A career in electrical engineering can be dynamic, diverse, and exciting. You can get started by attending one of the 12 engineering schools in Louisiana. Eight of these schools offer Associate’s degree programs, and nine have Bachelor’s degree programs. There are seven schools in the state with Master’s degree programs and six schools with PhD programs.
A degree in electrical engineering is meant to give you a thorough understanding of the many aspects of this field, including electricity, electronics and technology, and different power sources. An Associate’s degree takes about two years, and it can help you decide if you are interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in the field. A Bachelor’s degree, which contains 120 credits, takes an average of four years. Some of the courses you may take at this level include Circuits and Systems Design, Introduction to Semiconductors, and Electronic Circuits.
Certain career paths, including teaching and research, require a Master’s degree or PhD. If you want to earn your Master’s degree, you can plan on spending two years in school. You complete 30 credits in courses like Power Electronic Converters and Solid State Devices. To earn your PhD, you must write and defend your thesis, which takes an average of seven years.
Tuition varies significantly in Louisiana, due to the variety of different schools in the state. The average cost of tuition in Louisiana is $14,200. No matter which school you decide to attend, you may be able to save money by applying for grants and scholarships.
There are many scholarship opportunities that you can look into. BASF, the Chemical Company recently awarded over $15,000 in scholarships to Louisiana engineering students. They expect to offer more scholarships in the future. Another option is the scholarship awarded by the SWE Baton Rouge Section of the Society of Women Engineers.
After you have graduated from your school of choice, you can begin working on getting your engineering license from the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. The first step in this process is passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, which is available every April and October. After passing this exam, you can send your application and a $50 check to the board to receive your license.