EE Evolution

The path to becoming an electrical engineering student isnt exactly what it used to be.
Obviously, technology has drastically changed the face of education and training for
electrical engineers over the years, but what else has changed? This special report
demonstrates what it takes to become an electrical engineer today vs. yesterday, explores
the types and traits of individuals being drawn into the profession, and examines the growth
of electrical engineering as compared to other disciplines. Tapping into industry experts such
as professors at colleges and universities, hiring and recruiting company leaders and
professional engineers, this article looks at the employment pipeline for electrical
engineering graduates, what type of technical skills they possess, and how theyre achieving
success in the industry.

EE Evolution
Nov 18, 2014Tom Zind | Electrical Construction and Maintenance

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EE Evolution

SIDEBAR: EE Degrees by the Numbers

As college students surge into electrical engineering degree programs, educators are pressured to
find the best methods of teaching an evolving body of knowledge.
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A decade ago, Erhan Kudeki, Ph.D, then a 20-year member of the electrical
engineering (EE) faculty at the University of Illinois, looked on as student interest in
one of the nations premier EE programs softened.
In 2004, 2005, and 2006, our enrollments were hurting, says Kudeki, professor of
electrical and computer engineering and now the departments associate head for
undergraduate affairs. Basically, there was a scare of outsourcing in the minds of
parents. Computer science and electrical/computer engineering were not all that
popular. Parents were sending their kids into things like mechanical and aerospace.

Lab work is a crucial training component that hammers home the practical side of electrical theory (Lisa F.
Young/iStock/Thinkstock).

Those fears of EE jobs migrating overseas proved baseless, and by 2007, EE

enrollment was heading back up. Today, the program is flourishing.
Theres a huge demand now on anything related to computing and electrical
engineering, Kudeki says. The numbers we have now are larger than ever. Its a
terrific problem to have.
The campus at Champaign-Urbana isnt alone. Students are surging into other EE
programs across the country, lured by the prospect of a big payoff in good jobs and
the chance to be in one of engineerings most dynamic and versatile specialties.
In 2013, full-time undergraduate enrollment in EE surged by almost 6,000 over the
previous year, hitting 91,336, according to statistics from the American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE). That marked the largest number of enrollees since
2004 and 25% more than the 2007 low-water mark.
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A Resurgence of Interest in Electrical Engineering

More EE degrees are also being awarded. ASEE data show 10,662 undergraduate EE
degrees were earned in 2013. Thats the highest number in 10 years and 6% more
than in 2012. Another 2,518 degrees classified as electrical/computer engineering
(E/CE) were awarded as well. On top of that, amazingly, more than 10,000 masters
degrees were obtained in 2013 in both EE and E/CE.

More to know
The recovery of student interest in pursuing an EE degree partly reflects the growing
stature of the discipline and its value in the marketplace. Even during a perceived
downtime, EE was one of the top engineering specialties and remains so today. But
its popularity translates to a host of challenges for college EE programs. If growth
trends persist, greater selectivity may come into play. Programs may also need to
invest in more instructional resources. And all of that may take place amidst the
ceaseless struggle of how best to prepare students for the real world.
Noting that electrical engineering has to reinvent itself every 10 to 20 years, Kudeki
emphasizes the importance of carefully crafted curriculum design, course timing,
and teaching methodologies.

We have to be more efficient in teaching electrical engineering because theres so

much more to teach, he says. Its a question of how we best deliver the larger
amount of knowledge we have.
The Illinois program keys on early undergraduate exposure to core EE classes and
flexibility in course selection and specialization in the junior and senior years.
Incorporating extensive lab components and coursework that is both broad and
deep, program design aims to both weed out weak prospects early on and keep
survivors engaged and challenged. On that score, its succeeded, Kudeki says; three
out of four entering freshmen end up earning an EE degree.
Keeping students on track in an ever-demanding discipline requires more innovative
teaching techniques. More EE programs are responding by shaking up how subjects
are taught, employing technology-aided instruction tools and different teaching
methodologies. Bridging the gap between theory and practical applications is the
goal.

Turning education inside out

Digitally enabled devices are becoming central to a more hands-on approach to
instruction in EE programs like that at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia
Tech University). The Atlanta institutions School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering has been a leader in incorporating more technology-enabled devices and
tools into instruction, allowing students to better understand electrical fundamentals
through experience.
Our approach is driven by the knowledge that everyone feels the need to integrate
hands-on learning, the more practical side of electrical and computer engineering
theory thats taught in class, says the schools Dr. Bonnie Ferri, professor and
associate chair for undergraduate affairs systems and controls. Now that the
technology has moved forward, everyone is just embracing that.

Of the 258 schools reporting in an American Society for Engineering Education survey, these institutions
awarded the most bachelors degrees in electrical engineering between 2012-13.

