Major code BS7253 EE Track
Major code BS7254 CpE Track

The electrical engineering program is administered by the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). The School is the beneficiary of a major endowment from the late Dr. C. Paul Stocker, an electrical engineering alumnus. This endowment provides support for facilities and a level of excellence surpassed by few other electrical engineering and computer science departments in the nation.

The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is located in Stocker Center, a modern facility housing undergraduate, graduate, and research activities. The new, $35 million, 100,000 square-foot Academic and Research Center houses the Russ College’s classroom space and state-of-the-art research space. Shared with the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the ARC encourages the exchange of ideas among students, faculty, and staff with its informal gathering spaces and open, flexible environments.

A central living room atrium provides a place for informal gathering. A two-story project hangar with three glass garage doors, a floor hatch, and an industrial crane shows off engineering projects. Learning studios with flexible furniture, project team rooms for student organization meetings, and pathways with moveable upholstered furniture replace traditional classrooms, labs, and student lounges. In addition, the building’s systems are exposed to showcase engineering at work.

The Russ College also occupies Stocker Engineering and Technology Center, a 190,000 square foot building that houses Russ College labs, additional research space, and offices. Other facilities include the Avionics Engineering Center, the only aviation electronics facility of its kind in the U.S.

The program offers a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.) degree, which is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore MD 21202-4012–telephone: 410.347.7700.

The electrical engineering program offers two curriculum tracks leading to a B.S.E.E. degree. The electrical engineering (EE) track is intended for students who want to work in one of the many areas of electrical engineering. A computer engineerng (CpE) track is available for students who intend to work in the area of computers. Students who are undecided as to which area they want to pursue should follow the electrical engineering track until they decide.

Electrical engineering addresses the wide application of electrical and electronic phenomena to real-world needs, from consumer goods to space exploration. It encompasses such diverse areas as research, development, design, sales, and operation of electrical and electronic systems. Areas of specialization include such varied fields as circuit design, communications, computers and automata, control systems, electromagnetics, energy sources and systems, power electronics, power system planning, electronics, and instrumentation. Students interested in digital computers may choose from courses in the School on programming, digital circuits, computer design, and software engineering.

Electrical engineering graduates hold challenging positions in such nonelectrical industries as chemical, nuclear, automotive, medical, textile, petroleum, and transportation, as well as in electronics, communications, power, control, and other electrical industries. The jobs performed by electrical engineering graduates include such diverse activities as research, development, design, production and manufacturing, and consulting.

The electrical engineering program has three major objectives for its undergraduate students (Program Educational objectives are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing the graduates to achieve):

• Depth and Breadth: Produce graduates that will have the theoretical, practical, and professional knowledge necessary to be productive upon entering the workforce or successful in advanced study;
• Staying Current: Produce graduates that will maintain and develop the knowledge and the skills needed to identify, formulate, and solve problems throughout their career; and
• Professionalism: Produce graduates that exhibit an understanding of the necessity for professional integrity, ethical behavior, and cultural awareness.

All electrical engineering students must fulfill the University’s General Education requirements. Students will select elective courses in conjunction with their advisors. To develop the general knowledge and skills necessary to support the study and practice of engineering, students will take 12 courses in mathematics and the basic sciences. The purpose of the five general engineering courses is to give students an understanding of engineering fundamentals outside of electrical engineering.

The electrical engineering portion of the curriculum consists of seven blocks of courses. The introductory block is intended to promote the students interested in electrical engineering, while introducing physical and logical concepts necessary for future studies. The goal of the foundations block is to develop the fundamental knowledge and analytical skills necessary for the study and practice of electrical engineering. The intermediate breadth block prepares the student to study the various areas of electrical engineering and computer engineering at the advanced level. EECS electives allow students to develop specialized knowledge and skills in one of the areas of electrical and computer engineering or explore other topics at the advanced level.

Because the ability to solve problems is critical for engineers, students will develop engineering design skills as they progress through the curriculum. While engineering design is addressed in most E E courses, it is given special emphasis in E E 103, E E 212, and E E 334. In the intermediate design block, students will develop experience in experimental design and analysis. The design experience culminates in the senior year with the E E 495A, B, and C sequence of courses, where students complete a design project that simulates work found in professional practice.

E E faculty take their student advising duties very seriously. Each new student is assigned a faculty member as an academic advisor: students meet with their advisors on a quarterly basis to discuss course scheduling. During each quarter, E E faculty set office hours aside to meet with students and assist them with class assignments.

Ohio University is unique in offering internships in avionics (aviation electronics) engineering. The Ohio University Avionics Engineering Center, a research and engineering organization that is a unit within EECS, is extraordinary in providing undergraduate electrical engineering majors direct field and laboratory experience on real-world avionics projects sponsored by federal agencies and industry. Internship course credit can be granted for laboratory work performed, and a number of part-time jobs are supported for qualified students. Interns work with the professional faculty and staff on projects involving instrument landing systems, navigation processors, test flight evaluation, and low frequency navigation sensor systems.

Students are also strongly encouraged to participate in the college’s co-op program through which they can obtain practical experience and extra income. Students alternate their academic and practical experiences by working for a corporation or a government organization while pursuing their degree. Participating in the co-op program will typically add extra time to the completion of all degree requirements. However, a co-op experience becomes a significant advantage in securing more employment options for the student at the time of graduation.  Sophomore and Junior courses are scheduled to accommodate all students participating in the co-op program. Due to the capstone design sequence of courses (E E 495 A, B, and C), students will not be able to co-op during their last year.