¹ The math/science electives may be satisfied by any course in the Mellon College of Science or Department of Statistics except for: 100-level courses in mathematics or statistics and courses designed for nonscience or engineering majors, such as (but not limited to) 03-132, 09-103, 09-104, 21-240, 21-257, 21-261, 21-350, 33-115, 33-120, 33-124, 33-106, 33-107, 36-200, 36-201, 36-202, 36-203, 36-207, 36-208, 36-209, 36-210, 36-247, 36-309, and 36-310. Mathematics courses of particular interest to students in ECE are: 21-228 (Discrete Mathematics), 21-241 (Matrices and Linear Transformations), 21-259 (Calculus in Three Dimensions), and 21-260 (Differential Equations).

² This course can also be substituted by a combination of two of the following courses: 21-254, 21-259, 21-260, 21-241, 21-242, and 21-268. 

³ Effective Fall 2022. Prior to Fall 2022, 21-127 was 10 units.

⁴ Effective Summer 2023. Prior to Summer 2023, 15-122 was 10 units.

ECE students are required to take the following Core Courses along with their co or prerequisites.

To satisfy the ECE Area Requirements (36 units):

• Two courses (24 units) must be taken from one of the areas
• One additional course from a second area (12 units)

The following topics are the five areas of study within the ECE Department:

• Device Science and Nanofabrication: Solid State Physics, Semiconductors, Electromagnetic Fields and Waves, Magnetics, Optics, etc.
• Signals and Systems: Digital Signal Processing, Communication Systems, Control Systems, Power Systems, etc.
• Circuits: Analog and Digital Circuits, Integrated Circuit Design, etc.
• Hardware Systems: Logic Design, Computer Architecture, etc.
• Software Systems: Programming, Embedded Systems, Data Structures, Compilers, Networks, Operating Systems, etc.

Device Science and Nanofabrication

*This can be subject to change periodically. Last updated August 2, 2024.

Signals and Systems

Note: 18-792, 18-793, and 18-794 satisfy Signals & Systems Area requirements for students who entered the university prior to Fall 2024.

*This can be subject to change periodically. Last updated August 2, 2024.

Circuits

*This can be subject to change periodically. Last updated August 2, 2024.

Hardware Systems

*This can be subject to change periodically. Last updated August 2, 2024.

Software Systems

12 units of a Coverage Requirement are required for the ECE curriculum. Students may use this requirement to further specialize in their main area, or they may use this to explore some of the other areas within the department. Students are also encouraged to pursue undergraduate project units, or research, to fulfill this requirement.

Approved Coverage Courses

All courses offered by the ECE Department with the values 18-300 and higher are approved to count as a Coverage Requirement. You can see the ECE course list on our course list page.

Below are additional courses approved to count for this requirement that are offered outside of the ECE department.

Undergraduate research

Undergraduate ECE students are encouraged to incorporate undergraduate projects in their program. This engineering experience will enhance both their education and resume in pursuit of further education and professional employment. All undergraduate projects conceived to meet the ECE Coverage requirement must be conducted with a faculty member. Should you have any questions, please check with your academic advisor.

Visit the Student Project Tracker guide for more information on our undergraduate research program, including instructions on how to apply online.

This requirement provides students with the opportunity for hands-on experience. Each student must complete at least one of the approved capstone design courses. The capstone design courses are intended to enhance the student's repertoire of professional problem-solving and engineering design skills in the context of realistic engineering situations. In the capstone design courses, students work in teams to formulate a problem, propose an engineering solution or a design in the presence of technical and socioeconomic constraints, and make sound professional judgments among alternative solutions. One course from the following list must be taken (12 units):

For most students, the curriculum above will result in a remainder of 52 units of Free Electives to achieve the 379 required total units.

A Free Elective is defined as any graded course offered by any academic unit of the university. 

Up to 9 units of courses taken as Pass/Fail credit, such as physical education or StuCo courses, may also be used toward meeting the total units requirement.

Substitutions of courses from other high-quality universities may be accepted through submission of the Transfer Credit Request form on the CIT webpage.

