Electronics engineer vs Electrical engineer?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the choice between various engineering branches, specifically Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), Electronics and Electrical Engineering (EEE), and Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering (EIE). Participants explore the implications of these choices on future studies and career opportunities, including the possibility of pursuing a master's degree in electronics after completing a degree in Computer Science Engineering (CSE).

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a strong interest in electronics and seeks advice on whether to choose ECE, EEE, or EIE, and whether they can pursue a master's in electronics after studying CSE.
  • Another participant suggests that the choice of college and its placement opportunities should heavily influence the decision, noting that many ECE graduates end up in IT roles.
  • Several participants provide insights into the curriculum differences between ECE and EEE, detailing subjects covered in both fields, such as basic electronics, circuit analysis, and communication systems.
  • Concerns are raised about the perceived ease of CSE compared to ECE and EEE, with some arguing that ECE and EEE offer more challenging and diverse career paths.
  • There is a discussion about the relevance of instrumentation engineering, with some uncertainty about its alignment with participants' interests.
  • One participant shares their experience of being convinced to avoid CSE due to its overlap with ECE and EEE, seeking further clarification on what they would miss by choosing one over the other.
  • Links to syllabi for EEE and ECE are shared for comparison, indicating that curriculum content may vary significantly between institutions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the merits of each engineering branch, with no clear consensus on which path is superior. Some emphasize the importance of personal interest and future goals, while others focus on job market trends and educational content.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the importance of checking specific college syllabi and placement statistics, indicating that the discussion is influenced by individual circumstances and regional educational structures. There is also a lack of clarity regarding the specific subjects and career opportunities associated with instrumentation engineering.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering a career in engineering, particularly those interested in electronics and related fields, as well as those weighing the options between different engineering disciplines.

judas_priest
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My major interest is in electronics. I have my college admission counselling in two days, and I'm stuck with this dilemma of which branch to choose. I also have Computer Science engineering as an option. These vacations I took up C++ and it's going well.

Question 1
Can I do my masters in electronics if I take Computer Science engineering?

Question 2:
What do I opt for? Electronics and communication engineering or Electronics and Electrical engineering? I also have Electronics and instrumentation engineering as an option.
(A solid reason to why the course you suggest would help a lot.)

Thank you!
 
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It depends on which college you are opting for and how are the opportunities... Generally, majority of the people who take electronics and communication end up in IT companies. So which country/state are you from? What is your rank? Which colleges are your options? Check the placement details in those colleges. See whether the E&C students are getting an electronics oriented job (If that's what you want to do)... Post here certain details I mentioned... I'll give you some more details then...
 
I'm from visakhapatnam. Getting into Gitam University. What ever course I opt for, I don't think I'll take the jobs they have to offer. I plan to master the field I opt for. Hopefully abroad. But that's talking way into future. My interest is in Electronics, as well as computers. Like I said, I have taken up C++ recently, and it's going really well
 
ShreyasR said:
It depends on which college you are opting for and how are the opportunities... Generally, majority of the people who take electronics and communication end up in IT companies. So which country/state are you from? What is your rank? Which colleges are your options? Check the placement details in those colleges. See whether the E&C students are getting an electronics oriented job (If that's what you want to do)... Post here certain details I mentioned... I'll give you some more details then...

I'd also like Electronics and Electrical engineering vs Electronics and Instrumentation engineering to be compared. Please help me out with what is what.
Any field I do, I'd like to go work for CERN as a Computer/software engineer or an electrical/electronics engineer. I know it sounds very immature and something that is not very easy, but that's what I aim at.
 
Computer Science Engineering is a branch where people crowd in like sheep. If you are planning to do masters immediately after you UG course, then I suggest to take ECE or EEE. These branches have more options available. You get to study many CS related stuff even if you take ECE... (Not too sure about EEE)... You can search for Post graduate course eligibility in various IITs, NITs, and foreign universities. There is a list of PG courses you can take up for different BE/Btech branches studied. There you get to know the differences between opportunities after ECE and EEE...

