Electrical Engineering (BSE)
The Electrical Engineering program educational objectives are that our alumni/ae: make technical contributions to design, development, and manufacturing in their practice of electrical engineering; advance in their professional career; and engage in professional development or post-graduate education to pursue flexible career paths amid future technological changes.
The Electrical Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Electrical, Computer, Communications, Telecommunication(s), and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
Location
- Storrs Campus
Modality
- In Person
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
The Electrical Engineering major requires a total of 126 credits. Electrical Engineering majors are required to complete the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design | ||
| Foundations of Engineering | ||
| CSE 2301 | Principles and Practice of Digital Logic Design | 4 |
| ECE 1401 | Programming for Electrical Engineers | 3 |
| or CSE 3100 | Systems Programming | |
| ECE 2001 | Electrical Circuits | 4 |
| ECE 3001 | Electromagnetic Fields and Waves | 3 |
| ECE 3101 | Signals and Systems | 3 |
| ECE 3111 | Systems Analysis and Design | 4 |
| ECE 3201 | Electronic Circuit Design and Analysis | 4 |
| ECE 4900W | Communicating Engineering Solutions in a Societal Context | 1 |
| ECE 4901 | Electrical and Computer Engineering Design I | 2 |
| ECE 4902 | Electrical and Computer Engineering Design II | 3 |
| MATH 2110Q | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 2210Q | Applied Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 2410Q | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
| STAT 3345Q | Probability Models for Engineers | 3 |
| or MATH 3160 | Probability | |
| Elective courses | 7 | |
| Total Credits | 54 | |
Further details and course sequences are given in the Electrical Engineering Guide to Course Selection.
Restricted Electives
A student must take at least one course from each of the four groups:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1. Power and Energy | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Power Electronics | ||
| Electric Machines and Drives | ||
| Introduction to Modern Power Systems | ||
| Group 2. Circuits and Electronics | ||
| ECE 3221 | Digital Integrated Circuits | 3 |
| or ECE 4201 | Electronic Circuits and Applications | |
| Group 3. Communications | ||
| ECE 4111 | Communication Systems | 3 |
| or ECE 4112 | Digital Communications and Networks | |
| Group 4. Semiconductor and Nanotechnology | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Semiconductor Devices and Nanostructures | ||
or ECE 5211 | Semiconductor Devices and Models | |
| Fundamentals of Electron Device Design and Characterization | ||
or ECE 5225 | Electron Device Design and Characterization | |
| Total Credits | 12-13 | |
Professional Requirements (PR)
A student must take at least 12 credits of technical Professional Requirements (defined as engineering, mathematics, statistics, physical and life sciences, when appropriate) courses numbered 3000 or higher. At least two courses (for a total of six credits or above) of the Professional Requirement coursework must be chosen from Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) courses and only three credits can be from ECE 4097 Thesis in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The following courses may not be used as Professional Requirement courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 3096 | Directed Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 1-3 |
| ECE 4079 | Independent Design Laboratory | 1-3 |
| ECE 4096 | Independent Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 1-3 |
| ECE 4099 | Independent Study in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 1-4 |
| ECE 4099W | Independent Study in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 1-4 |
Non-technical courses (including ENGR 3021 Engineering Ambassadors: Technical Communication and Presentation, ENGR 3022 Intro - Building our Sistas Strength (BOSS) Leveraging Adversity, Diversity and Intellect (LADI), ENGR 3024 Adv - Building our Sistas Strength (BOSS) Leveraging Adversity, Diversity and Intellect (LADI), and ENGR 3025 Engineering for Impact - Advanced Leaders), laboratory courses, and non-ECE independent study courses cannot be used for PRs, unless approved by the Department in writing before the course is taken. Neither STAT 3345Q Probability Models for Engineers nor MATH 3160 Probability can be counted as Professional Requirement. Any non-ECE professional requirement courses must be approved by the advisor and Department UG Director.
Design Laboratory
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A student must take at least six credits of Design Laboratory courses from the following list: | ||
| ECE 3225 | Optical Engineering Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 3411 | Microprocessor Applications Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 3421 | Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) Design and Simulation | 4 |
| ECE 4079 | Independent Design Laboratory 1 | 1-3 |
| ECE 4114 | Software-Defined Radio Design Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4122 | Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4132 | Image Processing Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4161 | Robotics Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4225 | Fundamentals of Electron Device Design and Characterization | 3 |
| ECE 4242 | Micro/Opto-electronic Devices and Circuits Fabrication Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4244 | Nanotechnology II | 3 |
| ECE 4401 | Digital Design Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 5242 | Micro-Optoelectronic Devices and IC Fabrication | 3 |
| ECE 6244 | Nanotechnology - II (Laboratory Course) | 3 |
- 1
Only one design lab (up to three credits) may be ECE 4079 Independent Design Laboratory.
Note that a course can only count as a required course or a restricted elective or as a professional requirement or as a design lab. In other words, the same course cannot satisfy multiple requirements.
Concentrations
Any student in Electrical Engineering can choose from the following five concentrations: Computer Engineering, Electronics and Optics, Power and Energy, Robotics, and Systems and Controls. If a student does not choose a concentration, there is no change in the current requirements for the Electrical Engineering degree.
