WWBM STEM Professionals Society

I believe the mindset of a STEM Professional is one to embrace a lifetime of learning and change. At the forefront we have those dedicated to implementing, maintaining, managing, innovating or designing advanced technology and often with a collaborated team effort. Although this thread stands to serve those that have a Technical or Scientific background as well as anyone who has an insatiable desire for knowledge; we will try to stay on the pragmatic course of career advancement. Here we can share information on colleges, career fields, certifications, what employers are looking for and so forth.

I will get it started by saying that I have a financial background and an undergrad degree in business/accounting, but Ill keep that in the shadows for now. What I am currently seeking to build on is my experience of troubleshooting and repairing sophisticated electronic systems and circuitry. Currently I am thinking about getting a degree in Electrical or Electronics engineering; in order to expand my experience from troubleshooting to finding trends in reoccurring problems for the purpose of innovating systems, minimizing faults, and improving functional ability. Any way I am not interested in grad school but rather to obtain another undergrad degree while networking, in order to land the position I seek.

Question to the people in Cali, Texas and Florida:
Where could I go to school in your state and establish a decent network while I obtain a respectable engineering degree of the electric type?

 

My ex's best friend is an electrical engineer here in SD. He went to ucsd...says they have a really good program for engineering. He's been working in the field since 2004 and loves it (and he loves the money lol). It's really not my field of expertise but I figured I'd throw that out there for you. Good luck :freehug:

 

You might want to take a look at this....
http://www.educationnews.org/career-index/engineering-schools-in-florida/

good luck.

 

You might want to consider systems engineering. My brother is an electrical engineer the field is kind of tough but that's here in NY so I don't what its like in other states. I want to say I'm proud of you for taking this step fam. Upwards and onwards

 

I Will definitely look into that school. If I end up in Cali it will more than likely be SD!

Thanks Rita. Side Note: I bet you have some interesting insight of Real Estate in FL.

 

Ill need to do a bit of research to find out what the difference is.

 

I like the way you think but that's almost like a Steve Jobs type of deal. I would rather get a good night sleep sometimes. :lol:

 

lol just trying to put your talents to good use fam. It would also allow you to feel less like you're doing one thing all the time.
I come from a family of engineers and some complain once in your in one field for too long it becomes what you feel safest messing with.
Another one of my brothers is computer engineer, my dad is an electrical engineer, my cousin does chemical engineering, I even wanted to do mechanical engineering when I was kid (still might) always loved how physical locks and working parts moved. Incredibly fascinating stuff, but I'm also talking as a person from the outside looking in. Accounting is what I thought it would be, boring as fuck, but I'm thankful I have a job in an industry that's growing rather than retracting right now. I have also thought about getting deeper involved in computer science so I can do fraud investigation. I think its better suited for my mind.

 

I do know a thing or two. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

After you pass the CPA and get a good knowledge of IT your accounting background coupled with computer science should put you on a path to becoming a CFO. Not sure if it is always like that but I've seen quite a few organizations that had the IT director as well as the controller both reporting to the CFO. You would be qualified to manage the money as well as protect it from hackers and cyber criminals, smart move.

Awesome!

 

I wish you the best with your endeavors. *daps*

 

Tootin' my own horn here and rather loudly at that, but scratch Texas and Florida from your list and only consider California for STEM training and networking opportunities.

There are great engineering (electrical and otherwise) programs up and down the state (UCLA, UCSD, Cal Poly, USC, CalTech, Berkeley, Stanford, etc.), but the Bay Area is where the conversation begins and ends for networking opportunities. Apple, Google, facebook, Twitter, HP . . . are all based in the Bay. Los Angeles is picking up steam as a tech spot (Silicon Beach) but the Bay is where people become billionaires overnight.

 

Thanks fam.

This post has really piqued my curiosity!

 

I agree completely. I am not in the STEM field but I deal with employment issues and wages peripherally. Here is a government resource for you to play around with: http://www.flcdatacenter.com/OesWizardStart.aspx. You can compare wages for various occupations in the states/counties that interest you. Of course, there is the cost of living question but you will get an idea. Good luck! Sounds like you have got a great plan

 

Thanks!

