Electrical Engineering

Major

The objective of the undergraduate program in Electrical Engineering at Caltech is to produce graduates who will attain careers and higher education that ultimately lead to leadership roles in academia, industry, and government in areas of rapidly advancing interdisciplinary technology related to telecommunications, solid-state, robotics, information, computer and electrical systems.

The program prepares its students for either graduate study, entrepreneurial careers, or research and development work in government or industrial laboratories. It inspires them to undertake careers and professional practices that provide an opportunity to address the pressing technological needs of society. It accomplishes this by building on the core curriculum to provide a broad and rigorous exposure to the fundamentals (e.g., math, science, and principles of engineering) of electrical engineering. EE's other program objectives are multiple. The program strives to maintain a balance between classroom lectures and laboratory and design experience, and it emphasizes the problem formulation, system-design, and solving skills that are essential to any engineering discipline. The program is also intended to develop in each student self-reliance, creativity, teamwork ability, professional ethics, communication skills, and an appreciation of the importance of contemporary issues and lifelong intellectual growth. For interested students, there are opportunities to conduct research with a faculty member.

A student whose interests lie in the electrical sciences but who wishes to pursue a broader course of studies than that allowed by the requirements of the electrical engineering option may elect the engineering and applied science option.

Double Majors

The electrical engineering option allows interested students to declare electrical engineering as one of the majors in a double major pursuit. To enroll in the program, the student should meet and discuss his/her plans with the option representative. In general, approval is contingent on good academic performance by the student and demonstrated ability for handling the heavier course load. For students simultaneously pursuing a degree in a second option, courses taken as required courses for that option can also be counted as EE electives where appropriate. However, courses that count toward the electives requirement in the other option cannot be simultaneously counted toward satisfying the elective requirement in EE. To qualify for an EE degree, the student would need to complete all option requirements.