• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Electrical or Civil Engineering? or other

I

imported_hscorpio

Golden Member
I know there has to be some engineers/students on here and I was curious which discipline your in and why. I am currently going for EE but have seriously considered changing to civil. I like electronics and tech things but am not really sure what I would be doing as an EE and if I would like it. I know theres more money in EE but I also think theres a greater risk of being outsourced to a phd in India or something. I will be taking my first ee clases this quarter and don't really know what to expect.

Civil has recently caught my interest especially water management. My dad works for a company that makes pumps/filtration equipment and I always read about the latest projects they are involved in. It looks interesting and maybe more rewarding (not financialy). I would like being able to travel and go to different sites and work on projects that will be around for years, something I can tell my grandchildren about ya know. Also civil seems to have more job security since it can't really be outsourced and will always be necessary.
The only thing I really feel sure about right now is that I want to help solve problems and have a career where I feel like I'm contributing something to society and not just chasing dollars or getting by.

What are your thoughts? Could some of you EE guys give any advice and basic info about your daily jop activities. Thanks
 
What's funny about Civil Engineering is that it's totally unrelated to music!

I did Computer Science because that's what I like. I think the moral of the story is do what you like. Sounds like you've already made up your mind.
 
Dude, my great uncle was a civil engineer.

Every time my Dad drove us into Toronto, he would point at the Hydro Towers he designed and say "Look guys, those are uncle Jim's Tinker Toys."

Jim died before I was born, but I still think about him every time I'm on that highway. A little bit of immortality, if that's your bag.
 
Just because you have an EE degree does not mean that you are going to be working electronics or code for your life.
 
hscorpio,

Try to forget the money and do what will interest you. I have 2 eng degrees and can speak from 20 years of experience. Which of the two fields interests you more? Imagine being in prision ... of your own making. That's a high paying job that you hate!
 
Don't want to hijack this thread, but I am also having trouble deciding whether I want to persue Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering.

I loved Drafting and AutoCAD in h.s., but people have been telling me to look at EE too, and it's caught me eye.

 
I'm an EE. I did it from BS to PhD, and I have no regrets. As an undergrad it's not easy to see any light at the end of the tunnel. By that I mean that it's not easy to see where you're going to fit in as an EE when you graduate. That's part of why I stayed in school.

I'm into semiconductors. I had an internship every summer after freshman year through senior in silicon fabs. Most of it was programming, but then I was also in the fab in my later two years. I loved it.

In grad school I was doing work on compound semiconductor (III-V) bipolar transistors. I've got world record cutoff frequency papers in my name. I've fabricated the fastest transistors on the planet and come up with novel device structures that'll (hopefully) keep compound semiconductor transistors moving towards the teraherz frequencies. It was the best time at work that I've ever had.

Currently, I grow II-VI detector material by MBE. That doesn't mean anything to anyone, so it's not going to help you. You know the nose camera footage that they show when smart bombs go into targets? I grow the stuff that makes that kinda camera. Currently, I'm growing the material that'll go into most of the cameras in the James Webb Space Telescope (think replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope... but not). The work is okay. It's kinda easy. Grad school was better.


If you want to go into civil, then do it. There'll be a lot more chicks in your classes, and if you think you're into water management... well, whose to say otherwise.

If you're up in the air about EE, then find yourself a co-op or internship in some area and try to esablish a direction. Grad school might also help. There are a LOT of opportunities in EE.

Good luck.
 
I'm a civil engineer (emphasis on Structural Design) working as a structural engineer in Tupelo, MS. I graduated with a BSCE from Mississippi State. I dislike parts of my job, but that's consistent with any career you decide to go with.
 
I do EE. Currently I design VLSI circuits for servers and browse atot at my job. I don't program that much except the occasional perl script.

There are many different branches of EE just like many different branches of Civil. I think you need a strong love of math and science to enter either field. To the poster who posted about mechanical and his love of AUTOCAD,
there is also the EE equivalent of Layout Mask design.

