Engineering teaches students to apply engineering methods for solving professional problems. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Clarkson University offers three ABET-accredited programs. In addition to the electrical engineering undergraduate bachelor's degree program, the department administers computer and software engineering programs.
 
The electrical engineering program delivers a curriculum in core areas such as electrical circuits, digital circuit design, embedded systems, computer programming, energy systems, system and signal processing, power systems, dynamical systems, microelectronics, electromagnetics, etc. Thus, as an electrical engineering major, students will have the opportunity to select elective courses in Electronics, Power, Signal processing and communications, control and robotics, computer hardware and software, and biomedical and rehabilitation engineering.
  
Our team-based, collaborative approach encourages students to apply knowledge and skills to solve practical, real-world problems. Teamwork and leadership skills, creative problem-solving, research and analysis, and evidence-based problem-solving, combined with Clarkson's common education, provide a strong foundation for a successful career.

Dedicated faculty and staff encourage technology development to serve humanity and express that mission throughout our electrical engineering undergraduate bachelor's degree program. In addition, an extensive community of undergraduate students, graduate students, full-time faculty members, and more than 5,800 alumni makes the electrical engineering program a great choice.

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Electrical Engineering Careers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has consistently ranked electrical engineers near the top of its job list for many years. There are strong demands for electrical engineers in all sectors of the economy, such as: 

  • energy and power
  • automotive industries
  • aviation
  • embedded systems
  • telecommunication 
  • defense
  • social media
  • entertainment

Almost all organizations require some form of electrical engineering to support their business. According to PayScale, the average electrical engineer's salary is nearly $78,000. Our electrical engineering majors have gone on to work at companies such as:

  • BAE Systems
  • Burns & McDonnell
  • EPIC Systems
  • Eversource Energy
  • General Dynamics Electric Boat
  • GlobalFoundries
  • IBM
  • Johnson Controls
  • Lockheed Martin
  • National Grid
  • POWER Engineers
  • Pro Unlimited
  • Schneider Electric.

Electrical engineering majors have also pursued graduate degrees at institutions like Syracuse University, University of Michigan, and University of Rochester. Clarkson also offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering.  

Electrical engineering student Lexington Stoyell talks about the myriad opportunities she's had available to her at Clarkson, from professional experiences to study abroad opportunities and more. 

Clarkson University Class of 2020 100 percent placement rating

Electrical Engineering Curriculum & Academic Options

Major in Electrical Engineering

At Clarkson, the classroom is just the beginning of your experience. The student may choose to get involved in research, study abroad, take on extracurricular project work, or participate in professional development activities. Electrical engineering majors take courses such as:

  • Intro to Programming and Software Design
  • Intro to Digital design
  • Object-Oriented Languages
  • Embedded Systems
  • Systems and Signal Processing
  • Fundamentals of Software Engineering
  • Advanced Digital Circuit Design
  • Software System Architecture
  • Power Systems Engineering
  • Microelectronics
  • Systems and Signal Processing
  • Computer and Network Security
  • Software Design for Visual Environments
  • Intro to Biometrics
  • Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
  • High-Voltage Techniques and Measurements
  • Alternate Energy Systems
Electrical Engineering Major Curriculum

The 120 credit-hour electrical engineering program consists of 39 credit hours in engineering, 6 credit hours in engineering science or science elective, and 15 credits of engineering area electives. The rest of the credit hours are in basic & engineering sciences, mathematics, and Humanities, and Liberal studies courses, and six credit hours are in free electives.

Electrical Engineering Checklist

All courses are 3 credits unless noted.

Clarkson Common Experience

The following courses are required for all students, irrespective of their program of study. These courses are offered during the fall semester, with FY100 First-Year Seminar being required of only first-year students. Both FY100 and UNIV190 are typically taken during the fall semester of the first year at Clarkson.
FY100 First-Year Seminar (1 credit)
UNIV190 The Clarkson Seminar (3 credits)

Common First Year Courses

Students must complete the following courses in their first year:

  • CM131 General Chemistry I (4 credits)
  • CS141 Introduction to Computer Science (4 credits)
  • ES100 Introduction to Engineering Use of the Computer (2 credits)
  • ES110 Engineering & Society 
  • FY100  Transitions (1 credit)
  • MA131 Calculus I 
  • MA132 Calculus II 
  • PH131 Physics I (4 credits)
  • PH132 Physics II (4 credits)
  • UNIV190 Clarkson Seminar
Core Requirements

