Electrical Engineering
B.S. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
Program Educational Objectives: Graduates of the Electrical Engineering program will (1) engage in professional practice in academia, industry, or government; (2) promote innovation in the design, research and implementation of products and services in the field of electrical engineering through strong communication, leadership and entrepreneurial skills; (3) engage in life-long learning in the field of electrical engineering. (Program educational objectives are those aspects of engineering that help shape the curriculum; achievement of these objectives is a shared responsibility between the student and UCI.)
The undergraduate Electrical Engineering curriculum is built around a basic core of humanities, mathematics, and natural and engineering science courses. It is arranged to provide the fundamentals of synthesis and design that will enable graduates to begin careers in industry or to go on to graduate study. UCI Electrical Engineering students take courses in network analysis, electronics, electronic system design, signal processing, electromagnetics, and computer engineering. They learn to design circuits and systems to meet specific needs and to use modern computers in problem analysis and solution.
Electrical Engineering majors have the opportunity to select a specialization in Electro-optics and Solid-State Devices; and Systems and Signal Processing. In addition to the courses offered by the Department, the major program includes selected courses from the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences.
Admission
High School Students: See School Admissions information.
Transfer Students: Preference will be given to junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall, and who have satisfactorily completed the following required courses: two years of approved calculus, one year of calculus-based physics with laboratories (mechanics, electricity and magnetism), completion of lower-division writing, and one course in computational methods (e.g., C, C++). For course equivalency specific to each college, visit https://assist.org.
Students are encouraged to complete as many of the lower-division degree requirements as possible prior to transfer. Students who enroll at UCI in need of completing lower-division coursework may find that it will take longer than two years to complete their degrees. For further information, contact The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at 949-824-4334.
Requirements
All students must meet the University Requirements.
All students must meet the School Requirements.
Major Requirements:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics and Basic Science Courses: | ||
| ENGR 1A | General Chemistry for Engineers | |
| orCHEM 1A | General Chemistry | |
| EECS 55 | Engineering Probability | |
| EECS 70LA | Network Analysis I Laboratory | |
| EECS 145 | Electrical Engineering Analysis | |
| MATH 2A & MATH 2B | Single-Variable Calculus Iand Single-Variable Calculus II | |
| MATH 2D | Multivariable Calculus I | |
| MATH 2E | Multivariable Calculus II | |
| MATH 3A | Introduction to Linear Algebra | |
| MATH 3D | Elementary Differential Equations | |
| PHYSICS 7C | Classical Physics | |
| PHYSICS 7LC | Classical Physics Laboratory | |
| PHYSICS 7D & PHYSICS 7E | Classical Physicsand Classical Physics | |
| PHYSICS 7LD | Classical Physics Laboratory | |
| PHYSICS 51A | Modern Physics | |
| Engineering Topics Courses: | ||
| Students must complete each of the following courses: | ||
| EECS 1 | Introduction to Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering | |
| EECS 10 | Computational Methods in Electrical and Computer Engineering | |
| EECS 31 | Introduction to Digital Systems | |
| EECS 31L | Introduction to Digital Logic Laboratory | |
| EECS 50 | Discrete-Time Signals and Systems | |
| EECS 70A | Network Analysis I | |
| EECS 70B | Network Analysis II | |
| EECS 70LB | Network Analysis II Laboratory | |
| EECS 150 | Continuous-Time Signals and Systems | |
| EECS 159A & EECS 159B | Senior Design Project Iand Senior Design Project II | |
| EECS 160A | Introduction to Control Systems | |
| EECS 160LA | Control Systems I Laboratory | |
| EECS 170A | Electronics I | |
| EECS 170LA | Electronics I Laboratory | |
| EECS 170B | Electronics II | |
| EECS 170LB | Electronics II Laboratory | |
| EECS 170C | Electronics III | |
| EECS 170LC | Electronics III Laboratory | |
| EECS 180A | Engineering Electromagnetics I | |
| Electrical Engineering Specialization: | ||
| Students must satisfy the requirements for one of the five specializations listed below. | ||
| Technical Elective Courses: | ||
| In addition to a specialization, and with approval of a faculty advisor, students must select a minimum of three other technical elective courses, comprising of at least 10 units. At least one of these courses must be from outside the student’s specialization. All EECS courses not required for the major are approved as technical electives. Four (4) units of 199 course work count as one technical elective. ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B can be counted as 4 units of Technical Electives. ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B are available only to lower-division students. Both ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B must be taken to be counted as a Technical Elective. | ||
| Engineering Professional Topics Courses | ||
| ENGR 190W | Communications in the Professional World | |
At most an aggregate total of 6 units of EECS 199 may be used to satisfy degree requirements; EECS 199 is open to students with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
(The nominal Electrical Engineering program will require 188-191 units of courses to satisfy all university and major requirements. Because each student comes to UCI with a different level of preparation, the actual number of units will vary.)
