Choosing a Stream for 2nd Year EE Student

[Lunat1c]

Hi,

I will be a 2nd year EE student as of next september and I need to choose a stream (I am in a 3 year program and I'm from europe). There are 3 main streams but I already ruled the Electrical Power stream out as it doesn't seem for me. The 2 streams left are the Electronics stream and the Systems & Control Stream.

The 2nd years of both these streams have basically the same study units. The difference is mainly in the 3rd year. Also, the electronics stream has a further specialisation into either VLSI or RF.

When it comes to the electronics stream, the 3rd year deals with:

• Feedback Control Systems -- which covers the basic approaches for designing a linear feedback control system in continuous and discrete-time domains.
• Electronic Instrumentation and Measurement -- which covers sensors and transducers, instrumentation building blocks and linear regulators
• Digital Processors and Interfacing -- this unit covers ADC and DAC technologies and interfacing with digital processors.
• Apart from the above mentioned units, one must also choose VLSI or RF related units.

Regarding the Systems & Control stream, the 3rd year consists of:

• Control Systems Design -- This unit covers the classical tools for designing linear feedback control systems by dynamic compensation networks and PID controllers using frequency response and root-locus methodologies.
• Control Systems Technology and Automation - covers control system components and implementation techniques that are used in the practice of modern automation and control engineering. These include industrial automation technology, sensors and actuators.
• Digital Control Systems - covers analysis and design techniques for controlling dynamic systems by digital computer technology.
• Discrete-time Dynamic Systems and Signals 2
• Computational Intelligence - Introduces the concepts and relevant algorithms for intelligent systems and develop the ability to select appropriate methods and computational techniques.

Now, given a brief description of what the two streams are all about, I got a couple questions:

1. When I look at these two syllabi I see interesting units in both even though I'm not completely familiar with each of their descriptions, and hence it's very difficult to make a choice based on good knowledge of what each and every unit entails. In layman's terms, could you explain what differences you see between the two from the above mentioned units? For some reason I have the impression that Systems & Control involves a lot of mechanics which is something that I don't enjoy much. Also, most professors in the systems & control department work in biomedical engineering fields and I have the impression that I will be restricted to that field if I choose this stream.
   
2. As mentioned above, in the electronics stream there's a further choice between VLSI and RF. Could anyone please give me his opinion about these two fields? (perhaps some people on here are or have been involved in these fields themselves?) VLSI sounds very interesting to me, I understand it involves a lot of programming and there's a lot of R&D going on in this field. However I don't know much about RF so once again this makes it quite difficult to choose between the two if I come to that.
   
3. If I want to be able to go into a masters program in avoinics systems design or autonomous vehichle dynamics and control or perhaps Astronautics and Space Engineering, which stream do you think would be best for each of these?

Sorry for the long post, I just really have nowhere else to seek a good opinion from. I appreciate any help you guys could offer. Thanks a lot.

 

[Lunat1c]

anyone please?