Our life now, with its conveniences, including the portal you are currently reading this article on, would have never been possible without the field that revolutionized the world in the 19th century. The profession of Electrical Engineering (EE) began taking shape with the telegraph and the need to pay attention to electrical power and its potential.
Over the many years, it has branched into various fields. EE is all about dealing with research, design, manufacture and installation of electronics, electrical systems, computer, telecommunications, circuit design, microelectronics and anything that has to do with electrical components and equipments. It has even found its way in other disciplines such as nanotechnology, environmental engineering, renewable energy and so on.
It is a well seasoned field with over a century spent in producing some of the smartest people in this world, some of them with even a Nobel among their mantlepieces.
To become one, you will need to have a bachelors in electrical, electronic or computer engineering. Also required is a strong background in Math and Physics. But in a pinch, if your undergraduate research or coursework has had a major emphasis on electrical systems, you can also check with the recruiters for customized information.
In this article, we will try to summarize the basic information on the current needs for you to apply for an MS/Masters in Electrical Engineering and also crack the window for a sneak peek at what the future holds. And for completeness sake, you should familiarize yourself with the encyclopedia of Masters applications in the Guide to an MS in USA.
Masters (MS) in Electrical Engineering in the USA
Industry Profile, Salaries, Top Schools and other information
Well qualified Electrical Engineers need only blink twice for a job paying over $90,000. With about 178,580 electrical engineers, employed in 2015, even the lowest salaries were about $60,000. So, your return for getting that EE degree is certainly rewarding. In fact according to the article on How to select the right MS/Masters program and specialization, the industry is predicted to grow 4 β 15% in the next ten years, depending on the subfield of EE.
Here’s a list of industries that are known to hire electrical engineers and the average salaries each industry provides as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov) records for 2015.
Industry | Number Employed | Average Salary |
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 41,880 | $95,740 |
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 18,430 | $92,670 |
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 12,390 | $108,170 |
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 11,670 | $97,270 |
Scientific Research and Development Services | 11,380 | $114,290 |
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 5,960 | $113,970 |
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,370 | $86,660 |
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | 1,830 | $113,640 |
Wireless Telecommunications Carriers | 960 | $115,410 |
Oil and Gas Extraction | 240 | $129,630 |
Even in India, the starting salaries begin at 3.5 lakhs and go up to over 15 lakhs with a few years of experience (from Payscale).
So when you walk into your office wearing the Project Manager, Field Engineer, Testing Engineer, Design Engineer, R&D Head or even the CEO hat of your company, you can be certain of two things β you are the smartest person in the room and your salary reflects that.
So how to get your hands on one those degrees, you may ask. Well everywhere. But as is the case with our obsession with lists, there is a list for this one too β The top Universities in the US, that offer the best Electrical Engineering program. And we won’t stop just there. Included in the table are the GRE/TOEFL scores accepted, tuition fees and application fee you will need to shell out to get your application looked at.
University | GRE | TOEFL | Application Fee | Tuition Fee |
*Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Not required | **iBT: 100 PBT: 600 CBT: 250 IELTS: 7 |
$75 | $46,400 (MIT) |
Stanford University (Read EE Handbook) |
V 159 Q 163 (MBA Crystal Ball) |
iBT: 89 PBT: 575 |
$125 | $50,424 |
University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | V: 157 Q: 165 |
iBT: 90 PBT: 570 CBT: 230 IELTS: 7 |
$125 | $54,685 |
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | V: 154 Q: 165 |
iBT: 87 PBT: 560 CBT: 220 IELTS: 7 |
$125 | $31,427 |
Harvard University | V: 160 Q: 167 |
IBT: 80 Additional Information |
$105 | ~$49,000 (Harvard) |
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) MSEE Degree |
No minimum specified | No minimum specified | $100 | $43,710 (Caltech) |
Georgia Institute of Technology | V: 155 Q: 164 (Average in 2016) V: 146 |
iBT: 100 PBT: 550 CBT: 213 |
$75 | $27,872 (US News Rankings and Review) |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | No minimum specified | iBT: 96 PBT: 590 CBT: 240 IELTS: 6.5 |
$90 | $52,285
(UIUC) |
University of Michigan | V: 154 Q: 167 Writing: 3.4 (Average) |
iBT: 84 PBT: 560 IELTS: 6.5 ***MELAB: 80 ECPE: Certificate of Proficiency |
$90 | $21,393 (UMich) |
*Princeton University | V: 162 Q: 166 |
No minimum specified | $90 | $47,220 (Princeton) |
* No Terminal Masters degree offered. All students are admitted to a PhD program and can receive an MS once the requisite credits are completed.
** iBT: Internet Based TOEFL, PBT: Paper Based TOEFL, CBT: Computer Based Test, IELTS: International English Language Test
*** MELAB: Michigan English Language Assessment Battery, ECPE: Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English
You are now only a few steps removed from applying for the much regarded Masters program in Electrical Engineering, namely your undergraduate final examination, your recommendation letters, your SoP and of course the time to sit down and get on the applications you have been pushing off. And when you do manage to land that cushy job, do send us a few positive thoughts from your corner office with the 270ΒΊ view.
Meanwhile solve this riddle please.
How many electrical engineers does it take to change a light bulb?
Good Luck!
Also read Best undergaduate Engineering Schools in the world
Hello,
I graduated with btec (Mechanical eng) this year. I’m an MS aspirant and an average student and don’t have an aggregate like most ppl.I’d like to know if it’s possible to get into a good university regardless of my btec marks if my GRE scores and other aspects could stand out. if yes how do I prepare myself and I’m planning to go to US.
thank you
hey sameer,
this is chandana im dng my 3rd yr engineering ece n i want to do mba abroad…what do u suggest sit for an placement work fr an yr or study mba….getting scared looking at the formalities to b done thr like intervew…can i ever do it?
@Varun: Your graduation marks will surely matter, along with all the other components of your MS applications (SoP etc). More so for the top programs. Rather than placing all your best only on the elite programs, you could apply to a mix of Ambitious, Practical and Safe colleges.
@Chandana: Skip the MBA plans for now and focus on getting a job. Over time you’ll develop the capabilities and confidence to apply to international MBA colleges.
Hi sir, I’m Manjeet final year student of B.Tech ECE in NIT Bhopal.I aspire for MS in USA or any other countries.Is it always better to have work experince before going for MS? I’m interested in Computer programming. Can I look for MS in CSE rather ECE. How easy would it be? How would it be helpful to get a good job?
Hi Sir , I am sindhu graduated in EEE with quite good percentage and have 5 years of work experience as a senior infra developer. Is it possible to opt for MS now? If so can i look for MS in some other branches rather than EEE? Please suggest how to proceed.