Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering
The Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering offers students the opportunity to prepare for careers in areas associated with electronics, digital systems, computer architecture and design, communications, controls and robotics, computer-aided design (CAD), instrumentation, bioengineering, and other traditional and emerging areas of high technology. Through the proper selection of elective courses to augment required courses, successful students may develop a specialization pertinent to many of these areas that may lead to employment with electronic companies, high-technology industries, and government agencies.
The electrical engineering curriculum allows the student to study a single topic in depth by choosing electives from one of the five technical areas: communication; computer; DSP; electronic materials, MEMS and microelectronics; and systems and control. At least three technical elective courses must be selected from a single technical area.
The educational objectives of the Electrical Engineering program are that our graduates will:
- possess essential skills in mathematics, engineering, and science
- reflect critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for career advancement
- compete successfully using engineering tools and methodologies.
Meeting Program Objectives
To meet the program objectives, the curriculum is organized into a flexible 125-semester-credit-hour structure that provides high-quality education in the fundamentals of engineering, in addition to a thorough coverage of the major specialties within electrical engineering. A selection of technical electives is provided to allow concentration in depth in selected areas: communication; computer; DSP; electronic materials, MEMS and microelectronics; and systems and control.
Highly qualified faculty work in concert to provide and to evolve a curriculum that is challenging to students, with depth in engineering science, design orientation, and modern laboratory experience. The curriculum objectives are accomplished via a three-tiered curriculum structure comprised of the lower-division core (the first two years), the upper-division core (concentrated primarily in the third year), and the senior-level electives, which are briefly described below.
Lower-Division Core
The lower-division core provides students with a basic background in mathematics, physics, and chemistry; computer hardware and software fundamentals; electric circuit fundamentals and electrical engineering laboratory experience; statics and dynamics; and communication skills, humanities, and social sciences. The lower-division core relates to objectives 1 and 2.
Upper-Division Core
The upper-division core for electrical engineering provides students with a basic education in the fundamentals of electrical engineering. These courses include fundamental circuits (3 semester credit hours), controls (3 semester credit hours), electromagnetics (3 semester credit hours), electronics (6 semester credit hours), electronic devices (3 semester credit hours), and probability and random processes (3 semester credit hours). Many of these fundamental courses include the use of modern software tools for design and analysis. These fundamentals are supplemented with one hands-on laboratory course (3 semester credit hours). Written and technical communication is further emphasized in the laboratory course. The upper-division core relates to objectives 1, 2, and 3.
Senior-Level Electives
In the senior year, electrical engineering students enroll in five technical electives (15 semester credit hours), a senior laboratory course (3 semester credit hours), and the capstone design sequence (4 semester credit hours). The technical elective courses involve modern software tools. The capstone sequence not only provides a major design experience but also emphasizes teamwork, proposal development, communication skills, and professional and ethical responsibility. Students are required to choose one of the five technical areas and to select a minimum of three technical electives (9 semester credit hours) from that single area. The remaining two technical electives (6 semester credit hours) may be selected either from the same area or from the other four areas, including one course at the graduate level and/or 3 semester credit hours from an engineering cooperative program. The engineering cooperative program provides an opportunity for students to obtain practical experience by enrolling in three semesters (1 semester credit hour each semester) and working in an approved industry. Students who want to pursue graduate studies are encouraged to enroll in a graduate class during their last semester, which will be counted as one of the remaining technical electives.
Engineering Design Experience
The engineering design experience is integrated throughout the program. Modern software tools usage, design and analysis, and formal written report writing are integrated components of several of the electrical engineering courses. EE 3113 Electrical Engineering Laboratory I and EE 4113 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II emphasize hands-on experiments using basic to advanced capability instruments and formal written, as well as oral, reports. Other electrical engineering classes that use software tools include EE 3313 Electronic Circuits I, EE 3413 Analysis and Design of Control Systems, EE 3423 Signals and Systems I, EE 3463 Microcomputer Systems I, EE 3563 Digital Systems Design, and EE 4313 Electronic Circuits II. Engineering design is distributed throughout the curriculum starting from the second semester in EE 2513 Logic Design. In the third semester, students may take EE 3563 Digital Systems Design (computer concentration elective), which deals with design and simulation of sequential digital systems. During the fourth semester, students take EE 3313 Electronic Circuits I and EE 3113 Electrical Engineering Laboratory I, which provide students with significant design components. During the fifth semester, analog control systems design is covered in EE 3413 Analysis and Design of Control Systems. In the sixth semester, students take EE 4313 Electronic Circuits II, which deals with design and analysis of advanced analog circuits. In the seventh and eighth semesters, students take five technical elective courses which all have design components. During the seventh semester, students also take EE 4113 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II, which includes design-oriented automated testing as an important attribute.
