Determine your engineering major. Consider chemical, electronic, computer, mechanical and molecular engineering. You may want to consider other engineering majors also. Your choice should take into account your interests and market demand. So, look at the want ads and see what patent engineering jobs are available and what requirements hiring companies have. Decide on the level of education you will need to create your dream inventions, but also obtain work as a patent engineer.
Select an engineering school to attend. Examine the curriculum at different engineering schools. Look for schools that offer courses you are interested in and extensive laboratory facilities. A school with good laboratory facilities will have equipment that is often too expensive for you to buy on your own. With that equipment you can build and test your inventions.
Understand United States patent procedures. Read how-to-patent books and patent law books. Learn how to search for patents on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website. Learn how to classify a patent. So study the United States patent classification system. Also consider learning how to write a patent. The patent office has specific requirements for writing patents.
Examine careers and educational programs related to patent law. Hiring companies prefer patent engineers who not only have an advanced engineering degree, but a law degree with a concentration in patent law. To enter law school you will also need a bachelor's degree. So, earn the highest possible grades you can when in engineering school. Many law schools require that you have top grades for admission.
Join inventor organizations and study and implement engineering projects. Look for national organizations that have local chapters. Get involved with projects that these local chapters are working on. See how you can combine resources with others to develop inventions, pay for laboratory equipment and get patent applications written and submitted.
Examine electronic, mechanical and computer programming projects that are offered as kits, like solar cell construction kits, or motorized toy-car-construction kits. Also work on projects featured in leading engineering and science magazines.