2025-2026 General Catalog

Source: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/electrical-computer-engineering/electrical-engineering-bs/ Parent: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/#programsanddegreestext

Office & Contact Information

The Electrical & Computer Engineering Undergraduate Programs

The department administers two undergraduate curricula in the College of Engineering: (1) the Electrical Engineering curriculum and (2) the Computer Engineering curriculum.

Integrated Degree Program (IDP)

The IDP leads to both the Bachelor of Science and the Master of Science degrees. The program provides a student the opportunity to obtain superior breadth and depth of technical material. The IDP program in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is available only to UC Davis undergraduates with strong academic records enrolled in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronic Materials Engineering, or Applied Physics curricula. Applicants in their junior year must apply for the IDP indicated date on our website. For more information on IDP, see Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Mission

Under its land grant status, the University of California has a mission to provide the state with the trained workforce it needs and to advance knowledge and research in directions that contribute to the general welfare of the state and the nation. The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering contributes to the mission of the University in three ways. First, its undergraduate and graduate education programs seek to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of electrical and computer engineering, the skills needed to solve the complex technological problems of modern society and the ability to continue to learn and develop throughout their careers. Second, through its research programs, the department contributes to the development and progress of electronics, communications, and computer technology. Finally, the department helps to transfer research results to industry through publication, public service and professional activities.

Objectives

Teaching—To provide undergraduate students with sufficient breadth to allow them to participate in teams, continue their own education after graduation, and select a focus area intelligently; to provide undergraduate students with sufficient depth in a narrower discipline to allow them to develop the ability to solve complex engineering problems; to educate the students in the graduate program to be leaders in industry or to do meaningful research in industry, government or academia.\ Research—To develop and maintain research programs that produce useful technological advances while simultaneously training the next generation of researchers and leaders; to update and/or shift the foci of these programs frequently in response to the needs of our constituency and the nation; to provide a stimulating environment that encourages our graduate students to develop their abilities as far as possible.

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Program

The Electrical Engineering Bachelor of Science is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Electrical, Computer, Communications, Telecommunication(s), and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Electrical engineering involves the design, analysis, and effective use of electrical systems including electronic computers. Electrical systems and computers play a central role in nearly all aspects of modern life, including communication, medicine, education, environmental protection, space exploration, defense, and home entertainment.

Students who complete the Electrical Engineering curriculum will obtain a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, one of the engineering degrees recognized in all fifty states as eligible for registration as a Professional Engineer.

Objectives

The Electrical & Computer Engineering program educational objectives have been developed to address the needs of our constituencies. The objectives of the Electrical & Computer Engineering programs are as follow:

• Graduates create value for their employers, demonstrating knowledge and initiative and making beneficial contributions beyond the workplace. This can also result in patents, awards, publications and presentations.
• Graduates grow their capabilities through advanced education and professional development.
• Graduates provide leadership and be proactive in their profession and/or communities.

Students are encouraged to adhere carefully to all prerequisite requirements. The instructor is authorized to drop students from a course for which stated prerequisites have not been completed.

The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Electrical Engineering Bachelor of Science is 147.

Requirements

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Two Core Electives

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Design Electives with Laboratory

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Technical Electives

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1 : Transfer and change of major students will need 2 additional units of upper division electives instead of EEC 001.

2 : Transfer and change of major students who do not take EEC 010 will substitute 4 additional units of upper-division electives.

3 : CHE 002C and any upper division course; except CHE 195, CHE 197.

4 : ENG 045, and any upper division engineering course not used in satisfaction of core degree requirements, excluding ENG 100, ENG 160 (restricted to 1 unit of technical elective; same as PHY 160), PHY 190 (restricted to 1 unit of technical elective), PHY 198, ECS 111, ECS 113, ECS 115, ECS 116, ECS 117, ECS 132, ECS 154A, ECS 154B, ECS 171, ECS 188 (ECS 154A & ECS 154B courses may be used by EEEL majors who did not take EEC 170).

5 : Except MAT 135A & MAT 197TC.

6 : Except PHY 116A, PHY 116B, PHY 116C, PHY 160 (restricted to 1 unit of technical elective), PHY 195, PHY 197T.

7 : Except STA 100, STA 101, STA 103, STA 104, STA 106, STA 108, STA 130A.

** : Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.

Areas of Specialization

Students are encouraged to focus on one of the following five specialty areas: Physical Electronics; Electromagnets, RF, Microwave, Wireless; Analog Electronics; Digital Electronics: and Communication Controls & Signal Processing. For updated recommended courses, see Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Physical Electronics

Solid-state devices, circuits and fabrication and the theory courses supporting those subjects.

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Electromagnetics, RF, Microwave, Wireless

Microwave circuits and systems, and fiber optical systems.

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Analog Electronics

Transistor- and system-level analog circuit design.

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Digital Electronics

Transistor- and system-level digital circuit design.

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Communication Controls & Signal Processing

Digital communications, signals and systems, digital signal processing, control systems, robotics, and machine learning.

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