Undergraduate Curriculum
in Electrical Engineering
for Students Entering Fall 2006 and later

See the Electrical Engineering Curriculum for students entering before Fall 2006

Introduction

A list of the twenty greatest engineering achievements of the twentieth century compiled by the National Academy of Engineering includes ten achievements primarily related to the field of electrical engineering: electrification, electronics, radio and television, computers, telephone, internet, imaging, household appliances, health technologies, and laser and fiber optics. The remaining achievements in the list - automobile, airplane, water supply and distribution, agricultural mechanization, air conditioning and refrigeration, highways, spacecraft, petroleum/petrochemical technologies, nuclear technologies, and high-performance materials - also require knowledge of electrical engineering to differing degrees. In the twenty-first century the discipline of electrical engineering continues to be one of the primary drivers of change and progress in technology and standards of living around the globe.

Educational Objectives

The Electrical Engineering (EE) curriculum is administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The Educational Objectives of the department’s programs are based on the mission of the department and the perceived needs of the constituents, and consistent with Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2K) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The mission statement has a preamble followed by declarations of four interconnected commitments: to students, to faculty, to alumni, and to the State of Illinois, with the understanding that the latter two include industry. There are four Program Educational Objectives for the EE program:
  1. Depth. To produce graduates who apply in-depth understanding of scientific principles, rigorous analysis, and creative design to achieve success in the practice of or advanced study of electrical engineering.
  2. Breadth. To produce graduates who apply broad knowledge of electrical engineering to a diverse range of successful public or private sector careers, or in their pursuit of graduate education, within the context of the technological, economic, environmental, social, political, and ethical constraints of a global society.
  3. Professionalism. To produce graduates who use effective communication skills, participation as responsible team workers, professional and ethical attitudes and behavior, and commitment to lifelong learning to succeed in the complex modern work environment.
  4. Learning Environment. To produce graduates who succeed because of attributes they acquired in an open and supportive learning environment characterized by an innovative, rigorous and challenging curriculum; by opportunities to acquire leadership, organizational, and teamwork skills; and by staff and faculty who are committed to academic excellence and the education in professional and ethical principles by instruction and example.

Outcomes

To prepare the student for the Program Educational Objectives to be achieved, a set of Program Outcomes, that is, statements that describe what students are expected to know and are able to do by the time of graduation, have been adopted. These Outcomes, which parallel the ABET EC2K Criterion 3 list of outcomes (see ABET Engineering Criteria 2000) and the applicable Program Criteria, are:

  1. Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
  2. Ability to design and conduct experiments as well as analyze and interpret data
  3. Ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
  4. Ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
  5. Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
  6. Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
  7. Ability to communicate effectively
  8. Broad education necessary to understand impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
  9. Recognition of the need for and ability to engage in lifelong learning
  10. Knowledge of contemporary issues
  11. Ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
  12. Knowledge of probability and statistics, including applications to electrical engineering
  13. Knowledge of mathematics and of basic and engineering sciences necessary to carry out analysis and design appropriate to electrical engineering
  14. Knowledge of advanced mathematics

The Importance of the First Year ECE Experience

First-year students take Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE 110), a four-credit-hour class combining theory, laboratory measurement, and design. Not only do beginning students get a substantive course in their major, they also gain a better appreciation for the basic science and mathematics courses that are taken during the first two years of study. Students gain first-hand experience in the activities of a professional electrical/computer engineer and are better able to make the important decision as to whether they have chosen the major best suited to them.

Intellectual Content of the EE Curriculum

Student involvement in the EE discipline increases during each year of the program. Most of the core electrical engineering courses are taken in the fourth and fifth semesters. During the last three semesters, the student chooses electives to define a curriculum to meet specific educational and career needs.