The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree is 125, at least 39 of which must be at the upper-division level. All candidates for this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements, the General Engineering requirements, and the degree requirements, which are listed below.
Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both major requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements see pages 5–9 of this catalog.
| Core Curriculum Component Area | Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements |
|---|---|
Communications |
English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours) |
Mathematics |
Mathematics (3 semester credit hours) |
Natural Sciences |
Science (6 semester credit hours) |
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts |
Literature (3 semester credit hours) |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours) |
World Society and Issues |
(3 semester credit hours) |
General Engineering Requirements
All degree-seeking candidates in engineering must complete the following 21 semester credit hours, as well as the Core Curriculum requirements and major requirements:
| CHE 1103 | General Chemistry I |
| EGR 2323 | Applied Engineering Analysis I |
| MAT 1214 | Calculus I |
| MAT 1223 | Calculus II |
| PHY 1903, 1911 | Engineering Physics I and Laboratory |
| PHY 1923, 1931 | Engineering Physics II and Laboratory |
Degree Requirements
All degree-seeking candidates in Electrical Engineering must complete the following semester credit hours, as well as the Core Curriculum requirements and General Engineering requirements:
- 56 semester credit hours of required courses:
- 50 semester credit hours of electrical engineering courses:
EE 1323 Introduction to Electrical Engineering Profession EE 2423 Network Theory EE 2511 Logic Design Laboratory EE 2513 Logic Design EE 3113 Electrical Engineering Laboratory I EE 3213 Electromagnetic Engineering EE 3313 Electronic Circuits I EE 3323 Electronic Devices EE 3413 Analysis and Design of Control Systems EE 3423 Signals and Systems I EE 3463 Microcomputer Systems I EE 3523 Signals and Systems II EE 4113 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II EE 4313 Electronic Circuits II EE 4811 Electrical Engineering Design I EE 4813 Electrical Engineering Design II EGR 2213 Statics and Dynamics EGR 3323 Applied Engineering Analysis II - 6 semester credit hours of supporting courses:
CS 2073 Computer Programming with Engineering Applications EE 3533 Random Signals and Noise or STA 3533 Probability and Random Processes
- 50 semester credit hours of electrical engineering courses:
- 15 semester credit hours of electrical engineering elective courses. At least three courses (9 hours) from one of the following concentrations must be selected:
Communication Concentration
EE 4613 Communication Systems EE 4653 Digital Communications EE 4673 Data Communication and Networks EE 4683 Wireless Communications EE 4693 Fiber Optic Communications
Computer Concentration
EE 3223 C++ and Data Structures or CS 3733 Operating Systems EE 3563 Digital Systems Design EE 4243 Computer Organization and Architecture EE 4513 Introduction to VLSI Design EE 4553 VLSI Testing EE 4573 Engineering Workstations EE 4583 Microcomputer Systems II
DSP Concentration
EE 4453 Selected Topics in Digital Signal Processing EE 4623 Digital Filtering EE 4643 Digital Signal Processing EE 4663 Digital Image Processing
Electronic Materials, MEMS and Microelectronics Concentration
EE 4323 Dielectric and Optoelectronic Engineering Laboratory EE 4513 Introduction to VLSI Design EE 4523 Introduction to Micro and Nanotechnology EE 4533 Principles of Microfabrication EE 4543 Advanced Topics in Micro and Nanotechnology
Systems and Control Concentration
EE 3513 Electromechanical Systems EE 4443 Discrete-Time and Computer-Controlled Systems EE 4723 Intelligent Robotics EE 4733 Intelligent Control EE 4743 Embedded Control Systems EE 4753 Computer Analysis of Power Systems