Great video! I've worked for about three years after undergraduate studies, and the experiences make me want to do research work. I realised I lack some research experience, so I've been thinking of doing a master's, and then I get a PhD.
You continue to be a great inspiration. Just started my EE undergrad program, much later in life than you. Every time you describe a person that should be doing this I know it’s the right path.
Hi I am Mohammad Ali, I would like to thank you for your informative videos for graduate students, really appreciate it. I have started my masters degree this Fall in the US and I will highly appreciate your valuable advice and recommendations in order to get the most of my study. Thank you!
Spend a good portion of time getting hands on experience, and attend many networking events. Try to get an internship in your first summer so you can convert it to a full-time job. Watch my playlist on engineering internships. Good luck!
Awesome video! I have been contemplating a PhD since I started my undergraduate in physics but I am at the point where I need to decide between EE and physics. The reason I'm on the edge of both is because I want to do experimental physics and work on problems that have real application. My question for you is what types of problems do Engineering PhD students solve? Are they mostly industry topics or are there some fundamental questions that need answering?
Our MS Electrical Engineering has three different tracks, including coursework with oral and written exams, project with presentation, and finally thesis. All tracks require both hardware and software; however, requirements differ in their number of graduate hours. Additionally, the thesis requires the work be published in engineering journals, presented at conferences, and an oral defense against a selected committee. One no-vote, over. The vote must be unanimous for receiving the Masters. Hopefully, this is my semester to go. Definitely entertaining the PhD.
Thank you Ali your videos have been very informative and helpful. I’m 31 years old man and I wanted to go to college for electrical engineering technician program and l couldn’t make up my mind but watching your videos has helped me make my decision. I got accepted into college for electrical engineering technician program and after 2 years I’m going to university for my bachelors degree
Thanks for the insight with this video. Rising Senior here, getting a bachelors in Physics. I'm very interested in EE PhD programs but dont feel like im qualified enough for them. I have 3 research experiences including some electronics projects and an REU Im doing right now with hopes to publish a paper with our results come August. From your experience, what would you say? Should I go ahead and apply to these programs or take the safer route with an Applied Physics program. Thanks
I'd say the REU is your biggest asset on your resume, the projects are valuable too. If your GPA is above 3.5 I'd say you have a really good shot. If you're gonna apply to PhD programs directly I'd recommend trying to e-mail a few professors who you are interested in working with rather than blindly applying to a school. That way you get a feel of the professors/school before you invest too much time with the applications. You could also apply for a MS program, unless you're absolutely certain about the PhD.
@@alithedazzling Thanks for the response Ali, and yes I have been actively researching programs and emailing professors. My GPA is only 3.4 at the moment but I could definitely get that higher this coming year. I considered a terminal MS but 1) I do not have the money for that and, 2) I would probably just go on to get a PhD anyway, so why not just cut the middle man out. Anyways, thanks again for the advice, best of luck to you in whatever you're doing atm
I am 31 years old and I have my bachelors in Media Advertising with a minor in Graphic Design but I’m thinking in going back to school for Electric Engineering, do you think it would be a good idea to go back at this age? Are there internship abroad opportunities for people of the age of 30? I know I would struggle since there won’t be financial aid for me but it would be worth it?
So I have two answers for this, please consider both: 1) Idealistic perspective: an electrical engineering degree is very valuable, and there are many opportunities. If you truly find it interesting, you can pursue it at any age; for would you rather spend the rest of your life doing something boring? Even if it does not work out, you will not regret giving it a shot. There certainly should be internships, and the skillset you will acquire shall help you pay off the debt. 2) Realistic perspective: are you married/have kids? If so, you will have to consider if you can realistically afford being a full-time student for 4 years while being able to support your family. There will be internships, but you will probably have to work harder than others to "prove" yourself. The fact that you come from a media/art background should give you a strong edge in any work that is design oriented, or in architecting things, so you will have to find the right people and put effort in networking to find the right opportunity. Keep in mind this is with perspective to studying in the United States, I am not qualified to tell you what I would do in another country since I am not sure what other variables to consider. But I hope you find this helpful!
