Electrical and Computer Engineering | Office | Website

Electrical, electronics and computer engineers find innovative ways to use electricity and computers to improve people’s lives. Electrical engineers have dozens of career options. They can design smart-grid power systems or electric/hybrid vehicles, develop robots that assist the disadvantaged or execute search and rescue missions. Electrical and computer engineers design medical testing equipment, work on the space shuttle and design communications satellites. The preparation for all of these jobs begins with a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.

University of Detroit Mercy's ABET accredited, state-of-the-art curriculum in electrical engineering will start you in the right direction. We've revised our curriculum to tap into your creativity so you can apply theoretical concepts to find innovative solutions to new problems. By working with hands-on projects which explore a series of robotic, sensor, and/or communication systems you combine electrical and computer engineering concepts with practical applications. Then, at multiple points in your 4-year program, you work in industry (a co-op assignment with an engineer's salary) to apply your knowledge and build real work experience. Unlike a traditional engineering program, which focuses on dry theoretical topics separately, we teach you engineering theory through an integrated and applied approach, so you learn how concepts work together - as they would in the "real world." Thus your education in the ECE department helps prepare you to develop the next neural-controlled artificial limb, or hybrid "green" energy system.

Along with robotics, our curriculum also allows you to explore mechatronics - a growing area in many industries - through a new series of courses where you work on sensors, modeling, embedded computers, control systems, and electronics. In collaboration with UDM's Mechanical Engineering program, you can study elements of both mechanical and electrical/computer engineering, which are critical for developing products in today's increasingly interdisciplinary technological world.

Our Electrical Engineering program is based on three key elements:

• Spiral-based curriculum - you discover that Electrical and Computer Engineering is a fascinating field as you revisit basic concepts and applications in multiple courses at different times and in increasingly more sophisticated contexts.
• Contextual Understanding - By working with multiple simultaneous topics in class and project-labs, you understand the how and why of entire engineering systems rather than just pieces and parts.
• Experiential Learning - You learn as you apply concepts to "hands-on" projects beyond the classroom through robot and autonomous vehicle projects, as well as through paid cooperative education placements.

Other distinctive EE program features include:

• 5-year bachelor's/master's program for qualified students (Robotics, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, etc.
• Hands-on projects from freshman through the senior year.
• Engineering-Law accelerated program with reserved seats at the UDM Law School
• Pre-medical tracks in engineering which include strong concentrations in the biology and chemistry that are needed to gain admission to and be successful in medical school

Electrical Engineering Program Educational Objectives
The Electrical Engineering Program seeks to graduate engineers who:

• Have the ability to understand engineered products and systems in terms of the relevant fundamental principles of mathematics, science and engineering as demonstrated by the successful entrance into professional practice and/or pursuit of advanced degrees.
• Excel in the practice of electrical engineering, are aware of the importance of effective communication, teamwork, and lifelong learning, and demonstrate the ability to identify, analyze and solve engineering problems and/or specify, design, and test, engineering systems, processes or products; and
• Contribute to the engineering profession and to society in a manner consistent with the Jesuit and Mercy traditions of education. This includes leadership, service to others, and an awareness of the broader humanitarian concerns in our world including social justice, and the moral, ethical, and cultural issues of society.

The BEE Curriculum involves University Core Curriculum Courses, Engineering Core Courses for Electrical Engineering, EE Major Courses, and Technical Electives.

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering Major Courses
There is a basic core of material that every electrical engineering should know to provide the foundation for all other learning and work. For this reason all electrical engineering majors are required to take a series of departmental core courses in addition to the Engineering core requirements. The departmental core courses are:

Students must earn an average 2.0 GPA or better in the major courses above.

In addition to the departmental core, each student chooses between two program options:

• Electronics, Control and Communication Systems
• Computer Engineering

Electronics, Control and Communication Systems
Use state-of-the-art Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools for analysis and design. This option is recommended for students who want a broad exposure to the sub-disciplines within Electrical Engineering. Students in this area will take an interesting variety of courses and can explore signal processing, communications, mechatronics, robotics, and technical entrepreneurship topic areas. This option includes three technical elective courses from the electrical and computer engineering department or other engineering departments.

Computer Engineering
Specialize in this rapidly growing area by taking courses such as Computer Architecture, Hardware Description Languages (VHDL), Computer Networking and Embedded Systems. The electrical and computer engineering program emphasizes a design-oriented philosophy, allowing students to not only grasp the theoretical concepts but to apply those concepts. It is recognized that the “tools and toys” in electrical and computer engineering continually change, but that a sound background in the underlying theoretical concepts allows straightforward assimilation of new technologies (i.e. concepts and theory prevents obsolescence). Students in the computer engineering concentration will take additional courses as follows:

Degree Requirements - Sequence of Courses
Please see the typical sequence of courses listed in the Program Flow Chart available in the Department Office and from the department website. Students in the Electronics, Control, and Communication Systems concentration can take technical elective courses from the undergraduate catalog for EE students after consultation with their advisors.