07-08 Undergrad Catalog | Electrical and Computer Engineering

Michael Jensen, Chair
459 CB, (801) 422-4012

Janalyn Mergist, Undergraduate Major Advisor
459 CB (801) 422-4012

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology Advisement Center
264 CB, (801) 422-4325

Admission to Degree Program

The degree programs in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering carry special enrollment limitations. Please see the department or college advisement center for specific details.

The Discipline

Electrical and computer engineers study phenomena, devices, and systems for information processing, communication, and systems control. These studies, grounded primarily in physics and mathematics, have enabled engineers to develop the innovative new technologies for information acquisition, processing, storage, and communication that have made possible our contemporary Age of Information.

Examples of systems developed by electrical and computer engineers include radio, television, radar, satellite communication systems, cellular telephones, laptop computers, fiber-optic communications devices, global and local computer networks, robotic systems, control systems, fax machines, medical image processing, computer modems, lasers, pagers, computer vision, programmable calculators, VLSI chips, computer-aided design tools, and medical instruments.

Although it is the goal of engineering to produce useful objects, electrical and computer engineers typically play a limited role in construction, assembly, or mass production. Instead, they focus on design, analysis, and the development of the underlying theory and knowledge applied in the design process.

Many engineers are involved in designing and developing products, but other electrical and computer engineers may choose to work in product marketing, project management, system calibration and maintenance, product testing, or other areas related to electronic systems.

Computer programming skills and the ability to use advanced design and simulation software packages are vital in electrical as well as computer engineering. As part of their training, electrical engineers become familiar with a variety of programming languages and software environments. This experience is closely coupled to real-world applications.

Career Opportunities

Electrical and computer engineers are among the most actively recruited students graduating from a four-year program. Baccalaureate engineers typically start their careers as members of project teams with one or more of the following responsibilities: designing digital, analog, or opto-electronic circuits; creating or testing application-specific software; testing components or systems; or providing technical support for sales. Later on, many engineers find themselves pursuing managerial careers, starting their own companies, or even managing entrepreneurial funds. Top graduates are also well received by medical schools, law schools, and professional and management programs.

The BS curriculum for both the electrical engineering and computer engineering degrees is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET).

Graduation Requirements

To receive a BYU bachelor's degree a student must complete, in addition to all requirements for a specific major, the following university requirements:

The university core, consisting of requirements in general and religious education. (See the University Core section of this catalog for details. For a complete listing of courses that meet university core requirements, see the current class schedule.)
A minimum of 30 credit hours in residence
A minimum of 120 credit hours
A cumulative GPA of at least 2.0

Undergraduate Programs and Degrees

BS Computer Engineering
BS Electrical Engineering

Students should see their college advisement center or department advisor for help or information concerning the undergraduate programs.

Graduate Programs and Degrees

MS Electrical and Computer Engineering
PhD Electrical and Computer Engineering

For more information see the BYU 2007–2008 Graduate Catalog.

General Information

Preprofessional Program. All students who declare electrical and computer engineering as a major will be designated preprofessional until they submit an application for acceptance to the professional program (available at the college advisement center, 264 CB) and it has been approved by the department's admissions committee. Preprofessional courses must be completed with a B average GPA. Preprofessional students are not allowed to enroll in electrical and computer engineering professional courses.

The status of students who do not enroll in EC En 212 in the semester in which they are admitted or who do not receive a grade of C– or better in EC En 212 reverts to preprofessional. To continue in the program, a student must reapply to the professional program, be reaccepted, and then retake EC En 212. We encourage such students to seek advisement in planning their course schedules, and to discuss ways to better prepare themselves to be successful when retaking EC En 212.

Academic Standards and Continuance. On gaining acceptance into the professional program, students must maintain a minimum university cumulative grade point average of 2.0. Students are required to pass prerequisite courses in the major with a grade of C– or better before taking follow-on courses.

Professional Registration. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department provides the option for graduates to become registered professional engineers. General qualifications for becoming registered are explained in the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology section of this catalog. This status is vital to engineering practice in the public sector and to much consulting work. The basic electrical and computer engineering program outlined in this department prepares graduates to successfully complete the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination. Students who wish to become registered as professional engineers are advised to discuss this matter with an advisor from the department soon after admission to the professional program.