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Applications of Machine Learning and AI in Electrical and Computer Engineering
March 24, 2025 8:00 am Comments Off on Applications of Machine Learning and AI in Electrical and Computer Engineering
In electrical and computer engineering, the rate of technological innovation is astounding both experts and novices. Amid breakthroughs in hardware and software engineering, every year brings new innovations — and new challenges. In particular, recent years have seen breakthroughs in machine learning and AI, which are shifting the limits of technology in novel ways.

These developments have broadly and impactfully altered the ways we approach electrical and computer engineering. It has also led to shifts in the way we are able to build and maintain cybersecurity frameworks, smart grids, power systems, processing architecture and more.

Emerging Applications in AI for Electrical and Computer Engineering

Recent breakthroughs in AI have driven widespread adoption of AI algorithms, Large Language Models (LLMs) and other forms of deep learning and novel computing methods. A few breakthroughs include:
- Transformer models that enable complex relationships between AI and contextual language
- Edge AI, which refers to when AI algorithms or models are deployed directly into edge devices (such as Internet of Things devices)
- Federated learning frameworks that allow engineers to train AI models without accessing personal data from users
These and other technological developments play an important role in electrical and computer engineering: they give engineers new ways to tangibly harness technology.

How Innovations Support Engineers

For example, running large language models requires a massive amount of data processing in near real-time. This has long required developers to use the cloud and decentralized computing to keep up with the speed, meaning that the importance of functional APIs and stable connectivity technologies is difficult to overstate.

Edge AI and edge computing, along with federated learning frameworks, allows engineers to train and develop their AI models on local devices. This mitigates potential privacy concerns and allows for the AI to use less computing power for a specific purpose. For engineers, this means they can leverage computing power more efficiently, and they don’t have to consider the complications that come with maintaining massive data centers. The developments may even inspire further innovations in the efficiency of hardware and processor technology.

Future Technologies: What Might We See in the Next 5 Years?

Given this landscape, computer and electrical engineers must navigate a rapidly shifting environment and will very likely have their work affected by the development of emergent technologies.

One of the key areas where we expect advancements is increases in efficiency in AI hardware. Perhaps most importantly is energy-efficient AI hardware, which aims to vastly improve engineering capability without creating an unsustainable drain on energy and water. In addition to improvements in AI’s energy usage, many engineers are working in this area to make AI hardware more model efficient (also referred to as parameter efficient), which involves making AI/ML models more optimized and simplified for better performance. Engineers are also making models more data efficient by designing them in such a way that they can better handle data sparsity.

In addition to the AI developments we’re seeing now, we may see further developments that benefit engineers:
- Quantum computing stands to revolutionize how many flops (a measure of computing power) we can squeeze into a single machine
- Integrating AI into connectivity protocols (such as 6G) may optimize performance, security protocols, network management, bandwidth allocation and threat detection
The future of STEM is AI-focused — and sustainable. The global AI in renewable energy market reached $835 million in 2023 and is expected to reach $4,823.50 million by 2031.

— Data Intelligence

AI in Power Systems, Smart Grids and Cybersecurity

Evolving technologies driven by machine learning and AI can help us achieve goals in a wide range of fields: power systems and smart grids, cybersecurity frameworks and even driverless vehicles.

Power Systems and Smart Grids

Engineers who work on power systems and smart grids have been dealing with a range of challenges for a long time, including:
- Electrical faults, which can lead to local outages and unsafe conditions
- The need for ongoing maintenance and continuous monitoring
- Reliance on aging materials that degrade over time
AI and machine learning algorithms can optimize the way we maintain these systems. With AI tools that support real-time detection, engineers can rapidly respond to faults or short-circuits. And, with predictive AI algorithms, engineers can rely on predictive maintenance and optimization information, allowing them to perform improvements proactively.

AI in Cybersecurity: Threat Detection, Response Execution and Predictive Analytics

AI can play a critical role in helping to improve cybersecurity frameworks and efforts, and many organizations have moved to adopt AI frameworks to improve their cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has presented a roadmap for the use of AI in cybersecurity, outlining five lines of effort. Notably, the roadmap includes expanding AI expertise to enable the safe, responsible and effective use of AI in cybersecurity and technological infrastructure.

Given this emphasis on expertise, well-educated electrical and computer engineers with a master’s degree are uniquely positioned to support this safe and responsible AI-supported cybersecurity measures. Michigan State University’s M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering curriculum incorporates AI and cybersecurity training, allowing graduates to prepare for these increasingly necessary roles.

Some of the ways in which AI can be implemented in cybersecurity efforts include:
- Automating threat detection to allow for more robust monitoring and faster response times
- Predictive threat modelling, which can bolster resilience efforts
- Automated incident response documentation to help cybersecurity teams better understand how to improve responses in the future
AI-Optimized Hardware and Neuromorphic Computing

Signal Processing and AI-Optimized Hardware

Another way that AI and machine learning can impact computer and electrical engineering is through hardware optimization and signal processing. In signal processing, AI developments enable more accurate signal interpretation without the need for brute force hardware power. In addition, incorporating AI and ML frameworks into this area can help filter noise, therefore reducing processing times and improving signal accuracy.

Integrating AI-based software can optimize hardware, allowing for more computing power even on older or less advanced hardware. Integrating these optimizations can majorly reduce the power consumption of large systems. Similarly, AI software optimization aims to utilize existing hardware frameworks and architectures more effectively to similar ends, meaning that hardware will require less upgrades, updates and maintenance.

Neuromorphic Computing

Another way in which AI and machine learning have impacted broader computing capabilities is through the use of “neuromorphic computing.” This complicated area of engineering seeks to use silicon and computing power in a way that mimics the neurological frameworks of the human brain.

These and other similar technologies allow for more energy-efficient hardware, which can help improve our capabilities for reliable data and power transmission. It can also make embedded systems on boards more effective, shaping the next generation of AI-supported processor architectures.

How Can an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering Prepare You for the AI-Enabled Future?

Given this increasingly complex landscape, it is more important than ever for electrical and computer engineers to have expertise in their field. A master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering offers engineers the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge and learn to apply electrical and computer engineering concepts to multiple disciplines.

At MSU, the M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering emphasizes practical experience and real-world topics so that graduates are ready to pursue in-demand engineering careers. By the time they graduate, MSU electrical and computer engineering students will be ready to lead advances in AI-enabled engineering, especially as it relates to computer hardware, automation and communication networks.

About Michigan State University’s Online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering program readies students to excel in the field by expanding their technical knowledge and focusing on the real problems spurring technical innovation. Online students can choose from two plans of study — selecting a thesis or non-thesis option — in order to tailor their degree to their interests. Students can also choose to take an optional graduate certificate using their elective requirements.

Courses in the online program are taught by MSU’s faculty of pioneering researchers and experienced educators. At MSU, students complete a career-focused graduate education from an R1 research institution ranked among the Top 100 Global Universities by U.S. News & World Report.

Master’s in Computer Science vs Master’s in Electrical & Computer Engineering: What’s the Difference?

February 26, 2025 10:00 am Comments Off

Close up of circuit breaker being worked on by an electrical and computer Engineer

Computer scientists and electrical engineers drive technological advancements that have the potential to transform lives. Their innovations range from robotic systems that can use color to track moving objects to next-generation batteries for electric vehicles and advancements in automated vehicle technology.

If you want to discover solutions to complex problems and fuel the next generation of products, devices and groundbreaking discoveries, a graduate degree could be a vital step. Earning a master’s in computer science or a master’s in electrical and computer engineering can deepen your knowledge of some of the most fascinating challenges emerging today while opening career opportunities in technical organizations. These educational paths are related but distinct: while computer scientists use tools such as software, artificial intelligence and programming languages for a variety of applications, electrical and computer engineers design the hardware and electrical systems that underpin modern technology.

