Electrical Engineering BSEE

Major: Electrical Engineering
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 181.5
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 14.1001
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 17-2071

About the Program

Electrical engineers contribute to industry and research in diverse areas such as electronic circuits, lasers and photonics, semiconductor devices, computer and communication networks, wireless networks, biomedical engineering, bioinformatics, machine learning, automation and control and power and energy systems. The electrical engineering major emphasizes the fundamentals of electrical engineering, hands-on learning and flexibility in course selection to satisfy diverse career goals.

State-of-the-art interdisciplinary courses have been developed to prepare the Drexel engineer for the technical challenges and the business atmosphere of the 21st century. Strong emphasis is given to the role of the engineer in the global competitive economy and to the need to work closely with experts and practitioners in many fields.

Students can choose courses in various areas of study, including telecommunications, digital signal processing, electronics, automation and power and systems and control.

Mission Statement

The ECE Department at Drexel University serves the public and the university community by providing superior career-integrated education in electrical and computer engineering; by conducting research in these fields, to generate new knowledge and technologies; and by promoting among all its constituents professionalism, social responsibility, civic engagement and leadership.

Program Educational Objectives

The electrical engineering program educational objectives are that alumni, in their early years after graduation:

  • Secure positions and continue as valued, creative, dependable, and proficient employees in a wide variety of fields and industries, in particular as electrical engineers.
  • Succeed in graduate and professional studies if pursued, such as engineering, science, law, medicine, and business.
  • Embrace and pursue lifelong learning for a successful and rewarding career.
  • Act as an ambassador for the field of engineering through clear, professional communication with technical and non-technical audiences, including the general public.
  • Accept responsibility for leadership roles in their profession, in their communities, and in the global society.
  • Contribute to their professional discipline's body of knowledge.
  • Function as responsible members of society with an awareness of the social and ethical ramifications of their work.

Student Outcomes

The department’s student outcomes reflect the skills and abilities that the curriculum is designed to provide to students by the time they graduate. These are:   

  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 the 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

Areas of Study

Telecommunications and Digital Signal Processing (DSP)

The telecommunications and DSP areas of study prepare students for mastery of fundamental and applied knowledge in the theory and the technology of the transmission and processing of information-bearing signals such as voice, audio, data, images and video. The curriculum includes core courses in electromagnetic propagation, communication devices and media, signal processing, analog and digital communication. Complementary electives can be taken in computers, electronics, control systems and electric power systems.

Career opportunities include design and development of digital communications systems and telephony, speech recognition systems, communications networks, digital radio, medical diagnostic image processing, high-definition television, cellular and wireless communications, satellite communications, networked multimedia communications and personal communication systems. 

Electronics

The electronics area of study constitutes the study of electronic and optical semiconductor devices; analog and digital electronic circuits; and generation, transmission and reception of information both in optical and microwave frequency ranges and guided or free-space conditions.

Career opportunities include jobs in telecommunications (optical, wireless, wired, satellite, and radar), VLSI (analog and digital), aerospace, remote sensing and instrumentation, computer circuitry interface, biomedical instrumentation, semiconductor device fabrication, and transportation.

Power and Systems Control

Power and systems control has at its core the areas of controls engineering and electric power engineering, the classic core of electrical engineering, and exploits the synergies between these two areas. These areas of study explores subjects such as modeling, analysis and control of dynamic systems including power systems, planning and optimization, electromechanical energy conversion, motor operation and control, transformers, power electronics, sensors and actuators and the electrical and economic structure of the power industry. These areas of study offer access to state-of-the-art laboratories including the Interconnected Power System Laboratory, where students can operate and control a small power system through the fusing of computer software and hardware technology with high-voltage, high-power technology. In the Ortlip Systems Laboratory various experiments can be performed in sensing, feedback and control. Both laboratories stress the use of modeling software, especially MATLAB, and the integrated use of computers and hardware.

Career opportunities include options ranging from manufacturing, the power industry (generation, transmission, distribution, marketing, and consumption), robotics, and transportation to Wall Street.

Additional Information

The Electrical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

For additional information, visit the BS in Electrical Engineering page or on the ECE Department website.
 
For advising questions, please contact the ECE advisor.

Degree Requirements

In addition to completing 181.5 credits, students majoring in Electrical Engineering student must have a 2.0 cumulative overall GPA and a 2.0 cumulative GPA in their Electrical Engineering courses.

