Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering programs prepare people to use math and science to design electrical systems. Students learn about systems for generating power. They also learn about conductors and how to store energy.

Folk balladeer Woody Guthrie once sang, "I think the whole country had ought to be run by e-lec-tric-i-ty." And in the decades that followed, his wish became a fact. Electricity now lights up the night for us, moves us, cools us, warms us, and cooks our food. In electronic chips and circuits it entertains us, lets us communicate over long distances, and processes information.

When you study electrical engineering, you learn about electrical and electronic applications, big and small. You start with a lot of courses in math and science. These teach you how to use the scientific method and help you understand how electric and electronic circuits work.

You learn how to solve problems in the design of electrical and electronic systems. You may use a computer program to simulate a circuit design or a motor and test it. You consider not only what works, but also what is efficient and inexpensive.

With four, perhaps five years of postsecondary education you can earn a bachelor's degree in this field. This is usually good preparation for your first job. A large number of colleges in the U.S. offer this major. Some of these colleges let you complete the bachelor's and master's degrees in one five-year sequence.

In addition, traditional master's and doctorate degrees are offered in this field. In general, master's degrees take two years to complete, and doctorate degrees take another three to five.