If you’re considering a master’s, here’s what you should know about these two degrees:

	Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering	Master’s in Computer Science
Topics of Study	Artificial intelligence Electromagnetic fields and waves Advanced applications of Python Cryptography and network security in engineering contexts Neural networks and deep learning Machine Learning Wireless communications and networking Physical electronics Robotics VLSI design	Algorithms Computer vision Deep learning Natural language processing Networked and distributed systems Optimization Python
Essential Skills	Use Python, machine learning and other advanced tools to solve technological problem Program technology related to evolving fields such as real and virtual autonomous vehicles (AV) and artificial intelligence (AI) Design, implement and supervise manufacturing for electrical systems and devices Use computer-assisted engineering software and equipment Collaborate with other engineers and stakeholders Collect data from projects to report on progress and compliance	Use computer hardware and software to solve problems Analyze data and create or implement effective algorithms Write code in widely used programming languages, such as Python, Machine leaning, Java and C++ Communicate clearly with teams and decisionmakers
Common Job Titles	Circuits engineer Electrical controls engineer Security analyst Software engineering director Instrumentation and electrical reliability engineer Power systems engineer Software engineering manager Web developer	Computer programmer Application developer Data scientist Information technology director Software developer

Why Pursue a Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering?

Electrical engineers create and implement a variety of advanced equipment, devices and systems. These professionals generally focus on the practical demands of circuit design, power generation and signal processing. Exploring the latest methods and tools in the field allows engineers to create efficient solutions that deliver long-term benefits for organizations, the lives of individuals and scientific research.

A master’s degree program in both electrical and computer engineering can provide professionals with the skills to lead development, testing and manufacturing processes. They may go on to work with generators, motors, communications networks and navigation systems, and a variety of other electrical equipment.

Graduate students build their engineering expertise by studying concepts such as:

Operation planning for power systems
Digital integrated circuit design
Hands-on programming of real and virtual autonomous vehicles (AV)
Advanced applications for machine learning and other AI disciplines
Linear control systems
Modeling, programming and designing controllers for robots
Deep learning and neural networks
Electromagnetic fields and waves
Physical properties of electronics
Distributed analysis of microwave circuits and systems
Applications for diamond devices
Essential systems and sensors for autonomous vehicles

What Can You Do with a Master’s in Electrical & Computer Engineering?

With a graduate degree in electrical and computer engineering, professionals can start a career in a technical organization or move into a leadership position. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineering services are the biggest employer of electrical engineers, but they can also succeed in roles at organizations such as utilities providers, research and development firms and electronics manufacturers. An advanced, interdisciplinary education gives professionals the necessary background to take charge of teams working on complex projects and communicate with stakeholders at all levels of an organization.

These are common job titles for electrical and computer engineers:

Circuits engineer
Electrical controls engineer
Security analyst
Software engineering director
Instrumentation and electrical reliability engineer
Power systems engineer
Software engineering manager
Web developer

These positions offer both fascinating challenges for capable problem-solvers and financial rewards. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that electrical and electronics engineers earned a median salary of $106,950 as of May 2023.

Why Pursue a Master’s in Computer Science?

Computer scientists analyze the data involved in complex problems and find powerful, efficient solutions.

While electrical and computer engineering focuses more on the practical side of building systems and processes, the discipline of computer science places more emphasis on the theoretical principles that enable real-world applications. Advances in the field drive the development of new computer hardware and software, sophisticated algorithms and fresh approaches to gathering and managing data.

Graduate students have the chance to go beyond everyday tasks writing code and optimizing performance, gaining the insights that shape the future of human interactions with computers. Computer science professionals and students may focus on areas like:

Software engineering
Machine learning
Natural language processing
Bioinformatics
Network security
Data mining
Mobile computing
Digital evolution

What Can You Do with a Master’s in Computer Science?

A master’s-level education in computer science could ready students to pursue jobs at a variety of technical organizations, advance into senior or leadership roles or progress into a doctoral program. Some of the most common positions for professionals who hold a master’s degree include:

Computer programmer
Application developer
Data scientist
Information technology director
Software developer

A graduate education in electrical and computer engineering or computer science can lead to a career in accomplishing amazing things.

About Michigan State University’s Online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering program readies students to excel in the field by expanding their technical knowledge and focusing on the real problems spurring technical innovation. Courses in the online program are taught by MSU’s faculty of pioneering researchers and experienced educators. Online students can choose from two plans of study, selecting a thesis or non-thesis option as they complete a graduate education from an R1 research institution ranked among the Top 100 Global Universities by U.S. News & World Report.

The Indy Autonomous Challenge: Accelerating Student Innovation in Driverless Technology
December 11, 2024 12:15 pm Comments Off on The Indy Autonomous Challenge: Accelerating Student Innovation in Driverless Technology

Image Credit: David Bertram

As technology advances, so do the many applications of it. Autonomous vehicles are one of the latest technologies to become increasingly actualized through innovative engineering and applied digital technologies. While still an emerging technology application, many STEM professionals are working hard at improving driverless vehicles. The promise of self-driving vehicles is profound, but the complex and multifaceted technology behind them are challenging for engineers, who are responsible for creating vehicles that are not only viable and effective, but also safe and ready for commercialization.

One way that aspiring engineers can impact the realm of automated vehicles is through their graduate education. Unique opportunities like the Indy Autonomous Challenge offer STEM students the opportunity to work on exciting topics in the realm of driverless vehicle production. In 2024, Michigan State University’s team excelled in this challenge, using their exceptional engineering education and training to create a completely self-driving race car capable of passing, braking at high speeds and maneuvering through challenging obstacles.

What Is the Indy Autonomous Challenge?

The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) exists to address some of the critical issues for automated vehicle production, inviting teams from universities around the world to compete in engineering the software, sensors, control systems and networking that drives autonomous race cars. The IAC enables STEM students to engage with critical challenges in driverless vehicle safety and performance. Competitors must design driving systems that can navigate obstacles at very high speeds with little decision time, core to safe self-driving technologies for busy roads.

Each team starts with the same race car (The IAC AV-24, based on the Dallara Indy NXT) to ensure fairness, but competitors are responsible for ensuring that the vehicles are able to navigate and race independently. The event is held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and hosted by the Energy Systems Network (ESN), which is an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP).

MSU’s Team: Working Together To Drive Innovation

Image Credit: David Bertram

This year, Michigan State University’s team joined forces with the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) team and University of Alabama team in creating vehicle driver software for the IAC. Focus areas include developing and implementing sensor technology to glean both internal and external data, as well as developing data processing systems and control systems that can make use of that data in real time, contributing to safety and capability in driverless vehicles.

In September of 2024, the team was able to demonstrate the results of their efforts, winning the passing competition at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and securing second place in the time trials. They further demonstrated impressive capabilities by setting a new record for fastest passing by an autonomous vehicle and being able to successfully make a controlled stop from 145mph.

Collaboration between Michigan State University, POLIMI and the University of Alabama has resulted in great success aligning various critical systems that enable the development of driverless race cars able to achieve great feats on the track. Eventually, these may translate to new forms of success in creating autonomous driving for roadways that balance safety and reliability.

High-Level Technical AI Planning

The IAC focuses on practicality and application of high-level technical concepts, especially in the domains of data processing and sensor technology. Teams must prepare for challenges in these areas, leveraging both hardware and software optimization to deliver integrated systems that make use of an array of sensors, physical control systems and networking. All of these technologies work together to turn, brake and accelerate independently while accounting for environmental surroundings in split-second timing. As such, high-level technical AI planning is required.

MSU CANVAS Engine

CANVAS, short for Connected and Autonomous Networked Vehicles for Active Safety, has been at the forefront of developing many of the same systems that will be expanded upon in challenges such as the IAC.