General Education/Liberal Studies Requirements
CIVC 101Introduction to Civic Engagement1.0
COOP 101Career Management and Professional Development *1.0
ENGL 101Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research3.0
or ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENGL 102Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing3.0
or ENGL 112 English Composition II
ENGL 103Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres3.0
or ENGL 113 English Composition III
PHIL 315Engineering Ethics3.0
UNIV E101The Drexel Experience1.0
Communications Elective
COM 230Techniques of Speaking3.0
or COM 310 Technical Communication
General Education Courses **15.0
Foundation Requirements
Chemistry Requirements ***3.5-7.5
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I
OR
General Chemistry I
General Engineering Requirements
ENGR 111Introduction to Engineering Design & Data Analysis3.0
ENGR 113First-Year Engineering Design3.0
ENGR 131Introductory Programming for Engineers3.0
or ENGR 132 Programming for Engineers
ENGR 231Linear Engineering Systems3.0-4.0
or ECE 231 Linear Algebra and Matrix Computations
or CAEE 231 Linear Engineering Systems
or MATH 201 Linear Algebra
ENGR 232Dynamic Engineering Systems3.0-4.0
or ECE 232 Solving Dynamic Systems
or CAEE 232 Dynamic Engineering Systems
or MATH 210 Differential Equations
Mathematics Requirements 4.0-10.0
Algebra, Functions, and Trigonometry
and Calculus I
OR
Calculus and Functions I
and Calculus and Functions II
OR
Calculus I
MATH 122Calculus II4.0
MATH 200Multivariate Calculus4.0
MATH 221Discrete Mathematics3.0
MATH 291Complex and Vector Analysis for Engineers4.0
Physics Requirements 4.0-8.0
Preparation for Engineering Studies
and Fundamentals of Physics I
OR
Fundamentals of Physics I
PHYS 102Fundamentals of Physics II4.0
PHYS 201Fundamentals of Physics III4.0
Science Elective3.0
Choose any BIO, CHEM, or PHYS
Professional Requirements
ECE 101Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Real World1.0
ECE 105Programming for Engineers II3.0
ECE 200Digital Logic Design4.0
ECE 201Foundations of Electric Circuits I4.0
ECE 301Foundations of Electric Circuits II4.0
ECE 303ECE Laboratory3.0
ECE 361Probability and Data Analytics for Engineers4.0
ECE 370Electronic Devices3.0
ECE 371Foundations of Electromagnetics for Computing & Wireless Systems3.0
ECE 380Fundamentals of Power and Energy3.0
ECEC 201Advanced Programming for Engineers3.0
ECEC 204Design with Microcontrollers3.0
ECES 301Signals and Systems I4.0
Senior Design ^
ECE 491 [WI] Senior Design Project I3.0
ECE 492 [WI] Senior Design Project II3.0
ECE 493 [WI] Senior Design Project III3.0
EE Core Elective (Choose one of the following):3.0-4.0
Data Structures
Advanced Programming Tools and Techniques
Introduction to Computer Organization
ECE Electives ^^6.0
ECE 400-level Electives §9.0
Free Electives27.0
Total Credits181.5-198.5
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

**

 General Education Courses

***

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

Some students may need a one-credit concurrent practicum course depending on their calculus exam score and summer preparatory review participation.

^

Students who choose the Master's Thesis instead of Senior Design must replace ECE 491 [WI] , ECE 492 [WI] , ECE 493 [WI] credits with ECE elective credits.

^^

2 classes or at least 6.0 credits at the 300-400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEC, ECEE, ECEL, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T380, T480).

§

3 classes or at least 9.0 credits at the 400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEE, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T480).

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study 

4 year, 1 co-op (Spring/Summer cycle)

Note: An ECE student must have a 2.0 cumulative overall GPA and a 2.0 cumulative GPA in their ECE Professional Requirements.

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CHEM 101*3.5ECE 2004.0CIVC 1011.0VACATION
ECE 1011.0ENGR 131 or 1323.0ECE 1053.0 
ENGL 101 or 1113.0MATH 1224.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0 
ENGR 1113.0PHYS 101**4.0ENGR 1133.0 
MATH 121**4.0 MATH 2004.0 
UNIV E1011.0 PHYS 1024.0 
 15.5 15 18 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ECE 2014.0COM 230 or 3103.0ECE 3014.0COOP 101***1.0
ECEC 2013.0ECEC 2043.0ECE 3703.0ECE 3614.0
ENGL 103 or 1133.0ENGR 232, ECE 232, CAEE 232, or MATH 2103.0-4.0ECES 3014.0ECE 3713.0
ENGR 231, ECE 231, CAEE 231, or MATH 2013.0-4.0PHIL 3153.0EE Core elective3.0ECE 3803.0
MATH 2914.0PHYS 2014.0 Science elective3.0
   Free elective3.0
 17-18 16-17 14 17
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ECE 3033.0ECE elective††3.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
MATH 2213.0Free electives9.0  
Free electives6.0General Education elective3.0  
General Education elective3.0   
 15 15 0 0
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
ECE 4913.0ECE 4923.0ECE 4933.0 
ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0 
ECE elective††3.0Free elective3.0Free elective3.0 
Free elective3.0General Education elective3.0General Education elective3.0 
General Education elective3.0   
 15 12 12 
Total Credits 181.5-183.5
*

