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As a non-native English speaker, I am always torn between writing/saying, "I have a degree in Electronic Engineering" vs. "Electronics Engineering".

I have heard the Electronics Engineering is correct since Electronics is a subject, in the same way as Mathematics, Physics, and so on. 'Electronic Engineering' would therefore mean an Engineer built from electronic components (a robot!).

However, it is not uncommon to come across some university courses whose title is 'Electronic Engineer'.

I wonder which is the most correct expression.

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    \$\begingroup\$ It depends what it reads in you degree. I would not say neither. You might be an Electrical Engineer who has majored in Electronics or Embedded Systems or whatever. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 14:31
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    \$\begingroup\$ Both are uncommon degrees in the USA, hence this USA-based site is titled "Electrical Engineering", which is a degree that encompasses most areas of engineering involving electronics. Different countries often have different names though for the same things. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 16:23
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    \$\begingroup\$ @ScottishTapWater Which one do you dislike: the "electrical engineering" in the header, or the word "electronics" in the URL in front of .stackexchange.com ? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 29, 2022 at 1:01
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    \$\begingroup\$ @ScottishTapWater Electrical Engineering is one of the oldest Eng. course and covers the Electronics subject, in fact. However, I do agree that this site should be named Electronics Engineering as the focus here is low-voltage and high-frequency rather than power systems. Moreover, Electronics Engineering is a well-established graduation worldwide, even though it is uncommon in US. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 29, 2022 at 14:36
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    \$\begingroup\$ @RubemPacelli - That may be the case historically, be it's not the case in most of Europe anymore (can't speak for the USA). Sure, you'll cover basic electronics, but you wouldn't do much microcontroller work in an electical engineering course and you wouldn't do much generator work in an electronics engineering course \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 29, 2022 at 17:30

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Both "Electronic Engineering" and "Electronics Engineering" are acceptable ways to refer to the field of study that deals with the design and application of electronic circuits, devices, and systems. The terms are often used interchangeably and there is no strict rule governing which one is more correct.

In general, "Electronics Engineering" is more common and widely accepted as the correct term. This is because the word "electronics" refers specifically to the study of electronic circuits and systems, while "electronic" is a more general term that can refer to anything related to electricity or electronics.

However, it is not uncommon for universities and other educational institutions to use the term "Electronic Engineering" when naming their programs or courses. In this case, the use of "Electronic" is intended to convey the broader scope of the field, which may include topics such as computer engineering, electrical engineering, and telecommunications engineering, in addition to electronics.

Ultimately, it is important to use the term that is most commonly accepted and understood in your field or by your intended audience. If you are unsure which term to use, you can consult with colleagues or check with professional organizations or societies in your field to see which term they use.

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    \$\begingroup\$ And to confuse things even more there's "Electrical Engineering", which is what's on my degree. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 13:30
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    \$\begingroup\$ @SteveSh and the name of this very StackExchange! \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 15:00
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    \$\begingroup\$ My university was the opposite of the second sentence of your second paragraph. The degree is "Electrical Engineering", which included electronics, computer, power systems, etc. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 16:02
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    \$\begingroup\$ @ScottishTapWater - I don't think that's the distinction. I never had a class in power engineering for my EE degree. If there is a distinction between Electrical and Electronic(s), it may be in the number of math courses (Electrical Engineering having more) and the treatment of more theoretical aspects of EE like E&M field theory and stochastic processes. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 29, 2022 at 13:12
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    \$\begingroup\$ @evildemonic, re "and the name of this very StackExchange"... But the URL is electronics.stackexchange.com. Now I'm even more confused ;-) \$\endgroup\$ Commented Oct 5, 2023 at 8:39
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I can't comment on its use in degree courses but I can for industry job titles in the UK...

I see 'Electronics Engineer' commonly and take it to be for the same reason you state: 'Electronic Engineer' is ambiguous and can imply an engineer who is electronic i.e. a machine.

AFAICR, I have only see 'Electronics Engineer' used as a job title by client companies and recruitment companies, much less or never 'Electronic Engineer'.

I use 'Electronics Engineer' because it's lack of use in proper English means it is more likely to be read as a proper noun even when in lower case.

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    \$\begingroup\$ @PStechPaul, you surprise me there - I don't see it as related at all. The maths/math thing is just a UK/US difference, like a ton of spellings and terminology. Whereas I hear plenty of people talking about electronics engineers and electronic engineers with no particular geographical leaning. So they're completely unrelated, for myself at least. (As an aside, I never understood how the singular 'math' can be an abbreviation of the plural 'mathematics' over 'maths' but it's a big and diverse world :-) ) \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 29, 2022 at 0:05
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Are you an engineer designing electronics or are you an engineer powered by electricity?

That's the difference between an electronics engineer and an electronic engineer.

It's as simple as that, the former is correct, the latter is incorrect.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ And then what is an Electrical Engineer? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Oct 11, 2023 at 5:03

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