 

It was a tough decision to choose the state that I will go to school in. I know that Cali and Texas are the best states for those who are in the field of electronics as engineers and technicians, not even sure that Florida is #3 on that list. There are things that are better about Cali, but Florida is the place to be if you are a true beach bum. It has the better beaches and the water is warmer year round and thus more swimmable. The fact that Florida is less crowded, and better traffic conditions also weighed into the decision. I won't have any responsibility when I go back to school, so I could not let the jobs be the deciding factor for choice of state. Texas and Cali will still be there after graduation if needed. Anyway......Here is some info for those that are thinking about pursuing a degree of engineering in Florida, so far it is sort of a rough draft outline that I'm using to make a decision on a school. Thanks to everyone that have posted in this thread already, if there are anymore suggestions, pls weight in. So far I'm leaning toward UF,UCF, and USF. Have not ruled out Florida State, but the taught of it does not excite me as much. Embry Riddle just costs to much. lol



University of Florida

Hands down the best engineering college at engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate in the state is at the University of Florida. Their graduate degree program is ranked 35th in the country by U.S. News & World Report in their 2014 listings. The UF College of Engineering is particularly strong in the biological/agricultural and material engineering fields.

All of the engineering programs offered at UF are as follows: aerospace, agricultural, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer engineering, computer science, electrical, engineering management, environmental, manufacturing, materials, mechanical and nuclear.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

The undergraduate engineering program is listed among the best in the nation. In the U.S. News rankings from 2014 of top prgrams at engineering schools whose highest degree is a backelor’s or master’s, it comes in at #10, the highest in the state on that list. Its aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical program is in particular very good. In fact it’s known as the number one such program in the country!

Best Engineering Programs in Florida


University of Central Florida

Probably second overall to UF for engineering programs is UCF. Their graduate engineering program ranks 70th in the nation. Their civil, computer engineering, electrical, environmental, industrial and mechanical engineering programs were also noted in the rankings.

Florida State University and Florida A&M University

FSU and FAMU have a joint engineering college. Their graduate engineering program ranks 92nd in the country. Their graduate civil, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering were also noted in the rankings.

University of South Florida

USF’s graduate engineering program ranked 112th in the nation. Their strongest engineering programs are civil, electrical and industrial/manufacturing engineering.

Florida Institute of Technology

The engineering school at the Florida Institute of Technology was listed among the best undergraduate and graduate engineering colleges in the country. Its graduate aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical is FIT’s strongest engineering program.

Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, University of North Florida
Though not receiving a numerical rank, FAU’s and FIU’s undergraduate and graduate and UNF’s undergraduate engineering programs were still listed on U.S. News & World Report’s most recent ranking.
http://www.flcollegeguide.com/best-engineering-programs-in-florida/

 

What type of engineering degree are you pursuing and at what level?

 

Bachelor Degree; Electric If they have a good grad program, would that also mean they have a good undergrad program? Wondering how much I should credit the above information.

 

This look important

Accreditation


ABET is a non-profit and non-governmental accrediting agency for academic programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET is a recognized accreditor in the United States (U.S.) by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

ABET accreditation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which the program prepares its students. ABET accredits postsecondary programs housed in degree-granting institutions which have been recognized by national or regional institutional accreditation agencies or national education authorities worldwide.

In the U.S., there are two types of academic accreditation: (1) institutional and (2) specialized or programmatic.
Institutional accreditation is provided by regional and national accreditors and evaluates overall institutional quality, but does not focus on a given academic program.
Specialized or programmatic accreditation evaluates an individual program of study, rather than an institution as a whole. This type of accreditation is granted to a specific program at a variety of degree levels (associate's, bachelor's, and master's).

Of these two types of accreditation, ABET provides only specialized accreditation for programs; ABET does not accredit degrees, departments, colleges, institutions, or individuals.

ABET undertakes specialized accreditation for programs at various levels through its four accreditation commissions:
Applied Science Accreditation Commission (ASAC), which accredits an applied science program at the associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree level.
Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC), which accredits a computing program at the bachelor's degree level only.
Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), which accredits an engineering program at the bachelor's or master's degree level.
Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC), which accredits an engineering technology program at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels.

To date, ABET has accredited over 3,300 applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology programs at more than 680 colleges and universities in 24 countries worldwide. Find an ABET-accredited program with our Accredited Program Search.
http://www.abet.org/accreditation/

 

Hmm, perhaps but a university may also allocate resources to one arm of a single department at the expense of another.

Ordinarily I am loath to use college rankings, but for your purposes they may be of practical value with regard to how future employers will perceive you vis-a-vis other job/career applicants.

If you're looking at Florida then I suggest looking even closer at Georgia Tech, as they have the best electrical engineering program in the southeast.

QS ranks universities with a global scope and places Georgia Tech as 15th best in the world.

http://www.topuniversities.com/univ...gs/2012/engineering-electrical-and-electronic

The University of Florida (Gainesville) seems to have the best program in the state.

A master's degree in electrical engineering also gives you a solid base for earning a six-figure income. Maybe UF for undergrad and a better ranked school for an MA?

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45ifij/no-3-best-masters-degree-for-jobs-electrical-engineering/