Electrical engineering technology

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A microcontroller development board (Arduino Duemilanove), which could be used for embedded systems development. Arduino Duemilanove 2009b.jpg
A microcontroller development board (Arduino Duemilanove), which could be used for embedded systems development.

Electrical/Electronics engineering technology (EET) is an engineering technology field that implements and applies the principles of electrical engineering. [1] Like electrical engineering, EET deals with the "design, application, installation, manufacturing, operation or maintenance of electrical/electronic(s) systems." [2] However, EET is a specialized discipline that has more focus on application, theory, and applied design, and implementation, while electrical engineering may focus more of a generalized emphasis on theory and conceptual design. [3] Electrical/Electronic engineering technology is the largest branch of engineering technology and includes a diverse range of sub-disciplines, such as applied design, electronics, embedded systems, control systems, instrumentation, telecommunications, and power systems.

Contents

Education

Accreditation

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is the recognized [4] organization for accrediting both undergraduate engineering and engineering technology programs in the United States. [5]

Coursework

EET curricula can vary widely by institution type, degree type, program objective, and expected student outcome. Each year after, however, ABET publishes a set of minimum criteria that a given EET program (either associate degree or bachelor's degree) must meet in order to maintain its ABET accreditation. These criteria may be classified as either general criteria, which apply to all ABET accredited programs, or as program criteria, which apply to discipline-specific criteria. [6]

Associate degree

Associate degree programs emphasize the practical field knowledge that is needed to maintain or troubleshoot existing electrical/electronic systems or to build and test new design prototypes.

Discipline-specific program outcomes include the application of circuit analysis and design, analog and digital electronics, computer programming, associated software, and relevant engineering standards

Coursework must be at a minimum algebra and trigonometry based. [2]

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree programs emphasize the analysis, design, and implementation of electrical/electronic systems. Some programs may focus on a specific sub-discipline, such as control systems or communications systems, while others may take a broader approach, introducing the student to several different sub-disciplines. [2]

Math to differential equations is a minimum requirement for ABET accredited bachelor's level EET degrees. In addition, graduates must demonstrate an understanding of basic project management skills. [2]

The United States Department of Commerce classifies the bachelor of science in electrical engineering technology (BSEET) as a STEM undergraduate engineering degree field. [7]

In many states, recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate BSEET degree are qualified to sit-in for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam [8] while those BSEETs who have already gained at least four years’ post-college experience are qualified to sit-in for the Professional Engineer exam [9] for their licensure in the United States. The importance of the licensing board requirements [10] depend upon location, level of education, required years of experience, and the BSEETs sub-discipline are the passageways for becoming a licensed engineer. The knowledge obtained by a TAC/ABET accredited program is one pathway that may help students prepare for and pass the FE/PE exam. For example, in the United States and Canada, "only a licensed engineer may seal engineering work for public and private clients". [11]

Career

Graduates of electrical/electronics engineering technology programs work in a wide range of career fields. Some examples include: [12]

Associate degree

Electrical/electronic engineering technicians may have a two-year associate degree [13] and considered craftsman technicians. Eventually, with additional experience and certifications obtained then the craftsman technicians may advance to master craftsman technicians.

Bachelor degree

Electrical/electronic engineering technologists are broad specialists, rather than central technicians. EETs have a bachelor's degree and are considered applied electrical or electronic engineers because they have electrical engineering concepts to use in their work. [13] Entry-level jobs in electrical or electronics engineering generally require a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or electrical engineering technology. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes. BME is also traditionally known as "bioengineering", but this term has come to also refer to biological engineering. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine, combining the design and problem-solving skills of engineering with medical biological sciences to advance health care treatment, including diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. Also included under the scope of a biomedical engineer is the management of current medical equipment in hospitals while adhering to relevant industry standards. This involves procurement, routine testing, preventive maintenance, and making equipment recommendations, a role also known as a Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) or as clinical engineering.

Mechanical engineering Engineering discipline

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Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development.

Engineer Professional practitioner of engineering and its subclasses

Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety and cost. The word engineer is derived from the Latin words ingeniare and ingenium ("cleverness"). The foundational qualifications of an engineer typically include a four-year bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, or in some jurisdictions, a master's degree in an engineering discipline plus four to six years of peer-reviewed professional practice and passage of engineering board examinations. A professional Engineer is typically, is a person registered under an Engineering Council which is widely accepted.