The integrated CANVAS system is a framework that utilizes sensor technology, networking technology and real-world transportation and traffic data to provide a clear representation of the interwoven systems that affect transportation. In the IAC, LiDar, radar and visual sensing from the CANVAS system were instrumental to actualizing the racing systems.

Testing, Development and Top Challenges

Testing and development, crucial for effective and safe autonomous systems, is a collaborative effort that brings together an array of technical domains — including control systems, sensing systems, software programming, data integration and data processing. MSU’s Spartan Mobility Village, a sprawling on-campus testing environment, played a huge role in the development and integration of many of these systems. But the IAC presents some specific concerns, particularly in the realm of high-speed processing.

These vehicles must navigate at high speeds in a dynamic environment with other vehicles. As such, development starts with software testing, then hardware is examined for a variety of factors. The final step is real system simulation which integrates both software and hardware.

Local Awareness

In the challenge, teams must pull together critical systems that process data at varying levels of granularity. Localization relies on both global positioning and precise sensor inputs, enabling self-driving navigation across different weather and track conditions. Sensor technologies used for this include LiDAR, radar and visual processing. This requires focus on not only integrating data from various sources, but also on ensuring that the system is able to process and apply that data as it navigates.

Route Planning and Real-Time Maneuvering

Just like busy roads in your daily life, predetermined route planning in a racing environment isn’t always viable, making real-time responses to obstacles in planned routes one of the most important considerations in automated driving technology. Vehicles must be “aware” of not only static and unmoving obstacles, but also moving obstacles like other vehicles.

Vehicle Control

Fine control is another critical objective of autonomous driving systems. As driverless race cars project short and long-term trajectories, they must be able to adapt them using mechanical control systems. This requires extensive control design to ensure effective braking, turning and acceleration. These systems must be integrated with navigation and trajectory-planning systems and robust enough to account for minute changes at high speeds.

Looking Ahead: The 2025 Race

The next IAC will be held in 2025, and MSU’s team is already hard at work preparing. Per a two-year agreement with Politecnico di Milano in Italy and the University of Alabama, MSU students and faculty will once again drive forward the future of self-driving vehicles with exceptional partners from all three institutions. We’re excited to see further innovations and advancements in key technologies — and some of the world’s fastest autonomous race cars.

Expanding Knowledge and Career Opportunities

The IAC is an exceptional example of the opportunities that allow STEM students to succeed in their fields in innovative ways. By combining several important STEM areas, the IAC puts students’ theoretical knowledge to the test in practical applications with real stakes. Students who participate in opportunities like the IAC get the chance to demonstrate excellence in their disciplines, while expanding their professional networks and even gaining access to valuable career opportunities.

MSU’s online M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering is designed to familiarize and train students in key domains highly relevant to self-driving vehicles and other cutting-edge engineering disciplines and challenges. Through courses like Autonomous Vehicles and Neural Networks and Deep Learning, students will gain unique skills that equip them for the workforce, future engineering projects and fulfilling work in areas they’re passionate about.

About Michigan State University’s Online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering program readies students to excel in the field by expanding their technical knowledge and focusing on the real problems spurring technical innovation. Courses in the online program are taught by MSU’s faculty of pioneering researchers and experienced educators. Online students can choose from two plans of study, selecting a thesis or non-thesis option as they complete a graduate education from an R1 research institution ranked among the Top 22 Public Institutions, according to the Wall Street Journal’s 2025 edition of Best Colleges in the U.S. Request a brochure to learn more about the program, or start your application today.
What is Transportation Engineering?
May 23, 2024 2:00 am Comments Off on What is Transportation Engineering?
The transportation sector has undergone a sea change over the past few years, as more cities pilot smart city initiatives with intelligent transportation systems (ITS). With ITS technologies, cities can gather and analyze data to design safer roads, cleaner vehicles, and more efficient travel. For example, the global Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) market is expected to grow from $27.4 billion in 2022 to $52.6 billion by 2030, with an annual growth rate of 8.5%.

Professionals in transportation engineering careers play a pivotal role in the implementation of transportation advancements by combining technical knowledge and creative thinking skills. Earning a Master’s in Civil Engineering with a focus on transportation engineering from Michigan State University equips graduates with the skills needed to design and sustain the next generation of transportation infrastructure.

For example, Assistant Professor Mehrnaz Ghamami of Michigan State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering developed a comprehensive framework for analyzing issues related to electric vehicles. The results and recommendations from the project are now being used to develop a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations, which will change the outlook of sustainable transportation in Michigan for years to come.

Government agencies, industry companies, and engineering firms all need insights from professionals who can guide the development of transportation projects. A master’s in civil engineering with a focus in transportation engineering will prepare you to design and preserve the next generation of transportation infrastructure.

What Is Transportation Engineering?

Transportation engineering is a branch of civil engineering that involves the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems to help build smart, safe, and livable communities.

Any system that moves people and goods from one place to another falls under the scope of transportation engineering, which includes:
- Highways and roadways
- Railways
- Oil pipelines
- Public transport systems
- Traffic control systems
- Automated transport systems
- Space transport systems
What Does a Transportation Engineer Do?

In planning projects, transportation engineers gather relevant data on the population in the surrounding area, travel patterns, socioeconomic characteristics, laws and ordinances, and financial resources. They consolidate this information and use decision-support tools to develop, design, and deliver various types of transportation projects in consideration of various performance measures (e.g., operations, safety, environmental impacts).

While their professional duties vary based on job level and specialization, some of the most common responsibilities of a transportation engineer are:
- Draft design and construction plans for new transportation systems
- Investigate traffic problems and identify solutions
- Analyze engineering data and draw conclusions and recommendations
- Estimate project budgets for labor, materials, and equipment
- Discuss plans with contractors, local organizations, and the public
- Inspect completed projects to ensure safety and compliance to standards
- Model transportation systems to assess impact
- Oversee survey, staking, and layout of projects
- Present reports and proposals to stakeholders
Transportation Engineer Skills

To pursue transportation engineering as a career, it’s crucial to develop both technical skills and interpersonal skills. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, some of the most common skills requested in transportation engineering positions are:
- Technical knowledge in engineering and technology
- Project management skills
- Knowledge of design techniques and principles
- Ability to use analytical software
- Proficiency in computer-aided design software
- Problem-solving skills
- Written and oral communication skills
One option for building these skills while gaining experience on industry-standard software is to look for a master’s with a transportation engineering specialization. In Michigan State University’s M.S. in Civil Engineering, for instance, students learn to solve complicated infrastructure problems while working with industry-adopted programs such as computer aided design (CAD) software, Highway Capacity Software (HCS), traffic simulation software (e.g., Synchro/SimTraffic, VISSIM), statistical analysis software, and more.

Career Outlook for Transportation Engineers

There are many career paths you can pursue in the field of transportation engineering, including jobs in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The most common employers of transportation engineers are transportation corporations, construction companies, state and local governments, and engineering firms.

Transportation engineers typically spend their work days in an office environment, but some jobs require travel outside of the office for assessment and coordination of construction projects.

Based on education and experience, transportation engineers may choose to further specialize as highway engineers, traffic engineers, or safety engineers. Highway engineers, for example, are responsible for researching, planning, and constructing roads, bridges, and tunnels.

Regardless of potential specializations, transportation engineers who want to take on higher-level responsibilities such as independent decision-making and project oversight should consider graduate-level education and possibly licensure (see box). In the transportation sector, job postings for senior engineers that asked for a master’s degree offered salaries nearly $20,000 higher than those requiring only a bachelor’s degree, according to the Lightcast labor database.

To advance your career prospects and earning potential as a transportation engineer, you can seek licensure as a professional engineer (PE). With a PE license, engineers become qualified to prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans for clients. On average, transportation engineers with a PE license earn about $5,000 more per year than their counterparts without a license.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in the next few years, the work of transportation engineers will primarily involve repairing and rebuilding deteriorating transportation infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, and airports. Aside from rebuilding existing infrastructure, transportation engineers will also play a key role in designing innovative, data-driven transportation systems that optimize sustainability, safety, and quality of life.

