Electrical engineering is the discipline that applies the theories and principles of electricity, electronics, telecommunications, control systems, and other disciplines to design and develop devices, systems, and infrastructure. A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering is required for this profession since it involves studies of both electrical and mechanical aspects. In general, an individual with a degree in electrical engineering should have a solid knowledge of circuits, mathematical fundamentals of physics applied to electrotechnology, electronic instruments and devices, standardized techniques for maintenance and repair of power equipment, computer applications in electronics, telecommunications techniques and need for common safety measures.
If you’re learning about good minors for electrical engineering majors for the first time, the subject might seem overwhelming to those who haven’t previously explored the subject, but you’ll probably find it interesting.
Read more about best minor for industrial engineering major, best minors for engineering majors, best minors for civil engineers, and best minor for industrial engineering major. You can also find more resources related to best business minor for engineers on Collegelearners.
What is a Minor?
- A coherent program requiring some depth in the subject, but not as extensive as a major.
- Most are comprehensive rather than narrowly focused.
- Usually: 16-21 hours, counting all prerequisites inside (but not outside) the minor department.
- At least 6 hours at 400 level or designated 300 level advanced courses (and must be distinct from credit earned for the student’s major or another minor).
- Completion of a minor will be noted on the student’s printed transcript. Failure to complete a declared minor carries no penalty (e.g. the transcript does not refer to the minor at all).
What are good minors for Engineering majors
Go For Innovation
Choose a minor in entrepreneurship or business if you want to use your knowledge and skills to invent and create new equipment and technology to meet electrical needs. For example, Penn State offers minors such as Engineering Leadership Development, Engineering Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship and Innovation for electrical engineering students who want to combine their technical skills with an understanding of national and international business demands. Penn State’s entrepreneurship courses constitute 18-credit-hour minors that can be taken in conjunction with electrical engineering requirements. An entrepreneurship minor can help students who want to address global energy needs.
Two Plus Two Equals Success
Because most engineering disciplines, including electrical engineering, are heavily math-oriented, most students only need a few additional math courses to obtain a math minor. For example, Syracuse University requires students to complete 18 credit hours in the mathematics department to get a minor in math. Because Syracuse’s electrical engineering major requires four mathematics courses, totaling 15 credit hours, students only need to pass one additional math course to qualify for a minor in math. This minor will help you if you plan to get a highly technical job in engineering.
Computer Geeks: Good Choice
Opt for a minor in computer science if you want to use your electrical engineering skills in a computer-oriented industry, such as designing software or expanding technological advancements. The University of Illinois offers a computer science minor for electrical engineering students that requires five courses at the freshman, sophomore and junior levels and one senior-level course. Students have three mandatory classes and can choose their three remaining courses from a list of upper-level computer science offerings.
Good Minors For Electrical Engineering Majors
Most types of engineering are associated with a particular type of science, so it is natural and necessary that you will take courses in the science associated with the specific area of engineering you choose to study. Beyond that, it really depends on your interests. You could broaden your engineering skills by choosing a minor in a different field of engineering. But you could also pair your engineering skills with any other subject taught in college. For example, there are engineers who have also studied art and that second area of knowledge was important to their career. It opens up a lot of opportunities for you if you can combine skills in two or more areas. Another thing to consider is that you do not necessarily have to declare a minor. You could study another area in graduate school. For example, some engineers finish undergraduate study, get some work experience, and then decide to go to graduate school for an MBA or to study a different area of engineering that complements what they already know. I studied software engineering as an undergraduate, but also took a few courses in electrical engineering, then decided to get a graduate degree in electrical engineering. The combination worked very well for me, you will find the combination that is right for you by considering what other passions you have besides engineering.
best minors for electrical Engineering majors Powerhouse
If you’re not totally tired of taking engineering courses, choose a minor in another engineering field. For example, Penn State suggests that electrical engineering majors obtain a minor in environmental engineering, bioengineering, nanotechnology or energy engineering. Obtaining a major and a minor in engineering solidifies your reputation as a tried-and-true engineer. Students often qualify for entrance into engineering minor programs because they have completed level-one and level-two chemistry, physics and math courses. According to Penn, students must have at least fifth-semester standing and have a minimum 2.0 GPA to minor in an engineering field, such as environmental engineering. The environmental engineering minor consists of 18 credit hours and requires a minimum of six credit hours at the 400 level. Students must get a minimum of a C grade in all minor-required courses to qualify for the minor.
