Education for becoming a controls engineering

J

Thread Starter

jonnie75

Needing some input from experienced people on what would be the best college major for becoming a controls engineer. Hoping to deal with PLC's, SCADA, HMI's and PC interfacing. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
 
In my opinion, I believe the best major is Electrical Engineering. It prepares you for anything in controls.

Research the major and see for yourself.

Hope it helps!
 
I would suggest Electrical Engineering - it's always a safe way to go... But if programming is not all that interests you, and you enjoy being closer to the final products and production and work with people and/or want to keep your options open in other directions (robotics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, materials etc.) you may consider Mechanical Engineering with Minor in Manufacturing or straight Manufacturing Major. I personally went
through MechEng with Manuf Minor and would do it again - or would do straight ElectricalEng. I would stay away from straight Manufacturing Eng. because that is too much management and not enough engineering. Whichever way you decide, start with Engineering, check into what courses are offered in each department (don't just read the course names - read the descriptions and be sceptical - they all make it sound good and often it's just hoax) and talk to people that are in the last year of that department or people that finished it - get a feel for what they learned and what they do now.

God Bless,

Peter
 
C
I am a Chemical Engineer who took some electic circuits electives and a senior level chemical process dynamics and control course. I have found that they were enough for the control work that I do. At times, I have to go to my EE co-workers for advise on some issues. On the other hand, my ChemE education has provided me with process insights that help with control design and
predicting process behavior.

I have enjoyed working on all aspects of engineering and if I had undergraduate school to do all over again, I would still have just as hard a time determining which engineering dicipline to follow amoung Electrical, Chemical, and Mechanical. Enjoy!

Chip
 
I don't know where you're located, but in Indiana we have many Purdue University graduates, with EE or EET degrees who are in the controls field. Purdue has specific courses within these degree programs at the main and regional campuses which include hands-on labs with PLC programming as well as computer control classes. EE or EET is the best bet if you are interested in the controls field. I have also had excellent luck hiring controls engineers who had degrees in Physics (but yet controls experience). After that would be mechanical engineering with a heavy background in electronics and programming. Besides the degree though, most of the valuable education these people have was through actual hands-on learning experiences, especially under the direction/supervision of another good/experience controls engineer. My advice, get a EE or EET degree, but also try to get a co-op job where you can work with another experienced engineer, and where you can see lots of examples of systems already implemented. Controls is not just understanding the electronics and software, but also about understanding the machine or process to be controlled, and the people who will interact with the system.
Richard E. Lamb, PE.
 
T
First of all, let me say you are picking one of the funnest and most rewarding careers around. IMHO the ultimate controls position would be attraction automation at disneyland or other amusement park or film studio. I studied EE and think that that is probably the best route. Stick to the industrial or power track if offered at your school. But mechanical engineering or chemical engineering will also prepare you well. Given recent trends, it won't hurt to have a heavy dose of computer programming courses. What you'll need most is to develop good problem solving skills and learning skills. Your education won't stop with graduation because the field is constantly evolving.
 
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James Ingraham

The major is irrelevant. I did an engineering / business double degree program and never once heard of a PLC. You already have, so you're a step up on all the EEs who took a bunch of circuits courses and are now looking at an
automation system instead of a circuit board. Pick something you like and take any relevent classes you can find. Obviously, EE is a very marketable degree that most closely fits controls. But Computer Science Engineering would work. It would be difficult to get a controls job with an English degree and no experience, but if you've got some background with the stuff nobody will care what your diploma says.

-James
Sage Automation, Inc.
 
Hi,

I think its better to be a major in insturmentation engineering, or electronic/communication engineering, since these will help in building basic fundamental concepts.

you can start working on PLC ladder programming and some HMI/SCADA on your own.
 
M

mikeshakespeare

Answer is Easy, choose Electrical engeniring Man,
I have taken varios courses in control and also one in wich they though me about PLC because i liked the subject, the important is the
college you choose offers various courses in control, no just the basic ones like many colleges with EE major do.

All offer the basic course in Automatic control.
Make sure the offer also:
A discrete control course
A discrete event control course and/or petri nets course.
A course on Artificial inteligence wich includes Neural networks and Fuzzy logic, or a control course with the topic of fuzzy logic.
Nonlinear systems or control course or similar.
Adaptive control and optimal control courses are also recomended.

If the college you are looking for doesnt have half of this subjects and you want to lear control then go look somewhere else


By the way i studied in colombia south america
Uniandes
 
B

Blunier, Mark

> The major is irrelevant.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it is irrelevant, but it is not the most significant factor in getting educated in controls, it is the student. What many people overlook in controls is knowledge of the process that needs to be controlled.

Electrical: pro, excellent background in electrical, good courses in control theory.
Con, very little fluids, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and process knowledge. The degrees only have time for a few electives outside the major.

Mechanical: pro, some control theory and some electrical, though watered down. Good knowledge of thermodynamics (if that branch of M.E. is chosen). Excellent background in mechanical systems. A fair amount of free electives available to bone up in weak areas.
Cons, weak in process background.

Chemical: pro, excellent process background, some control theory, though watered down.
Cons, Weak in electrical.

Agricultural: pros, good process background and lots of electives.

General: pros, lots of electives.

> I did an engineering / business double degree
> program and never once heard of a PLC. You already have, so you're a
> step up on all the EEs who took a bunch of circuits courses
> and are now
> looking at an automation system instead of a circuit board. Pick
> something you like and take any relevant classes you can
> find.

This is the most important advice. Pick courses relevant courses regardless of your major.

> Obviously,
> EE is a very marketable degree that most closely fits controls. But
> Computer Science Engineering would work. It would be
> difficult to get a controls job with an English degree and no
experience, but if
> you've got some background with the stuff nobody will care what you
diploma says.

I'd think that an EE or Chem E degree would make finding your first controls job easier, but after that, it probably wouldn't make much difference what your degree was in, as long as it is technical.

Mark Blunier
Any opinions expressed in this message are not necessarily those of the company.
 
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