Students can complete a concentration by taking nine credits from a list of courses associated with each track. Special topics courses (ECE 4095 Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering/ECE 6095 Special Topics in Electrical and Systems Engineering) may be substituted with the approval of the ECE Undergraduate Programs Director. Up to four concentration credits may be also used as a restricted elective (see above). The courses in each concentration are as follows:
Computer Engineering
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 3221 | Digital Integrated Circuits | 3 |
| ECE 3401 | Digital Systems Design | 3 |
| or ECE 5401 | Advanced Digital Systems Design | |
| ECE 3411 | Microprocessor Applications Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 3421 | Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) Design and Simulation | 4 |
| or ECE 6421 | Advanced VLSI Design | |
| ECE 3431 | Numerical Methods in Scientific Computation | 3 |
| ECE 4401 | Digital Design Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 5402 | Computer Architecture | 3 |
Electronics and Optics
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 3211 | Power Electronics | 4 |
| ECE 3221 | Digital Integrated Circuits | 3 |
| ECE 3223 | Optical Engineering | 3 |
| ECE 3225 | Optical Engineering Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 3243 | Introduction to Nanotechnology | 3 |
| ECE 4201 | Electronic Circuits and Applications | 3 |
| ECE 4211 | Semiconductor Devices and Nanostructures | 3 |
| ECE 4223 | Nanophotonics | 3 |
| ECE 4225 | Fundamentals of Electron Device Design and Characterization | 3 |
| or ECE 5225 | Electron Device Design and Characterization | |
| ECE 4242 | Micro/Opto-electronic Devices and Circuits Fabrication Laboratory | 3 |
| or ECE 5242 | Micro-Optoelectronic Devices and IC Fabrication | |
| ECE 4243 | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology I | 3 |
| or ECE 6243 | Nanotechnology | |
| ECE 4244 | Nanotechnology II | 3 |
| or ECE 6244 | Nanotechnology - II (Laboratory Course) | |
| ECE 4261 | Introduction to Memory Device Technologies | 3 |
| or ECE 5261 | Memory Device Technologies | |
Power and Energy
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 3211 | Power Electronics | 4 |
| ECE 3212 | Electric Machines and Drives | 4 |
| ECE 3231 | Introduction to Modern Power Systems | 3 |
| ECE 4211 | Semiconductor Devices and Nanostructures | 3 |
| ECE 4225 | Fundamentals of Electron Device Design and Characterization | 3 |
| or ECE 5225 | Electron Device Design and Characterization | |
| ECE 4550 | Microgrids | 3 |
| or ECE 5550 | Microgrids | |
| ECE 5510 | Power System Analysis | 3 |
| ECE 5520 | Advanced Power Electronics | 3 |
| ECE 5530 | Modeling and Control of Electric Drives | 3 |
| ECE 5540 | Electrical System Protection and Switchgear | 3 |
| ECE 5552 | Communication Systems in Smart Grids | 3 |
| ECE 5554 | Distribution Management Systems | 3 |
Robotics
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 3161 | Introduction to Robotics | 3 |
| ECE 3162 | Robot Motion Planning | 3 |
| ECE 3163 | Robot Control and Dynamics | 3 |
| ECE 4161 | Robotics Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 6171 | Mobile Robotics | 3 |
Systems and Controls
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 4111 | Communication Systems | 3 |
| ECE 4112 | Digital Communications and Networks | 3 |
| ECE 4114 | Software-Defined Radio Design Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4121 | Digital Control Systems | 3 |
| ECE 4122 | Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4131 | Introduction to Digital Signal Processing | 3 |
| or ECE 6122 | Digital Signal Processing | |
| ECE 4132 | Image Processing Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE 4141 | Introduction to RF/Microwave Wireless Systems | 3 |
| ECE 5101 | Introduction to System Theory | 3 |
| ECE 6111 | Applied Probability and Stochastic Processes | 3 |
| ECE 6121 | Information Theory | 3 |
| ECE 6141 | Neural Networks for Classification and Optimization | 3 |
| ECE 6151 | Communication Theory | 3 |
| ECE 6437 | Computational Methods for Optimization | 3 |
| ECE 6439 | Estimation Theory and Comp Algorithms | 3 |
Concentration in Naval Science and Technology
The concentration in Naval Science and Technology is designed to expose students to engineering concepts and topics of importance to the Navy and industries that support naval science and technology. It is focused on facilitating interactions between students and naval professionals as well as hands-on and experiential activities related to senior design projects or independent study projects that have naval science and technology connections.
To complete this concentration, students must complete nine credits of Naval Science and Technology Coursework topics, distributed as follows:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR 3109 | Navy STEM Professional Development Seminar (at least three credits) | 3 |
| Select six credits from the following courses (or five if using Senior Design): | 6 | |
| Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering | ||
| Communicating Engineering Solutions in a Societal Context | ||
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Design I | ||
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Design II | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Students electing to complete the concentration must do so in their primary major, and as such select elective coursework from their primary discipline. Students electing to use their Senior Design course sequence must have their project topic approved by both their departmental senior design coordinator and either the director of the Navy STEM Program or the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.
Students electing to use Special Topics courses or Independent Study/Research courses must have the course or research topic approved by both their department and either the director of the Navy STEM Program or the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. Other courses relevant to naval science and technology may be considered for the concentration by petition to the director of the Navy STEM Program or the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education. Students may not apply courses used in this concentration to fulfill requirements for other concentrations or minors.
The concentration in Naval Science and Technology is restricted to U.S. citizens.
University Common Curriculum Requirements
Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree, in addition to those required by the student's major course of study and other requirements set by the student's school or college. For more information about these requirements, please see Common Curriculum Requirements.
College of Engineering Degree Requirements
Students must meet a set of requirements established by the college in addition to the University's Common Curriculum requirements. For more information, see the College of Engineering section of this catalog.
Learning Objectives
- Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.