The electrical engineering core curriculum focuses on fundamental electrical engineering knowledge: circuits (ECE 110), systems (ECE 210), electromagnetics (ECE 329), solid state electronics (ECE 440), computer engineering (ECE 190, ECE 290, ECE 385), and design (ECE 445). The rich set of ECE elective courses permits students to select from collections of courses in the seven areas of electrical and computer engineering: bioengineering, acoustics, and magnetic resonance engineering; circuits and signal processing; communication and control; computer engineering; electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing; microelectronics and quantum electronics; power and energy systems.

Methods of Instruction and Design Experience

Instruction is given using a combination of lecture, discussion, laboratory, and project methodologies of the highest quality. The large number of laboratory courses and superb access to advanced computer facilities provide excellent practical experience in the field. Laboratory and design work are emphasized throughout the curriculum beginning with Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE 110). The sophomore year includes design experience in Computer Engineering (ECE 190 and ECE 290) and the Digital Systems Laboratory (ECE 385). During the junior and senior years, students gain further design experience in elective courses, including at least two laboratory courses, in their chosen sub-discipline. In the Senior Design Laboratory (ECE 445), students learn to combine all phases of an engineering project including design, analysis, construction, teamwork, and reporting.

Honors Activity

Students wishing to do honors work are encouraged to apply to the James Scholar Program administered jointly by the College of Engineering and the ECE Department. In consultation with departmental honors advisers, students create and carry out honors activity contracts. They must also participate in the ECE Honors Seminar and are encouraged to participate in the yearly Undergraduate Honors Symposium. The department offers thesis courses and project opportunities for students wishing to graduate with Highest Honors.

Grade Point Average Requirements

A student must have a grade-point average of at least 2.0 (A=4.0) in ECE courses in order to remain in good standing and to graduate. To qualify for registration for the ECE courses shown in the third year of the curriculum, a student must have completed, with a combined 2.25 grade point average, the mathematics, physics, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering courses shown in the first two years.

Overview of Curriculum Requirements

The curriculum requires 128 hours for graduation and is organized as follows:

Required Courses

Required courses total 63 hours.

Basic Sciences and Mathematics

These courses stress the scientific principles upon which the engineering discipline is based.

Hours Course Number & Name
4 MATH 221 - Calculus I
3 MATH 231 - Calculus II
4 MATH 241 - Calculus III
4 MATH 386 - Introduction to Differential Equations Plus
4 PHYS 211 - Univ Physics, Mechanics
4 PHYS 212 - Univ Physics, Electromagtism & Magnetism
2 PHYS 213 - Univ Physics, Thermal Physics
2 PHYS 214 - Univ Physics, Quantum Physics
3 CHEM 102 - General Chemistry I
1 CHEM 103 - General Chemistry Lab I
31 Total

Electrical Engineering Core

These courses stress fundamental electrical engineering concepts and basic laboratory techniques that encompass the common intellectual understanding of all electrical engineering.

Hours Course Number & Name
4 ECE 110 - Introduction to Electrical & Computer Engineering
4 ECE 190 - Introduction to Computing Systems
4 ECE 210 - Analog Signal Processing
3 ECE 290 - Computer Engineering I
3 ECE 329 - Introduction to Electromagnetic Fields
2 ECE 385 - Digital Systems Laboratory
3 ECE 440 - Solid State Electronic Devices
2 ECE 445 - Senior Design Project Lab (or alternatives)
25 Total

Other Mathematics

This course lays the ground work for understanding problems ranging from communications engineering to data analysis in diverse areas such as medicine and manufacturing.

Hours Course Number & Name
3 ECE 313 - Probability with Engineering Applications
or STAT 410 - Statistics and Probability II

Composition I

This course teaches fundamentals of expository writing.

Hours Course Number & Name
4 RHET 105 - Principles of Composition

Technical Electives

These courses are chosen from the Departmentally Approved List of Technical Electives that includes courses in ECE, other engineering departments, and the basic sciences and mathematics departments. The elective requirement gives each student freedom to define a technical course of study in electrical engineering of considerable breadth and focus. The Advanced Core ECE Electives are introductory to major specialty areas of electrical engineering. Choices should be made with care, planning, and consultation with an adviser. Consult also the advising materials for all the sub-disciplines of electrical engineering.

