Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering Major
The Electrical Engineering program at NDSU is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
EE Specialization
The Electrical Engineering program is designed to reflect the broad nature of the field, and students may tailor their studies within broad parameters. Students are encouraged to develop an individual program of study in close consultation with their advisers. Examples are available to illustrate how specialization may be obtained in a number of different technical areas. Students may mix and match from the examples to suit their particular interests. Technical areas include the following:
- Biomedical Engineering: This area is firmly based in engineering and the life sciences. The integration of medicine and engineering serves to provide appropriate products, tools, and techniques for research diagnosis and treatment by health care professionals. Some important products are artificial hearts, medical imaging (MRI, ultrasound, CT scans), prosthetic devices, and computer aids for diagnosis. Biomedical engineers help identify the problems and needs that can be solved using engineering technology and systems methodology to provide high-quality health care at reasonable cost.
- Communication and Signal Processing: These are closely related fields within electrical engineering. Communication is the process of transferring information from one point in time and space to another point. Signal processing involves signal representation, as well as signal design and filtering. Students with this specialization find challenging opportunities worldwide to meet the need for more convenient, inexpensive, and reliable communication and signal processing.
- Computer Engineering: This area involves hardware and software for small and large computers and for all the products that have dedicated computers within the product, such as microwave ovens and automobiles.
- Control Engineering: This is the design and implementation of algorithms for controlling physical systems. Examples include active suspension for cars, auto pilots for aircraft, and robot motion control.
- Electromagnetics: This area includes electromagnetic compatibility, fiber optics, antennas, microwave devices, radar, sonar, satellite systems, power and communication transmission lines, grounding, shielding, and propagation.
- Electronics and Microelectronics: Examples are integrated circuits, VLSI, transistors, lasers, consumer electronics, defense electronics, power electronics, and electronic materials.
- Optical Engineering: The Optical Engineering area was developed jointly with the Department of Physics. The Optical Engineering area prepares future engineers in such areas as quantum theory; coherent/incoherent, polarized/non-polarized light; geometric, physical and Fourier optics; holography; and image processing and acquisition.
- Power Systems: This area includes the generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization of electric energy subject to safety, environmental, and economic concerns.
Major Requirements
Major: Electrical Engineering
Degree Type: B.S.E.E.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 126
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering Core Requirements | ||
| ECE 111 | Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering | 3 |
| ECE 173 | Introduction to Computing * | 4 |
| ECE 275 | Digital Design * | 4 |
| ECE 311 | Circuit Analysis II | 4 |
| ECE 320 | Electronics I | 3 |
| ECE 321 | Electronics II | 2 |
| ECE 331 | Energy Conversion | 4 |
| ECE 341 | Random Processes | 3 |
| ECE 343 | Signals & Systems | 4 |
| ECE 351 | Applied Electromagnetics | 4 |
| ECE 376 | Embedded Systems | 4 |
| ECE 401 | Design I (capstone) | 1 |
| ECE 403 | Design II (capstone) | 2 |
| ECE 405 | Design III (capstone) | 3 |
| MATH Courses Required | ||
| MATH 129 | Basic Linear Algebra * | 3 |
| MATH 165 | Calculus I (May satisfy general education category R) | 4 |
| MATH 166 | Calculus II * | 4 |
| MATH 265 | Calculus III (w/ vectors) * | 4 |
| MATH 266 | Introduction to Differential Equations * | 3 |
| Other Courses Required | ||
| CHEM 121 | General Chemistry I (May satisfy general education category S) | 3 |
| EE 206 | Circuit Analysis I * | 4 |
| Select one of the following: (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 | |
| Business and Professional Writing | ||
| Writing in the Technical Professions | ||
| Writing in the Sciences | ||
| Researching and Writing Grants and Proposal | ||
| ENGR 402 | Engineering Ethics and Social Responsibility | 1 |
| PHYS 251 | University Physics I (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| PHYS 252 | University Physics II (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| Select one of the following lab courses (May satisfy general education category S): | 1 | |
| General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| University Physics I Laboratory | ||
| University Physics II Laboratory | ||
| ECE Electives | Select 9 credits of ECE 400 level electives (excluding 494 and 496) | 9 |
| Tech Electives: Select 12 credits from the following: | 12 | |
| Biobased Energy | ||
| General Biology I and General Biology I Laboratory | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | ||
| Genetics and Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics Laboratory | ||
| Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials | ||
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Laboratory | ||
| Physical Chemistry I | ||
| Physical Chemistry II and Physical Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Inorganic Chemistry I and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Computer Science II | ||
| Discrete Mathematics | ||
| Theoretical Computer Science | ||
| Database Systems | ||
| Comparative Programming Languages | ||
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Microcomputer Graphics | ||
| Foundations of Computer Networks | ||
| Algorithm Analysis | ||
| Operating Systems Concepts | ||
| Object-Oriented Systems | ||
| Computer Organization | ||
| Individual Study (max. of 6 cr.) | ||
ECE 4XX | Any ECE 400 level didactic course | |
| Field Experience (max. of 3 cr.) | ||
| Entrepreneurship for Engineers and Scientists | ||
| Engineering Economy | ||
| Program and Project Management | ||
| Quality Assurance and Control | ||
| Introduction to Abstract Mathematics | ||
| Abstract Algebra I | ||
| Abstract Algebra II | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Real Analysis I | ||
| Real Analysis II | ||
| Complex Analysis | ||
| Applied Differential Equations | ||
| Fourier Analysis | ||
| Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Numerical Analysis I | ||
| Numerical Analysis II | ||
| Engineering Mechanics I | ||
| Engineering Mechanics II | ||
| Mechanics of Materials | ||
| Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer | ||
| Renewable Energy Technology | ||
| Animal Cell Culture Techniques | ||
| Modern Physics | ||
| Modern Physics II | ||
| Lasers for Scientists and Engineers | ||
| Elements of Photonics | ||
| Quantum Mechanics I | ||
| Stochastic Processes | ||
| Probability and Mathematical Statistics II | ||
| Animal Physiology | ||
| Total Credits | 104 | |
| * | No grade less than a C accepted in these courses and before enrolling in ECE 300 level courses, excluding ECE 311. |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- A student must complete at least 60 semester credits of professional level course work in his/her program while in residence and enrolled in the college. Students transferring into the college from programs with professional accreditation are exempt from this residency requirement but are subject to the residency requirement of NDSU.
- In order to graduate, an ECE student must have at least a 2.0 GPA in all required EE and ECE courses taken at NDSU. Elective ECE courses are not included in this GPA requirement.
- Transfer Students – Transfer courses with grades less than ‘C’ in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and any type of engineering class will not be accepted as a major requirement.
- All Students – Students are required to attain a grade of ‘C’ or better in ECE 173 Introduction to Computing, ECE 275 Digital Design, EE 206 Circuit Analysis I, and all required MATH courses.
Note: For students interested in pursuing one of the areas of specialization, lists of recommendations for specific electives are available from the ECE Department.
