Is Electrical Engineering worth studying?

Question

Hey, I know I should be asking professors this and not complete strangers over the internet, but this question is geared more towards actual electrical engineering majors/electrical engineers: I'm getting a minor in physics (major in German) and with that, I really want to go to grad school to study Electrical Engineering. However, one big down side to E.E. is that almost all the info I learn in the major will be obsolete in an X number of years, since new technology is always taking over. So, I ask, is E.E. really worth studying? Don't get me wrong, it's VERY interesting studying analog/digital circuits and devices, but if all my tuition money and studying like a slave to get my master's is going to go towards learning about technology that'll be obsolete and some point, would it still be worth it? What do all you E.E. majors think?

Answer 1

Change is very real in any field of science. New discoveries always overturn old ways of thinking. Hey, Pluto was deemed a planet till very recently! Some things have been fairly constant in EE since the 1800s - Ohms law, laws of electromagnetism, etc. The entire edifice of EE - whether you are talking about communication, VLSI, power, electronics, etc., is built upon these, and a solid foundation of unshakeable mathematics. It will be your job as an EE to further the progress of science and technology by investigating the limits of performance of today's devices, and proposing new theories to supplement existing ones to make better devices. Change? It is a way of life. If you can't deal with it, then theology is probably a good choice for study.

Answer 2

I think you need your head examined. Logic in EE hasn't changed in 200 yrs. Transistors still behave generally like transistors. Besides, your brain isn't supposed to stop working when you graduate and turn into a read-only memory. The best part of a job is to continue to learn new things. Otherwise, you'r brain will turn into mush after 20 yrs.

I would question why you're majoring in German and physics. Why waste your money on majors that aren't directed toward your end goals? I would question your desire to go to grad school to learn EE. Are you planning on being a professional student? Who'd paying for all these extra years in school?

Most large companies will provide tuition reimbursement. You could spend an extra year or whatever and get the BSEE and find a job with a large corp and let them help you get a MS or MBA.

Answer 3

i wouldnt say it will be obsolete, especially when you are involved in the very basic parts of what everything is built on top of. I actually dont like EE. I dont want to sit in a cubicle all day so i am going for Structural Engineering with an emphasis on marine engineering or spacecraft engineering. I like the marine one better because i get to go outside more. EE is just not my thing, i would rather build something that is standing a hundred years from now.
i wouldnt worry about going obsolete because you learn the new technology while you work and your company that hires you often pays for you to go back to school and learn more.

Answer 4

The technology changes, but the basic principles remain the same. If you become an EE major, you'll study a whole lot of math, a lot of electrical circuit theory, electromagnetic principles, solid-state physics, etc...and not a lot regarding specific technological devices.

Answer 5

The fundamentals never go obsolete. N.B. that E.E. is a rather broad field with many areas of specialization.

Answer 6

It did very well for me. I worked my way up to a trouble shooter for N.A.S.A. and traveled all over the world. Everything is advancing and will go off and leave u.
Good luck