I went back at 35 and got my EE. I completed it in 3 years, but I went to community college for two years while I worked to get a lot of the elective courses out of the way. While I worked I saved money because I knew working was not a possibility while pursuing a EE. I had a little bit of my GI Bill left over for about a year and I received Pell Grants the entire time. I made it through, extremely difficult with a high GPA. Fast forward to the present I'm almost done with my Master's in EE & CPE. Once complete I will begin the process of starting my PhD and finishing in 3 years. The road is long, but if you a committed to the work and enjoy the engineering aspect it will be one of your greatest accomplishments. I'm working full-time during my Master's as an engineer and I will continue to work full-time during my PhD, so money isn't an issue for me. I don't have to worry about losing time with not getting a salary because I'm doing both simultaneously. However, I have very little free time. After work I go straight into my studies and finsih most nights around 11pm. I take two courses a semesters and one course during the summer. Hope this helps!
Hi I am currently a rising senior majoring in physics (undergrad). After spending two summers at a condensed matter physics lab, I don't particularly want to do phd in physics anymore. I want to solve problems more relevant to real world and so much of physics research feels irrelevant. I have been looking at going for an electrical engineering phd, but I am having doubts whether it is feasible for me to transition without getting left far behind. How relevant would physics courses I take as an undergrad be? Or in other words, how much material do I have to catch up on? I want to take electrical engineering courses in my senior year but my university does not have an engineering department and does not offer such courses. I am worried that I would be significantly behind people coming from an electrical engineering bachelors background for the first few years of the phd process. I am thinking of self studying or taking online courses but I am not sure how I would go on with that. What other skills besides academic things are needed to succeed? I have touched both cad and a few programming languages but I am in no way a master for any of them. What skills should I/can I focus on learning to prepare myself in the remaining 15 months? I also feel like I would be quite underqualified when applying for top programs compared to people that have been preparing for it for their full undergrad years. My gpa and recommendation letters shouldn't be a problem but I don't have any relevant internship experiences. The closest thing to electrical engineering/EECS I have done is designing/creating a constantan FPC and an unrelated javascript project when I was working in the condensed matter lab.
So the only skills you really need are curiosity and ability to learn things fast. Your physics background gives you a very good foundation for understanding and solving technical problems, especially if you enjoyed electromagnetics in particular. The javascript you wrote for example is a good representation of you learning a skill despite not majoring in it, so I would not worry about that too much. I think most programs would still consider you a serious applicant since you are a physics major, and not lets say biology or even chemistry. Engineering is applied physics so I don't see a reason this is a problem. One thing you can do is check out the 15 different branches within electrical engineeirng, and see which one you resonate with the most, then watch videos about that specific thing. Check out chapter 3 in this: alialqaraghuli.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EE_Must_Know.pdf Hope this helps!
I've always been interested in breakthroughs in renewable energy or things that can be directly applied in the real world. Would electrical engineering be where this happens?
@@alithedazzling I'm guessing it's like anything else though, you can't even research the topic you want unless you are lucky enough to be in the right university in the right lab that is researching the topic you are interested in (and likely a lab like that has alot of competition to join).
@@pruff3 well you can target the right lab and the right university and apply there. thats what I did basically, you find the professor who is doing research interesting to you and you e-mail them, then apply to the school if they tell you they have funding
@@alithedazzling yeah I think you definitely should proceed with your eyes open, target the research/lab, have an idea (or 2 or more) of where you could get a job afterwards, etc. That's a great way to do it, great point!
It depends on the university, but I will say most good universities will want 3.5+ GPA. Unless you have publications that helps a lot. You still have plenty of time to get it up though if that's your goal
I’m wrapping up my undergraduate and realized I don’t know enough. I’m pretty settled on getting my masters. After your undergraduate, do you look to get excepted into a graduate program or a PhD program? Or do you need a masters to apply to the PhD program?
usually a PhD will have a salary so as long as you are OK with making enough to get by for 5 years or so, finances are not an issue. How I'd go about it is I'd find a professor or university that does research I'm interested in, contact them, and apply only once I have a good idea of what I will be working on when I get there
Good day, I'll be starting my 1st college semester in Jan. My major is EE, and I want to double major. It is either computer science or physics, but idk which one. Any advice?
Hey, great video! I am Electrical/Computer and Math double major undergrad going into my sophomore year. I was wondering if you could reply or make a video talking about cool research topics in the electrical engineering area. I'm in my school's honors program, and I just have no idea what's all out there. Thanks a lot, love your videos, they're very motivating and inspiring :)
@@nicholasjaramillo9561 I'm doing it at Northeastern University in Boston. Where are you thinking of doing it? Btw I worked at KSC and JPL, I only visited JSC and it looked pretty cool
Great video! I'm at the point where I've thought about it so much; considering the opportunity cost and making sure that I have realistic expectations as far as job outcomes. I'm ready to start, and i know this is the right decision for me.
