The profession of electrical engineering touches all aspects of our lives in that electrical engineers design and fabricate devices and systems critical in applications such as computing, communications, health care, manufacturing and automation, power generation and utilization, transportation, and entertainment. An element very important to these and many other applications is the microelectronic device or system.
In the sub-area of microelectronics, electrical engineers design and fabricate electronic materials such as semiconductors, conductors and superconductors used in the manufacture of electronic devices. As a natural progression, electrical engineers design and fabricate electronic devices such as transistors, which control or modulate the flow of energy; sensors of light, mechanical force, chemicals, etc.; electromagnetic radiation sources such as lasers, light emitting diodes and microwave power sources. Following this progression, we find electrical engineers designing and fabricating integrated circuits such as microprocessors and memory elements; flat-panel displays, etc., which are found in applications ranging from supercomputers to watches, clocks and toys. Further in this progression we find electrical engineers designing and fabricating today’s and tomorrow’s computers.
Computer systems and application-specific integrated circuits are the elements that enable the existence of today’s communication systems, such as the Internet, satellite systems, telemedicine, wired and wireless (cellular) telephones, along with standard and high definition television. Additionally, along with sensors, microwave power sources and actuators, they permit our present and future automated manufacturing lines, air and traffic control systems, and automotive safety and traffic control through collision avoidance radar systems, antilocking brake systems, air bag actuators, automatic traffic routing and the “smart highway” of the future.
Electrical engineers play an ever increasing role in the design and building of major facets of today’s and tomorrow’s health care systems and medical research through the application of microelectronic instrumentation and diagnostic tools such as MRI and CAT scan systems. The field of electrical engineering truly permeates every facet of our lives and thus provides excellent employment opportunities to the general practitioner or specialist in more than 35 different subspecialties.
Student learning outcomes
Upon completing this program, students will know and know how to do the following:
- Identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics
- Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors
- Communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and societal contexts
- Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives
- Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies
Special requirements
Program D grade policy: Students must receive a minimum grade of C in all engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics and all technical electives to graduate.
Degree requirements for Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General education | ||
| Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser. | 30 | |
| Major requirements | ||
| • Major core requirements | ||
| EGRE 101 | Introduction to Engineering | 4 |
| EGRE 206 | Electric Circuits | 4 |
| EGRE 207 | Electric Circuits II | 4 |
| EGRE 245 | Engineering Programming | 4 |
| EGRE 246 | Advanced Engineering Programming | 3 |
| EGRE 254 | Digital Logic Design | 4 |
| EGRE 303 | Electronic Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 306 | Introduction to Microelectronics | 4 |
| EGRE 309 | Introduction to Electromagnetic Fields | 3 |
| EGRE 310 | Electromagnetic Fields and Waves | 3 |
| EGRE 335 | Signals and Systems | 4 |
| EGRE 336 | Introduction to Communication Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 337 | Statistical Information Processing | 3 |
| EGRE 364 | Microcomputer Systems | 4 |
| ENGR 395 | Professional Development | 1 |
| ENGR 402 & ENGR 403 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) and Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 2 |
| • Additional major requirements | ||
| Select one of the following sequences: | 4 | |
| Senior Design Studio I (Laboratory/Project Time) and Senior Design Studio II (Laboratory/Project Time) | ||
| Senior Design Studio I - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) and Senior Design Studio II - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) | ||
| Technical electives (see list and requirements below) | 17 | |
| Ancillary requirements | ||
| CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning) | 3 |
| CHEZ 101 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| ECON 205 | The Economics of Product Development and Markets (satisfies BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
| MATH 201 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | 4 |
| MATH 301 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| MATH 307 | Multivariate Calculus | 4 |
| PHIL 201 | Introduction to Ethics (satisfies general education BOK for humanities/fine arts and AOI for diversities in the human experience) | 3 |
| PHYS 207 | University Physics I (may also satisfy general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning) | 5 |
| PHYS 208 | University Physics II | 5 |
| SPCH 321 | Speech for Business and the Professions | 3 |
| Open electives | ||
| Select any course. | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 130 | |
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 130.
Capstone project (four credits)
The program culminates in the capstone project. In order to prepare for the appropriate focus area of the capstone project, students, with the help of their academic adviser, should plan a course of study beginning in the fall semester of their junior year.
