Electrical Engineering, B.S.

Consistent with the mission of the University, the mission of the BSEE Program is to prepare students to be learned men and women who are capable of pursuing fulfilling careers in a changing world, and to fulfill the undergraduate technical education needs of the community, business, and industry of the North Bay region. A broader mission is to enable graduating engineers to acquire knowledge and experiences to prepare them to pursue lifelong learning, advanced study, and leadership roles in business and community.

The Electrical Engineering (EE) Program at Sonoma State University is an innovative program in which the curriculum has been designed to provide students with education in electrical engineering with electronics and communications.

The curriculum includes 50 units of General Education courses (9 units overlap with the required Physics, and Mathematics courses and 4 units of ES 210 , GE A3); a 20-unit core in mathematics, computer science, and basic sciences; a 44-unit core in Electrical Engineering which includes electrical, computer, electronics, and communications engineering subjects such as circuits, analog/digital electronics, electromagnetic fields, microprocessors, analog and digital communications, and networking; and 6 units of Electrical Engineering electives which provides senior-level choices for more depth in students’ areas of interest. Theoretical and practical learning experiences are an important part of all course work. The senior year also gives students the opportunity to consolidate their educational experiences with a capstone design project. The curriculum develops students’ abilities to formulate problems, analyze alternatives, make decisions, and solve problems. Internship and co-op experiences will be encouraged to provide the students a real-world experience and to enhance students’ communication and interpersonal skills.

BSEE Educational Objectives

1. Educate and prepare students to be successful in the profession of electrical engineering.
2. Educate students to successfully pursue graduate degrees.
3. Provide a strong foundation to the students for lifelong learning and being responsible citizens.

BSEE Program Outcomes

The students will attain:

1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
3. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
4. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
7. An ability to communicate effectively.
8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
9. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in lifelong learning.
10. A knowledge of contemporary issues.
11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
12. Knowledge of basic sciences, advanced mathematics and engineering and ability to apply that knowledge to analyze and solve practical problems in the field of electronics and communications.
13. Expertise to design and conduct scientific and engineering experiments, analyze data and interpret results.

Career Paths and Opportunities

The BSEE Program has been designed to prepare students for an exciting career in industries or to pursue graduate degrees. The graduates will find opportunities in industry in areas such as:

1. Designing and manufacturing of electronic systems;
2. Communications systems;
3. Networking;
4. Computer engineering;
5. Telecommunications;
6. Optical fiber communications;
7. Integrated circuits;
8. Research and development in the areas above; and/or
9. Sales, marketing, and management in the areas above.

Some examples of the corresponding job titles are electronics engineer, computer engineer, hardware designer, systems engineer, communications engineer, communications analyst, telecommunications engineer, network engineer, network analyst, sales engineer, applications engineer, and field engineer.

Graduate degrees can be pursued in any one of the many fields such as electronics, communications, networking, computer engineering, and computer science.

Program Requirements

	Degree Requirements	Units
	Major requirements (including technical electives)	54 *
	Support courses (physics, computer science, and mathematics)	31 **
	GE courses	37
	Total units needed for graduation	120 **

* 4 units double count in GE units.

** 9 units double count in GE units.