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

**

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

***

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

General Education Requirements

††

2 classes or at least 6.0 credits at the 300-400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEC, ECEE, ECEL, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T380, T480).

3 classes or at least 9.0 credits at the 400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEE, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T480).


4 year, 1 co-op (Fall/Winter cycle)

Note: An ECE student must have a 2.0 cumulative overall GPA and a 2.0 cumulative GPA in their ECE Professional Requirements.

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CHEM 101*3.5ECE 2004.0CIVC 1011.0VACATION
ECE 1011.0ENGR 131 or 1323.0ECE 1053.0 
ENGL 101 or 1113.0MATH 1224.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0 
ENGR 1113.0PHYS 101**4.0ENGR 1133.0 
MATH 121**4.0 MATH 2004.0 
UNIV E1011.0 PHYS 1024.0 
 15.5 15 18 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ECE 2014.0COM 230 or 3103.0ECE 3014.0ECE 3614.0
ECEC 2013.0COOP 101***1.0ECE 3703.0ECE 3713.0
ENGL 103 or 1133.0ECEC 2043.0ECES 3014.0ECE 3803.0
ENGR 231, ECE 231, CAEE 231, or MATH 2013.0-4.0ENGR 232, ECE 232, CAEE 232, or MATH 2103.0-4.0EE Core elective3.0Science elective3.0
MATH 2914.0PHIL 3153.0 Free elective3.0
 PHYS 2014.0  
 17-18 17-18 14 16
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCEECE 3033.0ECE elective††3.0
  MATH 2213.0Free electives9.0
  Free electives6.0General Education elective3.0
  General Education elective3.0 
 0 0 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
ECE 4913.0ECE 4923.0ECE 4933.0 
ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0 
ECE elective††3.0Free elective3.0Free elective3.0 
Free elective3.0General Education elective3.0General Education elective3.0 
General Education elective3.0   
 15 12 12 
Total Credits 181.5-183.5
*

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

**

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

***

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

General Education Requirements

††

2 classes or at least 6.0 credits at the 300-400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEC, ECEE, ECEL, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T380, T480).

3 classes or at least 9.0 credits at the 400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEE, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T480).

5 year, 3 co-op (Spring/Summer cycle)

Note: An ECE student must have a 2.0 cumulative overall GPA and a 2.0 cumulative GPA in their ECE Professional Requirements.

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CHEM 101*3.5COOP 101***1.0CIVC 1011.0VACATION
ECE 1011.0ECE 2004.0ECE 1053.0 
ENGL 101 or 1113.0ENGR 131 or 1323.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0 
ENGR 1113.0MATH 1224.0ENGR 1133.0 
MATH 121**4.0PHYS 101**4.0MATH 2004.0 
UNIV E1011.0 PHYS 1024.0 
 15.5 16 18 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ECE 2014.0COM 230 or 3103.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
ECEC 2013.0ECEC 2043.0  
ENGL 103 or 1133.0ENGR 232, ECE 232, CAEE 232, or MATH 2103.0-4.0  
ENGR 231, ECE 231, CAEE 231, or MATH 2013.0-4.0PHIL 3153.0  
MATH 2914.0PHYS 2014.0  
 17-18 16-17 0 0
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ECE 3014.0ECE 3614.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
ECE 3703.0ECE 3713.0  
ECES 3014.0ECE 3803.0  
EE Core elective3.0Free elective3.0  
 Science elective3.0  
 14 16 0 0
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ECE 3033.0ECE elective††3.0COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCE
MATH 2213.0Free electives9.0  
Free electives6.0General Education elective3.0  
General Education elective3.0   
 15 15 0 0
Fifth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
ECE 4913.0ECE 4923.0ECE 4933.0 
ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0 
ECE elective††3.0Free elective3.0Free elective3.0 
Free elective3.0General Education elective3.0General Education elective3.0 
General Education elective3.0   
 15 12 12 
Total Credits 181.5-183.5
*

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

**

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

***

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major;

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term;Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

General Education Requirements

††

2 classes or at least 6.0 credits at the 300-400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEC, ECEE, ECEL, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T380, T480).

