical process engineers focus on the design, manufacture, and operation of industrial plants, their equipment, and the related chemical processes. Chemical product engineers development new or modified substances for consumables ranging from pharmaceuticals and face wipes, to furniture polish, foods, and far beyond.

Chemical engineers may do research at industrial or university levels, designing better pollution control, resource conservation, and safety measures. They can be involved in the design and construction of plants as project engineers, using their knowledge to select equipment, optimize production, minimize costs and increase profitability.

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Jobs With Biomedical Engineering Degree

 

Biomedical engineers design prosthetic limbs, artificial organs, and regenerate tissue. They create drugs and pharmaceuticals, collect and analyze biological data, and design life-saving equipment. They work with universities, hospitals, labs, government, industry, and regulatory agencies.

They work with doctors and patients seeking solutions to physical as well as physiological problems. It is important to incorporate into their own specialties any changes in related fields, so engineers scramble to stay abreast as technology rapidly evolves.

Universities teaching advanced levels of biomedical engineering commonly offer post-doctorate and research career opportunities. For example here is a list of research opportunities available through Florida A&M University:

• Tissue Engineering for Bone and Cartilage Replacement
• Advanced Polymeric Materials Characterization and Rheology
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cells, Tissues, and Organisms
• Plasma Reaction Engineering for Pollution Control and Disinfection
• Biomass Conversion to Energy by Enzymatic/Catalytic/Thermal/Plasma Methods
• Advanced Computational Methods in Materials, Catalysis, and Transport
• Solid State Materials Synthesis and Characterization

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The Main Focus of Automotive Engineering

 

Automotive engineering is a branch of mechanical engineering that concerns the design, development and manufacture of cars, trucks, motorcycles and other motor vehicles. Automotive engineers also design and test the many subsystems or components that comprise a motorized vehicle.

Very few universities offer a bachelor's degree in automotive engineering. Consequently, many prospective automotive engineers earn a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from a university that also offers specialized courses in automotive engineering. However, there are plenty of universities offer master's degrees in automotive engineering.

High school students aspiring to become automotive engineers should develop a solid foundation in algebra, geometry, trigonometry and pre-calculus, physics and chemistry. These subjects are central to understanding the core concepts of any engineering discipline. Automotive engineering students need effective oral and written communications skills. Therefore, high school students should strive to do well in language arts classes, such as writing and speech. High school students should take available advanced placement or college classes to help prepare them for university engineering coursework and get a head start on building college credits.

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Jobs With an Audio Engineering Degree

There is a variety of jobs that audio engineers hold in an equally wide variety of locations. Audio engineers are used in studio settings for the radio, television, movie, and music industries as sound engineers, boom operators, sound designers, sound editors, sound effects editors, and much more. In addition to studio work, there are also options for similar positions in live venues, like sports arenas, theatres, and concert tours.

Based on data collected by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May 2012, the mean annual salary for someone in the audio engineering field is just over $55,000. The BLS classifies audio engineers as sound engineering technicians, which includes anyone involved with the operation of equipment used to record, alter, and reproduce sounds in any of a variety of venues where recorded or live sound is used.

Yes, The Audio Engineering Society (AES), the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), and The Society of Professional Audio Recording Services (SPARS) are all organizations dedicated to the audio engineering industry. All three are open to audio engineering professionals and students and all three are dedicated to sharing knowledge and techniques in the industry. They are instrumental in implementing new technology with their members as it is introduced into the business.

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Job Functions of Applied Engineers

 

Applied Engineering

Applied engineers work on the application, design and technical components in the development of new products. They integrate systems, thereby enhancing the manufacturing and utilization of an application as well as oversee the development teams within a company. Specific fields of applied engineering including six sigma, learn enterprises, quality control, nanotechnology, manufacturing systems and supply chain logistics and systems, as well as motorsport technology applications. These professionals employ a deliberate approach to solving a medley of problems regarding processes and flow systems, underscoring their highly refined technical, interpersonal and communication skills. Applied engineers have been instrumental in the development of aircraft, automobiles, and smartphones, among other products. If you are interested in becoming an applied engineer, contact the schools below this information to request information about programs near you!