The large number of units without categorical constraints provides the student with the flexibility to design a rich educational program.

Combining the ECE degree with a major/minor

ECE students may combine the ECE major with other studies in one of three ways:

1. Earn two undergraduate degrees (dual degrees)
2. Pursue an additional major (one degree, two majors)
3. Augment a degree major with a minor

Combinations are possible with virtually all academic departments. Computer science, biomedical engineering, engineering and public policy, business, economics, foreign language, fine arts, music, and many others have all been paired successfully with the ECE degree. You can see more information on dual degrees, additional majors, or minors in the undergraduate catalog.

Majors and minors available

You can find information on specific programs on their individual websites. Click here to be directed to the list of CMU schools and colleges.

There are a number of additional majors and minors available within the College of Engineering exclusively to engineering students. Engineering and Public Policy and Biomedical Engineering are additional majors available exclusively to other engineering majors within CIT. CIT has a list of minors available only to students within the college as well.

Introduced in 2014, the Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology (IDeATe) network offers students the opportunity to become immersed in a collaborative community of faculty and peers who share expertise, experience, and passion at the intersection of arts and technology. Students will engage in active “learning by doing” in state-of-the-art maker spaces. The program addresses current and emerging real-world challenges that require disciplinary expertise coupled with multidisciplinary perspectives and collaborative integrative approaches. Students who participate in IDeATe will be uniquely able to take a “deep dive” into their chosen discipline while connecting to the diverse areas of knowledge and skill across the university. A student can choose to enroll in an IDeATe concentration (or minor) either in their sophomore or junior year. For more information, please visit the IDeATe website.

There are a number of resources available for you to plan your course schedule. It's recommended that you make at least a tentative course plan well ahead of time, particularly if you are planning on any additional majors or minors, in order to meet your graduation timeline.

The academic advising syllabus has a number of useful tools and resources, and we strongly recommend reviewing this document for tips.

Advising Options

ECE offers a variety of advising support to students. Each student is assigned a staff (primary) and faculty (secondary) advisor to assist them with course planning, career questions, and general academic advice. While you are encouraged to build staff and faculty relationships throughout the department, college, and university, you also have assignments within ECE to assist you.

Your staff advisor is a full-time staff member here to assist you with curriculum questions, course questions, study abroad opportunities, or anything else pertaining to your academics. Your ECE academic advisor is assigned to you once you have declared your ECE major and stays with you through the duration of your academic career in the department. The undergraduate advisor offices are located on the first floor of Hamerschlag Hall.

Your faculty advisor is an ECE faculty member who is also assigned to you for the duration of your time in ECE. Your faculty advisor is an expert in the field and can help you decide what areas within ECE are related to your interests, choose courses, and plan a course timeline within ECE.

Peer Advisors are another great resource. Learn more by following "Meet your Peer Advisors" here!

You can find information about both of your advisor assignments listed in SIO. You can also see more contact details and schedule a meeting here! 

Sample Curriculum

Stellic Academic Audit

The academic audit is a powerful tool to help you stay on track for graduation. As of 2018, CMU has adopted a new audit/schedule planning tool named "Stellic." You can access Stellic by visiting SIO > Course Schedule and clicking the link under "Stellic Degree Audit Application."

Below is a list of frequently asked questions by ECE students. You can scroll through the page, or click on a question in the list below to be directed to that question directly.

What courses count for the math/science elective requirement?

What is Experiential Learning?

How many units do I need to graduate with a BS in ECE?

What is the minimum QPA needed to graduate?

What is the overload policy in ECE?

How do I find research opportunities as an undergraduate student?

What is the difference between my staff and faculty advisor?

How do I schedule an appointment with my advisor?

What is the IMB (Integrated Master's/Bachelor's) program, and how do I apply?

How can I find information on scholarships?

Where can I find information on transferring credit from another university?

Q: What courses count for the math/science elective requirement?

