How to Get a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering

If you are interested in electrical engineering and are wondering how to plan a career in that field, think about it as if you were drawing up the schematic of an electrical circuit for a specific purpose. You would need to route the circuit so that it made all the right connections to draw and distribute power for the intended purpose, while making sure the circuit was designed as efficiently as possible.

For many people planning a career in electrical engineering, that schematic would include earning a master's degree in electrical engineering. In career terms, your educational degrees are like sources of electrical power to the circuit. It might take a little longer to tap into an additional source of power, but ultimately that should increase the potential effectiveness of the circuit. In the same way, earning a master's degree in electrical engineering should have the eventual result of increasing your career potential.

This guide can help you make a series of decisions about a master's degree in electrical engineering, including:

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How to Get a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering

If you are interested in electrical engineering and are wondering how to plan a career in that field, think about it as if you were drawing up the schematic of an electrical circuit for a specific purpose. You would need to route the circuit so that it made all the right connections to draw and distribute power for the intended purpose, while making sure the circuit was designed as efficiently as possible.

For many people planning a career in electrical engineering, that schematic would include earning a master's degree in electrical engineering. In career terms, your educational degrees are like sources of electrical power to the circuit. It might take a little longer to tap into an additional source of power, but ultimately that should increase the potential effectiveness of the circuit. In the same way, earning a master's degree in electrical engineering should have the eventual result of increasing your career potential.

This guide can help you make a series of decisions about a master's degree in electrical engineering, including:

• Deciding to pursue a master's degree in electrical engineering. An overview of the profession and some information on how a master's degree could help you pursue that profession should help you evaluate whether this step is right for you.
• Finding out about graduate school programs in electrical engineering. If you decide that you do want to pursue your master's degree in electrical engineering, you need some good sources of information on master's degree programs. This guide gives you some leads on where to find relevant information.
• Deciding where to get your MS in Electrical Engineering. Many schools offer an MS in Electrical Engineering, or similar master's degrees in the field. Your can choose between studying full or part time, in large programs or small, and whether to attend on campus or earn a master's degree online. There is no one right choice for everyone; it is more a question of finding the right fit for you. This guide gives you a list of criteria that can help you make that decision.
• Applying to graduate electrical engineering programs. As with an electrical engineering project, proper planning can help you efficiently deal with all the elements involved in the application process. This guide helps you understand what to expect.
• Optimizing your MS in Electrical Engineering. In terms of career planning, earning your master's degree is a key step, but there are other things you should think about doing as well to make the most of your opportunities.

To start with, this guide looks at electrical engineering as a profession, and how a master's degree might figure in.

Deciding to Pursue a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering

If you've been through a bachelor's degree program in electrical engineering, you probably already know that the study of engineering tends to progress from the general to the specific. That is, you learn the general engineering principles that form the foundation for the study of engineering, and you then build on that foundation to study one of the major branches of engineering, including electrical, mechanical, and civil. You may have already begun to specialize in your bachelor's degree program, but master's programs can take that specialization much further.

So why choose to specialize in electrical engineering? One good reason is career security. Modern life runs on electricity, and that shows no sign of changing. Another reason is variety. The following are just some of the careers open to electrical engineers:

• Instrumentation and controls
• Design and testing
• System maintenance and troubleshooting
• Automation
• Automotive electrical systems
• Aerospace
• Consumer electronics and appliances
• Power generation and supply
• Architecture and construction
• Teaching and research

Employers can be equally varied, including consumer products manufacturers, utility companies, automotive and aerospace companies, academic institutions, computer hardware manufacturers, transportation companies, and government agencies.

Earning a master's degree in electrical engineering--which would most likely be an Master of Science or MS degree--can help open some of those career doors. Here are some of the areas in which an MS in Electrical Engineering might benefit you:

• Earning power. On average, starting salaries for graduates with master's degrees in electrical engineering are more than 20% higher than for graduates with bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering.
• Finding a job. Besides enhancing earning power, a master's degree should make it easier to find a job by making you eligible for more opportunities.
• Promotability. Once you are in the door with a company, an advanced degree can be one of the characteristics that marks you as a good candidate for promotion.
• Qualification for government jobs. Some government positions have strictly-defined criteria, so every additional credential can help.
• Potential for employment in academia. If you want to teach or do research at an academic institution, you may find that a master's degree is a prerequisite.
• Credibility in attracting business. If you work for an independent contractor or consultant, or even form your own firm, you may find that a master's degree can help establish the credibility necessary to win business.

If any of the above gives you reason to go ahead and pursue a master's degree, the next step is to assemble information on master's degree programs.

Finding Out About Graduate Schools in Electrical Engineering

How do you find out about graduate schools in electrical engineering? Well, the good news is that you won't lack for choices. With over 500 accredited educational programs, electrical engineering degrees are the most widely-offered of all branches of engineering. You should find programs in most parts of the country, and of course, you could always earn a master's degree online.

