For some of you, this is your first month at college and you’re excited but nervous about what your course holds. For others, the final counseling is still underway and you’re about to decide whether you’ll be known an “Electrical Engineer” or “Automobile Engineer” (no prizes for guessing which looks cooler!)

[caption id="attachment_66" align="aligncenter" width="262" caption="Automobile Engineering - Looks cool!"]<a href="http://www.indiacollegesearch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/back_to_the_future.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-66" title="Automobile Engineering" src="http://www.indiacollegesearch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/back_to_the_future-262x300.jpg" alt="Automobile Engineering" width="262" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

For still others, you have a year to go until your engineering entrances and you have the foresight to think about which course you’d like to study when you get there. Bravo!

So without further ado, let’s jump into the perfectly timed 2<sup>nd</sup> part of this post – choosing an engineering branch. <a href="http://www.indiacollegesearch.com/blog/?p=59" target="_blank">In the first part, we covered Chemical, Computer Science, Civil and Mechanical.</a> This time around, we’ll start with IT.
<h3><strong>Information Technology (IT)</strong></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What it means:</strong></span> Information technology refers to any technology that helps to generate, communicate and manipulate information. The course focuses on computer programming

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What they’ll teach you:</strong></span> Programming Languages, Database Management Systems, Computer Graphics

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Who will hire you:</strong></span> Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Satyam, Infosys, TCS etc
<h3><strong>Electronics and Communication Engineering</strong></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What it means:</strong></span> Electronic Engineering involves the design and testing of electronic circuits that use the properties of components such achieve some functionality. Communications deals with the transmission of information across a channel with electronics as the link

[caption id="attachment_67" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Electronic Engineering"]<a href="http://www.indiacollegesearch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/basic-electronics-symbols.gif"><img class="size-medium wp-image-67" title="basic-electronics-symbols" src="http://www.indiacollegesearch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/basic-electronics-symbols-300x170.gif" alt="Electronic Engineering" width="300" height="170" /></a>[/caption]

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What they’ll teach you:</strong></span> Digital Signal Processing, Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks, Microprocessors

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Who will hire you:</strong></span> PSUs like BEL, DMRC,DRDO,ISRO and companies organizations like Siemens, Texas Instruments, Intel, nVIDIA, Philips Electronics, Motorola, Samsung, Conexant and Flextronics
<h3><strong>Automobile Engineering</strong></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What it means:</strong></span> Every aspect of designing cars, trucks, and other automobiles from the initial concepts right through to manufacturing them

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What they’ll teach you:</strong></span> Engine Electrical Systems, Power Train Systems, Automobile Design &amp; Manufacturing

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Who will hire you:</strong></span> BMW, Ashok Leyland, TATA, Apollo Tyres, Bajaj, Hero Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Caterpillar, GM, Escorts, Yamaha, JCB and Maruti
<h3><strong>Electrical and Electronics Engineering</strong></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What it means:</strong></span> Electrical engineering deals with the large-scale electrical systems such as power transmission and motor control, while electronic engineering deals with small-scale electronic systems including computers and integrated circuits. This branch has elements of both electrical engineering and electronics.

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What they’ll teach you:</strong></span> Control Systems, Network Theory, Digital Signal Processing

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Who will hire you:</strong></span> BHEL, NHPC, Power Grid, Jindal Steel &amp; Power, Larsen &amp; Toubro
<h3><strong>Instrumentation Engineering</strong></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What it means:</strong></span> Instrumentation engineering deals with the principles and operation of measuring instruments which are used in design and configuration of automated systems in electrical, pneumatic domains etc.

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What they’ll teach you:</strong></span> Process Control, Signal Processing, Robotics, Optical Instrumentation

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Who will hire you:</strong></span> ABB, National Instruments, Texas Instruments, Siemens, Invensys, GE, Suzlon, Larsen &amp; Toubro, Robert Bosch, Navayuga

There are several other branches that you can study at an engineering college including Telecom, Aeronautical, Mining, Metallurgy, Petroleum etc. These may not be as popular as the core branches but are no less interesting and the job prospects are equally attractive.