A: The math/science electives may be satisfied by any course in the Mellon College of Science or Department of Statistics except for: 100-level courses in mathematics or statistics and courses designed for nonscience or engineering majors, such as (but not limited to) 09-103, 09-104, 21-240, 21-257, 21-261, 33-115, 33-120, 33-124, 36-201, 36-202, 36-203, 36-207, 36-208, 36-209, 36-210, 36-247, 36-309, and 36-310.

Mathematics courses of particular interest to students in ECE are: 21-228 (Discrete Mathematics), 21-259 (Calculus in Three Dimensions), and 21-260 (Differential Equations).

Q: What is Experiential Learning?

A: You can find information about Experiential Learning on the CIT webpage. Your Experiential Learning advisor and a list of some of the approved events to complete this requirement can be found on the course Blackboard page. Please remember that you must register for Experiential Learning (39-210, 39-220, 39-310) in order to access the Blackboard page and complete the paperwork for this requirement.

Q: How many units do I need to graduate with a BS in ECE?

A: The ECE undergraduate curriculum is 379 units. This includes 143 units of CIT general education electives, 61 units of general technical requirements, 121 units of ECE coursework, and (typically) 54 units of free electives. Up to 9 units of pass/fail or ROTC coursework may be applied to free electives.

Q: What is the minimum QPA needed to graduate?

A: ECE students must have a cumulative, CIT, and ECE QPA of at least 2.0 in order to graduate. Your cumulative QPA consists of all factorable courses you have taken as a student at CMU. Your CIT QPA consists of all factorable courses you have taken at CMU after your first year. Your ECE QPA consists of the 121 units of ECE coursework. Please see your academic advisor if you need clarification on this policy.

Q: What is the overload policy in ECE?

A: All ECE students are permitted to take up to 54 units in a semester. Registering for more than 54 units requires an approved overload. ECE students may not overload in the fall semester of their sophomore year. After that point, ECE students must have attained a cumulative QPA of 3.5 or higher in order to overload (which allows an increase of max units up to 66 units). This means sophomores will need to wait until their fall semester grades are posted and at that time may communicate with their primary academic advisor for approval to overload if eligible.

• Students with a cumulative QPA of less than 3.5 must attain a semester QPA of 3.5 or higher to overload in the following semester, and therefore must wait until after final grades are posted for the semester preceding the one in which they wish to overload.
• Students who transfer into ECE must wait until the grades for their first ECE semester are posted before contacting their primary academic advisor to request an overload.

Please note that overloading is not a recommended strategy--all students should talk through their plans with their academic advisors before overloading.

Q: How do I find research opportunities as an undergraduate student?

A: The best way to find a research opportunity is to visit the Student Project Tracker (SPT) website. ECE students can view, apply, and accept research projects on this website. If students are interested in research that is not already posted on this website, you can reach out to the faculty you are interested in working with directly to have the project posted online.

Q: What is the difference between my academic advisor and my faculty advisor?

A: We have outlined this difference on our website in the Resources for Creating a Course Schedule section.

Q: How do I schedule an appointment with my advisor?

A: To schedule an appointment with your academic advisor, please click the link available in any of the emails from any of the academic advisors, or by following Schedule with an Advisor here. 15- or 30-minute appointments are available most days.

Q: What is the IMB (Integrated Master's/Bachelor's) program, and how do I apply?

A: The Integrated Master's/Bachelor's program (otherwise known as the IMB program) allows students who excel academically to achieve both a bachelor's and master’s degree in ECE through our Professional MS degree program without needing to apply separately. If you are a second-semester junior, have completed 270 units, and have a 3.0 or higher cumulative QPA, you must attend an IMB info session in order to sign up for the program. You can find more information on the IMB page.

Q: How can I find information on scholarships?

A: The CMU Student Financial Aid page has a list of useful links and resources. The CMU Fellowships and Scholarships Office is another helpful resource for students.

Q: Where can I find information on transferring credit from another university?

A: Please refer to the college's information on transferring courses from other universities. If you wish to take ECE major-specific courses at another university, please consult with your academic advisor.