Students are required to complete the following courses:

  • CS141 Intro to Comp Science
  • ES250 Engineering Science
  • EE211 ECE Laboratory I 
  • EE221 Linear Circuits 
  • EE260 Embedded Systems 
  • EE262 Intro to Object-Oriented Programming and Software Design
  • EE264 Introduction to Digital Design 
  • EE311 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II 
  • EE321 Systems & Signal Processing 
  • EE324 Dynamical Systems 
  • EE331 Energy Conversion 
  • EE341 Microelectronics 
  • EE381 Electromagnetic Fields & Waves
  • EE412 Senior Design 

Professional Experience
Other required mathematics courses are:

  • MA231 Calculus III 
  • MA232 Elementary Differential Equations 
  • STAT383 Probability & Statistics, or STAT389 Multivariate probability and statistics
Electrical Engineering Electives

Students must complete the following courses:

Area Electives

Students must take 5 E.E. courses 300-level or above. BR400 can substitute an E.E. course.

Additional Electives

Students are also required to take one Math Elective outside of the Core Requirements, one Engineering Science Elective, and one Engineering Science or Science Elective. 

Knowledge Area/University Course Electives

Students will have at least 15 credit hours available toward Knowledge Area and/or University Course electives to satisfy the Clarkson Common Experience requirements.

Free Electives

Students will have approximately 6 credit hours available to use toward courses of their choice.

Relevant Minors & Concentrations

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering also offers a minor in electrical engineering for all Clarkson students. Students majoring in electrical engineering have several relevant minors and concentrations to choose from, including a minor in Robotics and a concentration in Power Engineering. 

All Clarkson Minors, Concentrations and Tracks

Robotics Minor

The minor in Robotics is designed to provide students with a solid and coherent introduction to the field and consists of two parts: four required core courses (9 credit hours) to give students a strong, working foundation in the associated technology and three elective courses (9 credit hours) that allow students to explore various sub-areas within the field or specialize more deeply in one area. 

 

What is Robotics?

Robotics is an interdisciplinary field that involves the application of mechanical engineering, electrical, computer and software engineering, and computer science knowledge for the design, construction and operation of automated machines that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behavior, and/or cognition. 

Commercial and industrial robots are now in widespread use performing jobs more cheaply or with greater accuracy and reliability than humans, or that are too dirty, dangerous or dull to be suitable for humans, e.g., in manufacturing, assembly and packing, transport, earth and space exploration, surgery, weaponry, laboratory research, and the mass production of consumer and industrial goods. 

 

Robotics Core Courses

To graduate with a minor in Robotics, students must earn an average GPA of 2.0 in six courses (18 credit hours).

  • MA339 - Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits) OR MA330 - Advanced Engineering Mathematics (3 credits)
  • EE455 - Introduction to Mobile Robotics (3 credits)
  • EE456 - Introduction to Robot Manipulators (3 credits)
  • MP414 - Applied Robotics or equivalent robotics project experience (0 credits)

 

Robotics Elective Courses

With elective courses, some course substitutions are possible - a list of acceptable substitutions will be maintained by the Coulter School of Engineering in conjunction with the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering department, the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, and the Computer Science department and updated annually. 

Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • EE260 - Embedded Systems
  • EE401 - Digital Signal Processing
  • EE408 - Software Design For Visual Environments
  • EE446 - Instrumentation
  • EE450 - Control Systems
  • EE451 - Digital Control
  • EE452 - Optimization Techniques in Engineering
  • EE465 - Computer Graphics
  • EE506 - Image Processing and Computer Vision
  • EE652 - Computer Vision

Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering

  • ME385 - Design of Electromechanical Systems
  • ME443 - Optimal Engineering
  • ME444 - Computer Aided Engineering
  • ME450 - Control Systems

Computer Science

  • CS449 - Computational Learning
  • CS451 - Artificial Intelligence
  • CS452 - Computer Graphics
  • CS459 - Human-Computer Interaction
  • CS461 - Mixed Reality
  • CS465 - Mobile Robotics/Human-Robot Interaction
  • CS652 - Computer Vision
Biomedical Engineering Minor

As various fields of medicine and healthcare increasingly depend upon advances in technology, graduates who possess combined expertise in biomedical engineering principles and knowledge of biological sciences at all levels will be in high demand. The minor in biomedical engineering enhances opportunities for you to meet this need while you graduate with a traditional engineering degree.

