What can I do with a major in electrical and computer engineering?

Areas

Production
Sales and Marketing
Management
Consulting
Research and Development
Teaching
Law

Employers

Industry
Business
Federal, state, and local government
Colleges and universities

Sample occupations

Obtain related experience through co-op or internships for business/industry-related career.
MBA degree provides best opportunities in technical management.
Obtain a Ph.D. for optimal teaching and research careers.
Develop strong verbal and written communication skills.
Learn federal, state, and local government job application procedures.

Areas

Propulsion
Fluid Mechanics
Thermodynamics
Structures
Celestial Mechanics
Acoustics
Guidance and Control

Employers

Aircraft, guided missile, and space vehicle industries
Communications equipment manufacturers
Commercial airlines
Federal government departments: Defense National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Business and engineering firms

Sample occupations

Keep abreast of status of federal funding for defense and space programs.
Seek co-op opportunities.
Develop effective verbal and written communication skills.
Learn to work well within a team.

Areas

Natural Resources

• Soil and Water Conservation

International Consulting
Environmental Control
Agricultural Structures
Power and Machinery
Electronic Systems
Food Engineering
Genetic Engineering
Engineering Technology

Employers

Technological agricultural industries
Land grant universities:

• Experimental farm stations 
• Research laboratories

Consulting firms
Equipment design, testing, and manufacturing firms
Equipment and food industries including processing, packaging, and storing
Quality control for food, feed, fiber, etc.
Biotechnology research firms
Foreign Service

Sample occupations

Participate in internship or co-op programs.
Acquire strong computer skills.
Learn a foreign language for work in foreign service.
Develop strong math and problem solving skills.

Areas

Bioengineering

• Design
• Development 
• Manufacturing

Medical Engineering

• Instrumentation 
• Materials 
• Diagnostic/Therapeutic Devices 
• Artificial Organs
• Medical Equipment

Rehabilitation Engineering
Bio-Environmental Engineering

Employers

Manufacturers of medical and surgical devices
Hospitals and healthcare facilities
Federal government:

• Regulatory agencies 
• Veteran's Administration 
• National Institutes of Health 
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Industry
Research facilities of educational and medical institutions

Sample occupations

Develop strong team work skills.
Many positions require a graduate or professional degree.
Serves as a good background for medical school.

Areas

Administration

• Design and Construction
• Project Engineering
• Control Systems
• Field Engineering 
• Process Engineering

Operations/Production
Environmental and Waste Management

• Development 
• Design

Employers

Independent research institutes
Consulting organizations
Chemical industry including:

• Agricultural chemicals
• Plastics
• Industrial chemicals
• Petroleum 
• Pharmaceutical
• Cosmetic 
• Food processing 
• Atomic energy development
• Environmental 

Federal government including:

• Department of Energy 
• Environmental Protection Agency 

Manufacturing plants including automotive, air plane, paper, microelectronics, textiles, metals, rubber, food, and beverage 

Sample occupations

Develop exceptional interpersonal skills.
Acquire technical work experience during college years.

Areas

Structural
Urban and Community Planning
Construction
Environmental 
Water Resources
Transportation and Pipeline
Geotechnical
Photogrammetry, Surveying and Mapping Materials 

Employers

Construction industry
Engineering or architectural firms
Utility companies
Oil companies
Telecommunications businesses
Manufacturing companies
Consulting firms
Railroads
State and federal government agencies

Sample occupations

Learn to work well within a team.
Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Develop physical stamina for outdoor work.
Get experience in organizing and directing workers and materials.
Ability to visualize objects in three dimensions is helpful.
Demand has remained steady due to broad nature of discipline.
States may require licensing or registration.

Areas

Power Electronics
Power Systems
Communications
Electronics
Control Systems
Digital Signal Processing
Microelectronics
Image Processing & Robotics
Computer Engineering
Plasma Engineering
Computer Vision

Employers

Manufacturing firms and industry including:

• Aeronautical/Aerospace 
• Automotive 
• Business machines 
• Professional and scientific equipment 
• Consumer products
• Chemical and petrochemical 
• Computers
• Construction 
• Defense
• Electric utilities 
• Electronics
• Environmental 
• Food and beverage 
• Glass, ceramics, and metals 
• Machine tools
• Mining and metallurgy
• Nuclear 
• Oceanography
• Pulp and paper 
• Textiles 
• Transportation 
• Water and wastewater

Public utilities
Federal government including:

• Armed forces 
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 
• National Institutes of Health 
• Bureau of Standards
• Department of Defense
• Various commissions 

Consulting firms
Free-lance consulting

Sample occupations

Develop effective verbal and written communication skills.
Gain experience in team work.
Acquire capacity for details.
Develop interpersonal skills.
Obtain research experience.

Areas

Operations Research
Applied Behavioral Science Systems
Manufacturing Management
Information Engineering
Computer Systems Design and Development

Employers

Manufacturing industries
Accounting firms
Retail distribution organizations
Banks and financial institutions
Hospitals and healthcare organizations
Educational and public service agencies
Transportation industries
Construction industries
Public utilities
Electrical and electronics machinery industries
Consulting firms

Sample occupations

Take courses in psychology, sociology and anthropology to learn more about people and how they behave.
Earn an MBA for advancement in management or administration.

Areas

Metallurgy
Ceramics
Plastics/Polymers
Composites
Research
Extractive
Process
Applications
Management
Sales
Service
Consulting

Employers

Materials producing companies
Manufacturing companies including automobiles, appliances, electronics, aerospace equipment, machinery, medicine
Service companies including airlines, railroads, and utilities
Consulting firms
Government agencies:

• Department of Defense 
• National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) 

Research institutes
Publishers

Sample occupations

Many positions require a graduate degree.
Some areas benefited by additional study in business administration, medicine, management and/or law. Develop good communication skills.
Gain laboratory and research experience as an undergraduate.

Areas

Mechanical Power Generation

• Internal Combustion Engines
• Jet Engines 
• Steam Power Plants 
• Rockets
• Energy Utilization and Conservation 

Thermal/Fluids

• Thermodynamics 
• Environmental Control 
• Refrigeration
• Instrumentation and Control

Machine Sciences

• Mechanical Design 
• Manufacturing and Production 
• Robotics 
• Operation and Maintenance

Employers

Transportation

• Automotive industry
• Aerospace industry
• Military laboratories

Utilities

• Steam driven electric power stations 

Equipment Design

• Plants 
• Nuclear power stations 

Electronics industry
Petro-Chemical

• Drilling & production, plant operations

Manufacturing

• Consumer products
• Chemical products
• Farm equipment
• Industrial equipment
• Paper and wood products
• Textile equipment 

Consulting engineering firms

Sample occupations

Obtain related experience through internships or co-op.
Take additional courses in area(s) of interest.
Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Areas

Design
Planning
Operations
Administration
Regulations

Employers

Private industry and businesses involved with:

• Air pollution control
• Industrial hygiene
• Radiation protection
• Hazardous waste management
• Toxic materials control
• Water supply
• Storm water and wastewater management
• Solid waste disposal
• Public health
• Land management

Private engineering consulting firms
Construction firms
Research firms
Testing laboratories
International organizations

Sample occupations

Consider a master's degree for advancement.
Foreign language ability beneficial for international work.

Areas

Engineering Mechanics
Biomedical Engineering
Computational Mechanics
Engineering Materials

Employers

Industry
Manufacturing
Research organizations

Sample occupations

Interdisciplinary program with broad training in engineering science, mathematics, and physical or biological science.