Dec 18, 2024  
2022-2023 General Catalog 
    
2022-2023 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Electrical Engineering - BS


College of Engineering

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

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  • For more information about Electrical Engineering, see the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.
  • Following is a sample four-year plan. Please note that student-specific plans may differ.
  • Admitted students must meet with an advisor. Current students should also meet with an advisor and log on to Degree Works  to check student-specific program progress.

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits 120

 

Grade Point Average (most majors require higher GPA)

2.00 GPA
Credits of C- or better 100 Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above) 40
Total USU Credits 30 Upper-division USU Credits 20
USU Credits within the Major 10 Credits in Minor (if required) 12
Credits in Major see below Credits in American Institutions 3
General Education Requirements    see link University Studies Depth Requirements    see link
NOTES: The highest math requirement for this degree is MATH 5710: Introduction to Probability .

Pre-Professional Program

Admissions Requirements for this Program

New freshmen

Admitted to USU in Good Standing.*

 

Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU Meet requirements below to be accepted into the pre-professional program.
*Minimum 2.7 high school GPA, 19 ACT and 63 Admission Index; must also be “calculus ready”. That is, they must: (1) achieve a score of 27 or higher on the math ACT test; (2) complete MATH 1050  and MATH 1060  or MATH 1210 ; or (3) achieve an AP score of at least 3 on the AB Calculus or BC Calculus test.

Have completed at least MATH 1210: Calculus I (with a C- minimum grade) and, including all completed required Math, Science, and Engineering courses, have:

  • 2.8 or higher GPA
  • No grades less than C-
  • No more than 3 repeats

First Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

ECE 1400: Computer Programming for Electrical and Computer Engineers I  * 4     ECE 1410: Computer Programming for Electrical and Computer Engineers II  *  3    
Breadth Humanities (BHU)   3 Select a course from the list ECE 2700: Digital Circuits  * 4    
MATH 1210: Calculus I (QL)  ^ *    4  

(will fulfill the Quantitative Literacy (QL)  or Integrated Studies requirement)

MATH 1220: Calculus II (QL)  * 4   (will fulfill the Quantitative Literacy (QL)  or Integrated Studies requirement)
Breadth American Institutions (BAI)   3 Select a course from the list PHYS 2210: Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (BPS/QI)  *  4    
Breadth Creative Arts (BCA)     3 Select a course from the list PHYS 2215: Physics for Scientists and Engineers Lab I  *  1    
Total Credits: 17   Total Credits: 16  
Comments

* Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

Though not required, students are encouraged to take USU 1010: University Connections (1-3)  or ENGR 1940: Women in Engineering Seminar (1) 

^Students who do not meet the MATH 1210  prerequisites may need to complete the Math Placement Exam with a satisfactory score.

Comments

* Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

 

Second Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

ECE 2250: Electrical Circuits 1  * 3     ECE 2290: Electrical Circuits 2  * 3    
MATH 2210: Multivariable Calculus (QI)  * 3     ENGL 2010: Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode (CL2)  * 3   See note below.** 
MATH 2270: Linear Algebra (QI)  * 3   (will fulfill the Quantitative Intensive (QI)  requirement) MATH 2280: Ordinary Differential Equations (QI)  * 3   (will fulfill the Quantitative Intensive (QI)  requirement)
PHYS 2220: Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (BPS/QI)  *  4   (will fulfill the Breadth Physical Sciences (BPS)  requirement) Breadth Social Sciences (BSS)   3 Select a course from the list
PHYS 2225: Physics for Scientists and Engineers Lab II  * 1     ECE 3700: Digital System Design   3    
Breadth Life Sciences (BLS)   3 Select a course from the list      
Total Credits: 17   Total Credits: 15  
Comments

* Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

 

Comments

* Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

Apply for admission to the Professional Program.

Professional Engineering Program

Admissions Requirements for this Program

To be admitted to the professional program, students must:

- Have an institution GPA of 2.8 or higher in the pre-professional courses (denoted with an asterisk *), NOT including ENGL 2010 .

