Box 7911, Engineering Building II
NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
919.515.2336

The professions of electrical engineering and computer engineering are concerned with the analysis, design, construction and testing of systems based on electrical phenomena. In contemporary society, electrical methods are used to communicate and store information, control equipment and systems, perform mathematical operations, and convert energy from one form to another. Frequently, two or more of these functions are important in the design of systems such as television, radio, telecommunications, computer, robots and intelligent machines, telemetry systems, solid-state electronics, vehicle safety systems, biomedical devices, environmental controls, electric machinery, and electric power generation and transmission facilities.

Computer engineering is a field in which digital techniques are used in system design. Low-cost solid-state microprocessors and memories permit computers to be widely incorporated in many different types of devices from toys to traffic control systems. To work effectively in this rapidly growing field, the computer engineer must understand both hardware and software techniques and must effectively use both in order to design, build and test complex digital systems. Both the electrical engineering and the computer engineering programs, which lead respectively to the degrees, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.

Program Educational Objectives

Scholarships and Awards

Superior academic performance is recognized within this department in three ways: election of students to membership in the electrical engineering honor society, Eta Kappa Nu; awarding of merit scholarships; and presentation of awards to outstanding seniors. The department has one endowed merit scholarship for rising sophomores, the Eugene C. and Winifred Sakshaug Scholarship, and twenty-nine endowed scholarships which are usually awarded to juniors and seniors: William E. Clark, Elizabeth P. Cockrell, Eugene C. Denton, Virginia Stewart Easter Memorial, Ferrell Family, William and Tipton Gray, John and Ann Hauser, Llewellyn Hewett, William and Carol Highfill, Jessie Reid Holshouser, Jr, Charles Kenneth Little, L. A. Mahler, Robin & Susan Manning, Amelia N. Mitta, Dewey Carr Ogburn Memorial Scholarship, Frank T. Pankotay, Maurice W. Partin, Ronald G. Pendred, Pratt Family, William DeRosset Scott III, E. Chester Seewald, Shruthi Sorra, Sidney White Spencer, Oracle, Fredrick J. Tischer, James and Julia Tommerdahl, Herbert B. Walker, Robert S. Wolf, Simon B. Woolard, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, and William D. Stevenson, Jr., the latter two of which are for students studying electric power systems. The department also from time to time has scholarships provided by industrial organizations such as Duke Energy, Northrup Grumman, Cisco, Lockheed, Sensus and ABB. Academic merit is generally the primary requirement for these awards, but other characteristics, such as demonstrated leadership, may also be specified. In addition, the endowed William M. Cates Scholarship Program provides multiple scholarships for students having documented financial need and high academic performance. These are awarded each fall to juniors, with provision for continuation in the senior year.

Facilities

Many courses are accompanied by coordinated laboratory work and projects. These assignments typically focus on real-world systems and problems and involve computer simulation and analysis, design, development and testing of hardware and software associated with electrical, electronic, and electromechanical systems, circuits, and devices.

Extensive facilities are provided for experimental study of analog and digital circuits, microprocessors, computers, VLSI devices, photonics, robots and intelligent machines, power systems, and telecommunications.  The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering maintains 14 teaching labs, all located in Engineering Building II on Centennial Campus.  These labs provide students with state-of-the-art equipment designed to teach the students many practical, industry sought skills.  Approximately 200 computers and a variety of other equipment— oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, and function generators— are in use by the students on a daily basis.

The William F. Troxler Design Center, a 2,600 square feet senior design laboratory, provides resources for industry-sponsored, semester-long design projects, and the departmental Makerspace – which requires each student to attend safety training prior to access – provides access to machine shop facilities (hand and power tools) and round the clock access to electronic components, soldering tools, test instrumentation, and fabrication equipment (circuit board and 3D printers).

In addition, nearby Engineering Building III houses a 24/7 public lab of over 70 computers running a variety of operating systems and industry standard software. This lab is available to all engineering students and is staffed by trained student operators. A student-owned laptop platform has been developed in the College of Engineering; combined with a comprehensive wireless network and many remote computer services, this program allows education to expand outside of traditional classroom and laboratory facilities.

Nearby, the state-of-the-art James B. Hunt, Jr. Library gives students an innovative environment filled with technology-abled furniture, high-definition video walls, 3D computing and visualization space, videoconferencing and telepresence facilities, and over 100 meeting areas for group work and study.

Inspiring a spirit of discovery, the Hunt Library will help to produce the next generations of technology-savvy citizens, employees, researchers, and scholars.

Faculty

Plans