About Michigan State University’s Online M.S. in Civil Engineering

Students in Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Civil Engineering develop the skills to design and maintain the next generation of infrastructure. Designed to fit into the schedules of busy professionals, this 100% online master’s program explores data-driven strategies to design pavements and transportation systems for optimal safety, durability and sustainability.

As a top-tier research university with its own vast transportation system on campus, MSU offers students exceptional access to industry resources and real-world data. Our faculty features top thinkers in transportation and pavement engineering who teach advanced quantitative methods and industry-standard software tools. Master’s students create customized program plans so they can graduate with the skills they need to solve real problems and excel in their careers.
What Is the Difference Between CAD, CAE and CAM?
August 3, 2023 5:36 pm Comments Off on What Is the Difference Between CAD, CAE and CAM?
While technologies such as computer-aided design (CAD) benefit considerably from modern enhancements to software and engineering, the history of these developments spans more than 60 years. In 1957, Dr. Patrick Hanratty created the first numerical control system that would eventually become CAD software.

Both CAD and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) have become interlinked as the engineering technologies evolved over the last several decades. Because their histories are intertwined and most engineers will need to be familiar with their related tools and techniques, we examined CAD, CAM and computer-aided engineering (CAE) more closely to answer questions such as:
- What is CAD, CAM and CAE?
- How do engineers use CAD and CAM software?
- What are the highest demand engineering skills?
Michigan State University’s online engineering degree programs offer hands-on experience with CAD and CAE software. For example, students taking ME 465 will learn techniques for mechanical design optimization and use CAE tools to complete their course assignments.

What is CAD Software?

Engineers and draftsmen use computer-aided design software to create illustrations or 3D models. While most engineers should be proficient with CAD, the amount of time they spend using it may depend on their specific role and level of experience.

For example, in some environments, designers may be responsible for creating the initial design in a CAD program, while analysis and release engineers will review and analyze it to make sure there are no errors.

Best CAD Software for Engineers

Which CAD software tool is used can vary based on an engineer’s specialty, the industry they work in or specific employer requirements. There are a variety of highly specialized tools, with some software designed for specific industries. A few of the popular CAD tools for professional engineers include:
- AutoCAD
- Inventor
- CATIA
- Fusion 360
- NX Core Designer
- SolidWorks
- Creo 10
A 2023 report from market research firm Grand View Research also highlights the growing trend of utilizing cloud-based CAD software, or outsourcing certain design projects. However, the company expects continued demand for 3D CAD software due to growing adoption of 3D printing. If outsourcing portions of design becomes more commonplace, engineers will likely be more focused on providing conceptual design ideas and interfacing with vendors to review final designs.

What is CAE Software?

Computer-aided engineering refers to the use of software to simulate the effects of different conditions on the design of a product or structure using simulated loads and constraints. CAE tools are often used to analyze and optimize the designs created within CAD software. Major categories of CAE tools include finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and multi-disciplinary design optimization (MDO). These tools are used to perform design iterations using virtual prototypes (sometimes called “digital twins”) prior to building physical prototypes. This saves companies significant time and money in product development while often yielding higher quality designs that meet multi-disciplinary and multi-functional requirements.

CAE Software Leaders

There are dozens of CAE software tools used within the field of engineering. A few of the leaders include:
The best CAE product choice will depend to some extent on the skills you want to build and your specific career path. For example, niche products like OpenFOAM are open source, which can provide a great deal of flexibility. However, many users feel the software could be improved because it relies solely on a command line and has no graphical user interface (GUI).

What is CAM Software?

Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM) is commonly defined as the use of software to automate manufacturing processes. CAM software is able to translate CAD designs into instructions for machines, increasing the efficiency of producing parts and optimizing the amount of materials used.

Best CAM Software

Because CAM is so intertwined with CAD, some software companies produce both types of applications. SolidWorks, for example, offers a full-suite of tools for CAD, CAM and other engineering processes. Similarly, companies like AutoDesk offer combined CAD and CAM tools. Some of the leaders in CAM software include:
- Solidworks CAM
- Fusion 360
- NX CAM
- SolidEdge
- CAMWorks
- Mastercam

Careers With a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering

4:57 pm Comments Off

When a drill on the Mars Curiosity rover broke, it was up to mechanical engineer Megan Richardson and her team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab to fix it from 33.9 million miles away. It can take nearly an hour for the rover to receive Richardson’s commands and respond back, so in order to reduce errors and improve efficiency, the messages needed to be precise.
Close up of cogs

“We actually have a near exact copy of the Curiosity rover here at Jet Propulsion lab,” Richardson said in her interview with 90.7 WMFE, Orlando’s NPR affiliate. “We have a team of engineers and scientists that are looking into all of the challenges and are currently trying to drill holes with the same exact setup that we have up there on Mars.”

Like Richardson and her team, those with careers in mechanical engineering are natural problem solvers who seek to build more precise and effective mechanical systems in their local communities, around the world and across the Milky Way.

What Is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineers face challenges and design solutions that address the fundamental nature of materials and physics, and their success continues to drive advancement in fields such as:

Aerospace
Automotive
Biomechanics
Construction
Dynamics and control
Fluid & solid mechanics
Manufacturing
Nanotechnology
Robotics

With increased technology, the work of mechanical engineers has a globalized effect on the way our world continues to develop. Those with the know-how to apply modern technologies to an array of industries and utilize tools to stay ahead of the curve will have better job prospects, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As the job requirements of a mechanical engineer continue to expand, so does the need for the advanced skill set obtained through a Master’s program in Mechanical Engineering. In this article, we explore options for career paths with a mechanical engineering degree including mechanical engineering salary information.

Mechanical Engineering Jobs & Salary Information

In addition to being a rewarding and flexible career, mechanical engineers earn a highly competitive salary, even compared to other fields of engineering, making an average of $95,306 per year, according to Lightcast.

The range of mechanical engineering salaries is dependent on a number of factors including specific job functionality and location. The BLS reports that those who work in scientific research and development services, for example, make an average salary of $102,050.

As discussed above, a mechanical engineering salary can be increased by obtaining a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, but, the specific program and the working location of the individual can make a difference.

According to Lighcast, the average salary for a mechanical engineer in Michigan is $92,498, while Master of Engineering alumni from Michigan State University earn 17% more than that at an average of $110,131 according to PayScale.

A mechanical engineer’s earning potential also varies based on their job title. Here’s a look at some popular mechanical engineering job titles and their average salaries:

Mechanical Engineering Job Title	Median Salary
Project Engineer	$100,630
Mechanical Engineer	$95,306
Engineering Manager	$152,360
Sales Engineer	$103,709
Structural Engineer	$88,046
Robotics Engineer	$100,630

Source: Lightcast

What Does A Mechanical Engineering Career Look Like?

Professionals with careers in mechanical engineering can pursue a wide range of opportunities to exercise and grow both their technical talent and leadership skills.

Mechanical engineering professionals find strong upward mobility and above average work-life balance in their jobs, according to U.S. News & World Report. The publisher also ranks mechanical engineering as:

#5 in Best Engineering Jobs
Top 30 Best STEM Jobs

In order to be successful in this high-ranking and prestigious job, mechanical engineers can develop practical skills, proficiency with advanced mathematics as well as knowledge of engineering theory to achieve career advancement.

In his advice to those preparing for careers in mechanical engineering, former President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) J. Robert Sims encourages job seekers to “convince an employer that you can help their business to be successful.”

A master’s degree in mechanical engineering can help mechanical engineers to do just that. These degree seekers learn multidisciplinary skills to tackle issues ranging from interactions between materials, behavior of materials under drastically different conditions as well as the design and optimization of highly complex, interconnected systems.