 
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
95% of the people that go into EE because they like electronics and tech things end up dropping EE.
Click to expand...
Yeah, okay. Some people just can't hack the curriculum. Most of the guys who started out in my EE class at UIUC dropped in the first two years, but it had nothing to do with EE because (at that time) we hadn't even had an EE class!

The first two years was just math, physics, chemistry and whatever writing, social science and whatnot that the university required. It had nothing to do with EE in particular.

It not like it was a surprise. At orientation, the head of the department really did do that thing where we look to the left and look to the right; those guys won't be here in two years... and they weren't.

There's a reason UIUC has a huge School of Business. 😀
 
Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
I'm an EE. I did it from BS to PhD, and I have no regrets. As an undergrad it's not easy to see any light at the end of the tunnel. By that I mean that it's not easy to see where you're going to fit in as an EE when you graduate. That's part of why I stayed in school.

I'm into semiconductors. I had an internship every summer after freshman year through senior in silicon fabs. Most of it was programming, but then I was also in the fab in my later two years. I loved it.

In grad school I was doing work on compound semiconductor (III-V) bipolar transistors. I've got world record cutoff frequency papers in my name. I've fabricated the fastest transistors on the planet and come up with novel device structures that'll (hopefully) keep compound semiconductor transistors moving towards the teraherz frequencies. It was the best time at work that I've ever had.

Currently, I grow II-VI detector material by MBE. That doesn't mean anything to anyone, so it's not going to help you. You know the nose camera footage that they show when smart bombs go into targets? I grow the stuff that makes that kinda camera. Currently, I'm growing the material that'll go into most of the cameras in the James Webb Space Telescope (think replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope... but not). The work is okay. It's kinda easy. Grad school was better.


If you want to go into civil, then do it. There'll be a lot more chicks in your classes, and if you think you're into water management... well, whose to say otherwise.

If you're up in the air about EE, then find yourself a co-op or internship in some area and try to esablish a direction. Grad school might also help. There are a LOT of opportunities in EE.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks this was the kind of info I was looking for. The part about working on II-VI detector material sounds interesting even though I have no idea what it is. Thats the hard part for me is that you kind of have to be an EE to understand what it is they actually do. By the time you get to the point where you know enough to determine if its really for you its like your stuck because of all the time and money spent getting there. I really think I want to be an EE it's just I've been second guessing a lot of stuff recently.
Thanks again

 
This thread is great! I'm a 3rd year EE student and I have the option of taking Computer Engineering and graduating with a BS in Computer Engineering (as opposed to EE). My question for you guys is, do you think I should do it? I've done some reserach and it seems that the two are not much different. What are your thoughts on this?
 
I'm a chemical engineer, but have had several roommates that were civil/mechanical/electrical/computer. I've worked in wastewater (a typically civil area). I can tell you a lot about any of them from a general viewpoint if you want. PM me.
 
i am a EE student, i can tell you that the material is pretty interesting if you could understand it. CE is easier... wayyyy easier than EE, and they suck...... 😛 nah i am just salty at the CE curriculum at our school, its so easy comparing to the EE curricumlum. We the EEs and the MEs like to make fun of them...
 
Originally posted by: n0e5cape
This thread is great! I'm a 3rd year EE student and I have the option of taking Computer Engineering and graduating with a BS in Computer Engineering (as opposed to EE). My question for you guys is, do you think I should do it? I've done some reserach and it seems that the two are not much different. What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

double up.
 
Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
I'm an EE. I did it from BS to PhD, and I have no regrets. As an undergrad it's not easy to see any light at the end of the tunnel. By that I mean that it's not easy to see where you're going to fit in as an EE when you graduate. That's part of why I stayed in school.

I'm into semiconductors. I had an internship every summer after freshman year through senior in silicon fabs. Most of it was programming, but then I was also in the fab in my later two years. I loved it.