Technical electives (17 credits)
The 17 credit hours in the junior and senior year must be chosen from the approved lists. The following criteria must be met:
- At least 10 credit hours must be from approved electrical engineering electives (with or without lab).
- At least three credit hours must be from approved electives outside electrical engineering.
- Courses not from the approved lists must be approved by the adviser and department chair.
- Courses must be technical courses at the 300-level or above.
- No more than three credit hours may come from independent study courses.
- If a student wants to apply ENGR 497 toward their technical electives, a minimum of four credit hours must be earned.
- A maximum of nine credits of ENGR 410, ENGR 497 and independent study courses may be used toward technical electives.
NOTE: Some of the listed courses may have prerequisites that do not count as technical electives.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Approved electrical engineering electives with lab | ||
| EGMN 416 | Mechatronics | 3 |
| EGRE 307 | Integrated Circuits | 4 |
| EGRE 334 | Introduction to Microfabrication | 4 |
| EGRE 365 | Digital Systems | 4 |
| EGRE 426 | Computer Organization and Design | 3 |
| EGRE 428 | Introduction to Integrated Systems Design | 2 |
| EGRE 429 | Advanced Digital Systems Design | 2 |
| EGRE 435 | Microscale and Nanoscale Fabrication | 4 |
| EGRE 454 | Automatic Controls | 4 |
| EGRE 535 | Digital Signal Processing | 3 |
| Approved electrical engineering electives without lab | ||
| EGMN 315 | Process and Systems Dynamics | 3 |
| EGMN 427 | Robotics | 3 |
| EGRE 347 | Applied Embedded Programming | 3 |
| EGRE 436 | Advanced Microscale and Nanoscale Fabrication | 3 |
| EGRE 444 | Communication Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 455 | Control Systems Design | 3 |
| EGRE 471 | Power System Analysis | 3 |
| EGRE 521 | Advanced Semiconductor Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 525 | Fundamentals of Photonics Engineering | 3 |
| EGRE 526/CMSC 506 | Computer Networks and Communications | 3 |
| EGRE 531 | Multicore and Multithreaded Programming | 3 |
| EGRE 532 | GPU Computing | 3 |
| EGRE 540 | Microwave System Design | 3 |
| EGRE 541 | Medical Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 553 | Industrial Automation | 3 |
| EGRE 554 | Advanced Industrial Automation | 3 |
| EGRE 555 | Dynamics and Multivariable Control I | 3 |
| EGRE 573 | Sustainable and Efficient Power Systems | 3 |
| ENGR 410 | Review of Internship (Completion of internship required) | 1 |
| Approved electives outside electrical engineering | ||
| CMSC 312 | Introduction to Operating Systems | 3 |
| CMSC 355 | Fundamentals of Software Engineering | 3 |
| CMSC 420 | Software Project Management | 3 |
| EGMN 309 | Material Science for Engineers | 3 |
| EGMN 321 | Numerical Methods | 3 |
| EGRB 407 | Physical Principles of Medical Imaging | 3 |
| EGRB 408 | Advanced Biomedical Signal Processing | 3 |
| EGRB 507 | Biomedical Electronics and Instrumentation | 3 |
| ENGR 497 | Vertically Integrated Projects | 1,2 |
| MATH 310 | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 351 | Applied Abstract Algebra | 3 |
| PHYS 307 | The Physics of Sound and Music | 3 |
| PHYS 320 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYZ 320 | Modern Physics Laboratory | 1 |
What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.