I would love to get a PhD, do you know the job prospects of VLSI and cpu/gpu design? This is my current obsession, I just don't know if it's worth getting a PhD for this field and also don't know the job prospects for this in the US. Any insights?
Hello, thank you for making such helpful videos. I’m graduating with a bachelor’s in physics and have a two years of research experience in a medical physics lab. I mostly did medical imaging and have a couple abstracts. Now I’m applying for grad school and really deciding between EE vs Biomed engineering. What would you recommend for a higher chance of admission (based on my background) and also a stable position at the job market? Thank you very much.
Great insides, thanks for giving your time helping people. I am still debating between EE vs Comp Eng., (undergrad) I like both, any advise in which one should I go for?
Very interesting video! Glad I stumbled onto your channel 😀
Glad you liked it!
Great video! I've worked for about three years after undergraduate studies, and the experiences make me want to do research work. I realised I lack some research experience, so I've been thinking of doing a master's, and then I get a PhD.
masters would be a great place to start!
@@alithedazzling Thanks for the response.
You continue to be a great inspiration. Just started my EE undergrad program, much later in life than you. Every time you describe a person that should be doing this I know it’s the right path.
What if I’m a beginner to the whole field??
Hi I am Mohammad Ali, I would like to thank you for your informative videos for graduate students, really appreciate it.
I have started my masters degree this Fall in the US and I will highly appreciate your valuable advice and recommendations in order to get the most of my study.
Thank you!
Spend a good portion of time getting hands on experience, and attend many networking events. Try to get an internship in your first summer so you can convert it to a full-time job. Watch my playlist on engineering internships. Good luck!
Awesome video! I have been contemplating a PhD since I started my undergraduate in physics but I am at the point where I need to decide between EE and physics. The reason I'm on the edge of both is because I want to do experimental physics and work on problems that have real application. My question for you is what types of problems do Engineering PhD students solve? Are they mostly industry topics or are there some fundamental questions that need answering?
You know what, this is such a good question, its worth making an entire video about. Stay tuned!
Hey so I just posted the video, check out "what do engineering phd students work on" -- hope it helps!
Pretty cool.
Our MS Electrical Engineering has three different tracks, including coursework with oral and written exams, project with presentation, and finally thesis. All tracks require both hardware and software; however, requirements differ in their number of graduate hours. Additionally, the thesis requires the work be published in engineering journals, presented at conferences, and an oral defense against a selected committee. One no-vote, over. The vote must be unanimous for receiving the Masters. Hopefully, this is my semester to go. Definitely entertaining the PhD.
Thank you Ali your videos have been very informative and helpful. I’m 31 years old man and I wanted to go to college for electrical engineering technician program and l couldn’t make up my mind but watching your videos has helped me make my decision. I got accepted into college for electrical engineering technician program and after 2 years I’m going to university for my bachelors degree
Glad the videos helped! Best of luck! :)
Thank you for the response
@@Delan1994do u have a plan for doing higher studies (PhD) in ee
Thanks for the insight with this video. Rising Senior here, getting a bachelors in Physics. I'm very interested in EE PhD programs but dont feel like im qualified enough for them. I have 3 research experiences including some electronics projects and an REU Im doing right now with hopes to publish a paper with our results come August. From your experience, what would you say? Should I go ahead and apply to these programs or take the safer route with an Applied Physics program. Thanks
I'd say the REU is your biggest asset on your resume, the projects are valuable too. If your GPA is above 3.5 I'd say you have a really good shot. If you're gonna apply to PhD programs directly I'd recommend trying to e-mail a few professors who you are interested in working with rather than blindly applying to a school. That way you get a feel of the professors/school before you invest too much time with the applications.
You could also apply for a MS program, unless you're absolutely certain about the PhD.