CSE is the easiest branch of engineering. Even after you do masters, you get only software oriented jobs... ECE and EEE are challenging. Some of the various fields of research/jobs are VLSI, embedded systems, automation, robotics, satellite communication, etc... So, you decide!
 
I am still doing first year BE. In first year of engineering, we have subjects called "Basic electronics" and "Basic Electrical engineering." This tells us the basic differences between them...
In Basic electronics, we have:
Diodes, transistors, basic circuits using diodes and transistors like digital logic gates, amplifiers, oscillators(AC frequency oscillators), operational amplifiers (an integrated circuit), Digital electronics, and other semiconductor devices, Communication: AM, FM, transmitting and receiving antennas.
In electrical engineering we have:
Basic laws like ohm's law, kirchhoffs laws, network (circuit) analysis, capacitors, inductors, transformers, three phase systems, DC machines (generator and motor), AC generators, Induction motors, measuring instruments, domestic wiring, etc.
So this is basically the contents...
Check out the E&C syllabus and EEE syllabus. Check what all subjects they have through the 4 years course. You will get an idea of what u will be studying in EC that you will be missing in EE, and what you'll be studying in EE and not in EC...
 
ShreyasR said:
I am still doing first year BE. In first year of engineering, we have subjects called "Basic electronics" and "Basic Electrical engineering." This tells us the basic differences between them...
In Basic electronics, we have:
Diodes, transistors, basic circuits using diodes and transistors like digital logic gates, amplifiers, oscillators(AC frequency oscillators), operational amplifiers (an integrated circuit), Digital electronics, and other semiconductor devices, Communication: AM, FM, transmitting and receiving antennas.
In electrical engineering we have:
Basic laws like ohm's law, kirchhoffs laws, network (circuit) analysis, capacitors, inductors, transformers, three phase systems, DC machines (generator and motor), AC generators, Induction motors, measuring instruments, domestic wiring, etc.
So this is basically the contents...
Check out the E&C syllabus and EEE syllabus. Check what all subjects they have through the 4 years course. You will get an idea of what u will be studying in EC that you will be missing in EE, and what you'll be studying in EE and not in EC...
Thanks a lot! You've convinced me to not take CSE. I too was weak on that option because I noticed EEE and ECE do have a lot in common with CSE. Anyways, can you tell me what I'll be missing out in EEE if I take ECE and what I'll be missing out in ECE if i take EEE? I'll check the syllabus too. It's always good to know from someone, so it'd be great if you could point out.

Thanks!

Which branch and college are you from?
 
I am studying ECE at PESIT (south campus) in bangalore... The sllabus may be quite different from here. In many universities abroad they offer "electrical engineering" and it will include Electrical, electronics and communication. Anyway the subjects might be similar i both our universities...

Subjects studied in EEE:
http://www.vtuplanet.com/download.p...&file=eescheme2010+(VTUPlanet.com)Schemes.pdf

Subjects studied in ECE:

http://www.vtuplanet.com/download.p...&file=ecscheme2010+(VTUPlanet.com)Schemes.pdf

Compare both of them... You will get to know what you are going to learn in both...
 
You will not be having Communication subjects like digital signal processing, digital communication, etc in EEE and you will not be having Subjects like DC and synchronous machines, transformers and induction machines etc... (though you will be studying these very briefly in first year!)
 
  • #10
What about Electronics and Instrumentation engineering? Is it worth considering?
 
  • #11
Not sure... I don't know about the subjects studied there and whether they match your interests... You can have it as an option after the ECE and EEE... Instrumentation deals with construction of voltmeters, ammeters, multimeters, wattmeters, oscilloscopes, and other instruments like that i guess...
 
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  • #12
ShreyasR said:
Not sure... I don't know about the subjects studied there and whether they match your interests... You can have it as an option after the ECE and EEE... Instrumentation deals with construction of voltmeters, ammeters, multimeters, wattmeters, oscilloscopes, and other instruments like that i guess...

I went ahead and took EIE. Could you please tell more about this course? Also, please recommend a few books on electronics. and Engineering Mathematics too.
 

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