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Specialization in Electronic Circuit Design: | ||
| Requires: | ||
| EECS 170D | Integrated Electronic Circuit Design | |
| EECS 170E | Analog and Communications IC Design | |
| and select four of the following: | ||
| EECS 166A | Industrial and Power Electronics | |
| EECS 174 | Semiconductor Devices | |
| EECS 176 | Fundamentals of Solid-State Electronics and Materials | |
| EECS 179 | Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) | |
| EECS 182 | Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Analysis and Design | |
| EECS 188 | Optical Electronics | |
| Specialization in Semiconductors and Optoelectronics: | ||
| Requires: | ||
| EECS 174 | Semiconductor Devices | |
| EECS 188 | Optical Electronics | |
| PHYSICS 52A | Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | |
| and select three of the following: | ||
| EECS 170D | Integrated Electronic Circuit Design | |
| EECS 176 | Fundamentals of Solid-State Electronics and Materials | |
| EECS 179 | Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) | |
| EECS 180B | Engineering Electromagnetics II | |
| ENGR 54 | Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | |
| Specialization in RF, Antennas and Microwaves: | ||
| Requires: | ||
| EECS 144 | Antenna Design for Wireless Communication Links | |
| EECS 180B | Engineering Electromagnetics II | |
| EECS 182 | Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Analysis and Design | |
| and select three of the following: | ||
| EECS 170D | Integrated Electronic Circuit Design | |
| EECS 170E | Analog and Communications IC Design | |
| EECS 188 | Optical Electronics | |
| PHYSICS 52A | Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | |
| Specialization in Digital Signal Processing: | ||
| Requires: | ||
| EECS 22 | Advanced C Programming | |
| EECS 152A | Digital Signal Processing | |
| EECS 152B | Digital Signal Processing Design and Laboratory | |
| and select three of the following: | ||
| EECS 20 | Computer Systems and C Programming | |
| EECS 101 | Introduction to Machine Vision | |
| EECS 112 | Organization of Digital Computers | |
| EECS 141A | Communication Systems I | |
| EECS 141B | Communication Systems II | |
| Specialization in Communications: | ||
| Requires: | ||
| EECS 141A | Communication Systems I | |
| EECS 141B | Communication Systems II | |
| and select four of the following: | ||
| EECS 20 | Computer Systems and C Programming | |
| EECS 22 | Advanced C Programming | |
| EECS 144 | Antenna Design for Wireless Communication Links | |
| EECS 148 | Computer Networks | |
| EECS 152A | Digital Signal Processing | |
| EECS 152B | Digital Signal Processing Design and Laboratory | |
| EECS 170E | Analog and Communications IC Design | |
| EECS 188 | Optical Electronics | |
Sample Program
Listed below are sample programs for each of the five specializations within Electrical Engineering. These sample programs are typical for the accredited major in Electrical Engineering. Students should keep in mind that this program is based upon a rigid set of prerequisites, beginning with adequate preparation in high school mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Therefore, the course sequence should not be changed except for the most compelling reasons. Students who are not adequately prepared, or who wish to make changes in the sequence for other reasons, must have their programs approved by their advisor. Electrical Engineering majors are encouraged to consult with academic counselors as needed, and students who are academically at risk are mandated to see a counselor as frequently as deemed necessary by the advising staff.
Sample Program of Study — Electrical Engineering (Electronic Circuit Design Specialization)
Freshman
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 2A | MATH 2B | MATH 2D |
| EECS 10 | PHYSICS 7C | PHYSICS 7D |
| General Education | PHYSICS 7LC | PHYSICS 7LD |
| General Education | ENGR 1A or CHEM 1A | EECS 1 |
| General Education | EECS 31 |
Sophomore
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 3A | MATH 3D | MATH 2E |
| PHYSICS 7E | EECS 55 | PHYSICS 51A |
| EECS 31L | EECS 70A | EECS 50 |
| General Education | EECS 70LA | EECS 70B |
| General Education | EECS 70LB |
Junior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 145 | EECS 150 | EECS 170C |
| EECS 170A | EECS 170B | EECS 170LC |
| EECS 170LA | EECS 170LB | ENGR 190W |
| Spec. Elective | EECS 180A | Spec. Elective |
| General Education | Spec. Elective | General Education |
Senior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 159A | EECS 159B | Technical Elective |
| EECS 160A | EECS 170E | General Education |
| EECS 160LA | Technical Elective | General Education |
| EECS 170D | Technical Elective | |
| Spec. Elective |
Students must obtain approval for their program of study and must see their faculty advisor at least once each year.
