If you have an affinity for electronics and figuring out how things work, you may want to attend one of the 48 electrical engineering schools in California. There are 18 schools in the state that award Associate’s degrees and 46 schools that have Bachelor’s degree programs. Thirty California schools offer Master’s degree programs and 25 schools award doctorate degrees.
The curriculum for an electrical engineering program is designed to give you experience in all aspects of electricity and the science behind new electric technology. An Associate’s degree in this field generally takes two years, and it includes 60 credits in lower-level engineering courses.
You can earn a Bachelor’s degree in four to five years. This 120-credit degree includes many lecture courses in addition to lab courses that give you hands-on experience. Required coursework at this level includes Advanced Circuits, Fundamentals of Power Systems, and Digital Signal Processing.
A Master’s degree is the next step after a Bachelor’s degree. You have to earn 30 credits in advanced engineering courses to graduate with this degree. Some of the courses you may take include Advanced Processor Architecture, Solid State Devices, and Quantum Transport. A PhD includes high-level engineering courses and a thesis.
Since there are so many engineering schools in California, there is a wide range of tuition costs. Overall, the average cost of tuition for California residents is $3000. For non-residents, the average cost of tuition is $7500.
California is home to many unique engineering scholarships. The California Transportation Foundation awards multiple scholarships to engineering students every year. Scholarships can be worth up to $2000. The American Council of Engineering Companies California gives scholarships of up to $7500 to qualified students.
Before you can begin working as an electrical engineer in California, you have to earn your engineering license from the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Your engineering school must send your transcript to the board so you can take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. After you pass this exam, you can apply for licensure in California.