Electrical Engineering

• Written Communication is satisfied by ENG 100 Composition I (3)
• Arts, Humanities, and Literature is satisfied by COMG 251 Principles of Effective Speaking (3), and one additional elective (3)
• Social Sciences is satisfied by ECON 120 Introduction to Economics (3), ECON 130 Principles of Microeconomics (3), or ECON 131 Principles of Macroeconomics (3), and one other elective (3)
• Global and Multicultural Perspectives is satisfied by two approved electives (6)
• ECE 495 Ethics in Electrical Engineering (1). This course satisfies the Ethics (E) focus requirement for UH Manoa.

• Math 241 (4), Math 242 (4), Math 243 (3), Math 244 (3): Calculus I (basic concepts; differentiation with applications; integration) through IV (multiple integrals; line integrals and Green’s Theorem; surface integrals, Stokes’ and Gauss’s Theorems).
• Substitution: Math 251A (4) / 252A (4) / 253A (4) (the accelerated calculus sequence) may be substituted for Math 241-244
• Math 307 (3): Linear algebra and differential equations.
• Substitution: ECE 345 (4): Linear Algebra & Machine Learning, may be substituted for Math 307.
• ECE 342 (3): Probability and statistics in an electrical engineering context.

• Chem 161 (3) and Chem 162 (3): General Chemistry I and II cover the basic principles of chemistry, including stoichiometry; introduction to solution phase chemistry; gas phase chemistry; thermodynamics, including enthalpies of formation and reaction, entropy and free energy; atomic structure, periodic trends, chemical bonding, molecular structure; liquids and solids; solutions and colligative properties; principles and applications of chemical equilibrium, including acid-base chemistry (titrations, buffers); kinetics; redox reactions and electrochemistry.
• Chem 161L (1): Laboratory for Chem 161.
• Substitution: Chem 171 (3) / 171L (1) (Principles of Chemistry) or Chem 181 (3) / 181L (1) (Honors General Chemistry) may be substituted for Chem 161/161L/162
• Phys 170 (4), Phys 272 (3), and Phys 274 (3): General Physics I through III which includes mechanics of particles and rigid bodies, wave motion, thermodynamics and kinetic theory; electricity and magnetism; relativity, introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, geometrical and physical optics.
• Phys 170L (1) and Phys 272L (1): Laboratories for Phys 170 and Phys 272, respectively.

• Computer Software or Engineering Computation, and Computer Hardware
• ECE 160 Programming for Engineers (4) or ECE 110 Introduction to Engineering Computation (3)
• ECE 260 Introduction to Digital Design (4)

• Analog Circuits
• ECE 211 Basic Circuit Analysis I (4)
• ECE 213 Basic Circuit Analysis II (4)
• ECE 323 Microelectronic Circuits I (3)
• ECE 323L Microelectronic Circuits I Lab (1)

• Signals and Systems
• ECE 315 Signal and Systems Analysis (3)

• Electrophysics
• ECE 324 Physical Electronics (3)
• ECE 371 Engineering Electromagnetics I (3)

• Projects
• ECE 296 Sophomore Project (1)
• ECE 396 Junior Project (2)
• ECE 496 Capstone Design Project (3)

These are upper-division EE courses divided into two tracks: Electrophysics (EP) and Systems and Data Science (SDS). The EP track covers circuits, devices, electromagnetics, and biomedical; the SDS track covers communications, controls, and signal processing. Energy spans both tracks. The tracks allow students to explore specialized topics of their choices. The exploration is in depth and yet provides breadth within a track. A student must choose a track to specialize in advanced topics.

EE students must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of technical electives. A minimum of 17 credits is in one of the major tracks (electrophysics and systems and data science), which includes all courses in Group I and the remaining courses from Group II.

A minimum of 7 additional credits is required, of which 3 credits must be from outside the major track, and 1 credit must be a laboratory.

• Electrophysics Track:
• Group I: ECE 326/326L, 327, 372/372L
• Group II: ECE 328/328L, 422/422L, 423, 425, 426, 427, 435, 438, 470, 471,473, 474, 475, 477, 480
• Systems and Data Science Track:
• Group I: ECE 343/343L, 351/351L, 415
• Group II: ECE 344, 416, 417, 435, 442, 445, 446, 449, 452, 453
  

The following courses may also be used as technical electives: ECE 205, 361/361L, 362, 366, 367/367L, 368, 369, 406, 461, 467, 468, 469. ECE 491 can also be used as a technical elective, but the track designation is determined on a case-by-case basis.

A student, along with a faculty member, may propose an alternate track. This alternate track must be (1) equivalent in rigor and breadth to the existing tracks, (2) endorsed by another faculty member, and (3) approved by the department’s undergraduate curriculum committee.

Further information on EE Technical Electives.

The Engineering Breadth requirement is a selected elective course.

