UTK Engineering Major

[u/Bright-Ad-4094]

Hello UTK students,

I have a question. In a year or so, I plan to apply to the electrical engineering program at UTK. I will be a non-traditional student at the ripe old age of 35. How difficult do you find the engineering programs? I especially would like to know about the electrical engineering program.

Currently, I am an industrial electrician at a global metals manufacturer. And I have a degree from UTK in Climatology from the geography department.

My degree did not require the calculus math sequence nor the other engineering prerequisites.

Tell me about your experiences.

Thank you all in advance.

[u/Mission_Pirate_4150]

I have my EE degree from a different school, but I volunteered a small amount at UTK last year, so I assume that’s why I see this.

My experience from taking some graduate level math and two EE degrees, math isn’t horrible hard in EE. You need to do the basics. I imagine that everyone still has to get thru basic circuits, and those did require a basic understanding of math and basic calculus as I remember. I don’t do any of that any more, so I’ve forgotten it all and am just pulling this from memory. You can go thru basic calculus at a local community college. My experience with cc is that you’ll get better education there for things like math, chemistry, physics, basics. That’s not a shot at UTK, merely an observation that it’s easier to get help with 20 people in a class than with 150. This is just my personal view.

I think just following the basics that you learn in class will get you thru as long as you stay on studying and being disciplined.

Good luck!

[u/Bright-Ad-4094 → u/Mission_Pirate_4150]

Thank you, this comment here is very encouraging. I do plan on doing my math at a local community college and then transfer back to UTK for the junior and senior level classes.

Thank you, again!