| Freshman year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
| CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning) | 3 |
| CHEZ 101 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| EGRE 101 | Introduction to Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
UNIV 111  Play course video for Focused Inquiry I | Focused Inquiry I (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EGRE 245 | Engineering Programming | 4 |
| MATH 201 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | 4 |
| PHYS 207 | University Physics I (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning) | 5 |
| UNIV 112 Play course video for Focused Inquiry II | Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Sophomore year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| EGRE 206 | Electric Circuits | 4 |
| EGRE 246 | Advanced Engineering Programming | 3 |
| MATH 301 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS 208 | University Physics II | 5 |
| UNIV 200 | Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 18 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EGRE 207 | Electric Circuits II | 4 |
| EGRE 254 | Digital Logic Design | 4 |
| EGRE 335 | Signals and Systems | 4 |
| MATH 307 | Multivariate Calculus | 4 |
| ENGR 395 | Professional Development | 1 |
| Term Hours: | 17 | |
| Junior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| EGRE 306 | Introduction to Microelectronics | 4 |
| EGRE 309 | Introduction to Electromagnetic Fields | 3 |
| EGRE 337 | Statistical Information Processing | 3 |
| EGRE 364 | Microcomputer Systems | 4 |
| PHIL 201 | Introduction to Ethics (satisfies general education BOK for humanities/fine arts and AOI for diversities in the human experience) | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 17 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ECON 205 | The Economics of Product Development and Markets (satisfies BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| EGRE 303 | Electronic Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 310 | Electromagnetic Fields and Waves | 3 |
| EGRE 336 | Introduction to Communication Systems | 3 |
| Technical elective | 4 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| EGRE 404 or EGRE 406 | Senior Design Studio I (Laboratory/Project Time) or Senior Design Studio I - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) | 2 |
| ENGR 402 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 |
| SPCH 321 | Speech for Business and the Professions | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Technical electives | 7 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EGRE 405 or EGRE 407 | Senior Design Studio II (Laboratory/Project Time) or Senior Design Studio II - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) | 2 |
| ENGR 403 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 |
| General education course (select AOI for creativity, innovation and aesthetic inquiry) | 3 | |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Technical electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Total Hours: | 130 | |
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 130.
Accelerated B.S. and M.S.
The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Engineering with a concentration in electrical and computer engineering in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Students in the program may count up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses toward both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. Thus, the two degrees may be earned with a minimum of 148 credits rather than the 160 credits necessary if the two degrees are pursued separately.
Students holding these degrees will have a head start for pursuing careers in industry or continuing in academia. The M.S. degree provides formal research experience and can lead to expanded job opportunities, greater potential for job advancement and higher starting salaries.
Entrance to the accelerated program
Interested undergraduate students should consult with their adviser as early as possible to receive specific information about the accelerated program, determine academic eligibility and submit (no later than two semesters prior to graduating with a baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the spring semester of their junior year) an Accelerated Program Declaration Form to be approved by the graduate program director. Limited spaces may be available in the accelerated program. Academically qualified students may not receive approval if capacity has been reached.
Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 98 undergraduate credits, including the prerequisite courses for the capstone project and a minimum of 12 courses from the major requirements; a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.2 in major course work. Students who are interested in the accelerated program should consult with the graduate director before they have completed 98 undergraduate credits.
Once enrolled in the accelerated program, students must meet the standards of performance applicable to graduate students as described in the “Satisfactory academic progress” section of the Graduate Bulletin, including maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Guidance to students admitted to the accelerated program is provided by both the ECE undergraduate program director and the ECE graduate program director.
Admission to the graduate program
Entrance to the accelerated program enables the student to take the approved shared courses that will apply to the undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, entry into an accelerated program via an approved Accelerated Program Declaration Form does not constitute application or admission into the graduate program. Admission to the graduate program requires a separate step that occurs through a formal application. In order to continue pursuing the master’s degree after the baccalaureate degree is conferred, accelerated students must follow the admission to graduate study requirements outlined in the VCU Bulletin. A reference letter from an electrical engineering faculty member must accompany the application.
Degree requirements
The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree will be awarded upon completion of a minimum of 130 credits and the satisfactory completion of all undergraduate degree requirements as stated in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
A maximum of 12 graduate credits may be taken prior to completion of the baccalaureate degree. These graduate credits will apply as required major electives or open elective credits (engineering electives) for the undergraduate degree. These courses are shared credits with the graduate program, meaning that they will be applied to both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Three graduate credits may be approved credits from outside engineering, to help meet the undergraduate requirement that at least three technical elective credit hours must be from approved courses outside electrical engineering.
