Degree Programs
Electrical Engineering—BSE
The professional activities of electrical engineers directly affect the everyday lives of most of the world’s population. They are responsible for the design and development of radio and television transmitters and receivers, telephone networks and switching systems, computer systems, and electric power generation and distribution. Within the broad scope of these systems, the electrical engineer is concerned with a challenging and diverse array of design and development problems.
Electrical engineers design minuscule semiconductor integrated circuits that contain many thousands of elementary devices. These engineers design systems for automatically controlling mechanical devices and a variety of processes. These engineers are responsible for the design of satellite communication links as well as patient monitoring systems for hospitals. The development of the microprocessor has expanded the opportunities for electrical engineers to improve the design of familiar products since these devices are now incorporated in automobiles, consumer and office products, entertainment systems, and a vast variety of test and measurement instruments and machine tools.
Students who earn a BSE degree in Electrical Engineering will be involved in a variety of electrical and electronic problems in the course of their careers. To ensure the necessary breadth of knowledge, the Electrical Engineering curriculum includes basic engineering courses and courses in circuits, electromagnetic fields and waves, microprocessors, communication and control systems, solid-state electronics, electrical power systems, and other specialty courses.
The goal of the Electrical Engineering undergraduate program is to prepare graduates for entry-level positions as electrical engineers for the broad range of opportunities available in industrial, commercial, and governmental organizations, and to prepare graduates for continued learning experiences either in a formal graduate program or in continuing education applications.
This goal is achieved through a curriculum designed to accomplish five objectives:
- We will maintain a modern curriculum, which adapts to changes in technology and society.
- Our program will foster a diverse student population entering and successfully graduating, and our graduates will function well in a diverse work force.
- Our graduates will be self-motivated, creative people who can succeed in environments where technical innovation is important.
- Our graduates will be sought after by our constituent industries and respected graduate programs.
- Our graduates will be technically competent.
The curriculum in Electrical Engineering builds upon the base provided by classes in chemistry, mathematics, and physics. The curriculum includes a number of required electrical engineering and technical elective courses. Approved technical elective courses provide students with an opportunity either to broaden their background in electrical engineering or to study, in greater depth, technical subjects in which they have special interests. Successful completion of the curriculum leaves the student prepared to embark on a career in electrical engineering or to pursue an advanced education in graduate school.
The engineering design experience is structured around three backbone courses employing engineering teams: EEE 101 Introduction to Engineering Design, EEE 488 Senior Design Laboratory I, and EEE 489 Senior Design Laboratory II. The integrated experience is strengthened with required courses and area pathway courses. Students focus on design pertaining to specific electrical engineering areas in their pathway courses before the culminating, capstone design experience in EEE 488 and EEE 489, and technical electives.