3 classes or at least 9.0 credits at the 400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEE, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T480).

5 year, 3 co-op (Fall/Winter cycle)

Note: An ECE student must have a 2.0 cumulative overall GPA and a 2.0 cumulative GPA in their ECE Professional Requirements.

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CHEM 101*3.5COOP 101***1.0CIVC 1011.0VACATION
ECE 1011.0ECE 2004.0ECE 1053.0 
ENGL 101 or 1113.0ENGR 131 or 1323.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0 
ENGR 1113.0MATH 1224.0ENGR 1133.0 
MATH 121**4.0PHYS 101**4.0MATH 2004.0 
UNIV E1011.0 PHYS 1024.0 
 15.5 16 18 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCEECE 2014.0COM 230 or 3103.0
  ECEC 2013.0ECEC 2043.0
  ENGL 103 or 1133.0ENGR 232, ECE 232, CAEE 232, or MATH 2103.0-4.0
  ENGR 231, ECE 231, CAEE 231, or MATH 2013.0-4.0PHIL 3153.0
  MATH 2914.0PHYS 2014.0
 0 0 17-18 16-17
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCEECE 3014.0ECE 3614.0
  ECE 3703.0ECE 3713.0
  ECES 3014.0ECE 3803.0
  EE Core elective3.0Free elective3.0
   Science elective3.0
 0 0 14 16
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCEECE 3033.0ECE elective††3.0
  MATH 2213.0Free electives9.0
  Free electives6.0General Education elective3.0
  General Education elective3.0 
 0 0 15 15
Fifth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
ECE 4913.0ECE 4923.0ECE 4933.0 
ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0ECE, ECEE, ECEP, ECES 400+ level elective3.0 
ECE elective††3.0Free elective3.0Free elective3.0 
Free elective3.0General Education elective3.0General Education elective3.0 
General Education elective3.0   
 15 12 12 
Total Credits 181.5-183.5
*

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

**

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

***

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major;

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term;Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

General Education Requirements

††

2 classes or at least 6.0 credits at the 300-400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEC, ECEE, ECEL, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T380, T480).

3 classes or at least 9.0 credits at the 400 level from subject codes ECE, ECEE, ECEP, or ECES. Includes Special Topics in each code (T480).


Co-op/Career Opportunities

 Top co-op employers for electrical engineering majors include: 

  • PJM Interconnection LLC
  • Exelon Corporation (PECO)
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Woodward McCoach, Inc.
  • NAVSEA
  • EwingCole
  • Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc.
  • Ametek, Inc.
  • SAP America
  • Comcast Corporation
  • Susquehanna Int'l Group LLP
  • L-3 Communications
  • Philadelphia Department of Commerce
  • Philadelphia Water Department

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Drexel University's co-op program has an 80 year history and is one of the oldest and largest co-op programs in the world. Students graduate with 6-18 months of full time employment experience, depending on their choice of a 4-year or 5-year program. The majority of Computer Engineering students in ECE choose the 5-year program and graduate with 18 months of full-time work experience, and often receive a job offer from their third co-op employer or from a connection made from one of their co-op experiences.

Electrical engineers are employed in corporations, government agencies, and other organizations. In their work, these engineers are developers of electrical equipment for digital communications (such as satellite communication, fiber-optic networks, and coding and cryptography), mobile radio, radar and surveillance, process control, robotics, speech processing, aerospace circuitry, power generation and distribution, computer hardware and software, computer networks, sensor technology, counter-crime measures, electronic compatibility, consumer electronics, and related fields.
Graduates are also pursuing advanced studies in electrical and computer engineering, aerospace engineering, and mechanical engineering at such schools as MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Maryland.

The Steinbright Career Development Center had a co-op placement rate of approximately 99% for electrical and computer engineering majors.

A degree in electrical engineering can also serve as an excellent foundation to pursue graduate professional careers in medicine, law, business, and government.

Accelerated/Dual Degrees

Dual Degree Bachelor's Program

With careful planning, students can complete both an Electrical Engineering degree and a Computer Engineering degree in the time usually required to complete one degree. For detailed information the student should contact the ECE advisor.

Bachelor's/Master's Accelerated Degree Program

Exceptional students can also pursue a Master of Science degree in the same period as the Bachelor of Science.

For more information on these and other options, visit the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering BS/MS page.

