Master’s in Electrical Engineering: Spotlight on Sowmya Nagesh

Electrical engineering needs more women! Here’s one who is inspiring us…

If you’re a female graduate interested in applying for a master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering, there’s never been a better time to upskill and make your mark. Women in electrical engineering are still scarce, and companies are looking to address this balance.

Although there are more than a million women working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) roles in the UK, there’s still a lot of work to be done to close the pay gap. That’s why it’s important to shine the spotlight on successful female engineers, and we’re inspired by the Engineering Project Team Lead at Caterpillar Inc., Sowmya Nagesh.

There are so many reasons to pursue an electrical engineering degree in the UK, and Sowmya’s story can be truly inspiring to both female and male students who are looking to upskill in this exciting field!

Sowmya’s background

Sowmya got into engineering because she always loved solving problems. Growing up with a father who was an electrical engineer exposed her to this profession from a young age. She particularly enjoyed watching him work with circuits and started to understand how it was possible to read signals, measure electrical properties, and decode data.

Her passion for engineering grew during her high school years, and she was fascinated when she learned to read the electric meter in her home. And due to her constant need to find out how things worked, it made sense for her to apply for an engineering degree at university.

She first studied for an undergraduate degree, followed by a master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering. Today she works as an Engineering Project Team Lead, dealing with cutting-edge alternate power systems.

What Sowmya’s work entails

As an engineer at Caterpillar Inc., Sowmya gets to work on new technology for new sustainable power systems. These systems are truly exciting because they will go in the machines, locomotives, and stationary power systems of tomorrow.

Engineering is about solving complex problems, making things better, and designing a smarter, safer and more efficient future for populations around the world. This can be seen across every aspect of Sowmya’s work.

One of her favourite projects to date is when she created a fully-automated hardware lab, which required her to combine her knowledge of making and building electronic circuits with her skills in coding. This was six years ago, and to this day, the lab she designed is still being used, which provides a great sense of achievement and purpose.

According to Sowmya, there’s nothing more important than getting the right education: “I use every single aspect of what I learned in my undergraduate and graduate education, such as my electrical circuit classes. These classes have come in handy when I am troubleshooting issues that arise when I am putting together all of these complex power systems.”

Study an electrical engineering degree in the UK

Does a master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering interest you? Postgraduate study not only increases job prospects and opportunities, but graduates with a second degree are able to improve their earning potential.

Many employers look for job candidates with a second degree, and achieving a master’s can help you achieve faster career progression in your chosen field.

As a leading Greater Manchester university that ranks No.1 in the North West (and 3rd in the UK) for Student Satisfaction in Electrical and Electronic Engineering*, there’s nowhere better to train than the University of Bolton.

We provide a friendly and supportive learning environment and are proud to know our students by name and not their student number. This unique student-first approach allows us to establish goals and objectives early on, meaning we can support you through your personal and professional development. Come and experience #UniAsItShouldBe!

To find out more about applying in 2022/23, see our available electrical engineering courses.

*Complete University Guide 2022