Listing of approved breadth courses

Our curriculum quantifies the design content of each ECE course based on “design credit”. Design credits represent our Department’s internal accounting method of assuring that design is woven throughout the curriculum. The amount of design credit is assigned by the faculty course coordinator for the course. For example, ECE 496 Capstone Design Project is entirely dedicated to design content, so it has 3 design credits of its 3 credit hours. Another example is ECE 361 Digital Systems and Computer Design, which has a moderate amount of design; it has 1 design credit of its 3 credit hours. Our program requires that students accumulate a minimum of 14 design credits to graduate so that they have sufficient design experience. Courses with 1 or more design credits are designated as having significant design component in Table 5-1. Tables 5-3 and 5-4 list the design credits associated with each ECE course.

Our program has a significant hands-on component associated with laboratories and project experience. Five of the required ECE courses have an associated 3-hour laboratory session per week. These laboratories are either part of a 4-credit course, e.g., ECE 260, or a 1-credit laboratory course, e.g., ECE 323L. Four of the required ECE courses use laboratory equipment including oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, power supplies, signal or function generators, proto-boards, discrete parts, and PCs with appropriate software such as design tools and Microsoft Office software.

Four of the courses with laboratory components (ECE 160, 260, 211, and 213) are taken during the first two years of college. This gives students early hands-on experience.

Our curriculum has a significant design component to prepare students for the engineering profession. It has 6 credit hours of required project courses at the sophomore, junior, and senior level: ECE 296 Sophomore Project (1 credit), ECE 396 Junior Project (2 credits), and ECE 496 Capstone Design Project (3 credits). Note that the sophomore project is an early introduction to project activity to students. In ECE 296 and 396, students are not required to be completely responsible for a design. They are expected to learn design methodologies and tools, participate in some phase of the design process, and get hands-on project experience. On the other hand, ECE 496 Capstone Design Project, is the major design experience. ECE 496 has both an oral and writing focus.

Further information on x96 Projects.

The curriculum is based on when a student entered the ECE program. The following is a list of changes that were made since August 1996.

• August 1996:
• Math 205 is now a 4 credit course.
• Math 206 now has a 1 credit lab, Math 206 L, required of all engineering students.
• August 1997:
• At least one credit of EE 296 is required in the sophomore year.
• At least two credits of EE 396 is required in the junior year.
• EE 342 replaces the Math elective and is required of all EE students.
• Systems track student now have 2 track core courses (EE 351 and lab and EE 415) and require three (3) track electives.
• August 1998:
• EE 160 replaces EE 150 for EE students.
• EE 466 has changed to EE 366, which is 4 credits, including a weekly lab.
• EE 366 has become a Computer Track Core requirement, together with EE 361/L and EE 367/L. Computer Track Elective is now two courses (6 credits) from EE 461, EE 467, EE 468, or EE 449.
• August 1999:
• Math 241, 242, 242L, 243, 244 replaces Math 205, 206, 231, and 232.
• Math 302 is included in the EE Core
• There are two Social Science Elective requirements rather than one.
• August 2000:
• EE 224 is now EE 324.
• In the August 2000 Check Sheet CE 211 should be CE 270. It's a typo.
• August 2001:
• There is one Social Science Elective requirement rather than two.
• There is one Humanities Elective requirement rather than two.
• Econ 120, 130, or 131 can fulfill the Economics requirement. Previously, only Econ 120 or 130 could fulfill the requirement.
• August 2003:
• EE Technical Electives:  A student, along with a faculty member, may propose an alternate track (the current tracks being computers, electrophysics, and systems).  The alternate track must be (1) equivalent in rigor and breadth to the existing tracks, (2) endorsed by another faculty member, and (3) approved by the Department's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.
• CEE 270/ME 311 requirement is replaced by the Engineering Breadth requirement.
• The following courses have been deleted from the curriculum: 150, 201, 331&L, 435, 436, 437, 441, and 466.
• Matlab will be covered in EE 213.
• EE 244 had been renumbered to 344.  This can be used as a technical elective.
• EE 415 has EE 342 as a co-requisite (or pre-requisite).
• EE 469 Wireless Data Networks is added to the curriculum as a computer technical elective.
• August 2004:
• MATH 307 replaces MATH 302 as an EE Core requirement.
• August 2005:
• EE 341/341L is not an EE Core requirement
• EE 341/341L is a Systems Track Core requirement
• August 2008
• EE 495 is an EE Core requirement
• August 2010
• Computer Track will be replaced by the new Computer Engineering Bachelor of Science degree.
• April 2014
• Remove "PHYS 350 Electricity and Magnetism (3)" from EB classes.
• Add ICS 314 Software Engineering into the EB classes.
• Add "computer" as one area that could be used to meet the EB requirement if approved by the Department's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC).
• April 2020
• Add EE 345 as optional substitution for MATH 307
• Add EE 368 Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things (3) and EE 369 Computational Media Systems (3) to other Technical Electives
• Add Biomedical concentration and Energy concentration as alternate tracks
• October 2020
• Systems track renamed to "Systems and Data Science" track or SDS track