This blend of industry depth and breadth of key topics provides graduate-level students with tools they can apply directly to their careers in order to be highly successful, whether they go on to pursue academic research, advance as industry practitioners, or pursue industrial research and development.

Getting a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering

Pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering allows students to gain advanced skills in topics such as linear elasticity, cryogenic process engineering, and computer aided optimal design. Some programs offer specialized tracks specific to areas like thermal fluids science and mechanics, dynamics and manufacturing.

Successful mechanical engineers are experts at bringing scientific and mathematical theories to practice, especially when they’ve studied with world-renowned researchers who are eager to share their knowledge and experience with their students.

Not only do mechanical engineering masters’ students gain more advanced fundamental and leadership skills, but their decision to obtain this degree plays a role in their salary potential. In fact, the average master’s in mechanical engineering salary is approximately 9% higher than those who don’t hold a graduate-level degree.

About Michigan State University’s Online Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The 100% online Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University leverages extensive mechanical engineering research as well as a connection to industrial giants to help mechanical engineers position themselves for success—not only in the classroom, but in transforming the disciplines they work in.

The program offers engineers an opportunity to tailor their educations, with two in-demand tracks in thermal fluids science and in mechanics, dynamics and manufacturing. Online students also benefit from the full support of an R1 research institution and faculty advisement, ensuring their path of study will yield the highest benefit for their individual career goals.

What Is Pavement Engineering?
November 30, 2021 11:05 am Comments Off on What Is Pavement Engineering?
As roads and highways fall into disrepair, the widespread need for major infrastructure investments has become central to policy debates across the United States. There are urgent questions about how to rebuild our transportation systems so they are safe, durable and environmentally sustainable. Civil engineers who specialize in pavement design, preservation and rehabilitation will play a vital role in achieving those goals.

In a career as a pavement engineer, you can generate innovative solutions and make a lasting contribution in a new era of infrastructure development. By completing an M.S. in Civil Engineering program with a focus on pavement engineering, you’ll learn to make strategic use of resources as you design efficient transportation infrastructure that fulfills the demands of a complex, busy world.

What Does a Pavement Engineer Do?

The roads we use every day are the result of careful planning and problem solving by specialists who understand the physical properties of soil, concrete and asphalt. A pavement engineering job description calls for professionals who can apply that expertise to ensure that roads withstand daily stresses. Surfaces must also be made of materials that provide enough friction to keep vehicles from skidding — even under rainy conditions — and minimize the noise created by contact with tires.

Pavement engineers decide what materials are best suited to the task and design the pavement cross section based on environmental and load stresses. There are two broad categories of pavements, (i) flexible pavements and (ii) rigid pavements.
- A rigid pavement consists of a concrete slab constructed on an engineered foundation that consists of a base, subbase and subgrade. A rigid pavement is designed to handle environmental loads and axle loads. Jointed Concrete Pavements consist of evenly spaced contraction joints.
- A flexible pavement consists of a hot mix asphalt layer constructed on an engineered foundation that consists of a base, subbase and roadbed. A flexible pavement is designed to carry axle and environmental loads.
Civil engineers who specialize in pavements are also responsible for maintaining these surfaces over time, rehabilitating areas that have seriously deteriorated and reimagining roads and highways to meet changing needs. For example, civil engineers working on any type of project must prioritize lowering carbon emissions and waste. One solution that could yield improvements in sustainability is to use aggregate and rubberized asphalt manufactured in part from recycled tires.

Pavement Engineering Skills

It takes advanced knowledge of materials and precise calculations to develop paved surfaces for multiple applications while supporting an environmentally friendly future. Students earning a master’s in pavement engineering or a civil engineering degree focused on transportation and pavements prepare for these challenges by learning how to do the following:
- Analyze asphalt and concrete pavement systems and networks
- Rigid and flexible pavement design
- Conduct project surveys and evaluations
- Model the performance of materials
- Test binders and hot mix asphalt
- Design Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements (Superpave) mixes
- Assess the costs of various approaches to pavement rehabilitation
Pursuing Innovation in Pavement Engineering Careers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that civil engineers earned a median salary of $88,570 in 2020 and projected 8% growth in positions through 2030. According to an Lightcast analysis of job postings, cultivating skills in structural design and engineering calculations can lead to a salary premium.

This pavement engineering job outlook presents opportunities to build a career by addressing technical issues that are fundamental to the future of transportation infrastructure. Experts in this field continue to make important advances that will enable safer travel and address climate change. For example:
- Michigan State University Professor M. Emin Kutay leads research on using sustainable materials and image analysis techniques for pavement engineering applications. These projects include building software to predict cracking in roads, testing the performance of crumb rubber-modified asphalt and establishing quality control methods for pavement preservation treatments.
- Efforts at developing smart transportation infrastructure could result in more efficient and timely maintenance that costs less and lowers emissions. MSU civil engineers took an important step toward those outcomes by developing sensors capable of recording the stress and damage caused by passing vehicles. The ability to find even very small cracks in highways and bridges results in more proactive and less expensive maintenance.
- A 2020 contest organized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized two civil engineering PhD candidates at MSU for their research in long-term pavement performance analysis. Hamad Bin Muslim took first place in the graduate student category for presenting a method to estimate the structural capacity of pavements by accounting for the effects of temperature changes. Muhammad Munum Masud was also awarded for a paper that determined how sensors can obtain the most accurate weigh-in-motion data from trucks and the effects that overloaded vehicles have on pavement performance.
Skills in pavement engineering can equip you to participate in important projects that reshape our transportation infrastructure. MSU’s online M.S. in Civil Engineering features focus areas in pavement and transportation engineering that allow students to engage with the most advanced insights from these fields. By learning from researchers who are making strides in this crucial area, you can discover innovative strategies to develop a new generation of roads and highways.

About Michigan State University’s Online M.S. in Civil Engineering

Students in Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Civil Engineering develop the skills to design and maintain the next generation of infrastructure. This 100% online master’s program explores data-driven strategies to design pavements and transportation systems for optimal safety, durability and sustainability.

As an R1 research university with its own vast transportation system on campus, MSU offers students exceptional access to industry resources and real-world data. Our faculty features top thinkers in transportation and pavement engineering who teach advanced quantitative methods and industry-standard software tools. Master’s students create customized program plans so they can graduate with the skills they need to solve real problems and excel in their careers.

How MSU Faculty and Students Build the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

July 16, 2021 11:39 am Comments Off

Advances in autonomous vehicles are unlocking possibilities that would have seemed incredible just a few years earlier. Residents and visitors in Arlington, Texas can book a self-driving hybrid Lexus RX to travel around downtown. Companies like Waymo — the autonomous-driving subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet — have tested vehicles guided by cameras, radar and lidar sensors on highways. But transforming the ways we travel on a large scale still requires dramatic leaps in technology and shifts in policy.

Researchers at the Michigan State University College of Engineering are dedicated to evolving the necessary tools for safe and reliable self-driving vehicles. Joshua Siegel, an MSU assistant professor of computer science and engineering, predicts that electrically powered, connected and autonomous vehicles will transform everyday life.

“No matter who you are and how much you like driving, AV technology really will change the way people live and engage with the world,” Siegel said. “It enables people to live in different locations with longer commutes. It allows people to be farther from their children’s school. If you’re older and you want to age in place, an AV or ridesharing service can pick you up from home and take you where you need to go.”

An institutional commitment to innovative thinking with practical applications propels both the pioneering work in MSU research labs and the education that students receive through the online Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering. MSU is a hub for multidisciplinary problem solving and a new generation of technical professionals who will further expand the frontiers of possibility in autonomous vehicles.

Fueling Smart Advances in Vehicle Automation

To reach the point where cars and trucks can navigate through traffic and weather conditions in both urban and rural environments requires many complex systems to work together seamlessly. Currently, academic researchers and private industry alike are striving to move vehicles forward along the framework laid out by the Society for Automotive Engineers.

