Areas of Concentration as an EE Graduate Student

[ClydeS6]

I would like to earn an EE Masters degree but am unsure what my concentration should be. I don't have much experience in any given area and feel now is the time to go back to school so I can get it done while I'm single and without a family. I am wondering what areas offer the most opportunities or if you know of any good articles that may provide some insight. Examples of concentrations include; Computer Engineering, Microelectronics, VLSI & Simulation, Power Systems, Signal Processing & Comm Systems, Control Theory, I'm sure there are others. I work for a large aerospace company that will pay for my education. They have a need for about every specialty so I feel free to choose whatever I think offers the most opportunity and interests me. What direction is industry trending? Are Computer and Microelectronics jobs being offshored? This shouldn't be a problem in a defense contractor position but I'm not guaranteed a job here forever either. What specialty would you choose and why? Is there any reason I shouldn't go into Communications Systems or Control Systems?

 

[KENAT]

May be more appropriate over in forum731

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484

 

[ClydeS6]

Yikes! Not the type of response I was expecting - links to forum policies. While the question does pertain to bettering myself, the reason I choose to post it here is because I am curious where industry is heading. I think this would be important to understand before pursuing a graduate degree in engineering. At the heart of my question is what areas of EE offers the best oppurtunities, this implies future oppurtunities based on trends and where industry is headed. I hope this clarifies my questions.

 

[davidbeach]

Don't worry about the links to forum policies, that's just his standard signature. Power engineers are retiring at a far faster rate than new ones are becoming available. Good protection engineers are even harder to come by.

 

[ScottyUK]

Power is definitely a field with massive recruitment problems because of a gross lack of qualified and experienced engineers. Rotating plant is in the same state as protection - good generator and AVR engineers are becoming very rare.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[Eleceng01]

davidbeach & ScottyUK are both right, but I would recommend doing some 'soul searching' to find what makes you tick. Think back to your undergrad classes & which ones made you get excited when you thought about them. It doesn't pay to be stuck in a field/job that you hate just because the money/demand for people is good!

I have been doing protection for 7 years now and I have LOVED every day - it is bad when you would do it for free just because it is fun (though I DO like getting paid for it)! Just find what you will love to do & trust me, you will be in demand!

Every client (as I am a consultant) I meet does ask though "why don't you come here to work instead?"

Good luck!

 

[ScottyUK]

Eleceng01,

I've been searching for my soul for ages and I still haven't found it. I think I may have mortgaged it to the devil just to pay the bills when the power industry was in the bad old days of the early 90's. The current boom in our industry is merely making amends for some pretty lean years.



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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[RossABQ]

Ditto the power comments -- very much in demand.

My question to you is, why get a Masters? I have three boys in college and all echo this same refrain. It appears to be drilled into them by the professors, who have a vested interest in wringing more money out of each student. There is nothing wrong with a Bachelors, and you'll find that you learn more on the job than you will in a class that is a minimum of 2 - 3 yrs behind the times.

By all means get registered!