Examples of graduate engineering courses that may be taken as an undergraduate once a student is admitted to the program are:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EGRE 510 | Introduction to Internet of Things | 3 |
| EGRE 512 | Intelligent Autonomous Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 513 | Fundamentals of Modern Systems Engineering | 3 |
| EGRE 521 | Advanced Semiconductor Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 525 | Fundamentals of Photonics Engineering | 3 |
| EGRE 526 | Computer Networks and Communications | 3 |
| EGRE 531 | Multicore and Multithreaded Programming | 3 |
| EGRE 532 | GPU Computing | 3 |
| EGRE 535 | Digital Signal Processing | 3 |
| EGRE 536 | Introduction to Cyber-Physical Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 539 | Introduction to Microwave Engineering | 3 |
| EGRE 540 | Microwave System Design | 3 |
| EGRE 541 | Medical Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 553 | Industrial Automation | 3 |
| EGRE 554 | Advanced Industrial Automation | 3 |
| EGRE 555 | Dynamics and Multivariable Control I | 3 |
| EGRE 573 | Sustainable and Efficient Power Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 591 | Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 1-4 |
| EGRE 610 | Research Practices in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 3 |
Upon approval by the instructor of the course, one 600-level graduate course can be taken as an undergraduate and used to fulfill three undergraduate technical elective credits.Examples of 600-level courses are:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EGRE 610 | Research Practices in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 3 |
| EGRE 615 | Systems Modeling | 3 |
| EGRE 620 | Electron Theory of Solids | 3 |
| EGRE 621 | Spintronics | 3 |
| EGRE 622 | MEMS Design and Fabrication | 3 |
| EGRE 624 | Nonlinear Optical Materials and Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 625 | Clean Room Lab Practicum | 1 |
| EGRE 626 | Advanced Characterization of Electronic Materials and Devices | 3 |
| EGRE 627 | Nanophotonics | 3 |
| EGRE 631 | Real-time and Embedded Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 632 | Dependable Embedded Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 635 | Advanced Computer Architecture | 3 |
| EGRE 636 | Introduction to Cyber-Physical Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 640 | Semiconductor Optoelectronics | 3 |
| EGRE 644 | Wireless Communications | 3 |
| EGRE 651 | Intelligent Linear Systems | 3 |
| EGRE 656 | Estimation and Optimal Filtering | 3 |
| EGRE 671 | Power System Operations and Controls | 3 |
| EGRE 691 | Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 1-3 |
Recommended course sequence/plan of study
What follows is the recommended plan of study for students interested in the accelerated program beginning in the fall of the senior year.
For students accelerating toward the M.S. thesis option
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| EGRE 404 | Senior Design Studio I (Laboratory/Project Time) | 2 |
| or EGRE 406 | Senior Design Studio I - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) | |
| ENGR 402 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 |
| EGRE 5XX (from list above) | 6 | |
| Other required B.S. course work | 7 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EGRE 405 | Senior Design Studio II (Laboratory/Project Time) ( ) | 2 |
| or EGRE 407 | Senior Design Studio II - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) | |
| ENGR 403 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 |
| EGRE 5XX (from list above) 1 | 6 | |
| Other required B.S. course work | 7 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Fifth year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| EGRE 697 | Directed Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 3 |
| EGRE technical elective (500-level or above) | 3 | |
| Open elective 2 | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 9 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EGRE 697 | Directed Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 3 |
| EGRE technical elective (500-level or above) | 3 | |
| Open elective 2 | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 9 | |
One three-credit 600-level EGRE course can be substituted for one three-credit 500-level course in the senior year and upon approval by the instructor of the course.
EGRE, ENGR, EGRB, EGMN, CMSC, CLSE, PHYS, MATH, OPER, STAT, CHEM at 500-level or above and approved by the adviser
For students accelerating toward the M.S. non-thesis option:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| EGRE 404 | Senior Design Studio I (Laboratory/Project Time) | 2 |
| or EGRE 406 | Senior Design Studio I - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) | |
| ENGR 402 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 |
| EGRE 5XX (from list above) | 6 | |
| Other required B.S. course work | 7 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EGRE 405 | Senior Design Studio II (Laboratory/Project Time) ( ) | 2 |
| or EGRE 407 | Senior Design Studio II - VIP (Laboratory/Project Time) | |
| ENGR 403 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 |
| EGRE 5XX (from list above) 1 | 6 | |
| Other required B.S. course work | 7 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Fifth year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| EGRE technical elective (500-level or above) | 6 | |
| Open elective 2 | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 9 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EGRE technical elective (500-level or above) | 6 | |
| Open elective 2 | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 9 | |
One three-credit 600-level EGRE course can be substituted for one three-credit 500-level course in the senior year and upon approval by the instructor of the course.
EGRE, ENGR, EGRB, EGMN, CMSC, CLSE, PHYS, MATH, OPER, STAT, CHEM at 500-level or above and approved by the adviser