The SAE defines six levels in the progression toward full automation:

SAE Driving Automation Levels

Level 0	The vehicle has no automation. It may offer driving support features to be fully supervised by the driver such as automatic emergency braking and a blind spot warning.
Level 1	An advanced driver assistance system can help with steering (e.g. lane centering) or acceleration (e.g. adaptive cruise control), but not at the same time.
Level 2	Under constant supervision from the driver, the assistance system is capable of controlling steering while simultaneously braking or accelerating.
Level 3	Automated driving features operate without close supervision under certain conditions, such as slowly moving through heavy traffic. The driver must be ready to take over as necessary.
Level 4	Automated driving features operate without supervision in controlled areas that have extensive infrastructure, e.g. a driverless taxi service that’s restricted to a specific urban environment.
Level 5	Full autonomy: automated driving features operate without supervision on any road and under all conditions.

To achieve the highest levels of autonomy, a vehicle must possess features such as computer vision that can gather detailed information about its environment in real time, a neural network trained to behave appropriately even in unexpected situations, and the decision making ability to determine when control must be transferred over to a human driver. Research at MSU lays the groundwork for AVs that are sophisticated enough to collect, analyze and respond to all the relevant data, allowing a self-driving car or truck to arrive at its destinations without incident.

Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Daniel Morris sees safety as the top priority for his contributions in the MSU 3D Vision Lab. Morris and his students create algorithms that enable machine learning and artificial intelligence systems to make sense of the world around them for applications in agriculture and health care as well as transportation.

“Everyone wants cars that drive us safely from A to B and have no collisions, and I think the most essential part of that is perception,” Morris said. “Can vehicles detect all the other vehicles in their vicinity, determine where they are and predict their trajectories?”

According to Morris, nuanced computer vision techniques that fuse varied types of sensor input to provide detailed insights are a major prerequisite to reach high-level autonomy. If self-driving vehicles are going to operate under real-world conditions, they must be ready to cope with unexpected behavior from drivers or pedestrians as well as the possibility that its own sight will be occluded, obscuring stop signs or road markings. Guiding a car down a busy street on a foggy day requires efficiently synthesizing information from multiple sources like cameras, radar and lidar.

Morris and Professor Hayder Radha co-authored a paper with Ph.D. student Su Pang that proposed a fusion network of Camera-LiDAR Object Candidates as a possible solution to bring together these different types of input. The CLOCs would enable neural networks to detect objects based on both two-dimensional video images and 3D sensor data, leading to greater accuracy. Combined with ongoing technical improvements in the sensors themselves, this framework could pave the way for cars that reliably spot potential dangers in real time, even from a distance or with poor visibility due to weather. CLOCs has been well-received by other experts in object detection, ranking in the top three out of nearly 400 competing solutions on the field’s most popular leaderboard and number one among publicly available methods that rely on multimodal sensor fusion.

Even under the most favorable conditions, it’s extremely challenging for a machine to monitor and predict the movements of other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists the way that a human driver would. Pang and Radha addressed this key problem by developing a novel autonomous vehicle 3D-tracking framework specifically to handle a large number of dynamic objects in cluttered urban environments. The framework was one of only two solutions to receive an honorable mention at the 2020 Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) Conference’s Workshop on Autonomous Driving, outperforming entries from major corporations and tech firms.

The Power of Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Powerful computer vision algorithms are just one of the many areas of research that will ultimately put large numbers of autonomous vehicles on the road. That’s why faculty members and students in the MSU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering prioritize sharing complementary expertise through collaborations with computer scientists, mechanical engineers and private firms.

“There’s a great community at MSU in CSE, ECE and the College of Engineering,” Siegel explained. “I work with people throughout the whole university, and they’re smart, kind people who are singularly driven to do the best that they possibly can in their field so that it has the broadest possible impact.”

With two self-driving vehicles, smart infrastructure and testing facilities available on campus, MSU has established itself as a vital center for researchers from a wide range of disciplines to experiment on ideas that are relevant to autonomous and connected vehicles. Much of their work takes place through CANVAS, short for Connected and Autonomous Networked Vehicles for Active Safety.

Radha, the founder and director of CANVAS, described the initiative as a collaborative effort to bring together diverse expertise from across the MSU College of Engineering. Researchers discover exciting ways to combine the knowledge housed in the ECE department with ideas from computer science, civil engineering and the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering.

“The whole purpose of CANVAS is really to coordinate faculty’s efforts instead of potentially duplicating some research or missing opportunities for addressing important research problems,” Radha explained.

Infrastructure for Innovation

At research labs like the MSU Mobility Studio, students and faculty investigate a diverse array of transportation problems, such as enabling communication among vehicles and smart infrastructure, creating an appealing and functional user experience for the operating self-driving cars, and establishing cybersecurity measures that protect connected vehicles from hackers. Researchers can explore those connections by taking advantage of the infrastructure available on MSU’s campus, like networked smart traffic signals with vehicle and pedestrian sensors and the Spartan Mobility Village, which offers roads and parking lots that can be closed off for testing.

Engineers in this field may pursue careers at corporations engaged in cutting-edge efforts to produce autonomous vehicles. However, MSU offers a unique environment for researchers that prioritizes the sharing of knowledge and resources while maintaining close ties to the private sector. Siegel feels motivated by the creative freedom an academic setting offers to pivot and chase after potentially transformative new ideas, making a difference on a larger scale than is possible as a member of a large team in a corporate environment.

“When I graduate a student, they go out and change the world,” he said. “Maybe they’re the CEO of a start-up company focused on an AV technology or a consultant who advises people in industry day in and day out. So I see being in academia as a force multiplier to create greater societal change than I would ever be able to do on my own and to have a richer portfolio of experiences, either directly through my work consulting with industry or vicariously through my students.”

For Radha, another advantage of working at MSU is the weather in the state of Michigan. Seasonal changes make the region ideal for seeing how a self-driving car will operate in all different weather conditions. He co-authored a paper that examined how rain of varying intensities affected an object-detection system based in a deep learning neural network. The study found that even a light shower can wreak havoc on perception, pointing to the need for a specialized deep learning framework capable of adapting.

Research-Informed Learning

MSU’s commitment to self-driving vehicle technology greatly influences the M.S. in ECE curriculum. Students first build foundational knowledge in areas like linear control systems and analysis of stochastic systems. From there, they can explore the areas of inquiry that will propel the technical capabilities of autonomous vehicles like estimation theory, neural networks and robotics.

Specialized courses in autonomous vehicle topics offer multidisciplinary insights into issues affecting the technology’s future from visiting lecturers such as law professors and industry professionals. In Siegel’s view, research and teaching should form a “virtuous cycle of development.” He developed his course on advanced optics in autonomous vehicles specifically to be compatible with an online learning environment and makes revisions each year. The curriculum routinely evolves to account for the latest technology in sensing, computer vision, connectivity and deep learning, as well as new legislation that could impact the field’s future development.

The M.S. in ECE program as a whole has embraced the advantages of online learning. Faculty members shift between teaching modalities to illuminate concepts and provide an engaging experience. Even if students learning at a distance can’t be in the same room with the self-driving cars on campus, they get hands-on experience in programming on an automated platform by remotely controlling small robots and sharing their code via GitLab.

Making a Mark on the Future of Transportation

MSU’s richly collaborative atmosphere enables many ECE students to put what they learn to work by actively participating in research. Courses may include opportunities to work on AV-related projects and prepare a submission to a conference or journal. In research labs, faculty members encourage their students to take the lead, following their own curiosity and building out ideas that could set the course for their careers.

“We get our senior-level undergraduate and master’s students heavily involved in our research,” said Radha. “That’s one of the missions of CANVAS: to provide students ample opportunities to engage with faculty and work on some exciting, viable, and critical problems for this particular area.”

