Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering is one of the broadest of all engineering majors and is much more than just building electrical circuits. EE is the application of electronics, electrical science and technology, and computer systems to the needs of society. An electrical engineer is responsible for designing and integrating electronic/electrical systems in diverse industries such as defense, communications, transportation, manufacturing, health care, construction, power/energy, and entertainment.

The BSEE Program provides undergraduates with a broad technical education important for employment in the private or public sector, and it teaches them the fundamentals, current issues, and creative problem-solving skills essential for future years of learning. Within three to five years after graduation, graduates of the program are expected to:

  1. Engage in the practice of electrical engineering through contributions to design, product development, research, manufacturing, consulting, testing, sales, and management.
  2. Acquire and apply new instrumentation and design tools to address evolving engineering challenges.
  3. Communicate effectively in both written and oral forms with diverse audiences in professional contexts.
  4. Pursue continued learning and professional development through graduate studies, distance education, professional training, and active involvement in professional societies.
  5. Participate effectively and assume leadership roles in multidisciplinary teams with diverse professional and cultural backgrounds.
  6. Demonstrate awareness of the global, societal, and ethical implications of engineering design and practice.

The B.S. degree in EE begins with a first-year emphasis on math, physics, and chemistry common to all engineering students. In the second and third years, most of the course work consists of required EE lecture and laboratory courses that provide a broad exposure to the many aspects of EE. Below is a sample of the courses students will take each semester as electrical engineering majors.

Many US states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map.

A description of all electrical engineering courses can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Below is a typical 4-year course load for electrical engineering students:

First Semester (15 credits)

  • MATH 140 Calculus w/Analytical Geometry
  • PHYS 211 Mechanics
  • ENGL 15/30 Rhetoric & Composition
  • CHEM 110 Chemical Principles
  • First-year seminar

Second Semester (17 credits)

  • MATH 141 Calculus w/Analytical Geometry II
  • PHYS 212 Electricity & Magnetism
  • EDSGN 100 Engineering Design
  • CMPSC 121/131 Into Programming
  • ECON 102/104 Micro/Macro Economics

Third Semester (16 credits)

  • EE 210 Circuits and Devices
  • CMPEN 270 Logic Desgn: Theory and Practice
  • CMPSC 122/132 Intermediate Programming
  • MATH 220 Matrices
  • MATH 250 Ordinary Differential Equations

Fourth Semester (16 credits)

  • EE 200 Design Tools
  • EE 310 Electronic Circuit Design
  • MATH 230 Calculus and Vector Analysis
  • CAS 100 A/B Effective Speech
  • PHYS 214

Fifth Semester (16.5 credits)

  • EE 330 Electromagnetics
  • EE 340 Intro Nanelectronics
  • EE 350 Continuous-time Linear Systems
  • AHS Elective
  • Health & Physical Activity

Sixth Semester (15 credits)

  • EE 300W Design Process
  • EE/CMPEN 300-level Elective
  • EE/CMPEN 300-level Elective
  • ENGL 202C Technical Writing
  • AHS Elective

Seventh and Eighth Semesters (31.5 credits)

The order in which you take these courses may vary; please consult your adviser.

  • EE 403W Capstone Design
  • EE/CMPEN 300/400-level Elective
  • Statistics Elective
  • AHS Elective
  • Related Elective
  • Health & Physical Activity
  • EE/CMPEN 400-level Elective
  • EE/CMPEN 400-level Elective
  • AHS Elective
  • AHS Elective
  • Related Elective
 

About

The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science was created in the spring of 2015 to allow greater access to courses offered by both departments for undergraduate and graduate students in exciting collaborative research fields.

We offer B.S. degrees in electrical engineering, computer science, computer engineering and data science and graduate degrees (master's degrees and Ph.D.'s) in electrical engineering and computer science and engineering. EECS focuses on the convergence of technologies and disciplines to meet today’s industrial demands.

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

The Pennsylvania State University

207 Electrical Engineering West

University Park, PA 16802

814-863-6740

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

814-865-9505

Department of Electrical Engineering

814-865-7039