Masters in Electrical Engineering Jobs
Masters in Electrical Engineering Jobs
The field of electrical engineering in general has shifted towards electronics and towards the use of electricity in computer operations, computer systems and microelectronics as applied in the thousands of consumer applications we see today. There are however some electrical engineering jobs along more traditional lines that are also focused on new designs for electricity or electrical generation. Solar power and wind generated power are both growing industrial fields as is the development of hybrid vehicles. All of these fields present challenges in the areas of electrical generation and electrical storage. There are substantial engineering and product development efforts underway in these fields, that are producing some interesting career opportunities for graduates in electrical engineering who have gone to the postgraduate level in education.
1. Digital Design Engineer: This catchall term refers to work designing functionality for devices that utilize microprocessors and digital transmission of signals and communication commands. The majority of consumer devices powered by a wall socket or a battery today have some sort of microchip incorporated into the operating components; each of these products has required an electrical engineer's services for design and testing procedures. Automobiles, toasters, and thousands of products developed for industrial and military use have digital circuits built in and behind them, electrical engineers who have been part of the design team.
2. Power Generation Engineer: There are hundreds of positions for electrical engineers in the energy sector. Starting with a single power generation plant, engineers are required for general troubleshooting purposes, for testing upgrades or replacement equipment, for monitoring existing operations and at the senior level, for maintaining "Balance of Plant" (BOP) policies, procedures and training programs to ensure operations stability. Electrical engineers are called on to design interconnects for any facility that is contributing power to the grid such as a commercial solar generation installation that sells excess power back into the grid or a wind farm that is owned by an outside source. Power grids also require engineering to manage capacity, increased needs and additional service areas.
3. Verification Engineer: For every integrated circuit that comes off the drawing boards and is produced, a reliable test procedure must be established in order to ensure product quality and reliability. For companies that manufacture electronic products the test bench is one of the most important product development stages. For firms that are building out broadband networks or fiber intranets, the same principle applies. Every circuit must be tested for reliability, durability and for potential weak spots. Failsafe measures may be designed into a system but any electrical engineer knows that a system won't be proven until it has been properly vetted through testing. Most companies working with complex integrated circuits prefer an electrical engineer with graduate level training.
4. Power Conversion Engineer: Consumer electronic devices have some sort of power converter on board, designed to charge batteries at a current level far reduced from the 120 volts coming out of a wall socket. Power conversion plays a role in automotive devices that require electricity and/or have microchips embedded; power conversion is an issue for every manufacturer producing mobile communication devices today and it is an issue that can vary from market to market. European power requires different conversion equipment than power generated in a North American grid. Electrical engineers working in this field need to understand transformer and generator design theory, microcircuit design and test protocol management.
5. RF Engineer: There is a healthy job market in the microwave field that is going to remain healthy for the foreseeable future. RF (radio frequency) experts are electrical engineers who can manage system development, upgrade or repair for microwave systems used for cable television transmission, cellular telephone towers, and dozens of military applications. RF transmission is the baseline technology for every wireless device, from routers to Bluetooth devices to many remote control devices.