Sample Program of Study — Electrical Engineering (Semiconductors and Optoelectronics)
Freshman
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 2A | MATH 2B | MATH 2D |
| EECS 10 | PHYSICS 7C | PHYSICS 7D |
| General Education | PHYSICS 7LC | PHYSICS 7LD |
| General Education | ENGR 1A or CHEM 1A | EECS 1 |
| General Education | EECS 31 |
Sophomore
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 3A | MATH 3D | MATH 2E |
| PHYSICS 7E | EECS 55 | PHYSICS 51A |
| PHYSICS 52A | EECS 70A | EECS 50 |
| EECS 31L | EECS 70LA | EECS 70B |
| General Education | EECS 70LB |
Junior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 145 | EECS 150 | EECS 170C |
| EECS 170A | EECS 170B | EECS 170LC |
| EECS 170LA | EECS 170LB | Spec. Elective |
| ENGR 190W | EECS 174 | Technical Elective |
| General Education | EECS 180A | General Education |
Senior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 159A | EECS 159B | Technical Elective |
| EECS 160A | EECS 188 | General Education |
| EECS 160LA | Spec. Elective | General Education |
| General Education | Technical Elective | |
| Spec. Elective |
Students must obtain approval for their program of study and must see their faculty advisor at least once each year.
Sample Program of Study — Electrical Engineering (RF, Antennas and Microwaves)
Freshman
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 2A | MATH 2B | MATH 2D |
| EECS 10 | PHYSICS 7C | PHYSICS 7D |
| General Education | PHYSICS 7LC | PHYSICS 7LD |
| General Education | ENGR 1A or CHEM 1A | EECS 1 |
| General Education | EECS 31 |
Sophomore
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 3A | MATH 3D | MATH 2E |
| PHYSICS 7E | EECS 55 | PHYSICS 51A |
| EECS 31L | EECS 70A | EECS 50 |
| General Education | EECS 70LA | EECS 70B |
| General Education | EECS 70LB |
Junior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 145 | EECS 150 | EECS 170C |
| EECS 170A | EECS 170B | EECS 170LC |
| EECS 170LA | EECS 170LB | EECS 180B |
| ENGR 190W | EECS 180A | Spec. Elective |
| General Education | Spec. Elective | Spec. Elective |
Senior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 144 | EECS 159B | General Education |
| EECS 159A | General Education | General Education |
| EECS 160A | Technical Elective | Technical Elective |
| EECS 160LA | Technical Elective | |
| EECS 182 |
Students must obtain approval for their program of study and must see their faculty advisor at least once each year.
Sample Program of Study — Electrical Engineering (Digital Signal Processing Specialization)
Freshman
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 2A | MATH 2B | MATH 2D |
| EECS 10 | PHYSICS 7C | PHYSICS 7D |
| General Education | PHYSICS 7LC | PHYSICS 7LD |
| General Education | CHEM 1A or ENGR 1A | EECS 1 |
| General Education | EECS 31 |
Sophomore
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 3A | MATH 3D | MATH 2E |
| PHYSICS 7E | EECS 55 | PHYSICS 51A |
| EECS 22 | EECS 70A | EECS 50 |
| EECS 31L | EECS 70LA | EECS 70B |
| General Education | EECS 70LB |
Junior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 145 | EECS 150 | EECS 170C |
| EECS 152A | EECS 152B | EECS 170LC |
| EECS 170A | EECS 170B | Spec. Elective |
| EECS 170LA | EECS 170LB | General Education |
| Spec. Elective | Spec. Elective |
Senior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 159A | EECS 159B | ENGR 190W |
| EECS 160A | EECS 180A | Technical Elective |
| EECS 160LA | Technical Elective | General Education |
| Technical Elective | General Education | General Education |
| General Education |
Students must obtain approval for their program of study and must see their faculty advisor at least once each year.
Sample Program of Study — Electrical Engineering (Communication Specialization)
Freshman
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 2A | MATH 2B | MATH 2D |
| EECS 10 | PHYSICS 7C | PHYSICS 7D |
| General Education | PHYSICS 7LC | PHYSICS 7LD |
| General Education | ENGR 1A or CHEM 1A | EECS 1 |
| General Education | EECS 31 |
Sophomore
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 3A | MATH 3D | MATH 2E |
| PHYSICS 7E | EECS 55 | PHYSICS 51A |
| EECS 31L | EECS 70A | EECS 50 |
| General Education | EECS 70LA | EECS 70B |
| General Education | EECS 70LB |
Junior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 145 | EECS 150 | EECS 170C |
| EECS 170A | EECS 170B | EECS 170LC |
| EECS 170LA | EECS 170LB | Spec. Elective |
| ENGR 190W | EECS 180A | Spec. Elective |
| Spec. Elective | Spec. Elective | General Education |
Senior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 159A | EECS 159B | Technical Elective |
| EECS 141A | EECS 141B | General Education |
| EECS 160A | Technical Elective | General Education |
| EECS 160LA | General Education | |
| Technical Elective |
Students must obtain approval for their program of study and must see their faculty advisor at least once each year.