High School

Persons interested in pursuing a career in avionics should take high school mathematics courses at least through solid geometry and preferably through calculus. They should take English, speech, and communication classes in order to read complex and detailed technical articles, books, and reports; to write technical reports; and to present those reports to groups of people when required. Many schools offer shop classes in electronics and in diagram and blueprint reading. Other important classes include physics and computer science (especially computer-aided design).

Postsecondary Training

Most avionics engineers have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and participate in a cooperative education program through their engineering school. Bachelor's degree courses usually include general engineering principles, structures, mechanics, aerodynamics, and electronics. Some avionics engineers have backgrounds as avionics technicians, receiving at least one year of electronics technician training. If not trained specifically in avionics, students should obtain a solid background in electronics theory and practice.

Larger corporations in the aerospace industry operate their own schools and training institutes. Such training rarely includes theoretical or general studies but concentrates on areas important to the company's functions. The U.S. armed forces also conduct excellent electronics and avionics training schools; their graduates are in high demand in the industry after they leave the service.

Other Education or Training

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics offers instructor-led, Web-based, and CD-ROM-based training; correspondence courses; conference sessions; and webinars. Topics include aerospace electronics and power systems, design engineering, digital avionics systems, management, production engineering, space logistics, and space systems. The American Society for Engineering Education offers continuing education opportunities for engineers via its annual conference and other events. The National Society of Professional Engineers provides webinars for student members. Recent webinars included “Career Success in Engineering: A Guide for Students and New Professionals,” “Ethics and Professionalism for Students and Young Engineers,” “How to Get Your First Job,” and “Engineering Your Career with a High Quality Social Network Web Seminar.” The Society of Women Engineers offers conference sessions, webinars, and other education resources on topics such as leadership, career development, and special issues for women in engineering. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

All states require engineers to be licensed. There are two levels of licensing for engineers. Professional engineers (PEs) have graduated from an accredited engineering curriculum, have four years of engineering experience, and have passed a written exam. Engineering graduates need not wait until they have four years' experience, however, to start the licensure process. Those who pass the Fundamentals of Engineering examination after graduating are called engineers in training (EITs) or engineer interns or intern engineers. The EIT certification usually is valid for 10 years. After acquiring suitable work experience, EITs can take the second examination, the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam, to gain full PE licensure. These examinations are offered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.

In order to ensure that avionics engineers are kept up to date on their quickly changing field, many states have imposed continuing education requirements for relicensure.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations require that anyone who works with radio transmitting equipment have a restricted radiotelephone operator's license. Such a license is issued upon application to the FCC and is issued for life.

Take as many math and science classes as possible and participate in internships and other experiential opportunities to gain experience in the field.

To be successful in this work, you should have strong science and mathematics skills. In addition, you will need to have good manual dexterity and mechanical aptitude and the temperament for exacting work. Because this work is very precise, successful engineers must have a personality suited to meeting exact standards. Engineers work with others in teams, which requires a cooperative spirit and strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.