The Electrical and Computer Engineering program offers a B.S. degree in electrical and computer engineering.
The program serves current students, industry, the University, and the citizens of the state of Washington by preparing students to find pragmatic engineering solutions to problems, while understanding the impact of their solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
The educational experience emphasizes lab based experiential learning, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, while the program curriculum provides current, practical engineering knowledge built on a sound mathematical and science background.
The Electrical and Computer Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, abet.org.
Students begin the major in the second quarter of their first year with introductory courses and are generally enrolled in one or more major courses each quarter until graduation. The many laboratory courses provide a combination of practical experience with design and ultimately lead to a culminating project that initiates at the end of the third year and spans the fourth year.
Students choose from one of several concentrations, all of which include a common electrical and computer engineering core. The core content includes digital and analog electronics, embedded microcontrollers, communications, and controls. The concentrations are as follows:
- The Electronics concentration focuses on the development, design and application of circuits, devices, and firmware for embedded systems, and includes advanced digital and analog electronics content.
- The Wireless Networking and Signal Processing concentration offers courses in digital signal processing, advanced communication systems, and networking technologies, and leads to an understanding of how to design and build wireless networks.
- The Energy concentration focuses on the generation, transmission, control, and utilization of electric power. Topics include energy conversion and storage, smart grid architecture, power system analysis, and electric machines. Projects are typically interdisciplinary in collaboration with faculty in the Institute for Energy Studies.
- The Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning concentration focuses on techniques that process and analyze data to enable machines to make predictions and decisions to accomplish complex tasks, and provides an overview of the use of ML and AI in engineering, the fundamental principles and algorithms, and the impact of ML and AI on humans and society.
- In addition, students in the major may propose a custom concentration in consultation with their faculty advisor. All Higher Level EECE Electives and the academic terms in which they will be taken must be specified, and the proposed custom concentration must be approved by the Program Director.
A course flow diagram and example plans of study are provided at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Advising website.
Why Consider an Electrical and Computer Engineering Major?
Electrical and computer engineers conduct research, and design, develop, test, and oversee the development of electronic systems and the manufacture of electrical and computer equipment and devices. This includes a broad range of applications and specializations that generally involve both hardware and software - areas such as power systems, communications, analog and digital signal processing, embedded systems, and control systems. Products developed by electrical and computer engineers can have significant impacts on society. Recent examples include portable smart devices, medical instrumentation, electric and autonomous vehicles, sensor networks, and renewable and smart energy systems.