Facilities

Drexel University and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department are nationally recognized for a strong history of developing innovative research. Research programs in the ECE Department prepare students for careers in research and development, and aim to endow graduates with the ability to identify, analyze, and address new technical and scientific challenges. The ECE Department is well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in each of the following ECE Research laboratories:  

Research Laboratories at the ECE Department

Adaptive Signal Processing and Information Theory Research Group

The Adaptive Signal Processing and Information Theory Research Group conducts research in the area of signal processing and information theory. Our main interests are belief/expectation propagation, turbo decoding and composite adaptive system theory. We are currently doing projects on the following topics:
i) Delay mitigating codes for network coded systems,
ii) Distributed estimation in sensor networks via expectation propagation,
iii) Turbo speaker identification,
iv) Performance and convergence of expectation propagation,
v) Investigating bounds for SINR performance of autocorrelation based channel shorteners.

Bioimage Laboratory

Uses computer gaming hardware for enhanced and affordable 3-D visualization, along with techniques from information theory and machine learning to combine the exquisite capabilities of the human visual system with computational sensing techniques for analyzing vast quantities of image sequence data.

Data Fusion Laboratory

The Data Fusion Laboratory investigates problems in multisensory detection and estimation, with applications in robotics, digital communications, radar, and target tracking. Among the projects in progress: computationally efficient parallel distributed detection architectures, data fusion for robot navigation, modulation recognition and RF scene analysis in time-varying environments, pattern recognition in biological data sequences and large arrays, and hardware realizations of data fusion architectures for target detection and target tracking.

Drexel Network Modeling Laboratory

The Drexel Network Modeling Laboratory investigates problems in the mathematical modeling of communication networks, with specific focus on wireless ad hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, and supporting guaranteed delivery service models on best effort and multipath routed networks. Typical methodologies employed in our research include mathematical modeling, computer simulation, and performance optimization, often with the end goal of obtaining meaningful insights into network design principles and fundamental performance tradeoffs.

Drexel Power-Aware Computing Laboratory

The Power-Aware Computing Lab investigates methods to increase energy efficiency across the boundaries of circuits, architecture, and systems. Our recent accomplishments include the Sigil profiling tool, scalable modeling infrastructure for accelerator implementations, microarchitecture-aware VDD gating algorithms, an accelerator architecture for ultrasound imaging, evaluation of hardware reference counting, hardware and operating system support for power-agile computing, and memory systems for accelerator-based architectures.

Drexel University Nuclear Engineering Education Laboratory

The field of nuclear engineering encompasses a wide spectrum of occupations, including nuclear reactor design, medical imaging, homeland security, and oil exploration. The Drexel University Nuclear Engineering Education Laboratory (DUNEEL) provides fundamental hands on understanding for power plant design and radiation detection and analysis. Software based study for power plant design, as well as physical laboratory equipment for radiation detection, strengthen the underlying concepts used in nuclear engineering such that the student will comprehend and appreciate the basic concepts and terminology used in various nuclear engineering professions. Additionally, students use the laboratory to develop methods for delivering remote, live time radiation detection and analysis. The goal of DUNEEL is to prepare students for potential employment in the nuclear engineering arena.

Drexel VLSI Laboratory

The Drexel VLSI Laboratory investigates problems in the design, analysis, optimization and manufacturing of high performance (low power, high throughput) integrated circuits in contemporary CMOS and emerging technologies. Suited with industrial design tools for integrated circuits, simulation tools and measurement beds, the VLSI group is involved with digital and mixed-signal circuit design to verify the functionality of the discovered novel circuit and physical design principles. The Drexel VLSI laboratory develops design methodologies and automation tools in these areas, particularly in novel clocking techniques, featuring resonant clocking, and interconnects, featuring wireless interconnects.

Drexel Wireless Systems Laboratory

The Drexel Wireless Systems Laboratory (DWSL) contains an extensive suite of equipment for constructing, debugging, and testing prototype wireless communications systems. Major equipment within DWSL includes:

  • three software defined radio network testbeds (HYDRA, USRP, and WARP) for rapidly prototyping radio, optical and ultrasonic communications systems,
  • a TDK RF anechoic chamber and EMSCAN desktop antenna pattern measurement system,
  • a materials printer and printed circuit board milling machine for fabricating conformal antennas and
  • wireless protocol conformance testing equipment from Aeroflex.

The lab is also equipped with network analyzers, high speed signal generators, oscilloscopes, and spectrum analyzers as well as several Zigbee development platforms for rapidly prototyping sensor networks.

