As in any profession, the more education the better... usually. Engineering (electrical, civil, aeronautical, etc.) degrees require a minimum of 4 years for a Bachelor of Science degree. Some brilliant, hard working students can complete the course work in, perhaps, 3 and one half years... rare though. A Master's degree in the field requires about 2 more years. One word of caution... I think the term 'engineer' can mean something different here in the U.S. as opposed to the U.K...