In grad school I was doing work on compound semiconductor (III-V) bipolar transistors. I've got world record cutoff frequency papers in my name. I've fabricated the fastest transistors on the planet and come up with novel device structures that'll (hopefully) keep compound semiconductor transistors moving towards the teraherz frequencies. It was the best time at work that I've ever had.

Currently, I grow II-VI detector material by MBE. That doesn't mean anything to anyone, so it's not going to help you. You know the nose camera footage that they show when smart bombs go into targets? I grow the stuff that makes that kinda camera. Currently, I'm growing the material that'll go into most of the cameras in the James Webb Space Telescope (think replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope... but not). The work is okay. It's kinda easy. Grad school was better.


If you want to go into civil, then do it. There'll be a lot more chicks in your classes, and if you think you're into water management... well, whose to say otherwise.

If you're up in the air about EE, then find yourself a co-op or internship in some area and try to esablish a direction. Grad school might also help. There are a LOT of opportunities in EE.

Good luck.
Click to expand...



Impressive.



Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
95% of the people that go into EE because they like electronics and tech things end up dropping EE.
Click to expand...
Yeah, okay. Some people just can't hack the curriculum. Most of the guys who started out in my EE class at UIUC dropped in the first two years, but it had nothing to do with EE because (at that time) we hadn't even had an EE class!

The first two years was just math, physics, chemistry and whatever writing, social science and whatnot that the university required. It had nothing to do with EE in particular.

It not like it was a surprise. At orientation, the head of the department really did do that thing where we look to the left and look to the right; those guys won't be here in two years... and they weren't.

There's a reason UIUC has a huge School of Business. 😀
Click to expand...

I agree. I eventually got kicked out of my old school because I did not realize this. I am doing well now at a community college, but only after realizing that the "bs" my teachers used to spout was not BS. EE doesn't begin until you take all your maths, physics, etc. Hell, I love to brag that I am in Diff. Equations because I am so proud of how well I am doing, but only until recently did I realize how far I still have to go.

Personally, I enjoy the math immensely. I love solving problems and learning new information. Hell, I haven't gotten to the EE stuff yet, but I can;t wait.

<--only fool foolish enough to ask his calc and other math profs what he would do after finishing his math requirements to prevent himself from forgetting it all......

Prof: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..you haven' even started boy."
 
Originally posted by: Goosemaster
...EE doesn't begin until you take all your maths, physics, etc. Hell, I love to brag that I am in Diff. Equations because I am so proud of how well I am doing, but only until recently did I realize how far I still have to go.

Personally, I enjoy the math immensely. I love solving problems and learning new information. Hell, I haven't gotten to the EE stuff yet, but I can;t wait.

<--only fool foolish enough to ask his calc and other math profs what he would do after finishing his math requirements to prevent himself from forgetting it all......

Prof: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..you haven' even started boy."
Click to expand...

I can relate to you in a way. After Highschool I really didn't know what I wanted to do so I went the community college route so I wouldn't waste too much $$ if I screwed around. It didn't take me long to realize I liked science/math much more than the non-science liberal arts subjects.

I finally transferred and this will be my first quarter at at a csu in EE. I finished all my physics, math, etc but still haven't had an EE class. After this quarter I will try to evaluate my choice of EE and decide if I like it and want to continue or switch to civil.

Side note*
Any of you EE guys familar with the book 'electric circuits' by Nilsson?
 
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Originally posted by: Goosemaster
...EE doesn't begin until you take all your maths, physics, etc. Hell, I love to brag that I am in Diff. Equations because I am so proud of how well I am doing, but only until recently did I realize how far I still have to go.

Personally, I enjoy the math immensely. I love solving problems and learning new information. Hell, I haven't gotten to the EE stuff yet, but I can;t wait.

<--only fool foolish enough to ask his calc and other math profs what he would do after finishing his math requirements to prevent himself from forgetting it all......

Prof: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..you haven' even started boy."
Click to expand...