DWSL personnel also collaborate to create wearable, fabric based transceivers through collaboration with the Shima Seiki Haute Laboratory in the Drexel ExCITe Center.The knitting equipment at Drexel includes sixteen SDS-ONE APEX3 workstations and four state-of-the-art knitting machines. The workstations accurately simulate fabric construction and provide researchers and designers the opportunity to program, create and simulate textile prototypes, import CAD specifications of final products, and produce made-to-measure or mass-produced pieces on Shima Seiki knitting machines.For testing smart textiles for biomedical, DWSL personnel also have collaborators in the Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Simulation and Practice (CICSP) in the Drexel College of Medicine which provides access to medical mannequin simulators.

Ecological and Evolutionary Signal-processing and Informatics Laboratory

The Ecological and Evolutionary Signal-processing and Informatics Laboratory (EESI) seeks to solve problems in high-throughput genomics and engineer better solutions for biochemical applications. The lab's primary thrust is to enhance the use of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies with pattern recognition and signal processing techniques. Applications include assessing the organism content of an environmental sample, recognizing/classifying potential and functional genes, inferring environmental factors and inter-species relationships, and inferring microbial evolutionary relationships from short-read DNA/RNA fragments. The lab also investigates higher-level biological systems such as modeling and controlling chemotaxis, the movement of cells.

Electric Power Engineering Center

This newly established facility makes possible state-of-the-art research in a wide variety of areas, ranging from detailed theoretical model study to experimental investigation in its high voltage laboratories. The mission is to advance and apply scientific and engineering knowledge associated with the generation, transmission, distribution, use, and conservation of electric power. In pursuing these goals, this center works with electric utilities, state and federal agencies, private industries, nonprofit organizations and other universities on a wide spectrum of projects. Research efforts, both theoretical and experimental, focus on the solution of those problems currently faced by the electric power industry. Advanced concepts for electric power generation are also under investigation to ensure that electric power needs will be met at the present and in the future.

Electronic Design Automation Facility

Industrial-grade electronic design automation software suite and integrated design environment for digital, analog and mixed-signal systems development. Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development hardware. Most up-to-date FPGA/embedded system development hardware kits. Printed circuit board production facility. Also see Drexel VLSI Laboratory.

Microwave-Photonics Device Laboratories

The laboratory is equipped with test and measurement equipment for high-speed analog and digital electronics and fiber optic systems. The test equipment includes network analyzers from Agilent (100kHz- 1.3 GHz and 45 Mhz-40 GHz), and Anritsu (45 MHz-6 GHz); spectrum analyzers from Tektronix, HP, and Agilent with measurement capability of DC to 40 GHz and up to 90 GHz using external mixers; signal generators and communication channel modulators from HP, Rhode-Schwartz, Systron Donner, and Agilent; microwave power meter and sensor heads, assortment of passive and active microwave components up to 40 GHz ; data pattern generator and BER tester up to 3Gb/s; optical spectrum analyzer from Anritsu and power meters from HP; single and multimode fiber optic based optical transmitter and receiver boards covering ITU channels at data rates up to 10Gb/s; passive optical components such as isolator, filter, couplers, optical connectors and fusion splicer; LPKF milling machine for fabrication of printed circuit boards; wire-bonding and Cascade probe stations; Intercontinental test fixtures for testing of MMIC circuits and solid-state transistors; state-of-the-art microwave and electromagnetic CAD packages such as Agilent ADS, ANSYS HFSS, and COMSOL multi-physics module.

Music and Entertainment Technology Laboratory

The Music and Entertainment Technology Laboratory (MET-lab) is devoted to research in digital media technologies that will shape the future of entertainment, especially in the areas of sound and music. We employ digital signal processing and machine learning to pursue novel applications in music information retrieval, music production and processing technology, and new music interfaces. The MET-lab is also heavily involved in outreach programs for K-12 students and hosts the Summer Music Technology program, a one-week learning experience for high school students. Lab facilities include a sound isolation booth for audio and music recording, a digital audio workstation running ProTools, two large multi-touch display interfaces of our own design, and a small computing cluster for distributed processing.

NanoPhotonics Laboratory

Our research is primarily in the area of nanophotonics with a focus on the nanoscale interaction of light with matter. Interests include: liquid crystal/polymer composites for gratings, lenses and HOEs; liquid crystal interactions with surfaces and in confined nanospaces; alternative energy generation through novel photon interactions; ink-jet printed conducting materials for RF and photonic applications; and the creation and development of smart textiles technologies including soft interconnects, sensors, and wireless implementations.

