University of illinois urbana champaign electrical engineering

What is Electrical Engineering?

Electrical Engineering is a major within the Department of Engineering. The major involves technology in all aspects of life, whether it's wires, devices, space, the human body, or other mediums. It has applications in electrical power, communications, information technology, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. This major may be for you if you enjoy tinkering and dream of making something new.

Career Options

• Communications and wireless networks
• Electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing
• Lasers, biomedical sensing and probing, and acoustics
• Nanotechnology and quantum devices
• Networking and information security
• Operating systems and software
• Robotics and control systems
• Semiconductor materials and integrated circuits
• Signal, image, and speech processing

Post-Graduation Success1

90% employed or continuing education

57% employed after graduation

33% attending graduate school

$70,183 average starting annual income

Sample employer destinations: Texas Instruments, Northrop Grumman, Intel View All

Sample grad school destinations: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Stanford University, University of California, San Diego View All

The curriculum sequence mapped below is a sample sequence, as all Grainger Engineering students work with a department academic advisor to achieve their educational goals, specific to their needs and preparation. Before reviewing the maps below, students should find their effective Academic Catalog Year. When clicking any links referenced in the maps below that take students to the Academic Catalog Year pages, they should be mindful of which Academic Catalog year is displayed.

Academic Catalog Year 2022-2023

Static version of curriculum map available here. Departmental curriculum map available here.

• Course prerequisite chain
• Immediate prerequisite
• Credit or concurrent registration required
• Concurrent registration required
• Postrequisite course sequence

Notes

Before reviewing the links, students should find their effective Academic Catalog Year. When clicking any links referenced below that take students to the Academic Catalog Year pages, they should be mindful of which Academic Catalog year is displayed.

1. MATH 220 may be substituted. MATH 220 is appropriate for students with no background in calculus. 4 of 5 credit hours count towards degree.
2. RHET 105 (or an alternative Composition I sequence) is taken either in the first or second semester of the first year, according to the student's UIN (Spring if UIN is Odd). General Education Elective is taken the other semester. Composition I guidelines can be found at Degree andGeneral Education Requirements under Written Communication Requirement. 
3. External transfer students take ENG 300.
4. Additional coursework, subject to the Grainger College of Engineering restrictions to Free Electives, so that there are at least 128 credit hours earned toward the degree.
5. General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements including the campus general education language requirement. ECE 445 or combination of ECE 496 & ECE 499 satisfies a technical core requirement and the Campus General Education Advanced Composition requirement.
6. MATH 416 may be taken instead.
7. Technical Elective credits totaling 31 hours, selected from dept approved list.
8. STAT 410 may be substituted.
9. Combination of ECE 496 and ECE 499 may be substituted.

Electrical Engineering is a major within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The major involves technology found in all aspects of life, whether it's wires, devices, space, the human body, or other mediums. It has applications in electrical power, communications, information technology, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. This major may be for you if you enjoy tinkering and dream of making something new.

Career options include communications and wireless networks, electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing; lasers, biomedical sensing and probing, and acoustics; nanotechnology and quantum devices; networking and information security; operating systems and software; robotics and control systems; semiconductor materials and integrated circuits; and signal, image, and speech processing.

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Highlights

• Our electrical engineering program is ranked #7 by U.S. News & World Report.
• 84% of students reported having an internship or co-op during their degree program.
• 89% of students reported securing their first choice destination upon graduation.
• The average starting salary for an electrical engineering graduate is $80,296 with a median signing bonus of $5,000.

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Your path to Grainger Engineering starts with connecting your passion and interests with the opportunities available in one of our 15 top-ranked major programs. Explore your options and gather the information you need to take the next step and apply.

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What You'll Study

You will take courses that stress the fundamental electrical engineering concepts and basic laboratory techniques that encompass the common intellectual understanding of the field. As an electrical engineering student you gain first-hand experience in the activities of a professional electrical engineer. This means you are better able to make the important decision as to whether you have chosen the major best suited to you.

The rich set of ECE elective courses permits you to select from collections of courses in the seven areas of electrical and computer engineering: bioengineering, acoustics, and magnetic resonance engineering; circuits and signal processing; communication and control; computer engineering; electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing; microelectronics and quantum electronics; power and energy systems. Your involvement in the electrical engineering discipline increases during each year of the program.

View Curriculum Map

Research Areas

• Biomedical Imaging, Bioengineering, and Acoustics
• Circuits
• Communications and Control
• Computing Systems Hardware and Software
• Data Science and Signal Processing
• Electromagnetics, Optics, and Remote Sensing
• Microelectronics and Photonics
• Nanotechnology
• Networking and Distributed Computing
• Power and Energy Systems
• Reliable and Secure Computing Systems

Minor in Computer Science

The CS Minor is offered for students seeking significant knowledge of digital computing without the more complete treatment of a major in computer science. This minor may be taken by any student except majors in the Computer Science degree programs and in Computer Engineering.

Learn more about the CS Minor

• Experiences

• Experiences

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• Communities
• Women

Post-Graduation Success

The electrical engineering curriculum prepares you to develop innovations that will define the future of our industry. Graduates pursue careers in communications and wireless network, electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing, lasers, biomedical sensing and probing, and acoustics, nanotechnology and quantum devices, networking and information security, operating systems and software, robotics and control systems, semiconductor materials and integrated circuits,signal, image, and speech processing.

The average salary between 2020-21 for electrical engineering graduates was reported as $80,296 with a median signing bonus of $5,000.

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89%
employed or continuing education

47%
employed after graduation

42%
attending graduate school

$80,296
average starting annual income

Sample employer destinations: Texas Instruments, Northrop Grumman, Intel View All

Sample grad school destinations: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Stanford University, University of California, San Diego View All

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Applying to The Grainger College of Engineering opens the door to your future as a successful engineer. Get started by scheduling a visit, requesting information, or submitting your application.

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