If something can be switched on, an electrical engineer likely had a hand in its development. Electrical engineers hold the keys to the operation of the vast majority of the devices we use in our everyday lives. A degree in electrical engineering from UIC will give you the knowledge and skills you need to join their ranks.
Electrical engineering is always extending its boundaries into new areas of technology. Electrical engineers are developing the technology needed to power electric cars far beyond the range of today’s batteries and charging stations. They are working on nanoscale devices that have the potential to reshape medical diagnosis and treatment. Electrical engineering is helping us to be more energy-efficient and exploring ways to make renewable energy useful to a greater proportion of the world’s population.
What about electrical engineering excites you? Perhaps you want to help create the robots that will be powered by the next generation of artificial intelligence. Maybe you will develop a way that puts wind energy onto the grid in a more efficient way. Or you could be part of a team that determines what 6G wireless will be like and when we will get it.
Full degree requirements for the electrical engineering major are in the UIC course catalog, but the overview below provides a sense of what’s ahead in EE.
If you’re curious about electrical engineering, start here. This one-page overview will explain why this major is important and how you can use it to launch your career.
Electrical engineering majors complete coursework in three categories:
See how these requirements play out for a typical student: Check out the EE major flowchart.
The ECE department has identified groups of courses that can help guide your academic planning based on the areas of electrical and computer engineering in which you seek to specialize. You can find descriptions of each track and its associated courses on this page.
Muhammad Shaikh
Electrical Engineering, BS ’21 | Pakistan
Dream job: Energy scientist
Name one thing you think UIC does better than anywhere else: You can socialize and interact with people from more than 10 countries in a single day by walking around campus.
What do you hope to be doing right after graduation? Graduate study in energy engineering.
How is the College of Engineering preparing you for the working world? By getting to know more about how I can use my degree in the outside world, and by interacting with professors and learning about their research.
Marah Abuhindi
Electrical Engineering, BS ’21 | Darien, IL
Name one thing you think UIC does better than anywhere else: UIC offers so many resources for people from all different backgrounds, which helps you to easily fit socially and academically.
Favorite course: ECE 265 Introduction to Logic Design and ECE 266 Introduction to Embedded Systems. Both offered great hands-on experience and exciting projects!
What is the most valuable student organization you’ve joined? Society of Women Engineers provides me with a support group that makes me more confident as a female engineering student. SWE holds so many valuable events for networking and building connections. It also provides great opportunities to introduce younger female students to engineering and STEM.
Place you’re most likely to be found on campus: Science and Engineering Laboratory. It has different quiet spots that makes it perfect to study.