@@alithedazzling Thanks for the response Ali, and yes I have been actively researching programs and emailing professors. My GPA is only 3.4 at the moment but I could definitely get that higher this coming year. I considered a terminal MS but 1) I do not have the money for that and, 2) I would probably just go on to get a PhD anyway, so why not just cut the middle man out. Anyways, thanks again for the advice, best of luck to you in whatever you're doing atm
@@luisramos675 Great, goodluck on your application process, please keep me updated even if after few months :-)
I am 31 years old and I have my bachelors in Media Advertising with a minor in Graphic Design but I’m thinking in going back to school for Electric Engineering, do you think it would be a good idea to go back at this age? Are there internship abroad opportunities for people of the age of 30? I know I would struggle since there won’t be financial aid for me but it would be worth it?
So I have two answers for this, please consider both:
1) Idealistic perspective: an electrical engineering degree is very valuable, and there are many opportunities. If you truly find it interesting, you can pursue it at any age; for would you rather spend the rest of your life doing something boring? Even if it does not work out, you will not regret giving it a shot. There certainly should be internships, and the skillset you will acquire shall help you pay off the debt.
2) Realistic perspective: are you married/have kids? If so, you will have to consider if you can realistically afford being a full-time student for 4 years while being able to support your family. There will be internships, but you will probably have to work harder than others to "prove" yourself. The fact that you come from a media/art background should give you a strong edge in any work that is design oriented, or in architecting things, so you will have to find the right people and put effort in networking to find the right opportunity.
Keep in mind this is with perspective to studying in the United States, I am not qualified to tell you what I would do in another country since I am not sure what other variables to consider. But I hope you find this helpful!
I went back at 35 and got my EE. I completed it in 3 years, but I went to community college for two years while I worked to get a lot of the elective courses out of the way. While I worked I saved money because I knew working was not a possibility while pursuing a EE. I had a little bit of my GI Bill left over for about a year and I received Pell Grants the entire time. I made it through, extremely difficult with a high GPA.
Fast forward to the present I'm almost done with my Master's in EE & CPE. Once complete I will begin the process of starting my PhD and finishing in 3 years. The road is long, but if you a committed to the work and enjoy the engineering aspect it will be one of your greatest accomplishments.
I'm working full-time during my Master's as an engineer and I will continue to work full-time during my PhD, so money isn't an issue for me. I don't have to worry about losing time with not getting a salary because I'm doing both simultaneously. However, I have very little free time. After work I go straight into my studies and finsih most nights around 11pm. I take two courses a semesters and one course during the summer. Hope this helps!
I am doing exactly the same thing that Marve is doing.
Working full-time and doing Part-time study is not that hard.
@@itsmeh4868really
Zeppelin!!!!
YES
Hi I am currently a rising senior majoring in physics (undergrad). After spending two summers at a condensed matter physics lab, I don't particularly want to do phd in physics anymore. I want to solve problems more relevant to real world and so much of physics research feels irrelevant. I have been looking at going for an electrical engineering phd, but I am having doubts whether it is feasible for me to transition without getting left far behind.
How relevant would physics courses I take as an undergrad be? Or in other words, how much material do I have to catch up on?
I want to take electrical engineering courses in my senior year but my university does not have an engineering department and does not offer such courses. I am worried that I would be significantly behind people coming from an electrical engineering bachelors background for the first few years of the phd process. I am thinking of self studying or taking online courses but I am not sure how I would go on with that.
What other skills besides academic things are needed to succeed? I have touched both cad and a few programming languages but I am in no way a master for any of them. What skills should I/can I focus on learning to prepare myself in the remaining 15 months?
I also feel like I would be quite underqualified when applying for top programs compared to people that have been preparing for it for their full undergrad years. My gpa and recommendation letters shouldn't be a problem but I don't have any relevant internship experiences. The closest thing to electrical engineering/EECS I have done is designing/creating a constantan FPC and an unrelated javascript project when I was working in the condensed matter lab.
So the only skills you really need are curiosity and ability to learn things fast. Your physics background gives you a very good foundation for understanding and solving technical problems, especially if you enjoyed electromagnetics in particular. The javascript you wrote for example is a good representation of you learning a skill despite not majoring in it, so I would not worry about that too much.
I think most programs would still consider you a serious applicant since you are a physics major, and not lets say biology or even chemistry. Engineering is applied physics so I don't see a reason this is a problem.
One thing you can do is check out the 15 different branches within electrical engineeirng, and see which one you resonate with the most, then watch videos about that specific thing. Check out chapter 3 in this: alialqaraghuli.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EE_Must_Know.pdf
Hope this helps!
