The mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to prepare the individual for professional work or for graduate study in the fields of electrical and computer engineering and to provide as many of the elements of a broad education as can be included in a program of professional study leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. In addressing its mission, the department strives, through small classes and hands-on experience in laboratories closely monitored by full-time faculty, to provide an environment highly conducive both to learning and to the development of close student-faculty relationships.
The electrical engineering curriculum places emphasis on a broad liberal education base, a strong background in mathematics and basic sciences, and a logical sequence of electrical and computer engineering courses that provide the breadth and depth necessary for continuous professional growth in today’s technological society. In the junior year the electrical engineering student normally selects an area of professional emphasis such as computer engineering, control systems, communication systems, electronics, or power systems. An integral part of the program is the design component that develops the student’s ability to address practical engineering problems. This is accomplished by the inclusion of engineering design problems and concepts throughout the curriculum and capped by a mandatory two-semester senior design course in which students undertake significant design projects.
Convinced of the great value of practical experience, the department encourages its majors to obtain gainful employment in electrical engineering or a related field for at least one summer, preferably between the junior and senior years.