Connecting devices like Digilent, Inc.s Analog Discovery and National Instruments
MyDAQ with a laptop, Ferri says, students interact with oscilloscopes, function
generators, dynamic spectrum analyzers, embedded microcontrollers, logic
analyzers, and a host of other tools that animate EE concepts. Integral to the learning
process, their beauty lies in anywhere/anytime accessibility, she says.
Such tools help form the spear of efforts to shake up the very nature of the EE
instructional process. Ferri and other EE educators note the emerging trend of
flipping classes, whereby instructors have students view lectures digitally, opening
up precious classroom time for higher-value engagement.
In a traditional lecture format, she explains, Class time kind of runs out when
theyre getting to the more interesting things, leaving students to deal with
applications or difficult problems on their own after class. But in a flipped class,
students come in more prepared to tackle them. Every Friday in my circuits class,
we have bring your devices, and we devote that time to working with them.

Showing the big picture

While the how of teaching EE is evolving, so is the what. Exposure to the core
fundamentals is a given, although theres more focus on timing and sequencing to
ensure adequate retention and timely deployment of key concepts. But as EEs scope
expands, programs are offering more options on classes and areas of emphasis.
A 2013 graduate of the Georgia Tech program, Layla Marshall was drawn to the
study of EE because of its versatility. She zeroed in on control systems and audio
engineering in her studies, and now works as a contract hardware engineer for
Siemens Industry, Inc., in Johnson City, Tenn. Marshall remains attracted to the
audio/acoustics field and is mulling a masters level study of that or mechanical
engineering.

Based on data from the American Society for Engineering Education, electrical degrees are still one of the
most sought after in the entire field of engineering.

I struggled at first to pick a major, but the more I learned about electrical
engineering and how broad it is and the number of areas you can pursue with a
degree the more I was drawn to it, she says.

The EE program at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., is structured around that

perception. Dr. Karen Panetta, associate dean for undergraduate affairs and
professor of electrical and computer engineering, says students should be able to
understand EEs many practical applications and close relationship to other
engineering specialties from mechanical to design to biomedical.
Programs are introducing students to a variety of what Ill call interdisciplinary
applications of electrical engineering, she says. We recognize now that theres no
such thing as a pure electrical engineer in a sense.
Another 2013 Georgia Tech EE graduate, Adam Kitain, offers proof. After
graduation, Kitain found his way into a job as an analytics and database strategy
consultant for IBM. An internship with now-defunct Research In Motion (RIM)
convinced him that his interests lay more in the business development side of
technology than the technology itself. While completing his EE degree, he took
classes in the Georgia Tech business school and earned a certificate in finance.
It was more interesting to me to understand why RIM was losing market share than
how can I help develop a more efficient RF antenna? he says.

Real-world emphasis
Tomorrows EEs are also learning the practical skills theyll need to perform their
jobs. One is programming, which is not just for EEs with a computer engineering
focus anymore; its increasingly essential in a world where embedded controls and
computer simulation are commonplace.
Its very rare youre going to find an electrical engineer who doesnt know how to
program, says Panetta. We have to simulate everything before we build anything,
and simulation is coding.
At the other end of the skill-building spectrum, EE programs are hitting the softer
notes harder. As the practice of engineering becomes ever more people-focused and
team-driven, educators are more pressured to emphasize real-world interpersonal
and communication skills alongside the technical. And that seems to be taking place
earlier in the educational process now, says Colleen Layman, president-elect of
Society of Women Engineers and an EE degree holder.

Two decades ago, it wasnt until senior year that you really got to start putting
things you learned together and focus on teamwork, says Layman, an associate vice
president at HDR, Inc., Omaha. Im glad to see that EE education has changed to
better reflect how EEs work in the real world.
In the University of Illinois program, collaborative concepts are emphasized at the
earliest stages. Coursework from introductory stages on through to upper-level
classes is imbued with the message that engineers work together, and engineering is
all about teamwork, Kudeki says.
And it becomes essential to senior-year Capstone Design projects that showcase a
students practical knowledge attainment relative to a chosen specialty or passion.
The Capstone project has many elements in it that address professionalism, ethics,
and being able to communicate, Kudeki explains. Its an advanced composition
course as much as it is a design course. Students have to write their initial proposal
and various intermediate reports, and the semester ends with a final report as well as
presentation in front of their peers.

The interdisciplinary curriculum focus at Tufts is having the effect of producing more
complete graduates, Panetta says. When they understand that EE is not practiced in
isolation, theyre honing the people skills needed in todays engineering workplace.
A realistic scenario today, Panetta says, is one where a prospective employer says,
Its great youve got this kid who can do all the circuit theory, but I really need
someone whos going to be able to go out to my clients who have no technical
expertise, be able to redact exactly what they need, and communicate it back to them
without them being scared off by it.

