Undecided about what branch of Engineering.

[2slowtogofast]

I have been going back and forth about going into mechanical or electrical engineering.
i want to use a lot of math in my daily activities, so I am thinking possibly electrical.

which one ( if any ) has more job openings

could someone possibly compare and contrast the two breifly for me
thanks

 

[kdinser]

Here is a good place to start

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm

 

[Asphodel]

They both have scads of job openings (as BLS will quantify). They both encompass a broad range of actual jobs, although generally speaking one works with machines and the other with circuits. Is there anything particular you're interested in doing?

There's always physics - physicists are basically the stem cells of the engineering world (although studies are still being conducted to determine whether or not you can use them to actually build another Shakey's Pizza).

 

[DefaultName]

As far as job outlook, it seems to be going good NOW. It can get better or worse in 4 years. You never know. Internships throughout your college career, strong GPA, and involvement in organizations such as IEEE or ACM can help your chances, especially if you have leadership roles in those societies. These things can get you a good jumpstart when beginning a career - since it'll be somewhat easier to find a job / have a manager look at your resume instead of putting it in the "dont hire" pile.

---

I saved this when I came across this, I thought it provided a nice solid understanding of what you can get into and might expect from the EE field.

Note: I did not write this, I think I got it from Boeing's website. Not sure.

COMPUTER ENGINEERING is centered in digital design, computer architecture, and computer applications. This includes circuits and devices, computer systems, and engineering software systems. Computers pervade virtually every aspect of our lives, and the field of computer engineering is moving to the forefront of our increasingly technology driven world. Computer engineering encompasses and interacts with a broad range of other ECE specialties, from microelectronics technology to telecommunications to engineering software development.

* Computer Architecture
* Embedded Systems and Software
* Design Tools, Test and Verification
* Computer Networks and lnternetworking
* Distributed Systems and Software
* VLSI Design

DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING (DSP) is concerned with the representation of signals in digital form, and with the transformation of such signal representations using digital computation. DSP is at the core of virtually all of today's information technology, and its impact is felt everywhere – in telecommunications, medical technology, radar and sonar, and in seismic data analysis. ECE offers the largest undergraduate and graduate DSP academic programs in the country, providing a strong foundation in all aspects of digital signal processing.

* DSP Theory
* Image and Video Signal Processing
* Multimedia Signal Processing and Networking
* Signal Processing for Communications and Security .
* Radar and Array Processing .
* Speech and Audio Processing .
* Statistical Signal Processing .
* Hardware/Software Systems for Signal Processing


ELECTRIC POWER is primarily concerned with meeting the future demand for electric energy while satisfying environmental constraints. Instruction and research is conducted in power systems, electric energy conversion, power electronics, high-voltage engineering, electric power materials and semiconductors.

* Power System Monitoring, Analysis Protection, Operation and Control
* Distributed Generation
* Power System Simulation and Visualization
* High Voltage Engineering and Power System Components
* Electric Machine Control, Condition and Monitoring and Protection
* Power Electronics


ELECTROMAGNETICS involves the study of basic principles of electricity and magnetism and their application to the analysis and design of devices and systems. Applications of electromagnetics encompass such far-reaching areas as microwave communications, antenna design, microwave millimeter engineering, and remote sensing. These cutting edge technologies are applied to national defense and security, the space program, and every form of commercial communications.

* Microwave Circuits
* Remote Sensing of Obscured Targets
* RadioScience, Plantary Remote Sensing, and Space Communications
* Analysis and Design of Antennas
* Computational Techniques for Electromagnetics
* Signal- tntegrity in Digital and Mixed Signal Systems .
* Terrestrial Radio Wave Propagation


ELECTRONIC DESIGN AND APPLICATIONS involves device and integrated circuit fabrication, circuit and system design and simulation, and instrumentation and testing techniques. Areas of emphasis include the design, fabrication, testing and application of analog and digital integrated circuits and systems and high frequency circuits and systems.

* MEMs Circuit Technology
* Analog VLSI
* Radio Frequency/VVireless Integrated Circuits (RFIC)
* High Speed Mixed Signal
* Analog

MICROSYSTEMS is concerned with the design, analysis, growth, and fabrication of micron/sub-micron feature length devices. These devices are the key enabling technology for the integrated circuits and systems that form the basis of most contemporary electronic products. Areas of emphasis include semiconductor devices, packaging technology, and materials growth and characterization.

* Microsystems and Nanosystems
* Photovoltaics
* Microelectronics Systems Packaging
* Manufacturing and Gigascale Integration
* Compound Semiconductors
* Biomedical Microsystems


OPTICS AND PHOTONICS involves the study of lasers, optical data processing, nonlinear optics, optical communications, optical_ computing, optical data storage, optical system design and holography. Areas of emphasis include volume holography studies, hybrid optical digital data processing, image processing and the study of optic properties of materials.

* Optical Communication Networks
* Nonlinear Optics
* Photonics and optoelectronics
* Diffractive and holographic optics


SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS is concerned with mathematical and computational techniques for modeling, estimation, realization, identification and design of feedback control of physical systems and processes. Applications include missile tracking and guidance, robotic control, stabilization and model reduction of power systems.

* Mathematical systems theory
* Discrete event systems and hybrid system
* Nonlinear control
* Computer vision
* Intelligent control
* Sensor technologies


TELECOMMUNICATIONS is concerned with the characterization, representation, transmission, storage, and networking of information over various media including space, optical fiber, and cable. Harnessing technologies from areas such as digital signal processing, computer engineering, controls, and optics, telecommunications plays a defining role in information technology applications such as mobile communications, wireless local area networks, television, and telephony.

* Wireless Communications and Networking
* Communication Theory
* Information Theory and Adaptive Systems
* Multimedia Networking
* Inter-networking, Network Management, and Network Security
* Optical Networks