Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity,
electronics, and
electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the latter half of the 19th century after
commercialization of the
electric telegraph, the telephone, and
electrical power generation, distribution, and use.
Electrical engineering is now divided into a wide range of different fields, including
computer engineering,
systems engineering,
power engineering, telecommunications,
radio-frequency engineering,
signal processing,
instrumentation,
photovoltaic cells,
electronics, and
optics and
photonics. Many of these disciplines overlap with other engineering branches, spanning a huge number of specializations including hardware engineering,
power electronics, electromagnetic and waves,
microwave engineering,
nanotechnology,
electrochemistry, renewable energies, mechatronics/control, and electrical materials science.
Electrical engineers typically hold a
degree in electrical engineering or electronic engineering. Practicing engineers may have
professional certification and be members of a
professional body or an international standards organization. These include the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
(formerly the IEE).
Electrical engineers work in a very wide range of industries and the skills required are likewise variable. These range from
circuit theory to the management skills of a
project manager. The tools and equipment that an individual engineer may need are similarly variable, ranging from a simple
voltmeter to sophisticated design and manufacturing software.