For example, with their students as the primary authors, Siegel and Morris both contributed to a paper on automated vehicles sharing the road with cyclists that appeared in the journal IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles. In another recent publication, Siegel worked with two students on creating a Physically Adversarial Intelligent Network (PAIN) that automated the generation of simulated worst-case scenarios, training a neural network to avoid collisions under a broader range of driving and environmental conditions.

While researchers have made great strides in autonomous vehicle technology over recent years, there’s still a tremendous amount of work for future ECE graduates to pursue in all areas of the field.

“The closer we get to the level of perception and reasoning that we humans are capable of, the closer we are to the point of a major, major breakthrough,” Radha explained. “Right now, we are somewhere in the early stages of making those breakthroughs.”

There are revolutionary possibilities when it comes to training neural networks to interact safely with unpredictable pedestrians, determining the most accurate and cost-effective ways of fusing sensor data, and hardening systems against cyberattacks. The online M.S. in Electrical Engineering puts technical problem solvers in touch with the resources they need to work at the forefront of advances that could dramatically change how we live, work and travel.

About Michigan State University’s Online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering

What Can You Do with a Master’s in Civil Engineering?

May 24, 2021 3:15 pm Comments Off

Civil engineer wearing helmet and vest standing next to construction site The future of transportation promises amazing possibilities, like highways equipped with integrated systems that warn connected and autonomous vehicles about hazardous conditions in real time. But realizing those possibilities as well as ensuring safer, more efficient and more sustainable transportation requires the contributions of experts in infrastructure design and development. Civil engineers meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world by applying their technical knowledge and problem-solving skills.

Professionals in civil engineering careers work on the vanguard of advances in technology and materials, leading vital infrastructure projects for the public and private sectors. In this article, we’ll discuss what makes the role of a civil engineer invaluable to organizations and explore how you can start or advance a career with a master’s in civil engineering.

What Does a Civil Engineer Do?

Civil engineers plan and design infrastructure and transportation systems, supervising construction, repairs and maintenance. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, some of the most common duties of a civil engineer are:

Determine specifications for an infrastructure project
Use computer-assisted design (CAD) tools
Select materials for a project based on data like load requirements, stress factors and water flow rate
Perform tests on materials and soils to ensure structural integrity
Manage construction and maintenance workers
Monitor projects for compliance with design specifications and safety requirements
Estimate budgets for materials, equipment and labor
Present reports on proposals and relevant concerns such as environmental impact
Meet standards for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability

Civil engineers are essential to many different types of building projects and can lead the development of infrastructure that will serve communities and businesses for decades to come. For example, Associate Professor M. Emin Kutay of Michigan State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering led a team to create a powerful software tool that evaluates the durability of pavement. The program simulates the damage caused by trucks traveling along a road while accounting for factors like traffic, climate, and pavement thickness.

As a result, it’s possible to project how much wear would occur over the course of 20 years in just a few minutes, guiding civil engineers toward better choices in pavement materials. Those decisions could keep roads usable and safe for a longer time.

Building infrastructure to last requires skills in both quantitative analysis and real-world application. Civil engineers must understand the traits of materials, how they interact with one another, and the effects of weather and climate. With software that models the impact of relevant variables, engineers can design essential infrastructure that stands up to years of use.

What Jobs Are Available With a Master’s in Civil Engineering Degree?

Many civil engineers find their careers in designing specific types of infrastructure, working with particular materials or leading multidisciplinary teams. Specialized knowledge and capabilities can make an enormous difference in the positions available to civil engineers. Burning Glass reported that job listings seeking individuals with civil engineering skills also commonly requested capabilities in project management, budgeting, AutoCAD, scheduling and construction management. Expertise in traffic engineering or structural engineering is associated with higher salaries.

To reach your goals on a civil engineering career path you may also need to seek licensure as a professional engineer (PE). Becoming a PE qualifies an engineer to offer services to clients and to sign, seal and submit engineering work for official approval from a public authority. A license is also a prerequisite for certain government positions and for teaching in many states.

To qualify as a PE, you must:

Graduate with a four-year degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program
Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to become an engineer intern
Gain four years of professional experience under a PE’s supervision
Take the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam

The following civil engineering job descriptions show the range of specializations that are available to professionals with a master’s in civil engineering:

Job Title	Essential Skills
Transportation Engineer	Plan transportation projects Design facilities Use CAD software
Pavement Engineer	Select pavement materials Design pavements Maintain and rehabilitate pavements
City Engineer	Use design software Perform data analysis Maintain budget
Design Engineer	Draw blueprints Generate 3D models Use CAD software
Inspection Team Leader	Use analysis software Set plans and schedules Enforce regulatory compliance
Project Engineer	Supervise teams Maintain budget Set schedules
Structural Engineer	Use design software Perform analysis Comply with regulations
Traffic Engineer	Design roads and highways Solve problems in traffic operations Manage risks

Transportation Engineer

This area of civil engineering encompasses the infrastructure planning and design for any form of transportation. Engineers use quantitative methods such as statistical analysis to identify the design requirements for roads, highways, airports, railways, bridges, ports and more. They may gather relevant data such as the population in the surrounding area, economic activity, travel patterns and financial resources to inform their recommendations. The transportation engineer ensures that construction, maintenance and rehabilitation projects are completed on schedule, on budget and in compliance with regulations and safety standards.

Pavement Engineer

Civil engineers who specialize in pavements must cultivate an extensive understanding of the properties of concrete and asphalt materials as well as soils. They design, maintain and rehabilitate surfaces for optimal performance and efficiency. Pavement engineers analyze a range of factors—such as climate and projected traffic—to decide on the composition and thickness of pavement layers, developing solutions that will stand up to wear and tear for years to come.

City Engineer

These civil engineers work for city governments to design projects such as roads and bridges and oversee their construction. City engineers should be skilled in using design software, performing data analysis, setting a budget and addressing environmental concerns. These professionals must be capable supervisors who lead surveying and building operations. City engineers also benefit from strong communication skills so they can clearly convey project requirements and updates to stakeholders with varying levels of technical knowledge.

Design Engineer

Design engineers may come from a variety of technical backgrounds, and their jobs focus on creating the blueprints and models that guide manufacturing or construction. For civil engineers, those responsibilities frequently call for employing CAD and other software tools to plan structures such as buildings, roads and bridges. Before a project moves forward, a design engineer may produce drawings as well as 3D models. At times, these positions also involve traveling to a worksite to check that the design is being executed correctly and make any adjustments.

Inspection Team Leader

Inspection teams evaluate bridges and other structures like culverts and retaining walls for compliance with all applicable regulations and policies. Using analysis and design software, these experts can assess needs for maintenance, updates or repairs. Team leaders are responsible for scheduling and planning the inspections. As technical experts with thorough knowledge of federal and professional standards, civil engineers in this position are prepared to collaborate with team members in the field and enforce safety requirements.

Project Engineer

These technical leaders keep engineering projects aligned with design specifications, on schedule and within budget. Project engineers are responsible for supervising staff members, from multiple disciplines as they collaborate to fulfill their organization’s goals. Civil engineers in these roles are likely to focus on organizing tasks such as building design, site layout and laying foundations.

Structural Engineer

Structural engineers are experts in analysis and design for buildings, bridges, industrial sites and pipelines. Their duties include developing specifications and performing inspections to check stability and durability. Structural engineers must account factors like a planned structure’s environmental impact and the safety of individuals who will work there.

Traffic Engineer

Traffic engineering is a transportation engineering specialty that’s focused on making the flow of vehicles and pedestrians through streets and highways as safe and efficient as possible. Engineers consider the relationships among traffic speed, density and capacity as they modify roadways and manage risks. This role involves design decisions such as the placement of signs, traffic signals and pavement markings to reduce the likelihood of accidents.

Where Do Civil Engineers Work?

