About Electrical Engineering

Areas of Study | Department Mission Statement | Educational Objectives

Electrical engineering deals with energy and power; micro-, nano- and optoelectronics; digital and analog electronics; control systems; sensors; telecommunications; and many other exciting areas. In such vital areas as medicine and biomedicine, homeland security, weaponry, supercomputers, lighting, the internet, and mobile communications, rapid progress crucially depends on breakthroughs in electronics and electrical engineering.

With tremendous proliferation of electronics in everyday life and with humanity's increasing dependency on electricity as an energy source, the field of electrical engineering has evolved into one of the most important and lucrative areas of development.

The study of electrical engineering requires an inventive mind with an interest in mathematics, physics, computer science, software programming, and industrial and laboratory training. The broad and in-depth cross-disciplinary knowledge is rapidly becoming an essential requirement for future electrical engineers.

Salaries among new B.S. degree holders average about $53,000 while Ph.D. graduates can command a much higher amount. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's latest report, the employment of electrical engineers will increase 9 to 17 percent through the year 2014.

Areas of Study

The Department of Electrical Engineering at USC prepares students for a wide range of professional practice. Undergraduate opportunities in all areas of study abound here at USC, where research begins in the early undergraduate years. Our state-of-the-art laboratories will give you the experience needed for your career.

At USC, the study of power systems and power electronics focuses on next energy challenges, developing highly efficient all-solid-state power sources with digital controls, simulations of high-complexity electromechanical, chemical, bio- and other systems using the Virtual Test Bed package developed in the electrical engineering department (EE).

At USC, the study of microelectronics generates new revolutionary concepts, devices, and systems for people of the 21st century. EE students are involved in the studies of solid-state light sources that can emit light of any color combination with unprecedented efficiency; invisible ultraviolet sources curing cancer and disinfecting water, air, and food; transistors operating at incredibly high speeds of thousands of billion bits per second, capable of working at enormous temperatures above 600º F; and other next-generation devices.

At USC, the study of communication systems designs miniature electronically reconfigurable antennae for applications spanning from cell phones and PDAs to radars. Electromagnetic simulations solve the problems of microwave signal propagation, control and redirection in microelectronic circuits, cables, and computer boards.

Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Electrical Engineering is to:

• Provide undergraduate and professional education through programs that prepare students for the workplace, stress the development of the total person, and begin a process of lifelong learning.
• Provide graduate education and training in the skills of advanced research.
• Contribute to the base of technical knowledge by conducting research and scholarship and by disseminating the results of those programs.
• Support the engineering professions by service in the appropriate professional organizations.
• Serve the needs of the state and region by appropriate outreach programs and by support for industrial development.

Educational Objectives

The objectives of the undergraduate electrical engineering program are to produce graduates who will:

• contribute to the economic development of this state and the nation by the competent and ethical practice of electrical engineering.
• be sought after by leading industrial, governmental, and academic organizations.
• exhibit leadership qualities in their organizations by virtue of their excellent technical abilities, communication skills, and comprehensive vision.
• use their technical competence to creatively solve electrical engineering problems for the betterment of society.
• ceaselessly improve their technical competence.

Student Outcomes

Students will demonstrate:

• a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
• b. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data
• c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
• d. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
• e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
• f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• g. An ability to communicate effectively
• h. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
• i. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
• j. A knowledge of contemporary issues
• k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice