Electrical Engineer
Design and test electrical equipment, from power systems to circuit boards.
Design and oversee construction of roads, bridges, buildings and water systems.
Civil engineers plan public works such as highways, bridges, dams, water pipelines and building foundations, then check that construction matches the design. They calculate loads and materials, draw plans in CAD software, review soil and survey data, and follow building codes. Entry requires a bachelor's degree in civil engineering; a Professional Engineer license follows exams and work experience.
Take these courses in order, from beginner to mid-level.
The shared base every STEM career uses: working with numbers and units, testing ideas fairly, handling data and code, and explaining your work.
How civil, mechanical and electrical engineers think, what to study, and the degree, FE and PE route into the field.
The everyday computer, internet, safety and AI skills every tech and STEM job assumes you already have.
Write clear emails and documents, present and run meetings, work well on teams, and navigate résumés, interviews and networking.
The practical math behind tech and STEM work: numbers, algebra, functions, geometry, logic and counting, with short code exercises.
Clean tables, correct formulas, lookups, pivot tables and honest charts in Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc or Excel.
Learn to program in Python from zero: values, decisions, loops, functions, data structures, files, modules and a small data project.
Describe data, reason with probability, and draw honest conclusions from samples, with short fill-in-the-blank Python exercises.
Learn your OSHA rights, spot hazards, choose PPE, understand lockout/tagout and electrical safety, and use hand tools, power tools and measuring tools safely.
Read orthographic views, scales, dimensions, tolerances, schematics, GD&T callouts and floor plans, then sketch and model parts in free CAD tools.
Plan and run small projects: scope, stakeholders, work breakdown, schedules, estimates, risks, status reports and closure.
Atoms, bonding, gases, balanced equations, moles, solutions, pH, buffers, equilibrium and an organic and biochemistry preview, with short fill-in-the-blank Python calculators.
The calculus and linear algebra behind science, engineering and machine learning: derivatives, integrals, vectors, matrices, gradients and eigenvalues, with Python exercises.
The physics behind engineering and the physical sciences: motion, forces, energy, momentum, torque, circuits, induction, waves and heat, with Python exercises and a home pendulum lab.
Use NumPy arrays, plots, fitting, numerical methods, units and instrument data files to do real engineering and science calculations in Python.
Statics, strength of materials and an introduction to dynamics: equilibrium, trusses, section properties, stress and strain, beam diagrams, bending and deflection, F = ma, vibration and factors of safety, with Python exercises.
The laws of thermodynamics, steam tables, power and refrigeration cycles, fluid statics, Bernoulli, pipe losses, heat transfer, R-values and heat exchangers, with Python exercises.
How the structure of metals, ceramics, polymers and composites sets their properties: crystal structure, defects and diffusion, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, failure, phase diagrams, heat treatment and materials selection.
How engineering work is really done and licensed: project phases, calculation packages, specs and submittals, codes and standards, QA/QC, the FE and PE, and ethics.
Load combinations, steel and reinforced concrete beams, soils and bearing capacity, stormwater runoff, Manning's equation, surveying, transportation, civil CAD and BIM, and construction administration.
Design and test electrical equipment, from power systems to circuit boards.
Design, build and test machines, engines and mechanical devices.
Research and develop metals, polymers, ceramics and composites for new products.