Infrastructure projects like facility construction or highway repairs can affect all types of businesses and many aspects of everyday life. Consequently, civil engineering professionals may find roles in a broad spectrum of organizations and work environments. Many engineers split their time between an office, where they draw up designs and plan projects, and the worksites where they track workers’ progress, resolving any technical issues that may arise.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the civil engineers are employed in these industries:

Engineering services
State and local governments
Building construction companies
The federal government

According to the BLS, aging infrastructure will lead to the most significant civil engineering career opportunities for the next several years. Experts will be tasked with repairing and updating structures such as buildings, dams, bridges, levees and airports. Transportation and pavement engineers can build the foundation for the future of travel and logistics by applying their knowledge of quantitative analysis, CAD tools, safety practices and materials.

Michigan State University’s online master’s in civil engineering explores the concepts and practical skills that are necessary to excel in these roles. Completing a program with focus areas in transportation and pavement engineering can prepare students to meet the requirements for licensure as professional engineers as well as make a lasting difference in their communities and organizations.

About Michigan State University’s Online M.S. in Civil Engineering

Students in Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Civil Engineering develop the skills to design and maintain the next generation of infrastructure. Designed to fit into the schedules of busy professionals, this 100% online master’s program explores data-driven strategies to design pavements and transportation systems for optimal safety, durability and sustainability.

As an R1 research university with its own vast transportation system on campus, MSU offers students exceptional access to industry resources and real-world data. Our faculty features top thinkers in transportation and pavement engineering who teach advanced quantitative methods and industry-standard software tools. Master’s students create customized program plans so they can graduate with the skills they need to solve real problems and excel in their careers.

Master’s in Electrical Engineering vs. Computer Engineering
May 9, 2021 4:41 pm Comments Off on Master’s in Electrical Engineering vs. Computer Engineering
Electrical engineering and computer engineering are two of the most wide-ranging career fields of the digital era, with job opportunities in a number of industries. Finance, health care and energy are just a few of the large-scale industries that hire engineers regularly. Even socially oriented fields like politics and education rely on the technical and analytical expertise of electrical and computer engineers, whose efforts allowed for the rapid shift to remote work and learning in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Professionals in both electrical and computer engineering share knowledge and skillsets, and both have consistent employer demand and relatively equal competitive salaries. However, their similarities raise a question for the professional engineer who wants to advance his or her career. Which option would provide greater professional advantages: a master’s in electrical engineering or a master’s in computer engineering?

Understanding the similarities and differences between the two programs, as well as the advantages of a third option that combines the two, is necessary in order to pick the graduate program that aligns with one’s career goals. Here, we’ll compare the two options as well as their general job duties and required skills. We’ll also analyze why an electrical and computer engineering master’s program that combines both disciplines may be the best option.

Master’s in Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering involves the research, maintenance, design and creation of electrical equipment. As such, the discipline encompasses and intersects with a number of other engineering specialties, such as computer, industrial and mechanical engineering. Electrical engineers also work in some of the most innovative research areas of today, tackling cutting-edge concepts like nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, electrochemistry and renewable energy.

Program Outcomes and Curriculum

Prioritizing advanced industry research and theoretical concepts, an electrical engineering master’s program builds upon the foundational knowledge of a related undergraduate program and prepares graduates to:
- Identify, analyze and devise solutions to standard and complex engineering problems and projects
- Take a leadership role within an engineering department or organization
- Join research projects that advance the frontiers of engineering
Additionally, a quality program prepares students to meet professional standards as set by organizations such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE is the largest professional association for engineering, computing and technology in the world, with nearly 1,300 standards collaboratively devised by industry leaders from more than 160 countries around the world.

Courses and areas of specialization within engineering master’s programs may include:
- Signal processing
- Networking
- Communication (radio, satellite, digital and/or wireless)
- Power and control systems
- Materials, circuits, and devices
- Assembly line design (robotics, mechatronics and/or industrial controls)
- Electromagnetics and photonics
- Renewable energy
- AI and machine learning
- Micro/nanotech
- Medical/bioengineering
Skills for Electrical Engineers

Foundational knowledge of engineering principles and practices are mandatory for electrical engineering professionals, but employers now look for an increasingly computer-oriented skill set. According to research from the job market analysis tool Labor Insight by Burning Glass, over the next two years, employers will look for electrical engineers with experience in computer engineering, simulations and wiring. These new hires will also need a thorough understanding of specific computer applications and programming languages, including Python, C++, MATLAB, Revit and HMI software.

Electrical Engineering Career Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that, with an anticipated 328,100 jobs added between 2019 and 2029, the field of electrical engineering will grow at a rate similar to the average for all professions. However, salary data suggests that employers may value electrical engineers more highly than other roles; the median pay in 2019 was $101,250 per year, much higher than the $39,810 median annual wage for all workers.

Master’s in Computer Engineering

Computer engineering involves the development of computer hardware and software and integration with other systems. Hardware engineers build computers and related devices for use in a variety of industries, while software engineers create the applications that run on such hardware.

Knowledge of computer science and electrical engineering principles are beneficial for professionals in both areas. A computer hardware engineer may rely on knowledge of electrical engineering principles or work directly with an electrical engineer when creating a new device. Similarly, knowledge of computer science or collaboration with computer engineers can help electrical engineers create products that best meet the needs of consumers.

Program Outcomes and Curriculum

After completing a computer engineering graduate program, students should be able to:
- Analyze and create products that provide a supportive user interface and experience
- Troubleshoot hardware and software malfunctions
- Identify, evaluate and create algorithms and code written in various programming languages
Students may specialize or take courses in areas such as:
- Computer systems, hardware and architecture
- Mobile systems and applications
- Software development
- Hardware and architecture
- Cybersecurity
- Data and algorithms
Skills for Computer Engineers

Per Labor Insight, the computer engineering skills with the highest demand from employers over the next two years will be the same as those requested for electrical engineering jobs:
- Simulations
- Wiring
- Python
- C++
- MATLAB
- Revit
- HMI software
Supplementing these in-demand skills with a solid understanding of electrical engineering principles can be advantageous for job-seekers in this competitive industry.

Computer Engineering Career Outlook

Competition for hardware engineering positions will likely be high over the next decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that only 1,100 new hardware engineering jobs will be added between 2019 and 2029, for a slower-than-average increase of 2 percent. Given that the median salary of 2019 was an attractive $117,220 per year, one can surmise that employers are looking for top-tier talent. A highly diverse skill set can maximize an engineer’s ability to build a successful career and advance into a leadership position.

Software development, on the other hand, is expected to add 316,000 new jobs over that same period–a much-faster-than-average growth rate of 22 percent. The median software development salary for 2019 – $107,510 – was slightly less than that of computer hardware engineering but still more than twice the median wage for all workers.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Master’s Programs

With overlapping skill sets and similar career outcomes, it can be difficult to choose between a master’s program in electrical engineering and one in computer engineering. Many professionals would find themselves best served by a single program that combines both disciplines. This way, they acquire the most valuable competencies from both programs, which can maximize their career opportunities not just in hardware engineering, software development or electrical engineering but also in related fields.

When choosing an electrical and computer engineering master’s program, prospective students should look for:
- Distinguished faculty who have been recognized by professional organizations or received awards in either field
- Courses in cutting-edge areas like diamond technology, autonomous vehicles, neural networks, genetic algorithms and quantum engineering
- Flexible study pathways, such as thesis and non-thesis options, allowing students to pursue their specific interests and align their studies with their professional goals.
About Michigan State University’s Online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Michigan State University’s online Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering program prepares students to excel in the field by expanding their technical knowledge and focusing on real problems spurring technical innovation. Courses in the online program are taught by MSU’s faculty of pioneering researchers and experienced educators. Online students can choose from two plans of study, selecting a thesis or non-thesis option as they complete a graduate education from an R1 research institution ranked among the Top 100 Global Universities by U.S. News & World Report.

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