Help deciding higher education - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Jaxper_
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 13, 2019, 11:01:30 am
content: Alright. To begin with, I understand that this question going to be very specific and possibly impossible to answer. I just want you guys' opinion.So, the question is as follows: I'm applying to higher education come fall, and I've settled on Electronics Engineering. However, all schools offer different masters programmes and it's understandably difficult to know now which master you'd want to study in 3 years time. So what I'd like to know is, how much does the masters programme matter when applying for different jobs? Just looking at the EEE, can I still get EE jobs that don't align with my masters programme of choice?More specifically, for the time being I know now that I want to either work with electronics for environmental uses. Such as solar and wind, etc. Or, I would want to work in the gaming industry with things like developing consoles or VR equipment. Can I get a job in either of those areas with any EEE + Masters programme combination? Or would my masters programme of choice be crucial?I know that you might not have an answer to this specific question, I just want to know how broad the EEE is. If I have to know everything now, or if it won't matter if I change my mind mid education in which field I'd want to work in.I'm thankful for any insight you can provide and I thank you for taking the time reading my question!

author: HalFET
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2019, 11:13:22 am
content: Honestly, just go for what's most convenient (transport, financially, ...) unless if a university has a particularly bad reputation. On the other hand, if you do have a few choices, check which programs are most interesting to you personally. Especially in electives there can be quite a lot of difference depending on who's around to teach. But you'd have to check what the regulations are in your country to get the legal title of engineer, large power companies working on green energy projects will probably look at that unless if you already got a foot in the door somehow. In most European countries it means getting the full four or five year degree.And crashing over to specific sub-fields of EE isn't too difficult, just be prepared to prove your prowess or at very least documented interest for that specific subject during the job interview if necessary.

author: Jaxper_
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 13, 2019, 11:34:46 am
content: Quote from: HalFET on March 13, 2019, 11:13:22 amI'll probably end up deciding on whichever programme seems more fun. I'm just paranoid I guess that I might change my mind during or after the education, and not be able to work in the field I want to. I don't know, I'm probably overthinking this.

author: Refrigerator
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2019, 05:10:04 pm
content: I personally went to whichever university was closest.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2019, 07:54:02 pm
content: Quote from: Jaxper_ on March 13, 2019, 11:01:30 amWell, these are two pretty different directions. Solar and wind POWER are not really what comes to mind when I think "environmental". That brings to mind maybe remote sensing and data acquisition. But, when you say solar and wind, that is power electronics. Certainly a GROWING field! So, in that case, you'd want to study power systems at some level, power electronics, and so on.Totally different from the gaming industry, that's more software, really, than electronics, although the software obviously runs on electronics.Jon

author: Refrigerator
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2019, 08:16:12 pm
content: My friend is studying renewable energy and if i remember right it has almost nothing to do with EE.

author: HalFET
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2019, 08:18:34 pm
content: Quote from: Refrigerator on March 14, 2019, 08:16:12 pmMost renewable energy courses are more about politics than actual renewable energy. This is also why most of these renewable energy "specialists" in politics don't quite seem to understand that you kind of want a stable power grid and that storage isn't a magical thing that occurs on its own... But that aside, power electronics is a pretty good field to get into, especially solid state RF power electronics seems to be a bit of a hot topic now among the package and PCB technology folks.

author: Refrigerator
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2019, 10:07:01 pm
content: I think it's more important to look for not what's hot now but what will be hot 4 years from now.And i feel like renewable energy will be a pretty hot topic in a few years.

author: HalFET
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2019, 10:12:45 am
content: Quote from: Refrigerator on March 14, 2019, 10:07:01 pmIf you could predict the next fad you'd be richer than almost anyone. But I wouldn't depend on it lasting, funding for solar panel installation projects has diminished significantly over recent years for example. Wind power is in this weird place at the moment because some of the first mass-installed turbines are probably going to be reaching EOL within the next decade, which will either create a very large market for new ones or kill the existing market entirely.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2019, 07:25:18 pm
content: Choose the university in the most interesting place

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 07:30:07 am
content: When I finished university (somewhen in last century's nineties), the "masters programme" (the equivalent back then was called "Fachrichtung") chosen didn't matter at all for the later jobs. University reputation has some weight, most important is: While your university time you'd learn to constantly learn and keep up with your stuff on the job.

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 11:56:56 am
content: Are there any universities that have built in summer internships with their courses?? This might be a factor and would let you out into the real world a bit. It would give you a view of engineering and help you choose a particular area of interest. Also internships were PAID.When I went to engineering school, after the second year, you spent one trimester in school and then one at work till you graduated in total of 5 years. (personally I dropped out and went into something else)Another comment about specialty.... when I went to engineering school, most professors has no idea of what a computer was. I had an acquaintance who really was in charge of the computer program, he was an engineering student, not even a grad student. I think he also owned a computing company. (back in 1968)I say this in order to give you an example of upcoming technologies, could be anything...maybe bio power next??? HA!Although basics in engineering school are necessary it would be nice to get out into the real world and see what part of engineering you prefer.