Electrical Engineering Minor (Non-Teaching Minor, 30 credits)
The ECE Department offers a non-teaching minor in Electrical Engineering that provides interested students with an introductory understanding of electrical circuits, electronics, and properties of signals. Students then choose electives from among a variety of EE topics, such as telecommunications, optics, electrical power, and control systems. This minor requires a minimum of 30 credits in electrical engineering subjects, with 9 of those credits selected from a list of upper division elective courses. This minor complements majors in science or engineering for those seeking a cross-disciplinary academic program.
If you are a CpE major you can complete a minor in EE by taking three EE classes (9 cr min) from the specified elective list for the EE minor. This can be done within the 126 credits required for the BSCpE degree alone, by carefully choosing the professional elective credits.
Required courses: | Credits |
---|---|
EELE 101—Intro to Electr Fund | 3 |
EELE 201—Circuits I | 4 |
EELE 203—Circuits II | 4 |
EELE 308—Signal and System Analysis | 3 |
EELE 317—Electronics | 4 |
EELE 334—Electromag Theory I | 3 |
Take 9 credits minimum from the following: | Credits |
EELE 321—Intro to Feedback Control | 3 |
EELE 432—Applied Electromagnetics | 3 |
EELE 355—Energy Conversion | 4 |
EELE 409—EE Material Science | 3 |
EELE 411—Adv Analog Electronics | 3 |
EELE 414—Intro to VLSI Design | 3 |
EELE 422—Intro Modern Control | 3 |
EELE 445—Telecommunications Sys | 4 |
EELE 447—Mobile Wireless Sys | 3 |
EELE 477—Digital Signal Processing | 4 |
EELE 482—Electro-optical Systems | 3 |
EELE 484—Laser Engineering | 3 |
Students must receive a grade of “C-“ or better in all courses used to fulfill the minor.
Optics Minors (Non-Teaching Minor, 21 credits)
The ECE and Physics Departments jointly offer a non-teaching minor in Optics. The minor provides a key set of courses and skills needed to join the rapidly growing fields of optical science and engineering.
The minor requires a minimum of 21 credits in specified subject areas in physics and engineering (see table below), as well as a variety of electives chosen to match the goals and interests of the student.
Required classes: | Credits |
---|---|
EELE 334–Electromagnetic Theory Ior PHSX 423–Electricity and Magnetism I | 3 |
EELE 432–Applied Electromagneticsor PHSX 425–Electricity and Magnetism II | 3 |
EELE 482–Electro-Optical Systems | 3 |
PHSX 427–Advanced Opticsor PHSX 437–Laser Applications | 3 |
Optics Electives (choose at least 9 credits): | Credits |
CHMY 371–Physical Chemistry-Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy IPHSX 427–Advanced OpticsPHSX 437–Laser ApplicationsPHSX 444–Advanced Physics LabEELE 408–Photovoltaic SystemsEELE 481–Optical DesignEELE 484–Laser EngineeringEELE 488R–Electric Engineering Design I 1EELE 489R–Electrical Engr Design II 1PHSX 499–Senior Capstone Seminar 1EELE 490R–Undergraduate Research 1PHSX 490R–Undergraduate Research 1PHSX 494–Seminar/Workshop 1EELE 491–Special Topics 2EELE 492–Independent Study 2 | |
Total for Minor (minimum) | 21 |
1A maximum of four (4) credits of these classes may be used if the topic is directly related to optics, on approval by academic advisor and research advisor/instructor.
2A maximum of three (3) credits of these classes may be used if the topic is directly related to optics, on approval by academic advisor and research advisor/instructor.
Note: The following 500-level classes can be taken as electives in the Optics minor by seniors with a cumulative grade-point average >= 3.25 (by petition to the Registrar) and provided all prerequisites are met.
