What is the difference between electrical engineering and electronic engineering?
In general, electrical engineering broadly covers technologies involving relatively large amounts of electrical power, such as generation, transmission and distribution, electrical machines, and power systems. Electronic engineering focuses on using semiconductors and electronic circuits to process signals and support communication and control. The fields overlap, including in areas such as power electronics.
Key points
- Electrical engineering mainly concerns electrical power and energy systems.
- Electronic engineering mainly concerns semiconductors, circuits, signal processing, communication, and control.
- Some departments combine subjects from both fields rather than treating them as completely separate.
Things to check
- The boundary and curriculum vary by university, faculty, and department, so prospective students should check the official information for the program they are considering.