Hey I am also a phd student in power electronics . How to connect with you on linked in
I've always been interested in breakthroughs in renewable energy or things that can be directly applied in the real world. Would electrical engineering be where this happens?
absolutely, solar panels, wind turbines, and even hydro and nuclear operate under basic electromagnetic physics (electrical engineering) principles
yes, electrical engineering is the main way to get involved in this type of innovation
@@alithedazzling I'm guessing it's like anything else though, you can't even research the topic you want unless you are lucky enough to be in the right university in the right lab that is researching the topic you are interested in (and likely a lab like that has alot of competition to join).
@@pruff3 well you can target the right lab and the right university and apply there. thats what I did basically, you find the professor who is doing research interesting to you and you e-mail them, then apply to the school if they tell you they have funding
@@alithedazzling yeah I think you definitely should proceed with your eyes open, target the research/lab, have an idea (or 2 or more) of where you could get a job afterwards, etc. That's a great way to do it, great point!
What is the GPA requirment? I just finished my "pre-freshman" mini semesters, and I have a 3.1 GPA so far.
It depends on the university, but I will say most good universities will want 3.5+ GPA. Unless you have publications that helps a lot. You still have plenty of time to get it up though if that's your goal
I’m wrapping up my undergraduate and realized I don’t know enough. I’m pretty settled on getting my masters. After your undergraduate, do you look to get excepted into a graduate program or a PhD program? Or do you need a masters to apply to the PhD program?
Is it worth doing a masters separately or doing a integrated masters
I did an integrated masters -- id say its a personal choice
I just got done with my undergrad, but I would love to pursue a Phd but how would you go about deciding what to pursue and the financials behind it.
usually a PhD will have a salary so as long as you are OK with making enough to get by for 5 years or so, finances are not an issue. How I'd go about it is I'd find a professor or university that does research I'm interested in, contact them, and apply only once I have a good idea of what I will be working on when I get there
Good day, I'll be starting my 1st college semester in Jan. My major is EE, and I want to double major. It is either computer science or physics, but idk which one. Any advice?
do you like programming more or thinking about deeper physics concepts like relativity, quantum behavior, etc?
@@alithedazzling deeper physics concepts. Ty, I c where u r coming from
@@vinmath4k you got your answer :)
Hey, great video! I am Electrical/Computer and Math double major undergrad going into my sophomore year. I was wondering if you could reply or make a video talking about cool research topics in the electrical engineering area. I'm in my school's honors program, and I just have no idea what's all out there. Thanks a lot, love your videos, they're very motivating and inspiring :)
Well, you have a thesis-based master's too! I left my Ph.D. to work at NASA. I am going back through.
That's awesome! Which center did you work at?
@@alithedazzling I work at JSC. What university are you doing your PhD?
@@nicholasjaramillo9561 I'm doing it at Northeastern University in Boston. Where are you thinking of doing it?
Btw I worked at KSC and JPL, I only visited JSC and it looked pretty cool
Great video! I'm at the point where I've thought about it so much; considering the opportunity cost and making sure that I have realistic expectations as far as job outcomes. I'm ready to start, and i know this is the right decision for me.
Great video! Thank you for sharing!
Glad you liked it! Are you considering a PhD program?
Great video thanks, is there a specific time for PHD in Electrical Engineering??
time as in duration?
Yes, the duration.
@@fortunate3975 5 years on average
Thank you so much, I really appreciate.
I would love to get a PhD, do you know the job prospects of VLSI and cpu/gpu design? This is my current obsession, I just don't know if it's worth getting a PhD for this field and also don't know the job prospects for this in the US. Any insights?
not sure about those fields honstly
Hello, thank you for making such helpful videos. I’m graduating with a bachelor’s in physics and have a two years of research experience in a medical physics lab. I mostly did medical imaging and have a couple abstracts.
Now I’m applying for grad school and really deciding between EE vs Biomed engineering. What would you recommend for a higher chance of admission (based on my background) and also a stable position at the job market? Thank you very much.
EE is better for job market, but if you really love medicine and can't stop thinking about it, you can make BME work
thank you for your insight much appreciated!!
Great insides, thanks for giving your time helping people.
I am still debating between EE vs Comp Eng., (undergrad) I like both, any advise in which one should I go for?
the one you like most
thanks for the advise, your videos are great, thanks for your time
Ur kitty tho🥺
Isn't she lovely