Computer engineering Engineering discipline specializing in the design of computer hardware

Computer engineering is a branch of electrical engineering that integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and hardware-software integration instead of only software engineering or electronic engineering. Computer engineers are involved in many hardware and software aspects of computing, from the design of individual microcontrollers, microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers, to circuit design. This field of engineering not only focuses on how computer systems themselves work but also how they integrate into the larger picture. Robots are one of the applications of computer engineering.

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The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, also referred to as the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, and formerly in some states as the Engineering Intern (EI) exam, is the first of two examinations that engineers must pass in order to be licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the United States. The second examination is Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination. The FE exam is open to anyone with a degree in engineering or a related field, or currently enrolled in the last year of an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited engineering degree program. Some state licensure boards permit students to take it prior to their final year, and numerous states allow those who have never attended an approved program to take the exam if they have a state-determined number of years of work experience in engineering. Some states allow those with ABET-accredited "Engineering Technology" or "ETAC" degrees to take the examination. The state of Michigan has no admission pre-requisites for the FE. The exam is administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

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Engineering technologist

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A Bachelor of Engineering or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university.

The ABET, incorporated as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.

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The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) is an American non-profit organization dedicated to advancing professional licensure for engineers and surveyors. The Council’s members are the engineering and surveying licensure boards from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These boards are divided into four geographic zones: Central, Northeast, Southern, Western. It is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.

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The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) is an organization that was established in 1961 to create a recognized certification for engineering technicians and technologists within the United States. A 1981 study by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), requested by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' SubCommittee On Construction, prompted the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) to merge two certification bodies; the Institute for the Certification of Engineering Technicians (ICET) and the Engineering Technologist Certification Institute. The result is a nonprofit organization that provides a nationally recognized and accepted procedure for recognition of qualified engineering technicians and technologists.

Engineering technician

An engineering technician is a professional trained in skills and techniques related to a specific branch of technology, with a practical understanding of the relevant engineering concepts. Engineering technicians often assist engineers and engineering technologists in projects relating to research and development, or focus on post-development activities like implementation or operation. An engineering technician is between a skilled craft worker and an engineering technologist.

Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education, and any advanced education and specializations that follow. Engineering education is typically accompanied by additional postgraduate examinations and supervised training as the requirements for a professional engineering license. The length of education, and training to qualify as a basic professional engineer, is typically 5 years, with 15–20 years for an engineer who takes responsibility for major projects.

Architectural engineer (PE)

Architectural Engineer (PE) is a professional engineering designation in the United States. The architectural engineer applies the knowledge and skills of broader engineering disciplines to the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and renovation of buildings and their component systems while paying careful attention to their effects on the surrounding environment.

Architectural engineering Application of engineering principles and technology to building design and construction

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Electronics technician

Electronics technicians help design, develop, test, manufacture, install, and repair electrical and electronic equipment such as communication equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and computers. They may be employed in product evaluation and testing, using measuring and diagnostic devices to adjust, test, and repair equipment. Electronics technicians may also work as sales workers or field representatives for manufacturers, wholesalers, or retailers giving advice on the installation, operation, and maintenance of complex equipment and may write specifications and technical manuals. Electronics technicians represent over 33% of all engineering technicians in the U.S. In 2009, there were over 160,000 electronics technicians employed in the U.S. Electronics technicians are accredited by organizations such as the Electronics Technicians Association (ETA), or International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET).

References

  1. "Electrical Engineering Technology". Engineering Technology Overview. Sloan Career Cornerstone Center. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Technology Programs, 2012 - 2013" (PDF). Program Criteria. ABET. pp. 13–14. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  3. "Engineering vs. Engineering Technology". Curricular Focus. ABET. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  4. "Programmatic Accrediting Organizations" (PDF). Directory of CHEA-Recognized Organizations. Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  5. "What is ABET?". General Information (ABET). VaNTH ERC. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  6. "Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Technology Programs, 2012 - 2013" (PDF). Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Technology Programs. ABET. p. 1. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  7. Langdon; et al. "Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Technology Programs, 2012 - 2013" (PDF). STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future. U.S. Department of Commerce. p. 2,9. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  8. "FE Requirements". NCEES. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  9. "PE Requirements". NCEES. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  10. "Exam Requirements". NCEES. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  11. "Why Should You Get Licensed?". National Society of Professional Engineers. Archived from the original on June 4, 2005. Retrieved 11 July 2005.
  12. "AutoStream". Thursday, 25 March 2021
  13. 1 2 "Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians". Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  14. "Electrical and Electronic Engineer". Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved November 15, 2014.