Engineering a career with power

Electrical engineering is one of the core fields of engineering, so it is always evergreen in terms of scope and job prospects. Electrical Engineering is the soul of whole engineering discipline and therefore its scope will never diminish in years to come.

Nowadays, we see Electronics playing an important role in the implementation and control of Electrical Machines. This course has transformed from core Electrical Engineering into a Fusion of Electronics and Electrical, and has been renamed as Electronics and Electrical engineering, or simply EEE.

Eligibility

An aspirant for electrical engineering should start his/her academic career in Science at intermediate level (with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics). After this, one has to appear for entrance examination conducted both at national and state level (e.g. IITJEE, AIEEE, BITSAT etc.).

After qualifying the entrance exam he/she would take up BE/BTech in Electrical Engineering which is of four years duration.

One who still wants to study further after completing BE/BTech, can pursue MTech program offered by Indian Institutes of Technology and few other engineering colleges in the country. Individuals with interest in research areas can pursue PhD after his/her post-graduation studies for carrying out research work.

AMIE-Associate Memberships of the Institution of Engineers also offers courses in Electrical Engineering which is equivalent to BE/BTech provided by other institutes/universities.

Students having strong logical and analytical skills along with the capability to capture new things and attention to detail always do well in this field.

A Successful  Electrical Engineer must mould his methodologies as well as his technologies according to the changing technological scenario of the current Market.

Subject

Electricity has become the basic need for survival, globally. From household to industrial plants, communication and satellite navigation system, electronic equipment, computers all require electricity.

Electrical engineering thus deals with study and application of electrical systems for use in these different environments. It equips  with the knowledge of transmission and generation of electrical power, electrical circuit design, electronics, instrumentation, control system, understanding electrical and electronic networks etc.

The course also covers the study of electronic devices and circuits involved in measurement, instrumentation, control and protection of electrical equipments and conversion systems. Concept of computer and recent applications of computer based systems in design, analysis and efficient operation of power system, maintaining quality and security are also included in the course.

Course Content

In Electrical Engineering you will gain knowledge in different subjects such as: Mathematics, Physics ,Electronics, Thermodynamics, Electrical machines and design, Digital Electronics, Electrical Engg. Materials, Linear Control Systems, Instrumentation, Electrical Network and Communication Systems, Power and Control Systems ,Computer Aided Power System Analysis, Non-linear and Digital Control Systems, Extra High Voltage Engg.,Communication Engg. Electrical Machine Design Electric Drives & Utilization, Power Electronics, Numerical Analysis, Microprocessors  and Interfacing, E M Field Theory, and many more…

Career Scope

Electrical Engineers are needed in all manufacturing units. All major companies of public and private sector such as Electricity Boards, Large Scale Industries, Manufacturing Plants, Power Corporations, Hydro-Electricity sector are continuously in need of Electrical Engineers for their projects.

Electrical Engineers also find job prospects in design industries, production plants, natural gas plants, petroleum as well as in steel and chemical plants. Many educational and research institutions regularly hire electrical engineers as graduate engineer trainees and management trainees to work on research projects. Electrical Engineers can also get a job in Major players in Public Sector such as Indian Railways, Armed forces (Technical Branch) and also in Thermal and Nuclear Power Corporation Limited.

The primary objective of the Electrical Engineering program is to prepare students to enter and progress in electrical engineering positions in business, industry, and government. Graduates are generally expected to work in the research and development of ideas, products, and processes by applying  engineering principles to the solution of practical problems in the electrical engineering field.

Electrical Engineers are quite good. Making a career in Electrical engineering will be challenging as well as rewarding. Electrical Engineers are required to develop, design, manufacture, and manage electrical and electronic systems. Fresh graduates will get jobs both in public / private sectors/ Defense Services / research also. Educational Institutions and Research establishments recruit electrical engineers as faculty and scientists. They can also enter into self-employment by starting own ventures. Teaching career is also rewarding. They can join an engineering college/university as professors.

Industries manufacturing large electrical machines and equipments employ engineers in design, production and testing. Electrical engineers also find employment in atomic power plants, hydroelectric power plants as well as thermal power plants. Many electrical engineering graduates opt for careers in the food, pulp and paper, chemical, aircraft and automobile industries.

Pay and Packages

The remuneration of the students of this field will depend upon their educational qualifications. The pay packages of graduates of Electrical Engineering are much higher abroad as compared to that in India. The average starting monthly salary of Electrical Engineering graduates in India ranges between Rs 15,000 to Rs 35,000. Senior electrical engineers with more than five years of working experience can earn between Rs 35,000 to Rs 80,000 per month. The pay-package in foreign countries is much higher as compared to India.

(The author is Dean at JB Knowledge Park, Faridabad.)