These professionals demonstrate a proclivity to blend technical expertise with real world applications. In industrial settings such as robotics, aviation, computer drafting, electronics, graphic communications, construction and nanofabrication, applied engineers exhibit a range of skills, as they daily execute a bevy of tasks and duties to realize the fruition of a project. They employ statistics in control charts and tables to monitor system integrity; examine and/or establish quality control systems in a facility; execute production timelines; refine inventory systems; utilize production innovation in enhancing management; maintain standards in accordance with federal and municipal codes in maintaining safety and health standards; develop solutions to industrial organization problems; apply marketing and business acumen in the product lifecycle, and more Top firms looking to hire applied engineers include Northrop Grumman, Ford Motor Company and Motorola,

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Agricultural Engineering Jobs and Career Outlook

Food will always be a growing commodity (no pun intended). Jobs for these engineers are found on farms, in manufacturing plants, equipment design, food production, animal production facilities, laboratories, construction, government systems that protect soil and water, and in biofuels engineering—worldwide (for the traveler in you) and just for starters.

These engineers are part of the leadership that help conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment. These employees will provide engineering assistance to his or her team, field office personnel, and landowners with planning, developing, and constructing on-farm conservation practices and irrigation projects statewide.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2011 show 2,650 employed agricultural engineers, employment rising by 6.5%, the lowest annual wages at $44,180 and the highest at $118,330. The median pay in this group is $74,630 per year.

The most visible association for agricultural engineers in the U.S. is the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Based in St. Joseph, Michigan, this international professional society is devoted to agricultural and biological engineering. The organization has about 9,000 members in more than 100 countries. ASABE provides opportunities to share research findings through conferences, journals, and a magazine. It has developed professional standards of practice and given members opportunities to network.

In 2005, the name was modified to better reflect the profession. The increase in biological engineering has greatly affected today's global agriculture systems. For example, genetically modified organisms have introduced massive changes in food production, logistics and trade.

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Aerospace Engineering Degree

Aerospace engineers research, analyze, design, synthesize, develop and test aircraft, spacecraft and weapons. Aerospace engineers who focus on aircraft are called aeronautical engineers; those who concentrate on spacecraft are called astronautical engineers.

They are essentially concerned with the aerodynamic properties of flight vehicles, such as airfoil, control surfaces, lift and drag.

Aerospace engineer can specialize in areas such as structural design, propulsion, navigation, guidance and control systems, communications or defense systems.

They may also specialize in a particular type of equipment, including commercial and military planes and jets, helicopters, space shuttles, satellites, space vehicles, missiles or or combat aerial vehicles.

Aerospace engineers can develop a special expertise in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, avionics or guidance and control systems.

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Acoustic Engineering Success Story

 

The Bose company is a prime example of a firm that relies heavily on the expertise of sound engineers. Founded by Amar G. Bose, an engineer himself, who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the firm built its reputation on developing and marketing audio equipment and systems of impeccable quality. The company’s products are popular among consumers, automobile manufactures and performing arts venues. The equipment developed by their sound engineers strives to simulate the quality experienced at a live concert hall. Bose has chosen to engage in long-term, higher-risk projects requiring immense research and development instead of providing cheaper products to its customers. This approach has paid off with the creation of noise-canceling audio equipment such as headphones as well as ingenious suspension systems for the automobile industry.

As a teacher at MIT for nearly 50 years, Bose instructed a course on acoustics that transcended mere technical matters into larger life lessons. Bose stressed to his students the importance of personal responsibility and having high standards for work and integrity. Many students attributed to Dr. Bose their resolve to take on more risky endeavors as well as the technical and critical-thinking skills to achieve success in their careers. The life of Bose and the success of his company serves as a model for all practitioners in the field, underscoring the importance of developing a well-rounded education and approach to success.

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Vehicle Engineering Career Outlook

Vehicle engineers dedicate themselves to the design, creation, and functionality of vehicles and their components, including automobiles, trucks, buses, and motorcycles. Traditionally, they work in the entire product life cycle from the initial design through production, distribution, and marketing, though often specialize in the design, research and development or manufacturing. Take some time to request information from schools in our directory that can help you become a vehicle engineer. We recommend contacting multiple schools to be sure you start out on the right track!

