How Do I Become a Sensor Engineer?

A sensor engineer is a professional who combines math and science concepts to design and implement sensors. Sensors are are devices that respond to stimuli and are used to operate an object or to measure the quantity of or detect the presence of something. Theses devices are used in a wide range of industries including medicine, defense, and the environmental field to meet the needs of society. A person who desires to become a sensor engineer needs to complete four years of college training to gain the appropriate expertise and also possess solid communication skills.

If you wish to become a sensor engineer, you should complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in engineering with a focus on electrical, industrial, or mechanical engineering. Requirements to get into this type of degree program include submitting a copy of your high school diploma or the equivalent certification. You also need to be prepared to provide a copy of your high school transcript along with scores from standardized tests recently completed. In addition, colleges will ask you to fill out an enrollment application and be accepted before you can begin training to become a sensor engineer.

During a training program specializing in sensors, basic courses are necessary to prepare you for the complex engineering field. For instance, you will have to take advanced math classes as well as science courses such as physics and chemistry, which teach you the problem-solving skills necessary in an engineering job. A design class that is linked to a laboratory or computer course also is necessary to help you learn how to draft diagrams of sensors while applying math, science, and engineering principles to create functional devices.

Other more specialized and advanced engineering courses will further teach you how to help companies to effectively create technological devices. For instance, chemical engineering courses cover topics such as thermodynamics, which deals with how energy changes forms. This concept is foundational to creating microelectronic devices such as sensors and thus is important to understand if you seek to become a sensor engineer. Electrical engineering classes additionally explain how to design, manufacture, and test the sensors that you create based on electrical science concepts.

An internship is a critical part of entering the engineering field with a focus on sensor creation as well. You can find hands-on experience opportunities at private companies that manufacture sensors. Practical experience will give you the chance to learn software application programs and computer systems for creating sensors and help you to hone your analytical and industry research skills. In addition, you have the opportunity to build your skills with working both in a team environment and independently, which is necessary to become a sensor engineer.