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Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Nguyen Engineering Building, 3100
4400 University Drive, MS 1G5
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-1569
Email: ece@gmu.edu
Electrical engineering is a major field of modern technology. Electrical engineers research, develop, design, produce, and operate of a wide variety of devices and systems. From small integrated circuits and microwave and laser devices, to large communication systems electrical engineers work with radar, robots, large telecommunication networks, and power networks. The curriculum provides a strong background in the fundamentals of electrical engineering and senior-level courses in the important areas of electronics, networks, communications and signal processing, computer engineering, and controls and robotics.
The department offers a BS in Electrical Engineering and a BS in Computer Engineering. For either degree, prospective students should be proficient in mathematics and physics, prepared to use their knowledge to solve real-world problems, and excited about continuously learning in and out of the classroom.
Find degree requirements in the university catalog.
Highlights from the university catalog.
Total credits minimum: 121
Concentrations:
Concentrations are available in the electrical engineering baccalaureate program. Completion of specific science courses and senior-level courses leads to one of these designations on the student's transcript on graduation. Concentration requirements may also meet some or all of the Advanced Engineering Lab and Technical Elective requirements.
Concentration in Bioengineering (BIOE)
Concentration in Communications and Signal Processing (CSP)
Concentration in Computer Engineering (CPE)
Concentration in Control Systems (CON)
Concentration in Electronics (ELE)
Students who earn a degree in electrical engineering may work in research, development, design, production, and operation of a wide variety of devices and systems, including integrated circuits and microwave and laser devices, communication systems, control systems, radar, robotics, telecommunications and computer networking and power networks.
Career opportunities exist in engineering research and development, system design, system integration, engineering management, engineering consultancy and technical sales among others.
Some may choose to pursue patent law and become patent attorneys/agents or become entrepreneurs and start their own businesses. The proximity of the department to the USPTO and to local venture capital firms opens up a rich range of alternative prospects to students. The department has strong ties to local businesses and representatives from companies are regularly invited to the department as guest speakers. An active industrial advisory board provides input in setting future directions for the department. Whatever field they choose, employment prospects for graduates of the electrical engineering program are excellent.
Classes in the department are taught by experienced faculty who have been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for their research and teaching excellence. They have been awarded more than 35 patents and have $7M in active research grants. Many of them have also won prestigious research and teaching awards and a number of them are elected as fellows of professional organizations such as the IEEE.
Students gain hands on experience in the virtual and physical space in the numerous laboratories in the school’s building. The dual semester long senior design project effort is one of the highlights of the electrical engineering program. Some recent projects included a fire extinguisher that uses sound to put out fires, a remote controlled robot that is small and agile enough to go places too small or dangerous for humans, and an unmanned aerial system that can perform search and rescue operations.
A senior design lab is available for students to design and build a working prototype of an electronic device or system. Some equipment found in that lab includes machines used for PCB prototyping, 3-D printing and laser based cutting tools.