Vehicle engineers are professionals who integrate engineering and business acumen to ensure vehicles are developed within cost requirements. Engineers in this field utilize a bevy of scientific principles including thermodynamic and mechanical inquiry to enhance the operation and developing solutions for design flaws. Upon realizing a specialty, a vehicle engineer may be asked to execute a bevy of duties and responsibilities. Some undertake the design and creation of visual models for various vehicles and their accompanying parts and features with the assistance of digital applications, enabling them to determine the best source materials to employ.

A medley of companies competes for the expertise and skills of these scientific professionals. Producers of automobiles and commercial vehicles, as well as component manufacturers, employ these types of engineers to work on luxury, sport, and utility vehicles and their supporting parts. In addition to the auto industry, design firms, industrial equipment manufacturers, energy firms, and competitive racing teams endeavor to secure the services of vehicle engineers. With these types of firms, these professionals dedicate their efforts to constructing prototypes and models of parts, the application of evaluation processes, computer software, and physical integrity measurements. Along these lines, professionals may endeavor in developing equipment and parts that meet evolving market conditions, customer tastes, and government safety and health requirements. In addition, they may refine design specifications, examine the environmental implications of a project, oversee the installation of new or enhanced assets into the production facility, and/or investigate realized or potential failures in an engineering system. From a business executive perspective, vehicle engineers may negotiate with suppliers in managing contracts, delivery schedules, and logistics as well as track project budgets. Global companies such as General Motors, Tesla, Chevron, Johnson Controls, and Toyota serve as a sample of the firms in the market for these types of employees.

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Real-life Example of a Transport Engineer Career

Based on the experience of several young practitioners in the profession, the field of transport engineering offers a rich professional experience. Scott Sorensen , an engineer from the University of Nebraska, developed an after school education program to teach principles of engineering to high school students, whereby they designed buildings and created electrical applications for Christmas lights. Matthew Arnold, an engineer from Kansas State University, finds the hands on nature of the field most engaging. He thrives performing outdoors, enabling him the experience the vitality absent working in an office. Both Sorensen and Arnold enjoy the state-of-the-art technology they employ on a daily basis such as self-driving vehicles. New challenges encountered have made the field particularly rewarding for Tomas Lindheimer, an engineer from the University of Kansas. He enjoys the broad concepts and intellectual curiosity the industry demands. He believes he’s constantly learning new concepts that compel him to rethink his preconceived notions.

The direct impact the field has on people’s lives serves as the most attractive part of the profession for these young professionals. Instead of sitting in an office, detached from their fellow man, these engineers see the influence their work has on the daily lives of the people they serve. Many professors and industry executives encourage aspiring students and candidates to carefully consider the impact their work has on society as a whole. It is one of a few industries where practitioners see first-hand the results their technical backgrounds have on the ways people experience their daily lives.

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Thermal Engineering

Professionals in the field of thermal engineering strive to develop more efficient means for transferring energy into more practical means, drawing on their expertise in heat transfer. Within an industrial context, these engineers work on solutions for fuels, exploring forms of chemical, electrical and mechanical energy. These professionals find specialization in the fields of high technology, solar power, oil and gas, power companies, as well as temperature control systems. Transforming power grids to create more affordable electricity has become one of the most popular fields utilizing the expertise of thermal engineers.

If you want to know more about becoming a thermal engineer, contact the schools listed here to learn more. It’s important to talk to as many schools as you can to determine the best way forward.

Thermal engineers dedicate their efforts to refining electronics systems and safety applications. They collaborate extensively with groups of hardware and software experts at all stages of the product cycle from initial design through the manufacturing and installation of products and systems. In this capacity, they may develop models for industrial assets rooted in computer projects for optimizing source materials and functionality.

