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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
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
- Read more about Optical Engineering
Optics is the branch of physics and engineering that involves the properties of light and how it interacts with matter. Optical engineers use lasers, lenses, spectrometers, and other systems that manipulate light to design equipment used in a wide array of fields, from medicine and manufacturing to communications and space exploration. Students of optical engineering gain the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to work in these and other sectors.
Earning a degree in this field begins with foundational courses in mathematics and science. Lectures and labs then focus on the combined use of electronics and light; laser systems; optic fiber transmission capabilities; generating, detecting, and manipulating light; and designing optical systems.