B.S. in Electrical Engineering

Overview

Electrical Engineering is concerned with the design, analysis and implementation of a variety of systems, components and devices, primarily of an electrical or electronic nature, which form the cornerstone of our complex and technologically oriented society. For example, this ranges from small-scale integrated electronics and photonics systems and devices, the technological drivers of the information technology revolution, to large-scale electrical power systems and power generators, which supply the nation’s energy needs and form the basis for sustained economic growth. Furthermore, Electrical engineering also involves the design of micro and nano devices, integrated circuits, hardware, and large-scale systems for telecommunications and networking that engender our increasingly networked life. Therefore, electrical engineering is a vast and rich discipline involved in the design of systems, components, and devices for a variety of applications and areas such as portable electronics (e.g., cell phones), communications and networks, biomedical sensing and medical systems, energy harvesting, next generation displays, lasers, optical and wireless transmission, audio/video compression and recognition, radar and tracking/guidance systems, and remote sensing systems.

The University of Miami’s electrical engineering curriculum is focused on the fundamentals of the discipline, in the first two years building a firm foundation in mathematics, basic science, and basic engineering principles such as basic circuits, electronics, software and programming, computer hardware, and signal and system analysis. The students build upon this foundation through more advanced courses and focused specialization, culminating in a capstone major design experience. We continually update our curriculum and laboratories to incorporate new scientific and technological developments, and industry practices. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in industry, or to graduate school in science and engineering, as well as law school, business school, and medical school.

Audio Engineering Option

Audio Engineering at the University of Miami was established 1992. The program brings together faculty expertise from Electrical and Computer Engineering and from the Frost School of Music. It uniquely meets the needs of industry, training professionals with solid foundations in technical areas where sound and acoustics play a key role. Students gain theoretical knowledge from engineering and music, along with analytical, technical and design skills that can only be acquired with an engineering degree.

The Audio Engineering option curriculum combines traditional electrical engineering areas such as electronics, digital systems, microprocessors and digital signal processing with audio studies in acoustics, digital speech and audio, and acoustic transducers. Students work in modern laboratory facilities where they can experiment with electronics, digital design, microprocessors, audio recording, audio synthesis and acoustics. UM Audio Engineering graduates are audio-specialized electrical engineers who are highly sought-after by the industry.

During its 30+ successful years, Audio Engineering at UM has produced an impressive group of alumni successful careers in music, gaming and entertainment, telecommunications, the analog and digital electronics, computer and software industries, and in the biomedical systems and instrumentation industry. Many have pursued graduate degrees at other top universities. The program implements continous improvements, including innovative teaching and hands-on audio engineering design projects, as well as ever-deeper links with industry.

Pre-Med Option

Our Department offers a pre-medical option that allows motivated students to obtain the rigorous education of a bachelors degree in electrical engineering while simultaneously completing the basic science requirements necessary for applying to medical or dental school. Much of the excitement in engineering involves applications of electrical and computer engineering to problems in health, such as the development of nano-scale biosensors, or the signal processing analysis of DNA sequences. The pre-med option allows students to learn the fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering while preparing them for entry into either medical school, advanced graduate study, or industry.

Curriculum Requirements: B.S. in Electrical Engineering

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See description of electives under the Departmental Electives Section

Curriculum Requirements: B.S. in Electrical Engineering - Audio Engineering Option

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See description of electives under the Departmental Electives Section

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If ECE 502 is not available, students can take MUE or ECE courses (300 level or above) as a substitute with the approval of their advisor

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If ECE 540 is not available, students can take MUE or ECE courses (300 level or above) as a substitute with the approval of the Undergraduate Program Director

Curriculum Requirements: B.S. in Electrical Engineering - Pre-Med Option

¹

See description of electives under the Departmental Electives Section

Suggested Plan of Study: B.S. in Electrical Engineering

¹

See description of electives under the Departmental Electives Section.

²

Offered only in the Fall semester.

Suggested Plan of Study: B.S. in Electrical Engineering - Audio Engineering Option

¹

See description of electives under the Electrical and Computer Engineering Section.

²

Recommended a cognate that includes a Musicology Elective.

³

Offered only in the Fall semester.

⁴

Note that MUE 504 could be substituted for MUE 436.

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If ECE 502 or ECE 540 is not available, student can take MUE or ECE courses (300 level or above) as a substitute with the approval of the Undergraduate Program Director

Suggested Plan of Study: B.S. in Electrical Engineering - Pre-Med Option

¹

See description of electives under the Departmental Electives Section.

²

Offered only in the Fall semester.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to achieve and maintain, through a continuous improvement process, excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research, and service to the community and the nation. We endeavor to accomplish this by providing high-quality education and research programs which will impart the requisite knowledge and skills to our students enabling them to assume leadership roles in contributing to the advancement of the underlying electrical and computer engineering technologies which sustain the current world economy, to promote a strong commitment to life-long learning, to prepare them for a variety of alternative career paths and to participate as responsible citizens in a rapidly changing and shrinking global community.

Program Educational Objectives

We expect that the alumni of the Electrical Engineering Program will exhibit the following:

1. Successful careers in dynamic and multidisciplinary fields with the ability to apply electrical engineering practices within societal, global, and environmental contexts in an ethical manner.
2. Demonstrating life-long learning through activities such as completion of graduate studies and/or professional development.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.