Frequently Asked Questions

• What classes should I take in high school to prepare for studying Electrical or Computer Engineering?
  
  
• What are the admission requirements for the University?
  
  
• What are the admission requirements for the College of Engineering?
  
  
• What are the admission requirements for the ECE department?
  
  
• What classes should I take my first year at USU if I want to study Electrical Engineering?
  
  
• What classes should I take my first year at USU if I want to study Computer Engineering?
  
  
• What degrees are offered through the department?
  
  
• What are the objectives of the department?
  
  
• What carreer opportunities are available when I graduate?
  
  
• All other questions
  

What classes should I take in high school to prepare for studying Electrical or Computer Engineering?

Students interested in any field of engineering should take two or three years of algebra, pre-calculus (including trigonometry), and calculus if possible. Four years of English and courses in computer programming, physics, and chemistry are also recommended. If the suggested mathematics courses are not taken in high school, they must be taken in college prior to starting calculus.

What are the admission requirements for the University?

For information about Utah State University's current admission requirements, please go to the Undergraduate Admissions website.

What are the admission requirements for the College of Engineering?

In addition to the policies of the University concerning admission of students, the following regulations apply to the College of Engineering:

1. Transfer students from other colleges or universities will be referred to the College of Engineering Admission Committee for evaluation. Criteria considered in admission decisions for transfer students include resources available in the requested department and the transfer GPA, along with an evaluation of the program of the former college or university.


2. 2. Students registered on campus (including General Studies), must be approved by the Engineering Admission Committee before transferring to the College of Engineering. Students in this category must have demonstrated, by courses taken at USU, a potential to succeed in the major of their choice.

What are the admission requirements for the ECE department?

Admission requirements for students desiring to major in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering are the same as those governing admission to the College of Engineering, except that students must also be “calculus ready.” That is, they must: (1) achieve a score of 27 or higher on the Math ACT test; (2) completeMATH1050 and 1060 orMATH1210; or (3) achieve anAPscore of at least 3 on the AB Calculus or BC Calculus test.

What classes should I take my first year at USU if I want to study Electrical Engineering?

Following is the schedule of required coursework for the Lower-Division "Pre-professional" Program in Electrical Engineering.

What classes should I take my first year at USU if I want to study Computer Engineering?

Following is the schedule of required coursework for the Lower-Division "Pre-professional" Program in Computer Engineering.

What degrees are offered through the department?

For Electrical Engineering, the department currently offers the following degrees:

• Bachelor of Science (BS)
• Master of Science (MS)
• Master of Engineering (ME)
• Electrical Engineer (EE)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

For Computer Engineering, the department currently offers the following degrees:

• Bachelor of Science (BS)
• Master of Science (MS)

What are the objectives of the department?

Electrical Engineering Objectives
The Electrical Engineering program is dedicated to producing engineers who:

1. Contribute to engineering practice, advance engineering knowledge, and contribute to the good of society
2. Advance their education in engineering or other professions
3. Take a leadership role in engineering and society.

Computer Engineering Objectives The Computer Engineering program is dedicated to producing engineers who:

1. Apply fundamental principles to solve practical engineering problems
2. Continually engage in professional, personal, and community development
3. Implement well-planned top-down designs of complex systems
4. Function well as team members and interact well with other professionals and nonengineers.

What carreer opportunities are available when I graduate?

Electrical and computer engineers design, analyze, program, and supervise the production and manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as computers, computer peripherals, CD-players, televisions, radios, cell phones, radar, test equipment, and many other products used in modern society. They contribute in important ways to transportation industries (automotive and aeronautical), the computer industry, and national defense. Engineers are also employed in technical sales and support positions for business and scientific equipment. Many engineers work for private industry, or form their own companies. Others work for large corporations, such as Micron, IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Novell, Agilent, and Hewlett-Packard.

Engineering also forms a strong foundation for graduate studies in other areas, such as bioengineering, law, business, or (with additional courses in biology and chemistry) medicine.

The job placement rate for students graduating from USU’s electrical and computer engineering programs is nearly 100 percent.

All other questions...

For answers to all other questions, email info@ece.usu.edu