Opto-Electro-Mechanical Laboratory

This lab concentrates on the system integration on optics, electronics, and mechanical components and systems, for applications in imaging, communication, and biomedical research. Research areas include: Programmable Imaging with Optical Micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS), in which microscopic mirrors are used to image light into a single photodetector; Pre-Cancerous Detection using White Light Spectroscopy, which performs a cellular size analysis of nuclei in tissue; Free-space Optical Communication using Space Time Coding, which consists of diffused light for computer-to-computer communications, and also tiny lasers and detectors for chip-to-chip communication; Magnetic Particle Locomotion, which showed that particles could swim in a uniform field; and Transparent Antennas using Polymer, which enables antennas to be printed through an ink-jet printer.

Plasma and Magnetics Laboratory

Research is focused on applications of electrical and magnetic technologies to biology and medicine. This includes the subjects of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma for medicine, magnetic manipulation of particles for drug delivery and bio-separation, development of miniature NMR sensors for cellular imaging and carbon nanotube cellular probes.

Power Electronics Research Laboratory

The Power Electronics Research Laboratory (PERL) is involved in circuit and design simulation, device modeling and simulation, and experimental testing and fabrication of power electronic circuits. The research and development activities include electrical terminations, power quality, solar photovoltaic systems, GTO modeling, protection and relay coordination, and solid-state circuit breakers. The analysis tools include EMPT, SPICE, and others, which have been modified to incorporate models of such controllable solid-state switches as SCRs, GTOs, and MOSFETs. These programs have a wide variety and range of modeling capabilities used to model electromagnetics and electromechanical transients ranging from microseconds to seconds in duration. The PERL is a fully equipped laboratory with 42 kVA AC and 70 kVA DC power sources and data acquisition systems, which have the ability to display and store data for detailed analysis. Some of the equipment available is a distribution and HV transformer and three phase rectifiers for power sources and digital oscilloscopes for data measuring and experimental analysis. Some of the recent studies performed by the PERL include static VAR compensators, power quality of motor controllers, solid-state circuit breakers, and power device modeling which have been supported by PECO, GE, Gould, and EPRI.

Testbed for Power-Performance Management of Enterprise Computing Systems

This computing testbed is used to validate techniques and algorithms aimed at managing the performance and power consumption of enterprise computing systems. The testbed comprises a rack of Dell 2950 and Dell 1950 PowerEdge servers, as well as assorted desktop machines, networked via a gigabit switch. Virtualization of this cluster is enabled by VMWare's ESX Server running the Linux RedHat kernel. It also comprises of a rack of ten Apple Xserve machines networked via a gigabit switch. These servers run the OS X Leopard operating systems and have access to a RAID with TBs of total disk capacity.

Program Level Outcomes

  • Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  • 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
  • Communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  • 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
  • Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  • Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  • Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Electrical Engineering Faculty

