Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Overview

Electrical Engineering lies at the foundation of modern technology, with electronic devices enabling everything from digital computers to satellite navigation. The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) degree prepares students to hit the ground running when they start their professional lives. Whether a program graduate begins a career in the avionics (aerospace electronics) area, in aerospace systems, or in some other aspect of electrical engineering, they start with knowledge of industry practices that give them a leg up relative to graduates from similarly named programs at other schools.

The BSEE includes real-world hands-on projects such as the telemetry system of an autonomous aircraft or the power switching for a hybrid automobile, giving students a chance to develop the knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking required to design and implement electronic devices and systems. Graduates enter the workforce ready to make a contribution and a difference.

The BSEE program can be taken with a track in avionics, with a track in aerospace systems, or with no track at all. All three options give the student a thorough grounding in the design of electronic systems, including digital systems. In the Avionics Track, the student studies wired and wireless aerospace electronics systems, digital communications, electromagnetism, high-frequency radio-frequency systems, and navigation and communication systems (both terrestrially and satellite based). In the Aerospace Systems Track, systems engineering concepts are explored from both the lifecycle of an individual aerospace system and from the systems of systems perspectives.

The BSEE curriculum gives the student an opportunity to start to work with embedded systems, such as a small, mobile robot, upon entering the program. Through the program, not only will you will how to develop Electrical effectively, but also how to construct large, complex Electrical systems in a way that ensures that they meet design specifications, customer requirements, and mandated levels of safety. The program culminates in a two-semester capstone design sequence in which you’ll work with a team of other student Electrical engineers, computer engineers, and electrical engineers to specify, design, build, and demonstrate a working system, or even system of systems, often for a real-world “customer.”

• The detailed objectives of the BSEE program are to produce graduates who:
• Are prepared to be immediately productive as well-rounded electrical engineers in the aerospace, aviation, and related fields;
• Understand the importance of life-long learning and pursue professional development including advanced degrees and professional registration;
• Are able to apply systematically the fundamental principles of science and mathematics to solve engineering problems;
• Understand engineering design processes that will meet system and component requirements as well as comply with health and environmental regulations;
• Are effective at both oral and written communications;
• Work effectively within a team, in both supporting and leadership roles;
• Area able to apply their knowledge to real-world multidisciplinary challenges facing society;
• Are able to apply the latest tools and technology to engineering problems; and
• Understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, political, social, and ethical context.

The Electrical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012; Telephone: (410) 347-7700, http://www.abet.org).

Advantages

The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering program gives our students an early opportunities to work with and designing real world systems where they can test and exploit their knowledge of electrical and electronic systems. Design and build are hands on from day one, with projects ranging from small hand-held robots to multi-year multi-disciplinary projects like EcoCAR or the SAE Formula Hybrid. EE students at ERAU–DB start learning industrial-grade design process, with the latest computer-based tools, early, instead of waiting until a senior design class to pick up elements of design. Both individual and team design are distributed throughout the program.

The sequence of design culminates in a near real world capstone design experience: Students, working in multidisciplinary teams of engineers with a core of electrical, computer, and software engineers, determine a customer’s requirements for a system, convert those to system specifications, perform the design of a system to meet the requirements using a formalized process from industry, implement and build the system, and then test the system to ensure that it meets the customer’s requirements, fully documenting the process along the way. Capstone design students get not only a chance to show their technical expertise in designing electronic systems, but also their proficiency in managing the process and communicating with each other and the “customer.” Employers come back to ERAU year after year for program graduates both because of the technical skills and because of those graduates’ ability to enter the workplace familiar with design, development, and quality assurance processes, with industrial-strength documentation, and with working with teammates to bring a project to a successful conclusion.

The BSEE program has an expert faculty, including leaders in the avionics and systems engineering industries, and instruction takes place in small classes with state-of-the-art facilities, including a wide range of tools for engineering design. Being located at Embry-Riddle allows the student to take advantage of knowledge and expertise on campus of a vast array of aviation and aerospace matters. And beyond the projects in the curriculum, student projects are available through professional organizations like the Student Branch of the IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) or competition hosts like AUVSI (Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International).

Requirements

Aerospace Systems Track

*Students in the Aerospace Systems track option are encouraged to take CEC 220/CEC 221 during the first year, postponing COM 219 until the second year.

Avionics Track

*Students in the Avionics Systems track option are encouraged to take CEC 220/CEC 221 during the first year, postponing COM 219 until the second year.

Non-Track Option

*Students in the non-track track option are encouraged to take CEC 220/CEC 221 during the first year, postponing COM 219 until the second year.

**Upper-level technical electives are upper division courses in electrical engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, etc., chosen with approval of the program coordinator.

Department of Electrical Computer Software and Systems Engineering

Accredited engineering programs emphasizing avionics, autonomous systems, and safety critical real-time systems.

View Faculty and Details for Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Faculty