- Pass all of the courses in the pre-professional program with a C- or better (denoted with an asterisk *).

- Have no more than 3 repeats total in the pre-professional courses. Multiple repeats of the same course and audits are included in the total of 3 repeats. Lab-only courses (e.g., PHYS 2215 ) are not counted in the total of 3 repeats.

 

Third Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

ECE 3620: Continuous-Time Systems and Signals   3     ECE 3410: Microelectronics I   4    
ECE 3710: Microcontroller Hardware and Software   4     ECE 3640: Discrete-Time Systems and Signals   3    
ECE 3810: Engineering Professionalism   1   Must have taken ENGR 3080  before or take concurrently. ECE 3870: Electromagnetics I   4    
ENGR 3080: Technical Communication for Engineers (CI)   3   Must be taken before or concurrently with ECE 3810 .

(will fulfill the Communications Intensive (CI)  requirement)
Depth Social Sciences (DSS)   3 Select a course from the list
MATH 5710: Introduction to Probability    3  

 

     
Depth Humanities and Creative Arts (DHA)  

2-3

Select a course from the list      
Total Credits: 16-17   Total Credits: 14  
Comments

Electrical Engineering Professional Program Requirements  

Comments

Electrical Engineering Professional Program Requirements 

 

Fourth Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

ECE 4820: Engineering Design I   1  

 
ECE 4840: Engineering Design II (CI)   2    
ECE 4830: Engineering Communications I   1     ECE 4850: Engineering Communications II (CI)   1   (will fulfill the Communications Intensive (CI)  requirement)
Electrical Engineering Elective  3   Electrical Engineering Elective  3-4  
Electrical Engineering Elective  3   Electrical Engineering Elective  3  
Electrical Engineering Elective  3   Electrical Engineering Elective  3  
Electrical Engineering Elective  3   Electrical Engineering Math/Science Elective   3  
Technical Electives   0-4        
Total Credits: 14-18   Total Credits: 15-16  
Comments

Electrical Engineering Professional Program Requirements 

 
Comments

Apply for graduation as soon as you have registered for your last semester.

Electrical Engineering Professional Program Requirements 

Total Program Credits: 125-126

**Please note: ENGL 1010  is required by USU but is not included in the degree map because most engineering students satisfy this requirement through an ACT English score of 29 or higher, an SAT Critical Reading score of 640 or higher, Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations (score of 3 on English Language & Composition or English Literature & Composition) or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Electrical Engineering Required Courses


For Electrical and Computer Engineering majors in the professional program the following academic regulations apply, in addition to University regulations:

  1. A GPA of 2.0 or higher must be maintained in all upper-division engineering/math/science courses required for, or used as technical electives in, this major. Courses which were part of the pre-professional program requirements and University Studies courses are not included in this GPA calculation.
  2. For Electrical and Computer Engineering, not more than 10 hours of D or D+ credit may be applied toward meeting graduation requirements in engineering/math/science classes.
  3. College of Engineering courses may be repeated only once. Audits count as a time taking a class unless prior written approval is obtained from the department head. A maximum of three required or elective courses completed as part of a professional program can be repeated in order to meet graduation requirements. (Courses completed as part of a pre-professional program are not included in this total of three repeats.)
  4. The P/D+, D, F grading option may not be used in required or elective courses completed as part of a professional program. (The P/D+, D, F grading option is approved for University Studies Courses.)
  5. The academic regulations listed above (1-4) apply to required coursework and any elective engineering/math/science course which could be used to satisfy graduation requirements for the chosen degree. That is, once a student completes a particular technical elective, it becomes a required course for that student.

Elective Courses


A GPA of 2.0 or higher must be maintained in all upper-division engineering/math/science courses required for, or used as technical electives in, this major.

Electrical Engineering Electives (select 18-22 credits)


A combined total of 22 Electrical Engineering electives and Technical electives are required, of which at least 18 must be Electrical Engineering electives.

Math and Science Electives (select 3 credits)