The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering educates, conducts research, and disseminates knowledge through nationally recognized programs in electrical engineering and computer engineering for the benefit of society.

The department is home to about 960 undergraduate students, complemented by about 140 graduate students. The department is very fortunate to have a total endowment of more than 8.5 million dollars for student scholarships.

Our bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Program Criteria. Our bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Computer Engineering Program Criteria. We are also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), https://sacscoc.org/, to award Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering at the undergraduate level and Masters of Science and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering at the graduate level. 

A variety of very active student organizations are hosted in the ECE department. These include an IEEE (Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers) student branch, the IEEE honor society HKN, the Engineering Honor Society TBP, and WIE (Women in Engineering).

Aiding students’ transition to the professional work environment are well established Co-Op and internship programs at the departmental as well as the college level.

A unique sequence of design laboratory courses that include technical, project management, budgeting, and presentation aspects and culminate in student groups making key contributions to hybrid electric cars, advanced robots, etc., play a key role in educating exceptionally well-prepared graduates. Students design, develop, construct, and evaluate a system. Faculty advisors assess the projects based on finished products, written reports, and oral presentations. The laboratory courses give students considerable experience in working closely with others in real world situations and solving open-ended design problems. Our Alumni occupy key leadership positions in Industry, Academia, and National Laboratories here in the United States and around the world.

As of the Spring of 2026, 30 full time, world class faculty and 8 very qualified instructors call the ECE department home. Most of the instructors have terminal degrees and some have decades of industrial experience. Among our full time faculty are 5 fellows of the IEEE and the American Physical Society, or Institute of Physics (IOP), 3 are Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),  3 Fellows of the National Association of Inventors (NAI),  1 is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), 3 Paul Whitfield Horn Professors, 7 recipients of the NSF CAREER and/or DoD YIP award, and five endowed chair holders.

Research centers, some of which are world-renowned and named after successful alumni, serve as hubs for faculty and equipment to support the research mission of the department. ECE's research enterprise attracted a combined annual funding of over $23 M in 2025. A Program for Semiconductor Product Engineering (PSPE) provides a blend of research opportunities and industrial oriented, graduate education opportunities.

The department is housed in a three-story building with a 40,000 square foot, two story annex. The Annex contains specialized laboratories devoted to pulsed power, radio science, optical sciences, plasma science, and power semiconductors. A machine shop equipped with CNC machines is maintained for research activities. Other state-of-the-art laboratories in the fields of Nano-Photonics and Nano-Technology are located on the Engineering Key. An additional Pulsed Power laboratory, and a large Energy Asset facility (GLEAMM), are located off campus. The Critical Infrastructure Security Institute (CISI) brings together cutting-edge research, strategic partnerships, and national priorities to protect the most vital infrastructure. From Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) testing to cyber-physical defense, the institute is building a world-class facility that will serve as a national hub for innovation, certification, and national security support while training the next generation of engineers and scientists. Research faculty members also have close working relationships with industry and with many national laboratories.

 

Department Links

• Chair's Welcome
• Strategic Objectives
• Departmental Committees
• Student Organization - IEEE
• Student Organization – WIE
• News