Program Overview

Electrical Engineering Program

Overview

The Electrical Engineering program at Virginia Commonwealth University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field of electrical engineering. The profession of electrical engineering touches all aspects of our lives, and electrical engineers design and fabricate devices and systems critical in applications such as computing, communications, healthcare, manufacturing, and automation.

Program Description

Electrical engineers play an ever-increasing role in the design and building of major facets of today's and tomorrow's healthcare systems and medical research through the application of microelectronic instrumentation and diagnostic tools. The field of electrical engineering truly permeates every facet of our lives and thus provides excellent employment opportunities to the general practitioner or specialist in more than 35 different subspecialties.

Career Opportunities

Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment, including electric motors, machinery controls, lighting and wiring in buildings, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation, control, and transmission devices used by electric utilities. Electrical engineers specialize in areas such as communications, signal processing, and control systems or have a specialty within one of these areas.

Change of Major Requirements

To change majors into the Electrical Engineering program, students must have a VCU GPA of 3.0 or greater with a minimum of 12 VCU credit hours earned. Students must also complete MATH 200, MATH 201, and any of PHYS 207, EGRE 101, or ENGR 101, all with grades of B or higher.

Bachelor-Level Job Titles

• Automation Engineer
• Automotive Engineer
• Control Systems Engineer
• Design Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Mechatronics Engineer
• Photonics Engineer
• Power Systems Engineer
• Robotics Engineer
• Solar Energy Systems Engineer

Graduate and Professional Level Job Titles

• College Professor
• Firmware Engineer
• Research & Development Engineer
• Systems Engineer/Manager

Professional Associations and Resources

• IEEE

Degree Requirements

The Electrical Engineering program offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The degree requirements can be found in the VCU Bulletin.

Plan of Study

The plan of study for the Electrical Engineering program can be found in the VCU Bulletin.

Requirements

• Highest level of math required: MATH 307, STAT 212
• Science required: 5+ additional science courses
• Foreign language requirements: No
• Additional tuition/fees: Yes
• GPA requirements: 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA

Concentrations

The Electrical Engineering program does not offer any concentrations.

Yearly Plans

The program provides a yearly plan for students to follow, which includes:

Year 1: Explore

• MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Enroll in a student success course
  • Map out a full degree course plan
  • Meet with a writing consultant
  • Schedule an appointment with an academic advisor
  • Sharpen study skills
  • Register for EGRE 101 and EGRE 245
  • Register for the highest level math
• GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Apply to live in a Living-Learning Community
  • Consider applying to the Honors College
  • Get involved in student clubs and organizations
  • Participate in RAM CAMP
  • Register to vote in Virginia
  • Meet peers and make new friends
• DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Review Global Learning's Major Advising Sheets
  • Visit a study abroad fair
  • Explore membership in NSBE, SHPE, SWE, VINE, or oSTEM
• EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Review Career Works 4-year career planning tool
  • Consider applying for a federal work-study job
  • Activate Handshake profile
  • Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader
  • Seek research opportunities
  • Create a draft engineering resume
• PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Access free credit report
  • Build a resume and LinkedIn profile
  • Explore "What Can I Do With This Major"
  • Join Students Today Alumni Tomorrow
  • Make an affordability plan
  • Consider attending a regional or national career fair

Year 2: Experience

• MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Explore innovation and business
    on-profit creation classes
  • Get familiar with the research process
  • Schedule an appointment with an advisor
  • Talk to professors about research interests
  • Continue progression in engineering and mathematics coursework
  • Learn about declaring a double major or minor
• GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty
  • Join the Residence Hall Association
  • Learn about the Sophomore Year Experience
  • Take a service-learning class
  • Volunteer to address a social issue
  • Consider working for the College of Engineering as a tutor
• DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship
  • Investigate globally-focused courses
  • Get to know other VCU students at a monthly Global Café
• EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend career and internship fairs
  • Complete a gap analysis with a career advisor
  • Explore global career options
  • Organize examples of academic and professional experiences
  • Pursue a digital badge
  • Seek out practical experience
  • Apply for internships, co-ops, and VIP Teams
• PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Build a resume and LinkedIn profile
  • Conduct informational interviews
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink
  • Meet with a coach in the Financial Success Center
  • Attend engineering internship and career fairs

Year 3: Experience

• MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • See academic and career advisors
  • Take a virtual library tour
  • Use LinkedIn Learning
  • Begin selecting Technical Electives
  • Identify third-year courses that are prerequisites to the ELE Capstone
• GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Attend civic meetings
  • Design a community-engaged research project
  • Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office
  • Motivate peers by presenting at Leaders Unleashed
  • Join VINE or another in-major mentoring network
  • Work as a tutor
• DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Build language proficiency
  • Explore new cultures at Richmond's festivals
  • Get required REAL experience
  • Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary teams
  • Apply to be a Diversity Ambassador
• EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program
  • Get expert advice from VCU Alumni
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities
  • Attend the Senior Capstone Expo
  • Seek research opportunities
• PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be an academic and professional mentor
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed
  • Make a plan for applying to graduate school or landing a micro-internship
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school
  • Attend the College of Engineering Internship and Career Fair

Year 4: Excel

• MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Choose REAL electives
  • Schedule an appointment with an academic advisor
  • Declare any possible outstanding minors
• GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Attend professional association conferences
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus
  • Volunteer at an organization
  • Work as a tutor
• DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects
  • Plan for growing second language fluency after graduation
  • Read scholarly articles about internationalization
  • Visit the Museum District's many offerings
• EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Meet with an academic or professional mentor
  • Publish original research
  • Present research at a professional meeting
• PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations
  • Prepare for graduation
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy
  • Attend engineering internship and career fairs