Electronics Degrees


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Electronic technology majors prepare students for a career in the high-tech industry of manufacturing, testing, repairing, and installing electronic equipment. Graduates from electronic technology programs are sought in many career fields, as most businesses and organizations require electronic systems experts to maintain and troubleshoot equipment, tools, and programs. The best college degrees also teach students to build networks and work with databases. Potential electronic majors should be critical thinkers with an interest in working with hardware and software to solve problems. They should also be interested in math and computing science, as the degree requires classes from both areas.

Classes and Assignments of an Electronics Major

Electronics majors take courses that prepare them to work with different kinds of technology. These classes teach students about circuits, power systems, microprocessors, programming, mathematics, digital electronics, and communication electronics. Students also learn about programming, routing, networking, and software, and are often required to take general classes in composition, history, and science as well. This helps students become marketable employees when they graduate.

Degree Levels for an Electronics Major

  • Associate. Many universities offer associate degree programs in electronic technology. These are career-oriented programs that balance general education classes with degree-specific electronic classes. They teach students about various technology and programs.
  • Bachelor's. Bachelor's degrees in electronic technology build upon the knowledge and skills learned in associate degree programs. These degrees examine the development, implementation, and repair of hardware and software on a deeper level, though they still require students to take general classes as well.
  • Master's. It is not common for universities to offer master's degrees in electronics technology. However, students with a solid background in electronics can advance into electronic engineering graduate programs, which will utilize the skills acquired during the undergraduate level to teach advanced engineering concepts.
  • Doctoral. Students can seek to earn their doctoral degrees in electronic engineering as well. However, the most useful college degrees also prepare students to work within the field of academia. It is more common for students to major in electronic engineering at the doctorate level than it is for them to major in electronic technology, and the knowledge acquired at this degree level will go deeper than at the degrees levels that come before it.

A Future as an Electronics Major

The best college degrees for electronics will provide graduates with the opportunity to work in a variety of high-tech fields. For instance, former electronics majors can establish careers as engineering assistants and network supervisors. They can work in information technology or electronic manufacturing, the latter of which averages $861 in weekly wages, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Students that advance their degrees beyond the undergraduate level can become full-fledged electronics engineers, a career that generates an annual salary of $53,240. Individuals that have earned their graduate degrees in electronics can also become electronics and engineering professors — positions that average $96,480 annually. However, keep in mind that these are not fixed numbers. Salaries vary based on location, the employer, and the amount of experience you have.

 

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