The issue, then, isn't a lack of choices, but rather how to assemble information about so many programs. The following are some sources of information that can help:

• Online educational guides and directories. Online guides such as WorldWideLearn.com are not only for people who want to earn a master's degree online. They include information about campus programs as well, and also provide guidance on topics such as how to prepare for a standardized test and where to find financial aid.
• The U.S. Department of Education. On the Department's Web site, you can find a host of relevant information, from how to apply for federal financial aid to the accreditation status of specific schools.
• The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Speaking of accreditation, the ABET is an organization that sets widely-recognized standards for educational programs in engineering. Visit the ABET Web site to learn more about their standards and which schools and programs qualify.
• Published reviews and rankings. Publications such as Kiplinger's and U.S. News & World Report regularly publish comprehensive ratings of colleges and universities.
• Specific college and university Web sites. All of these sources can help you with general information as you start your search. Later, when you have identified schools you want to research in greater depth, be sure to visit the individual Web sites for those schools, and their electrical engineering programs in particular, to gather more detailed information.

In electrical terms, think of information as raw power. You now need to channel that power toward a specific purpose--in this case, narrowing down your choices of electrical engineering master's degree programs. The next section of this guide can help you do that.

Deciding Where to Get Your MS in Electrical Engineering

Between campus and online master's degree programs, you should find plenty of choices when it comes to schools that offer an MS in Electrical Engineering, but how do you decide among all these choices? Basically, approach it as a process of elimination. Use the criteria listed below to evaluate schools and steadily cross off those that don't meet your standards and preferences.

• Accreditation. Accreditation status can make the difference as to whether your degree has any value when it comes time to apply for a job or continue your education even further. You should not even consider any program that is not accredited by a widely-recognized accreditation agency. You can find out more about accreditation standards from the U.S. Department of Education Web site.
• Admissions standards. Schools often publish statistics about their admissions standards on their Web sites, or otherwise make them available. These statistics can include the percentage of applicants accepted, the range and average of test scores of students who were accepted, and the range and average of undergraduate grade point averages of students who were accepted. Approach admissions standards with a healthy mixture of optimism and realism. It's good to aim high, but not if there is absolutely no chance of success.
• Cost. For many students, the reality is that cost may be one of the most important determining factors in their choice of graduate schools. However, don't eliminate any program because of cost until you've checked out your financial aid options. When investigating financial aid, don't overlook the possibility that your employer might shoulder some of the cost, if you work for an engineering-related organization. If cost remains a limiting factor even after financial aid is considered, you can earn a master's degree online as one way to reduce costs.
• Convenience. Having a program locally available can be a real benefit, although if you earn a master's degree online you can make location a non-issue. Also, some schools offer more scheduling flexibility than others, so if you have to fit your education around existing work or family commitments, that flexibility may be a key issue.
• Faculty. Student/teacher ratios and the percentage of department faculty with PhDs are quantitative ways to evaluate faculty. Looking at what schools they attended and what articles or books they've published can give you a more qualitative feel for a program's faculty.
• Reputation. National rankings, job placement statistics, and impressions of recruiters and hiring managers are all things that can give you a sense of how highly a school's electrical engineering program is regarded.
• Campus environment. Having already earned a bachelor's degree, you may have an ideal campus environment in mind, whether it is a small or large campus, and urban or rural setting, or a warmer or cooler climate. Another option is to eliminate the potential distractions of the campus environment by choosing an online master's degree program.

Through this process of elimination, your goal should be to narrow down your potential choices to two or three programs. At that point, you would be ready to move on to the application process. Applying to Graduate Electrical Engineering Programs

Narrowing down your list of potential school choices may seem like a tough process, but you may find that it is well worth it when it comes time to start applying to schools. There is a cost associated with each application, and there may be several component parts required by each school. Therefore, narrowing down your choices so that you only apply to two or three schools can significantly reduce the time and money you have to spend on the application process.

Some common elements involved in a graduate school application include:

• Application form. Online forms can make completing these a little easier, but you want to take your time and make sure you follow all the instructions carefully.
• Financial aid applications. After you've filled out a few college applications, the last thing you may want to see is another set of application forms. However, the potential financial aid available can make the time spent on financial aid forms well worth it.
• Academic transcript. Be sure to allow ample time to obtain this from your previous school(s), and be sure to check a copy for accuracy before you start providing it to graduate schools.
• Standardized test results. Don't be afraid to re-take a standardized test if your initial scores are not as competitive as you would like, but be sure to allow for the additional time this takes.
• Letters of recommendation. Without actually putting words in their mouths, it is a good idea to prompt those writing your recommendations about which of your attributes and experiences might be most relevant to your graduate school application.

At the very start of the application process, assemble a calendar of all the relevant deadlines so you can work within the necessary time frames. Optimizing Your MS in Electrical Engineering

An MS in Electrical Engineering can open some doors for you, and here are some additional things you can do to make the most of those career opportunities once you get them:

• Because technology is always evolving, be sure to keep up by reading of technical journals and trade publications. If possible, try to publish articles yourself.
• Gain as much hands-on experience as you can, even if it's in the form of internships, research assistantships, or part-time work while you earn your master's degree.
• Join a relevant professional association, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) or the International Engineering Consortium (IEC).

As you design the schematic for your career, you may well conclude that a master's in electrical engineering can help wire you into long-term success. If so, following the steps in this guide can help you attain that degree.

Sources

• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• International Engineering Consortium
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education
• University of Akron
• Western Carolina University

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