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Session 2432

The New Electrical Engineering Curriculum at the University of Southern California

H. H. Kuehl, J. M. Mendel University of Southern California

I. INTRODUCTION In November, 1993, the University of Southern California Electrical Engineering Department created a task force to review the undergraduate curriculum and develop a new and innovative electrical engineering curriculum. The task force, comprised of faculty representatives from all fields of electrical engineering within the Department, devoted many hours during a period of three years to a thorough review and a substantial revision of the undergraduate curriculum. This paper describes the resulting new curriculum, which became effective in the fall of 1996. During the creation of the new curriculum, the task force was guided by several broad principles and desired objectives which the members believed were of major importance to a superior and relevant undergraduate curriculum. These included:

A. Fundamentals The undergraduate curriculum must provide a basic grounding in the fundamentals of mathematics, basic sciences, engineering, as well as appreciable content in humanities and social sciences.

B. Flexibility A greater opportunity for choice is appropriate, including a wider variety of up-to-date specializations from which students may choose.

C. Depth A limited degree of specialization in at least one area of the major is desirable in order to prepare the graduate adequately to enter the engineering profession.

D. Breadth Breadth in the major field is of prime importance to engineers involved in the development of the innovative products in today’s rapidly changing workplace.

E. Design The EE graduate must have the capability to delineate and solve in a practical way the engineering problems which are encountered during his/her career. Engineering design is usually a major component of the solution process; thus, the undergraduate curriculum should include a substantial design experience.

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Mendel, J. M., & Kuehl, H. H. (1997, June), The New Electrical Engineering Curriculum At The University Of Southern California Paper presented at 1997 Annual Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 10.18260/1-2--6708