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Real Life Example of a Structural Engineer

John Shmerykowsky , an experienced structural engineer, has witnessed first-hand the rewards of the career as well as the technological transformations that are reshaping the industry. As a principal of his own firm, he spearheaded the work completed at the Phillip Morris building in New York City at 120 Park Avenue. He works primarily as a consultant to architects, while he completed his education at Fountainbleu in Paris. Shmerykowsky has developed his reputation by completing projects that feature unique challenges. For example, the Phillip Morris project possessed a structure that was one quarter positioned over functioning subway tracks that were employed to transport garbage. His team had to develop an approach that would enable them to complete work on the building, while enabling the tracks to run without interruption. He also developed sustainable features in the building including windows conducive to harnessing natural light. Over time, he has seen how vital digital applications have become to the industry, whereby he encourages all aspiring professionals to become comfortable with the technology as well as current ones to reman vigilant in keeping current on computer-based trends. His firm Shmerykowsky Consulting Engineers currently seeks structural engineers to add to their team to help realize current projects for their portfolio of clients. Like the company’s founder, the firm seeks engineering professionals that possess a diverse range of technical, business, interpersonal and communication skills that are tantamount to executing current and future structures throughout the world.

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Software Engineering Career

Most people are familiar with older, more traditional engineering fields such as mechanical, civil, or electrical. Software Engineering is a relatively new discipline, but in today’s increasingly interconnected world, it is becoming more and more important.

Software Engineering differs from Computer Science or Web Design in that you are formulating how the overall software system functions, and how it works within its intended hardware environment.

Software Engineers are responsible for every phase of a development project, not just for writing the computer code. Upon the initiation of a project, they make sure requirements are documented and validated.

This assures the entire project is working toward the correct goal. They then move on to system design, often overseeing the creation of software prototypes to present to clients for additional validation.

Once the design is solid, Software Engineers manage the overall development effort to make sure the pieces are coming together as planned. Finally, they create and oversee test cases which assure system functionality is complete and traceable to the requirements generated at the time of project initiation.

Software Engineering is the discipline that makes sure computer systems are developed methodically and result in building the right product with quality built in from the beginning.

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A Day in the Life of a Petroleum Engineer

Petroleum engineers typically design equipment to extract oil and gas, and develop ways to force oil out of wells through injection of water, chemicals, gases, or steam.

They develop drilling plans, survey, evaluate, and test wells. They use computer-controlled drilling to connect separated deposits to a single well. They ensure proper installation, maintenance, and operation of oil field equipment.

Reservoir engineers optimize production with proper well placement and enhanced recovery techniques. Drilling engineers oversee the technical aspects of drilling exploration, production, and injection wells. Production and subsurface engineers direct connections between reservoirs and wells, overseeing downhole monitoring equipment and flow control, sand control, and perforations.

They select surface equipment to separate fluids (oil, natural gas, and water), and they evaluate artificial lift methods.

Emerging career choices involve pollution cleanup, hydrology, and underground waste disposal (the subsurface injection of carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gases). Petroleum engineers are also educated in geothermal energy production, in situ uranium leaching, and coal gasification.

The known worldwide oil and gas reserves are larger than ever. Found in diverse areas, these resources provide opportunities for assignments in the Middle East, Asia, South America, Australia, and beyond.

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The Main Focus of a Nuclear Engineering Degree

Nuclear engineering is the most integrated of the engineering disciplines. The many components of nuclear systems (medical imaging, nuclear fission reactors, ultrasensitive contraband detectors, and fusion reactors) must all be understood as well as how they relate to one another. Nuclear engineers must be experts in their primary field, as well as knowledgeable in other fields such as electronics, thermodynamics, physics, and materials science. The fundamentals of one science are often the same tools used in solving problems in the other disciplines.

An undergraduate degree in nuclear science and engineering develops the fundamentals of nuclear processes—their production, interactions, and radiation measurements. These studies bring the student all the way to the design phase of nuclear-based systems, stressing social, health, and energy and security impacts.

Studies also incorporate computer methods, thermal-fluid engineering, and electronics—critical tools for a nuclear engineering career.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering prepares students for careers in the application and engineering of low-energy nuclear physics. This includes design, analysis, and operation of radiation systems and their applications, such as fission reactors and accelerators, and biomedical uses. Students are also prepared for graduate study in a wide range of engineering and physical sciences.

A five-year program offers an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering simultaneously.

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