How Do I Start Learning Electrical Engineering?

How do I start learning electrical engineering if I have no background?

Begin with the language of circuits: voltage, current, resistance, components, and circuit diagrams. Learn to read a schematic and identify where current can flow before adding more advanced parts. Keep a notebook with a drawing, a prediction, and an explanation for each exercise.

Use a short learning loop: study one idea, predict what a circuit will do, test it in a simulator or with low-voltage components, then explain any difference. A simulation makes it easier to change one value at a time. For a physical build, use a battery-powered supply and components suited to that voltage; do not use household mains electricity for beginner experiments.

The Open University’s free introductory electronics course is listed as 10 hours and moves from voltage, current, and resistance through Ohm’s and Kirchhoff’s laws, series and parallel networks, voltage dividers, op-amp circuits, sensors, signals, and filtering. That sequence offers a contained first pass. Use it to learn the terms, then repeat the concepts with exercises rather than trying to memorize a whole degree curriculum.

Set a readiness check before moving on: draw a simple circuit, label its components and units, calculate an expected value, and describe what you would change if the result differed. If the explanation is unclear, revisit the concept before increasing circuit complexity.

What math and physics do I need before studying electrical engineering?

You need working algebra, graphs, unit conversion, and basic electricity and magnetism; calculus becomes useful as circuits become dynamic. MIT’s 6.200 course recommends linear equations, simultaneous equations, logarithms, SI conversions, and understanding derivatives and integrals. MIT’s 6.01SC syllabus suggests sequences and series, some trigonometry, basic circuit exposure, and derivatives from graphs, while noting that extensive calculus is not required for that course.

These recommendations are not a contradiction. They describe different entry points and course demands. Refresh the math that a lesson uses instead of waiting to master every subject in advance. For circuit analysis, check that you can rearrange an equation, solve a small system of equations, and read a graph. Later, connect derivatives and integrals to how voltage and current change over time.

Units deserve steady practice. NIST lists kilo as 10³, milli as 10^-3, micro as 10^-6, and nano as 10^-9 among common SI prefixes. Convert values before calculating: confusing milliamps with amps changes a result by a factor of a thousand. Write the unit beside each value, not only the number.

A practical readiness check is to solve a linear equation, convert between common prefixes, interpret a graph, and use Ohm’s law for a basic resistive circuit. Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism is a co-requisite at MIT for 6.01SC students, but the syllabus does not make it a formal prerequisite. For independent study, learn the relevant physics alongside circuits when a concept requires it.

What order should I learn circuits, electronics, and other EE subjects in?

Learn resistive networks first, then energy-storage elements and circuit dynamics, then introductory electronics and applications. This order builds from relationships that are easy to calculate toward systems where signals change and components control one another.

1. Resistive circuits: Study voltage, current, resistance, Ohm’s law, series and parallel networks, and Kirchhoff’s laws. Test a resistor circuit in a simulator or with a low-voltage supply, and compare measured or simulated values with calculations.
2. Math tools and measurement: Practice SI prefixes, graphs, and simultaneous equations. Use a voltage divider as a calculation and a simple simulation; if the output is unexpected, check the connection points, units, and resistor values.
3. Capacitors and inductors: Move from steady-state networks to first- and second-order dynamics. MIT 6.200 covers resistors, capacitors, and inductors before extending to circuit dynamics. In a simulation, vary one component at a time and describe how the response changes.
4. Introductory electronics: Study switches, transistors, amplifiers, and op-amps after circuit fundamentals. MIT OpenCourseWare’s 6.002 course progresses from resistive networks to switches, MOS transistors, amplifiers, energy-storage elements, and analog and digital applications.
5. Focused application: Choose a small project in one area, such as a sensor interface, a simple digital logic task, or an introductory power circuit. Add only the concepts the project needs.

MIT’s course materials also show why practice belongs throughout the sequence. 6.200 combines weekly labs with real components, design exercises, and problem sets; 6.002 includes lectures, problems, exams, and design and lab exercises. The Open University course adds interactive materials and circuit simulation. Together these formats suggest a useful rhythm: learn a concept, solve it on paper, then test a design.

Troubleshooting is part of the lesson. First check the schematic against the build, then verify component values and units, then compare the circuit’s expected behavior with the result. Change one thing at a time. That method separates a calculation error from a wiring or component-choice error.

Can I teach myself electrical engineering without going to college?

You can teach yourself substantial electrical engineering fundamentals, build projects, and identify a field of interest; self-study alone does not replace every qualification required for professional work. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says electrical and electronics engineers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in a related engineering field for professional employment.

Keep the distinction clear. Open courses and self-directed projects can build knowledge and practical understanding, but they do not make a learner equivalent to a degree holder for roles where an engineering degree is typically required. For a formal education route, compare accreditation, flexibility, and cost in Choose an Engineering University for Accreditation, Flexibility, and Cost.

Self-study works best with visible checkpoints: completed problem sets, circuit diagrams, simulations, build notes, and explanations of design choices. MIT’s course materials use labs, design exercises, and assessments as practice and checks for understanding. A self-learner can borrow that structure without trying to reproduce an entire degree.

Choose a direction after learning the shared foundations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes specializations including electric power, radio communications, and control systems. Analog electronics and digital design also provide focused paths reflected in the MIT course topics. A first project should answer one question in one area; it does not need to represent all of electrical engineering.