I can relate to you in a way. After Highschool I really didn't know what I wanted to do so I went the community college route so I wouldn't waste too much $$ if I screwed around. It didn't take me long to realize I liked science/math much more than the non-science liberal arts subjects.

I finally transferred and this will be my first quarter at at a csu in EE. I finished all my physics, math, etc but still haven't had an EE class. After this quarter I will try to evaluate my choice of EE and decide if I like it and want to continue or switch to civil.

Side note*
Any of you EE guys familar with the book 'electric circuits' by Nilsson?
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
Good thread...I am sophomore in college pursing EE degree. Dunno about it yet. Looks really shady. I mean I don't really have a clue what I'm going to do or what EEs do. But the semiconductor stuff sounds really interesting. I am just finishing up my maths and physics, etc. I'm in differential eqn and phy 2 right now. seems easy enough. but then i finished calc 3 in high school and forgot a lotta stuff. lol. the weird thing is i also excel at economics, so im minoring in economics and math.......what's the average salary for EEs??
 
Originally posted by: Goosemaster
<--only fool foolish enough to ask his calc and other math profs what he would do after finishing his math requirements to prevent himself from forgetting it all......

Prof: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..you haven' even started boy."
Click to expand...

Here are the math classes I have to take (from another school's site, but my path is very similar):

-MATH 009A. First-Year Calculus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 005 with a grade of "C-" or better or equivalent. Introduction to the differential calculus of functions of one variable. Credit is awarded for only one of MATH 009A or MATH 09HA.

-MATH 009B. First-Year Calculus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 009A with a grade of "C-" or better or MATH 09HA with a grade of "C-" or better. Introduction to the integral calculus of functions of one variable. Credit is awarded for only one of MATH 009B or MATH 09HB.

-MATH 009C. First-Year Calculus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 009B with a grade of "C-" or better or MATH 09HB with a grade of "C-" or better. Further topics from integral calculus, improper integrals, infinite series, Taylor's series, and Taylor's theorem. Credit is awarded for only one of MATH 009C or MATH 09HC.

-MATH 010A. Calculus of Several Variables (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 009B with a grade of "C-" or better or MATH 09HB with a "C-" or better or equivalent. Topics include Euclidean geometry, matrices and linear functions, determinants, partial derivatives, directional derivatives, Jacobians, gradients, chain rule, and Taylor's theorem for several variables.

-MATH 010B. Calculus of Several Variables (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 009C with a grade of "C-" or better or MATH 09HC with a grade of "C-" or better; MATH 010A with a grade of "C-" or better; or equivalents. Covers vectors; differential calculus, including implicit differentiation and extreme values; multiple integration; line integrals; vector field theory; and theorems of Gauss, Green, and Stokes.

-MATH 046. Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 009C with a grade of "C-" or better or MATH 09HC with a grade of "C-" or better or equivalent. Introduction to first-order equations, linear second-order equations, series solutions, and Laplace transforms, with applications to the physical and biological sciences.

-MATH 131. Linear Algebra I (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in or completion of MATH 010A. An introduction to vector spaces, matrices, and linear transformations. Credit is awarded for only one of MATH 113 or MATH 131.

-MATH 132. Linear Algebra II (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 113 with a grade of "C-" or better or MATH 131 with a grade of "C-" or better or equivalent. Further study of topics in linear algebra, including eigenvalues. Exploration of Hermitian and unitary matrices, positive definite matrices, and canonical forms.

-MATH 145A. Introduction to Topology (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 144. Elementary topology in metric spaces.

-MATH 145B. Introduction to Topology (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 145A. Geometric topology, algebra associated with finite complexes and applications.

-MATH 149A. Probability and Mathematical Statistics (4) Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010A, MATH 010B, completion of or concurrent enrollment in MATH 046. An introduction to the mathematical theory of probability and discrete and continuous distributions. Credit is awarded for only one of the MATH 149A, MATH 149B, and MATH 149C or STAT 160A, STAT 160B, and STAT 160C sequences.