Tom Chmielewski, PhD (Drexel University). Teaching Professor. Modeling and simulation of electro-mechanical systems; optimal, adaptive and non-linear control; DC motor control; system identification; kalman filters (smoothing algorithms, tracking); image processing; robot design; biometric technology and design of embedded systems for control applications utilizing MATLAB and SIMULINK
Fernand Cohen, PhD (Brown University). Professor. Surface modeling; tissue characterization and modeling; face modeling; recognition and tracking.
Andrew Cohen, PhD (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). Associate Professor. Image processing; multi-target tracking; statistical pattern recognition and machine learning; algorithmic information theory; 5-D visualization
Kapil Dandekar, PhD (University of Texas-Austin) Director of the Drexel Wireless Systems Laboratory (DWSL); Associate Dean of Research, College of Engineering. Professor. Cellular/mobile communications and wireless LAN; smart antenna/MIMO for wireless communications; applied computational electromagnetics; microwave antenna and receiver development; free space optical communication; ultrasonic communication; sensor networks for homeland security; ultrawideband communication.
Afshin Daryoush, ScD (Drexel University). Professor. Digital and microwave photonics; nonlinear microwave circuits; RFIC; medical imaging.
Anup Das, PhD (Universit of Singapore). Assistant Professor. Design of algorithms for neuromorphic computing, particularly using spiking neural networks, dataflow-based design of neuromorphic computing system, design of scalable computing system; hardware-software co-design and management, and thermal and power management of many-core embedded systems
Bruce A. Eisenstein, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Arthur J. Rowland Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Pattern recognition; estimation; decision theory.
Adam K. Fontecchio, PhD (Brown University) Director, Center for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning Excellence (CASTLE). Professor. Electro-optics; remote sensing; active optical elements; liquid crystal devices.
Gary Friedman, PhD (University of Maryland-College Park) Associate Department Head for Graduate Affairs. Professor. Biological and biomedical applications of nanoscale magnetic systems.
Allon Guez, PhD (University of Florida). Professor. Intelligent control systems; robotics, biomedical, automation and manufacturing; business systems engineering.
Leonid Hrebien, PhD (Drexel University). Professor. Tissue excitability; acceleration effects on physiology; bioinformatics.
Nagarajan Kandasamy, PhD (University of Michigan) Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Affairs. Associate Professor. Embedded systems, self-managing systems, reliable and fault-tolerant computing, distributed systems, computer architecture, and testing and verification of digital systems.
Youngmoo Kim, PhD (MIT) Director, Expressive and Creative Interactive Technologies (ExCITe) Center. Professor. Audio and music signal processing, voice analysis and synthesis, music information retrieval, machine learning.
Fei Lu, PhD (University of Michigan). Assistant Professor. Power electronics; wireless power transfer technology for the high-power electric vehicles and the low-power electronic devices.
Karen Miu, PhD (Cornell University). Professor. Power systems; distribution networks; distribution automation; optimization; system analysis.
Bahram Nabet, PhD (University of Washington). Professor. Optoelectronics; fabrication and modeling; fiber optic devices; nanoelectronics; nanowires.
Prawat Nagvajara, PhD (Boston University). Associate Professor. System on a chip; embedded systems; power grid computation; testing of computer hardware; fault-tolerant computing; VLSI systems; error control coding.
Dagmar Niebur, PhD (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). Associate Professor. Intelligent systems; dynamical systems; power system monitoring and control.
Christopher Peters, PhD (University of Michigan). Teaching Professor. Nuclear reactor design; ionizing radiation detection; nuclear forensics; power plant reliability and risk analysis; naval/marine power and propulsion; directed energy/high power microwaves; nonstationary signal processing; radar; electronic survivability/susceptibility to harsh environments; electronic warfare
Gail L. Rosen, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology). Associate Professor. Signal processing, signal processing for biological analysis and modeling, bio-inspired designs, source localization and tracking.
Ioannis Savidis, PhD (University of Rochester). Associate Professor. Analysis, modeling, and design methodologies for high performance digital and mixed-signal integrated circuits; Emerging integrated circuit technologies; Electrical and thermal modeling and characterization, signal and power integrity, and power and clock delivery for 3-D IC technologies
Kevin J. Scoles, PhD (Dartmouth College) Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs. Associate Professor. Microelectronics; electric vehicles; solar energy; biomedical electronics.
Harish Sethu, PhD (Lehigh University). Associate Professor. Protocols, architectures and algorithms in computer networks; computer security; mobile ad hoc networks; large-scale complex adaptive networks and systems.
James Shackleford, PhD (Drexel University). Associate Professor. Medical image processing, high performance computing, embedded systems, computer vision, machine learning
P. Mohana Shankar, PhD (Indian Institute of Technology) Allen Rothwarf Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Professor. Wireless communications; biomedical ultrasonics; fiberoptic bio-sensors.
Jonathan E. Spanier, PhD (Columbia University) Department Head, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics. Professor. Light-matter interactions in electronic materials, including ferroelectric semiconductors, complex oxide thin film science; laser spectroscopy, including Raman scattering.
Matthew Stamm, PhD (University of Maryland, College Park). Associate Professor. Information Security; multimedia forensics and anti-forensics; information verification; adversarial dynamics; signal processing
Baris Taskin, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Professor. Very large-scal integration (VLSI) systems, computer architecture, circuits and systems, electronic design automation (EDA), energy efficient computing.
John Walsh, PhD (Cornell University). Associate Professor. Bounding the region of entropic vectors and its implications for the limits of communication networks, big data distributed storage systems, and graphical model based machine learning; efficient computation and analysis of rate regions for network coding and distributed storage; code construction, polyhedral computation, hierarchy, and symmetry
Steven Weber, PhD (University of Texas-Austin) Department Head. Professor. Mathematical modeling of computer and communication networks, specifically streaming multimedia and ad hoc networks.
Jaudelice de Oliveira, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology). Associate Professor. Software-defined networking; social and economic networks; network security; design and analysis of protocols, algorithms and architectures in computer networks, particularly solutions for the Internet of Things

Emeritus Faculty

Eli Fromm, PhD (Jefferson Medical College). Professor Emeritus. Engineering education; academic research policy; bioinstrumentation; physiologic systems.
Edwin L. Gerber, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Professor Emeritus. Computerized instruments and measurements; undergraduate engineering education.