Degree as door-opener
Still, companies hiring newly minted EEs know as they always have that an EE
degree is an essential starting point. Even as more programs stress the softer skills,
graduates grasp of basic technical knowledge of the field is a given. Even in a
complex and rapidly changing field, thats a sufficient springboard to begin what
amounts to the next phase of the educational process: on-the-job training.
Recruiters at Peter Basso Associates, Inc., a Troy, Mich., consulting engineering and
building design firm, are finding todays EE graduates generally well-prepared to
step into jobs that demand a firm grasp of both core engineering principles and
strong interpersonal communication skills. From there, says one of the firms
principals, Terry Cleis, its about acquainting new hires with Bassos culture.
The value of an engineering degree is the same as its always been it basically
teaches you how to think and how to logically plod your way through problems, he
says. Its a process of finding people who have the basic skill set and an eagerness to
learn. Intelligent people is what we want.
Likewise, Sparling, a consulting and electrical engineering firm in Lynnwood, Wash.,
courts graduates with not only the requisite technical grounding, but also a comfort
level with working collaboratively. Degreed EEs are a natural fit, given Sparlings
broad menu of electrical services for the built environment. But Sparling also
considers computer, mechanical, design, and audio engineering majors even
physics majors because its work is hard to pigeonhole.
Were not engineers in cubicles here, says Karl Pihl, a company principal. Written
and verbal communications skills are very important since were working with

architects, owners, and other engineers. We need to be able to speak in layman and
technical terms at the right time for the right audience.
Lacking those skills, Sparling has found, even top-notch candidates can wash out. A
recent new-grad hire came in flashing a 3.9 GPA and letters of recommendation from
professors. That wasnt enough.
We took all of that information at face value, but we found out real quick that some
of the meat in terms of working in groups and on projects was very much missing
from this individuals portfolio, says another Principal Michael Newbury.

Vetting grads
That experience led to some changes in how Sparling evaluates new graduates. Now,
Pihl says, theyre challenging candidates more in interviews to demonstrate a
teamwork mentality and reveal how they think. The applicants degree, from a
universitys satellite program, also demonstrated that not all EE degrees are equal.
Maybe its a matter of faculty, staff, research resources, and facilities, but it seems to
us like theres some work to do to get those satellite programs up to snuff relative to
their main campuses, Pihl says.
Internship and co-op programs help reduce such hiring misfires, and that common
industry practice has continued to grow. A tighter labor market, more graduates,
engineering specialization, and cutthroat competition for business have likely
boosted reliance on test drives to vet prospective talent.
Basso routinely has co-op students on staff about half of whom come onboard,
Cleis says. Sparling quickly inserts most of its interns into real paying projects with
real deadlines, Pihl says, as a way to size them up and expose them to the nuances of
the work theyd be performing.
Thats also an important consideration for S-E-A, Ltd., a Columbus, Ohio, forensic
engineering firm. One of its electrical engineers, Sam Sudler, says students it brings
on as interns benefit from early exposure to a very specialized application of whats
taught in school. Theyre being evaluated, he says, for the ability to use scientific
methods to collect information, analyze it, and develop hypotheses.

Preparation for a world in which new technological frontiers are constantly opening
and communication and collaboration are essential will be academias call to action
in educating tomorrows electrical engineers. As more students pursue EE degrees,
curricula will have to continue adapting to ensure that candidates are getting both
the fundamental and specialized knowledge and basic skills that will translate to the
marketplace. Engineering educators may be uniquely qualified to do that.
As engineers were innovators, Ferri says. We like to think of ourselves in EE or
CE as the magic makers. We have to think of new ideas and better ways of doing
things.
Zind is a freelance writer based in Lees Summit, Mo. He can be reached
attomzind@att.net.

EE Evolution
Nov 18, 2014Tom Zind | Electrical Construction and Maintenance

EMAIL
INSHARE

COMMENTS 0
What is in this article?:

EE Evolution

SIDEBAR: EE Degrees by the Numbers

As college students surge into electrical engineering degree programs, educators are pressured to
find the best methods of teaching an evolving body of knowledge.
Advertisement

SIDEBAR: EE Degrees by the Numbers

Engineering is having its day in the sun on college campuses, and electrical
engineering (EE) is shining brightly. But while it remains a top specialty, other
engineering disciplines are casting an ever larger shadow.
Parsing statistics compiled by the American Society for Engineering Education
(ASEE) reveals that the 10,662 EE bachelors degrees issued in 2013 accounted for
11.5% of the total 93,360 engineering degrees issued a number that itself is 28%
higher than 10 years ago and 6% higher than 2012. Last year marked the 10 thstraight

in which EE degrees as a percentage of the total have fallen; EE degrees were 17% of
the 2004 total of 72,893.
Still, EE degrees are one of the most sought after in the field. On the ASEE list of 20
distinct engineering disciplines, EE trailed only mechanical engineering (21,707) and
civil engineering (12,464), but surpassed chemical engineering (7,717).
Full-time undergraduate enrollment in EE also continues to help set the pace in the
engineering field. The 91,336 students enrolled in EE in 2012 was second only to the
number of students in mechanical engineering (120,083).
And EE remains a top choice of those pursuing advanced engineering degrees. The
6,305 EE masters degrees issued in 2013 were the highest of any listed engineering
discipline. Those numbers are further bolstered if the definition expands to include
related computer engineering and computer science specialties, which were broken
out separately. In addition, more than 1,100 doctoral degrees in EE, specifically, were
awarded in 2013, leading the pack.
Enrollment in full-time masters degree EE programs far surpasses those for any
other discipline. ASEE put that number at 20,463. Its closest rival (at 9,669) was
mechanical engineering.