-MATH 149B. Probability and Mathematical Statistics (4) Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010A, MATH 010B, MATH 046, MATH 149A. Continuation of MATH 149A. Topics include sampling and limit distributions. Credit is awarded for only one of the MATH 149A, MATH 149B, and MATH 149C or STAT 160A, STAT 160B, and STAT 160C sequences.

-MATH 149C. Probability and Mathematical Statistics (4) Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010A, MATH 010B, MATH 046, MATH 149A, MATH 149B. Continuation of MATH 149B. Topics include tests of hypotheses, estimation, maximum likelihood techniques, regression, and correlation. Credit is awarded for only one of the MATH 149A, MATH 149B, and MATH 149C or STAT 160A, STAT 160B, and STAT 160C sequences.

-MATH 151A. Advanced Calculus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010A, MATH 010B, MATH 046, MATH 145A; or consent of instructor. Involves a rigorous development of mathematical analysis, real and complex numbers, sequences and series, continuity, differentiation, and the Riemann-Stieltjes integral.

-MATH 151B. Advanced Calculus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010A, MATH 010B, MATH 046, MATH 145A, MATH 151A; or consent of instructor. Continuation of MATH 151A. Topics include sequences and series of functions and functions of several variables.

-MATH 151C. Advanced Calculus (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010A, MATH 010B, MATH 046, MATH 145A, MATH 151A, MATH 151B; or consent of instructor. Continuation of MATH 151B. Further study of several variables, integration of differential forms, and Lebesgue integration.

-MATH 165A. Introduction to Complex Variables (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010B. An introduction to the theory of analytic functions of a complex variable. Includes mappings by elementary functions, complex integrals, as well as Cauchy's theorem, power series, and Laurent series.

-MATH 165B. Introduction to Complex Variables (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 010B, MATH 165A. Topics include the theory of residues, conformal mapping, and applications to physical problems.

-MATH 171. Introduction to Modern Algebra (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 131, MATH 144. An introduction to the fundamental concepts of modern algebra: groups, subgroups, quotient groups, homomorphisms, symmetry groups, fundamental properties of rings, integral domains, ideals, and quotient rings.

-MATH 172. Modern Algebra (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MATH 171. Fundamental concepts of modern algebra: groups, fields, polynomials, geometric constructions, algebraic coding, boolean algebras.

-MATH 201A. Algebra (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 171, MATH 172, or equivalents. Topics include basic theory of groups and rings, the Sylow theorems, solvable groups, and the Jordan-Holder theorem.

-MATH 201B. Algebra (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 201A. Topics include rings, the functors hom and tensor, modules over a principle ideal domain, and applications to matrices.

-MATH 201C. Algebra (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 201B. Topics include algebraic and transcendental extensions of fields and the Galois theory, and the tensor and exterior algebras.

-MATH 205A. Topology (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 145B or equivalent. An introduction to pointset topology.

-MATH 205B. Topology (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 205A or equivalent. Covers homotopy theory and homology theory.

-MATH 205C. Topology (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 205A, MATH 205B, or equivalents. Covers differential topology.

-MATH 209A. Real Analysis (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 151C. Topics include Lebesgue measure, integration, and differentiation.

-MATH 209B. Real Analysis (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 209A. Topics include representation theorems, Hilbert space, Lebesgue spaces, and Banach spaces.

-MATH 209C. Real Analysis (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 209B. Topics include complex measures, general measure spaces, integration on product spaces, and Lebesgue spaces.

-MATH 210A. Complex Analysis (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 151C, MATH 165A. Studies include complex analytic functions, Cauchy's theorem, Cauchy's integral formula and the Laurent series, and the residue theorem.

-MATH 210B. Complex Analysis (4) Lecture, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MATH 210A. Studies include entire and meromorphic functions, normal families and the Riemann mapping theorem, and harmonic functions and the Dirichlet problem.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top