<p>I’m going school for ECE(electrical and computer engineering)I was thinking about trying trade school to obtain my electrician cert while going to college but I came to the conclusion that it would never happen because of time constraints once I looked into it. What I have found though is that some states cut the certification time down from 4 years to 1 year or less for bachelor EEs. I have been trying to do some research on it but no matter how I word it in google I cannot find what I’m looking for. I live and go to school in NJ, and ultimately want to become a master ECE, does anyone know if this would drop the electrician certification requirements down in NJ?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/chapters/Chapter%2031%20Board%20of%20Examiners%20of%20Electrical%20Contractors.pdf[/url]”>http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/chapters/Chapter%2031%20Board%20of%20Examiners%20of%20Electrical%20Contractors.pdf</a> (page 13)
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<p>Note also, “Practical hands-on experience” shall not include time spent in […] engaging in the practice of engineering.</p>
<p>Thank you…while I thinking more in lines of journeyman electrician cert not electrical contractor, this was a step in the right direction though.</p>
<p>Anyway I found this</p>
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<p>So, I take it that I need to get the contractor license, or prove I gained enough knowledge through my schooling…</p>
<p>Why do you want to be both an electrical engineer AND an electrician? Despite the names, these jobs have very little overlap. It seems like you would be better served picking one or the other.</p>
<p>because I’d like to have the knowledge of both ends of the spectrum…the design(engineer) and actually putting it together(electrician).</p>
<p>An electrician is not the other end of the spectrum - an electrician is someone who professionally installs electrical wiring, generally in a building. They are not acting on the designs of an electrical engineer (or on the very most basic of designs only), but rather simply assembling a set of pre-designed components to meet the designs of the architect. While it is very important that such wiring is done correctly, it is not in itself complicated enough to require the services of an electrical engineer at any part of the process.</p>
<p>The vast majority of designs by an electrical engineer (such as myself) will be built, tested, and repaired by electronic technicians (such as I was before I got my degree). It is a completely different skill set, and I do not think experience or training as an electrician would in any real way help you in your studies or practice as an electrical engineer unless you were specifically angling for the power generation and transmission side.</p>
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I don’t think it would benefit the OP even if it was the power side of EE. I’ve worked closely with journey & linemen (with my utility co-op), and I don’t really see the point to what the OP wants to do. Additionally, an apprenticeship in the power side is typically 4 or so years (because of the # of hours), regardless of previous education - an engineering degree really wouldn’t waive much of the things they have to learn.</p>
<p>(For clarification, I’m still a EE student, but I have a decent utility background).</p>
<p>Electrician really isn’t the other side of the spectrum. EE would be more of the design portion, and Electrical/Electronics technician would be more of the hands-on side of engineering. </p>
<p>I’m going to finish my AS in Electrical Engineering Technology, and probably go to uni. for my BSEE. According to my instructors, men with EE engineering masters, the program should give you a jump start on a few EE concepts, however, most of the credits may not transfer to uni. If you decide to go this route, you would be qualified for decent paying work AND you’d be familiar with the hands-on side of engineering, as it seems that you are trying to do.</p>
<p>Okay, thank you, you find a lot of misinformation all over, which I why I asked in multiple places, again thank you.</p>