- EELE 538 Adv Top Electromagnet & Optics
- EELE 581 Fourier Optics/Imaging Theory
- EELE 582 Optical Design
- EELE 583 Remote Sensing Systems
- PHSX 515 Advanced Topics In Physics (if topic is directly optics related)
- CHMY 527 Analytic Optical Spectroscopy
- CHMY 557 Quantum Mechanics
- CHMY 560 Symmetry, Orbitals, and Spectroscopy
Why choose a minor in electrical engineering?
A minor in an Electrical Engineering (EE) field is a great way to diversify your academic background! Additional skills acquired with an Electrical Engineering minor will provide you with all the essential tools needed to be a leader in technology and scientific discovery.
Careers
The main duties of an electrical or electronics engineer include working with multimedia, telecommunications, electric power, signal processing, and control systems. All of these skills produce automated cars, robots, aviation electrical systems, new forms of wireless communication, and other not-yet imagined products and software. There’s no limit to how electrical engineers can improve and invent ways to help make life easier and safer!
Job Outlook
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage of electrical engineers in May 2020 was $105,990 The lowest 10 percent of electrical engineers earned $64,870, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $159,520. Employment of electrical and electronics engineers is projected to grow 4.5 percent. Job growth is expected because of electrical and electronics engineers’ versatility in developing and applying emerging technologies.
Academics and Curriculum
The Department of Electrical Engineering offers six undergraduate minors:
Available for all undergraduate students:
- Assured and Trusted Digital Microelectronics designs and assesses the trustworthiness of secure hardware.
- EE 2000/L or CEG 3320/L, EE 4540/L or CEG 4322/L, EE 4550/L or CEG 4326/L, and EE 4620/L or CEG 4324/L.
Available for non-EE majors:
- VLSI minor concentrates on the design and development of computer hardware and very large-scale integrated microchip systems.
- EE 2000, EE 4540/L, EE 4620/L, and one of EE 4000, EE 4100, or CEG 3310/L
- Microwave minor concentrates on the design and development of microwave devices, transmission lines and antennas.
- EE 4420/L, EE 4460/L, and EE 4470/L and one of EE 3450/L or PHY 4510
- Digital Signal Processing(DSP)/Wireless minor concentrates on signal processing, sensor and MEMS technology, radar systems, and the design and development of wireless communication devices and systems.
- EE 3210, EE 3260, EE 4000, EE 4210/L, and EE 4360
- Controls Systems minor concentrates on design and development of control and robotic systems.
- EE 4130/L, EE 4170/L, and two of EE 4120/L, EE 4190/L, and EE 4560/L
- Electronics minor concentrates on electronic devices and power electronic systems.
- EE 3210, EE 3310/L, EE 4100/L, and EE 4440/L required.
best business minor for engineers
Dyson Business Minor for Engineers
People skills and knowledge of business fundamentals can position engineers for the creation and delivery of more effective solutions. Teamwork, communication, and collaboration are skills that you’ll need as you interface with others—especially when you’re tasked with delivering sophisticated solutions to clients or customers.
Understanding how core business functions “work” and how stakeholders measure success will help you gain support and resources to turn your engineering ideas into reality. With the Dyson business minor for engineers (DBME), you’ll begin to understand how managers think and how finance, marketing, accounting, and operations can affect business decisions.
Who’s eligible for the DBME?
All undergraduates in the College of Engineering and select majors in the colleges of Arts & Sciences and Agriculture and Life Sciences (see full list below).
How many credits are required?
13.5 core credits (7 must be AEM courses) across areas such as business, finance, accounting and operations. In addition, 3 credits in microeconomics is the required foundation course.
Eligible engineering majors
The DBME is open to students majoring in certain engineering subjects within Cornell’s colleges listed below.
- College of Engineering
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- College of Arts & Sciences
Foundation Course
This minor requires 3 credits in microeconomics. We recommend taking this course before taking the minor’s core courses and require it to be completed by your sixth semester. A letter grade of a C or better is required.
Introductory microeconomics (3 credits)
Core Requirements
The minor’s core requirements (13.5 credits) must be fulfilled by taking courses in the five areas listed below, which includes 3 credits that are related to your career goals. Please note that 7 credits must be AEM courses.
A letter grade of a C or better is required.
- Introduction to basic business concepts (3 credits)
- Accounting principles (3 credits)
- Finance (3 credits)
- Capstone course (1.5 credits)
- Career goals (3 credits)