Hours Course Number & Name
35 hours Selected from the Departmentally Approved List of Technical Electives
(i) 6 hours Non-ECE courses
(ii) 3 courses Selected from the following list of Advanced Core ECE electives:
3-4 hours ECE 391 - Computer Systems Engineering
or CS 225 - Data Structure & Softw Prin
4 hours ECE 410 - Digital Signal Processing I
3 hours ECE 430 - Power Circuits & Electromechanics
4 hours ECE 442 - Electronic Circuits
and ECE 443 - Electronic Circuits Laboratory
3 hours ECE 450 - Lines, Fields, and Waves
(iii) 2 courses ECE Labs - identified in the Departmentally Approved List of Technical Electives
(iv) 22 hours ECE Courses

Social Sciences and Humanities

The social science and humanities courses, as approved by the College of Engineering, ensure that students have exposure in breadth and depth to areas of intellectual activity that are essential to the general education of any college graduate. Humanities, Social Sciences, and General Education Requirements.

Hours Requirements
18 Social sciences and humanities courses approved by the College of Engineering and satisfying the Campus General Education requirements for social sciences and humanities.

Free Electives

These electives give the student the opportunity to explore any intellectual area. This freedom plays a critical role in helping students to define research specialties or to complete minors such as bioengineering, technology and management, or languages. At least seven hours must be taken for a grade.

Hours Requirements
12 Free electives

Campus General Education Requirements

Students must select courses that satisfy both the college social sciences and humanities requirement and the campus requirements in social and behavioral sciences and in humanities and the arts. Careful choices will assure that these courses also satisfy the campus requirements in the areas of Western and non-Western cultures. Many of these courses satisfy the campus General Education Advanced Composition requirement, which assures that the student has the advanced writing skills expected of all college graduates. The campus requirements in Composition I, natural sciences and technology, and quantitative reasoning are met by required courses. Students must complete a third-level college language course. Most students satisfy this requirement by completing three years of high school instruction in a single language. Courses taken to satisfy campus requirements must be taken for a grade. Humanities, Social Sciences, and General Education Requirements.

Suggested Course Sequence
One way to finish in four years

First Year

Hours First Semester
3 CHEM 102 - General Chemistry I
1 CHEM 103 - General Chemistry Lab I
0 ENG 100 - Engineering Lecture
4 MATH 221 - Calculus I
4 RHET 105 - Principles of Composition
or ECE 110 - Introduction Electrical & Computer Engineering
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities
15 Total
Hours Second Semester
4 ECE 110 - Introduction to Electrical & Computer Engineering
or RHET 105 - Principles of Composition
3 MATH 231 - Calculus II
4 PHYS 211 - Univ Physics, Mechanics
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities
3 Free elective
17 Total

Second Year

Hours First Semester
4 ECE 190 - Introduction to Computing Systems
4 MATH 241 - Calculus III
4 PHYS 212 - Univ Physics, Electromagnetism & Magnetism
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities
2 Free elective
17 Total
Hours Second Semester
4 ECE 210 - Analog Signal Processing
3 ECE 290 - Computer Engineering I
4 MATH 386 - Introduction to Differential Equations Plus
2 PHYS 213 - Univ Physics, Thermal Physics
2 PHYS 214 - Univ Physics, Quantum Physics
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities
18 Total

Third Year

Hours First Semester
3 ECE 329 - Introduction to Electromagnetic Fields
2 ECE 385 - Digital Systems Laboratory
3 ECE 313 - Probability with Engineering Application
or STAT 410 - Statistics and Probability II
4 Technical electives
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities
15 Total
Hours Second Semester
3 ECE 440 - Solid State Electronic Devices
9 Technical electives
4 Free elective
16 Total

Fourth Year

Hours First Semester
2 ECE 445 - Senior Design Project Lab
10 Technical electives
3 Elective in social sciences or humanities
15 Total
Hours Second Semester
12 Technical electives
3 Free electives
15 Total