Electrical Engineering

The EE program offers undergraduate research and scholarship opportunities in fields such as semiconductor materials and devices, electromagnetics, electrical power, and electrical machinery. Some of the faculty members are also associated with the multidisciplinary A-State graduate program in Environmental Sciences and direct graduate students in that program.

Student research experience has been invaluable in augmenting students’ total education and preparing them for graduate education and/or career success. For example, our Optoelectronic Materials Research Laboratory has utilized over sixty undergraduate research assistants since 1983, with many of these also serving as co-authors on journal publications and conference presentations, being recipients of student research funding, for example, Arkansas Scholars’ Undergraduate Research Fellowships, and winning various student paper/presentation competitions, for example, those sponsored by the Arkansas Academy of Science at its annual conferences. Several of these have gone-on to obtain graduate degrees at prestigious universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Texas A & M University, Purdue University, the University of Colorado-Boulder, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the University of Missouri-Rolla, and the University of Arkansas.

In addition to basic research, which has been funded by agencies including the National Institutes of Heath, the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, and the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, ASU EE faculty also actively participate in applied research and engineering consulting as a service to regional businesses, industries, utilities, and professionals. Engineering students sometimes also participate in these applied projects and sometimes even earn course credit for such activities through Special Problems in Electrical Engineering, Student Research in Electrical Engineering, and Engineering Internship courses. These projects have covered a variety of topics including product development, process analysis, engineering measurements, accident investigations, and intellectual property documentation. The faculty have also collaborated with other ASU academic and research programs, for example, the Department of Chemistry and Physics, the College of Agriculture, and the Environmental Sciences Program, and faculty at other universities in joint research, for example, under the Arkansas NASA and EPA EPSCOR programs.

As does the entire College of Engineering, the Electrical Engineering Program has a mechanism in place to periodically assess its effectiveness in meeting its educational objectives and student learning outcomes (see below). This assessment process results in periodic modification to specific courses and the overall degree plan so as to better promote the achievement of the objectives and outcomes, themselves periodically formulated and revised, with the assistance of the Electrical Engineering Advisory Council, in relation to the evolving mission and resource base of the Program. This occurs within the context of the evolving needs of the region and nation, and the current state-of-the profession.

The specific educational objectives of the BSEE degree program are:

1. Graduates have successfully advanced in electrical/computer engineering or related relevant practice as evidenced by contributions to their employers and the greater professional community.
2. Graduates have pursued graduate degrees or completed professional development activities in continuing to advance their knowledge base in electrical engineering or related professional fields.
3. Graduates have made a broader contribution by providing an engineering or otherwise technical or objective perspective to the challenges and opportunities of society.

The Electrical Engineering Program’s outcomes define the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that program graduates are expected to have by the time of graduation from the Program.

The Student Outcomes for each of the Arkansas State University undergraduate engineering programs are:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors;
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts;
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives;
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions; and
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

The EE program has a broad alumni base, with graduates holding engineering positions in industry, utilities, academia, government, management, research and development, marketing, and consulting. This growing alumni base is a strong supporter of the EE Program in a variety of ways, including making donations, and serving as seminar speakers, members of the college’s and EE Program's engineering advisory councils, and employers and industrial internship sponsors for our students.

The opportunities for additional growth, development, and service are exciting. The entire college is committed to excellence in engineering education, and the broader development and welfare of its students and other constituents. We are confident that prospective students will be delighted with the student-focused environment and total educational experience that we offer, and welcome inquiries, visits, and comments.

Please let us know if we can be of assistance with your educational goals, with your research or consultant needs, or in any other way.