Electrical Engineering

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Are there any good Electrical Engineering programs out there? I don't mean for a kid with great grades going from High School to Manhattan College but for electricians with trade quallifications looking to get an Associates? Like an ASEET either from a community college or online that is ABET approved? Just curious!
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
I'm sure that there are many such programs available all over the country. But do keep in mind that an ASEET is a degree in "Electrical Engineering Technology," not "Electrical Engineering." The difference is that the EET has an emphasis on laboratory work and test equipment, whereas the EE has an emphasis on mathematics and theoretical sciences (i.e., physics, chemistry, and materials science). So be sure to look into the available programs, and pick the one that works best for you.

To get more help from the membership of this Forum, it would help us to know where you live (NY, perhaps?).

You can also get help from you local library, or by chatting on-line with a reference librarian. This is exactly the type of question they are trained to handle. Do a Google or Teoma search for "24/7 reference" or "virtual reference," and include your city. You should be able to get to a web site that sponsors a free, around-the-clock, reference service.
 

Lady Engineer

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
If your son or daughter is going to do Power distribution systems for buildings, try architectural engineering. It will give you a good basis on how building systems work, and how to incorporate them into design. If he's looking for electronics and HV power for a utility, then I'd go for EE. I'm an AE, and I have been fortunate to find a good program at PSU.

There are 13 programs around the country that offer AE. EE is good too, but he/she will have to learn the building systems aspect of design.

AE is abet accredited, I just took my PE in April. Penn State (my school), Drexel, and many other schools have good programs. I'm not sure about EE, but PSU has a good EE program as well.
 
Thanks for your replies.

Charlie I live in the garbage State, I mean garden State! NJ. Ya I do realize that an ASEET is Engineering technology. Looks interesting. Penn Foster in PA has an online ASEET but I'm very hesitant to buy into paper mill degrees.

Lady it's not for a son or daughter of mine but myself. I'm an electrician/contractor and just wondering how I might be more able to increase my qualification career wise. I've posted in other parts of the forum about eventually teaching, etc... and feel if I took a slow approach to other college qualifications (even if it's on a 6 or 7 year deal) it may help my res?me down the road. Esp if I wanted to teach, project manage, etc...

Thanks for your insight and welcome all of it!
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
GalwayElectric said:
Thanks for your replies.

Charlie I live in the garbage State, I mean garden State! NJ.


Some of us get highly offended by garbage like this. :mad:
 
infinity said:
Some of us get highly offended by garbage like this. :mad:

?A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done?
Dwight David Eisenhower

All in good fun there infinity. Try to not be offended as I meant no disrespect. Born, breed, and raised in Jersey all my life!
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
I urge you to not underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State, and to book your tickets in advance.
- Ticket Counter Woman, Dogma

All things being equal, I've never been to Jersey, and have nothing but reputation to base an opinion on. That reputation is probably among the worst in the country (propagated by it's famous residents on TV), so I can understand Trevor's indignation at the comment.

Then again, I bet it keeps some tourism in immigration down. With that in mind, I think I'll move from my scum-swamp moth-eaten garbage-in-the-streets state and move to Texas! :D
 

Bakerboy

Member
Location
New Jersey
I grew up working with my father as an electrician. After HS I went on for a degree in Electrical Engineering. I must say that being an electrician in no way prepares you for all the math and science that make up a vast majority of the degree. Similarly, an EE degree will not prepare you for a career as an electrician.

What an EE degree and a PE license will give you is a deep understanding of math and physical sciences that will benefit you in any building trade. It also provides you with a level of respect in the electrical community.

In my first job as an engineer, designing electrical systems for commercial buildings, I found that my experience as an electrician was what set me apart form my peers. I believe my designs were more constructible and cost effective than the engineers without hands-on experience.

Understand that an associates degree does not allow you to sit for the PE exam and therefore you will not be able to sell yourself as an "Engineer" as defined by the State of NJ and most other States.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
In my ever-so-humble opinion, an understanding of electrical theory is of more value to an electrician than an understanding of the hardware of the trade is to the engineer. And I do agree that the engineer needs to know the mechanics of the work.

Engineers must be able to design systems that are practical to construct at reasonable costs while being code compliant, functional, and safe. This is similar to the architect and the builder: designs have to be buildable.

In our trade, improvisation plays a large part of many installations, and even moreso a large part of troubleshooting. When faced with a unique situation, understanding the why's of the rules helps us come up with a safe and effective solution.


"That's all I have to say about that." ~ Forrest Gump
 

dlhoule

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Sorry about that, I just can't help myself sometimes! But just as soon as I get back and find myself I'll slap myself on the wrist.
 

bcorbin

Senior Member
As a new Engineer, the toughest obstacle for me, bar none, has been the lack of actual physical knowledge of how this stuff is built. My problem is, how do I get that knowledge (apart from gradually soaking it up while I make costly mistakes)? There are days where I wish I had a part-time job as an apprentice electrician (I can hear the electricians laughing out there =p). It is tough telling someone on a piece of paper how to do a job, when you don't know yourself. I, for one, love it when an electrician gets irritated enough to come up to me in the field and say, "hey...can I show you something real quick?"
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
bcorbin said:
There are days where I wish I had a part-time job as an apprentice electrician (I can hear the electricians laughing out there =p).

I won't laugh. A genuine interest in how and why we do our work makes for a most valauble apprentice. You can come work for me anytime.
 

dlhoule

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
bcorbin said:
As a new Engineer, the toughest obstacle for me, bar none, has been the lack of actual physical knowledge of how this stuff is built. My problem is, how do I get that knowledge (apart from gradually soaking it up while I make costly mistakes)? There are days where I wish I had a part-time job as an apprentice electrician (I can hear the electricians laughing out there =p). It is tough telling someone on a piece of paper how to do a job, when you don't know yourself. I, for one, love it when an electrician gets irritated enough to come up to me in the field and say, "hey...can I show you something real quick?"

Hey, anytime I can talk something over with an engineer, I think it is great. Too many times all I get are thats the way it has to be done. Of course sometimes that means doing it 4 or 5 times. Other times we talk things over and do it my way, and still other times they explain why they asked for something and it makes sense.

I happen to be very lazy and tend to want to do things the easiest way possible. I don't mean improperly or unsafely and most of the engineers really know their stuff, but I suspect that these guys and gals didn't get that way by not listening to others at times.:)
 

Lady Engineer

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
dlhoule said:
Hey, anytime I can talk something over with an engineer, I think it is great. Too many times all I get are thats the way it has to be done. Of course sometimes that means doing it 4 or 5 times. Other times we talk things over and do it my way, and still other times they explain why they asked for something and it makes sense.
You know that's what I love...I worked with a Licensed Electrical contractor for a summer or two and boy did I NOT KNOW a whole bunch. I had an humble heart going in so it didn't crush my female ego too bad.

But then when I was in the field, I was able to input to the EC too about how electricity works and did his calcs, so we complimented each other I felt.

I think meeting and talking about the design will solve a whole mess of problems in the field. I usually ask the EC to come meet with me before he/she signs the contracts and give the client the bid. I love that, because they can pick out things he/she would do differently, and also we can come to a consensus leading to little or no RFIs. The problems I run into are public work, which goes to the lowest bidder, because you can't have a one on one meetings, and you don't find how who gets the contract. Once their bid is submitted, it's final and all others will be change orders.

I agree with you...it just makes things easy, and with my private work, I tend to do what you did.

Since I've done my work in the field, I have not had one Change Order! *knock on wood*

Lady :p
 
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