Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering with focus in Electronics and Communications

Consistent with the mission of the university, the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) program at Sonoma State strives 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 experience to prepare them to pursue lifelong learning, advanced study, leadership roles in business and community.

The BSEE program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). It is an innovative program in which the curriculum has been designed to provide students with education in electrical engineering with electronics and communications.

The BSEE curriculum consists of 90 units of major courses in electrical engineering, programming, mathematics, physics, and life sciences and 30 units of general education courses. A 58-unit electrical engineering core includes courses in electrical, computer, electronics, and communications engineering such as circuits, analog/digital electronics, electromagnetic fields, microprocessors, analog and digital communications, and networking, as well as electives in emerging fields such as radio frequency (RF) communication, robotics and computer vision, internet-of-things, field programmable gate array (FPGA), artificial intelligence, semiconductors, antennas, and a capstone project. Upper-level electives allow students to delve more deeply into their areas of interest. Theoretical and practical learning experiences are essential components of any course. The senior-year capstone project gives students the opportunity to consolidate their educational experiences. The curriculum develops students' ability to formulate problems, analyze alternatives, make decisions, and solve problems. Internships and research are encouraged to provide students with real-world experience and enhance their communication and interpersonal skills. A 31-unit basic science core consists of courses in mathematics, physics, and life sciences and has a 3-unit overlap with the electrical engineering core. A 48-unit general education curriculum, of which 18 units are satisfied in the major, includes courses in communication, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, quantitative reasoning, arts, humanities, social sciences, life-long learning, self-development, and ethnic studies.

BSEE Program Educational Objectives

The program produces BSEE graduates who

  1. Design creative solutions to electrical engineering problems.
  2. Demonstrate professional ethics.
  3. Connect to their community and contribute to society.
  4. Value lifelong learning and self-improvement as demonstrated by taking part in professional development opportunities.
  5. Lead and build teams.

Student Outcomes

The students will attain:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

The following table summurizes the mapping between the Students Outcomes (SOs) and Program Educational Outcomes (PEOs).

  SO #1 SO #2 SO #3 SO #4 SO #5 SO #6 SO #7
PEO #1 X X     X X X
PEO #2   X X X      
PEO #3   X X X      
PEO #4 X X X X X X X
PEO #5   X X   X   X

Career Paths and Opportunities

The BSEE program prepares students for exciting careers in industry and for graduate school. The graduates will find opportunities in industries such as:

  1. Technology;
  2. Hardware and Software;
  3. Communication;
  4. Computer;
  5. Robotics and Automation;
  6. Aerospace and Defense;
  7. Automotive; and
  8. Integrated Circuits.

An electrical engineer's job duties can include research and development, designing, testing, sales, marketing, and management. Some examples of job titles are: electrical engineer, hardware engineer, software engineer, computer engineer, design engineer, test engineer, validation engineer, application engineer, field engineer, system engineer, network engineer, project engineer, system analyst, network analyst, project analyst, and project manager.

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

Enrollment

The figure below shows the total Fall term enrollment of EE majors and minors.

The figure below shows the BSEE degrees awarded by academic year (fall and spring combined).