Electrical Engineering
Circuits, signals, and the systems that power modern devices.
Electrical engineering covers how electricity, electronics, and electromagnetic systems work, from the chips inside a phone to the grid that powers a city. Foundational courses in circuits and electromagnetics lead into specialized tracks like power systems, signal processing, communications, or embedded systems.
Lab work is constant: building and testing circuits, programming microcontrollers, and using instruments like oscilloscopes are as central to the degree as the math and theory behind them.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Circuit Analysis
- ✓Electromagnetics
- ✓Digital Logic Design
- ✓Signals & Systems
- ✓Electronics (Analog & Digital)
- ✓Microcontrollers & Embedded Systems
- ✓Power Systems or Communications (track-specific)
- ✓Senior Design Project
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Circuit Analysis
- +General education requirement
- ✓Electromagnetics
- +General education requirement
- ✓Digital Logic Design
- +General education requirement
- ✓Signals & Systems
- +Free elective
- ✓Electronics (Analog & Digital)
- +Free elective
- ✓Microcontrollers & Embedded Systems
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Power Systems or Communications (track-specific)
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Senior Design Project
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Strong in math and physics, especially the more abstract parts
- ★Curious about how electronics and devices work internally
- ★Patient with detailed, methodical debugging
- ★Interested in both hardware and the code that runs it
Common minors & double-major pairings
Computer Science · Mathematics · Physics
Roles this major could lead to
Factual, day-to-day descriptions from our Career Role Encyclopedia, not a guarantee this major leads to any specific job.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Electrical Engineering major?
Circuits, signals, and the systems that power modern devices.
What courses do Electrical Engineering majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Circuit Analysis, Electromagnetics, Digital Logic Design, among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Electrical Engineering program?
Electrical Engineering coursework typically builds skills like Circuit design and analysis, Signal processing, Programming embedded systems, Using lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, multimeters).
Is Electrical Engineering a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Strong in math and physics, especially the more abstract parts" or "Curious about how electronics and devices work internally" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What can you do with a Electrical Engineering degree?
Majors in this field often go on to roles like Electrical Engineer, Aerospace Engineer, Robotics Engineer. See our Career Role Encyclopedia for more, a major shapes what you study, not a guarantee of any specific job.
What other majors pair well with Electrical Engineering?
Common minor or double-major pairings include Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics.
How is Electrical Engineering different from Computer Engineering?
They're related but distinct. Electrical Engineering: Circuits, signals, and the systems that power modern devices. Computer Engineering: Where hardware and software meet: chips, systems, and firmware. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Electrical Engineering degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
From our guides
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/electrical-engineering