The biomedical engineering minor is just one of the examples addressing the Coulter School of Engineering’s motto, “Technology Serving Humanity.”

All courses are 3 credits unless noted.

 

About the Biomedical Engineering Minor

Engineers with skills that integrate engineering principles with an understanding of the human physical and psychosocial characteristics are in increasing demand. The minor in biomedical engineering meets this need. Combining a traditional engineering degree with this minor is an attractive opportunity for engineering students who have a strong desire to use their talents to improve the quality of life for people with medical conditions or disabilities.

The biomedical engineering minor is connected closely with the minor in biomedical science and technology. Students from both minors participate in shared core courses along with a multidisciplinary capstone design course. Students can take only one of the two minors (not both).

 

Biomedical Engineering Core Requirements

Students are required to complete the following courses:

Physiology/Anatomy

  • BY471 Anatomy and Physiology I
  • and BY473 Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory
  • or BY472 Anatomy and Physiology II
  • and BY474 Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory
  • or BY360 Comparative Physiology
  • and BY362 Comparative Physiology Laboratory
  • BR200 Introduction to Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, Science and Technology
  • BR450 Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Technology Capstone Design I
  • or equivalent engineering design course with a BEST approved project
  • BR400 Biomedical Engineering Fundamental

Mathematics/Science

  • MA131 Calculus I
  • MA132 Calculus II
  • PH131 Physics I
  • PH132 Physics II
  • BY160 Biology II: Cell and Molecular Biology

 

Biomedical Engineering Core Electives

Engineering Depth Elective

Students must complete 1 3-credit course from the approved list of upper-level biomedical engineering related courses.

Breadth Elective

Students must complete 1 3-credit course from the approved list of upper-level biomedically related courses.

Electrical Power Engineering Concentration

Clarkson University offers a professional concentration in electric power engineering to all undergraduate electrical engineering majors through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). As is the case with our majors, this concentration is rooted in traditional engineering principles with an overlay of the latest technology in power systems and theories.

 

Curriculum

Required Courses for Electrical Power Engineering 

  1. EE 331 Energy Conversion
  2. EE 333 Power System Engineering
  3. EE 431 Power Transmission and Distribution
  4. 2 Power elective courses
  5. 1 Breadth elective course

Typical Power Electives

  • EE 430 High Voltage Techniques and Measurements
  • EE 439 Dielectrics
  • EE 438 Alternate Energy Systems
  • ES 340 Thermodynamics
  • Any power engineering graduate course w/dept. approval

Typical Breadth Electives for Electrical Power Engineering 

  • EE 450 Control Systems
  • EE 451 Digital Control
  • EE 401 Digital Signal Processing
  • EE 446 Instrumentation
  • EE 407 Computer Networks
  • EE 365 Advanced Digital Circuit Design

Electives not on these lists must be approved by the ECE Department.

Experiential Learning

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Research

Our computer engineering professors are also active researchers. As a result, rich research opportunities are available for all computer engineering undergraduate majors, including projects sponsored by agencies like the National Science Foundation, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and private companies. In addition, students can work on research projects to gain professional or research experience and as part of the senior capstone design projects.

Internship and Co-op Opportunities

There are a plenty of internship and co-op opportunities from companies, government offices and other organizations available for our electrical engineering majors. Clarkson's Fall and Spring Career Fairs, which bring in nearly 200 companies each, are very effective in helping our students secure such opportunities, often leading to full-time job offers before graduation.

Electrical Engineering Student Clubs

Clarkson electrical engineering students can get involved outside the classroom through over 200 clubs and organizations on campus, including several related to electrical engineering. These include:

  • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
  • Autonomous Robotics Club
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
  • Order of Omega 
  • Power and Energy Society
  • Robotics Living Learning Community
  • Sigma Xi - The Scientific Research Society
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
  • Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)
  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
  • Tau Beta Pi - National Engineering Honor Society
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