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Electrical Engineering and Related Studies is a degree category that consists of the following common degrees:
- Read more about Electrical Engineering
Students of electrical engineering learn how to use physics, electronics, and electromagnetism to design devices that are powered by or produce electricity. Most degree programs in the field start with foundational classes in calculus, physics, and chemistry and then focus on:
- Understanding Basic Electrical Theory
- What is Electricity?
- Understanding Current – the two types of electric current: direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC)
- Series and Parallel Circuits – series circuits are connected in-line with the power source; parallel circuits branch off from the power supply
- The Fundamental Laws of Electricity – Ohm’s Law, Kirchoff’s Voltage Law KVL, Kirchoff’s Current Law (KCL)
A common first year of electrical engineering studies includes the theoretical and practical aspects of:
- Circuit Analysis
- Programming
- Electronic Design
- Digital Design
Because of the wide spectrum of industries that employ electrical engineers, specialization in a subfield is quite common. These specializations include:
- Power – design of large-scale power systems for residential, commercial, or industrial use
- Systems / Control / Instrumentation – design, development, installation, maintenance of equipment used to control engineering systems
- Electronics – focuses on the electromagnetic circuits that make machines run; and the design and testing of electronic components
- Microelectronics
- Signal Processing – focuses on analyzing and altering digital signals to make them more accurate
- Telecommunications – information theory, wireless networking, noise suppression, compression, and security
- Computers – software/hardware integration