Electrical Engineering (EE) plays a crucial role in modern technological advancements across diverse fields, including communications, power systems, robotics, and microelectronics. The undergraduate EE program offers a strong analytical and experimental foundation while allowing flexibility to tailor studies to individual interests and career goals. Similarly, the M.S.E. program provides a solid theoretical base and interdisciplinary skills to navigate emerging innovations in electroscience, enabling students to customize their education in areas such as electromagnetics, photonics, sensors, MEMS, VLSI, nanotechnology, and power electronics.
“Electrical Engineering at Penn can easily be thought of as ‘The Umbrella Major.’ It encompasses so many diverse subjects, allowing students to either specialize in one particular field or receive a broad understanding of different disciplines. The curriculum is structured so that students take the introductory courses in Circuitry, Nanosystems, and Decision Systems; afterwards, they’ll have the vocabulary and knowledge to determine whichever career path they are interested in while having a base understanding of all fields in EE. It’s a major that offers flexibility and depth, a true rarity.”
“Electrical engineering at Penn meets all the requirements of an ideal engineering community. First, we have a team of world-class faculty, complemented by a very supportive department that organizes a great suite of department-specific events. Then we have a vibrant student body, including clubs like The Architechs that organizes a hardware bootcamp and a senior design mentorship program for freshmen. There are also multiple research labs that span robotics, cyber-physical systems, Nano devices, and decision systems, often with undergraduate research assistants who participate in various projects during the semester… The EE community is a diverse group of students with the most interesting goals, and it is a perfect place for anyone with an insatiable taste for learning and a desire to utilize the many opportunities offered.”
“EE at Penn encourages learning by doing. The curriculum is very hands on and students regularly have the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to real, practical applications. To be a successful electrical engineer, it takes a special blend of wanting to understand how electrical systems work in the real world, willingness to roll up your sleeves and work hard, and not being afraid to ask for help. I’ve spent many late nights in Detkin Lab working on EE projects, but I’ve also formed some of my strongest friendships at Penn through ESE.”
Our faculty members are dedicated to building up the next generation of engineers. In addition to being incredible mentors, they’re leading experts and researchers in their fields.
This is an advanced radio frequency (RF) circuit design course that includes analysis and design of high-frequency and high-speed integrated communication circuits at both transistor and system levels. Students gradually design and simulate different blocks of an RF receiver and combine these blocks to form the receiver as their final project. We assume some background knowledge of device physics, electromagnetics, circuit theory, control theory, and stochastic processes.
Addressing today’s energy and environmental challenges requires efficient energy conversion techniques. This course will discuss the circuits that efficiently convert ac power to dc power, dc power from one voltage level to another, and dc power to ac power. The lecture will discuss the components used in these circuits (e.g., transistors, diodes, capacitors, inductors) in detail to highlight their behavior in a practical implementation. In addition, the class will have lab sessions where students will obtain hands-on experience with power electronic circuits.
This hands-on course covers advanced topics in semiconductor industry, design and tape-out of electronic chips, including the design process, layout process, and DRC and LVS procedures. Teams of students (each team consists of two students) design analog/digital/mixed mode circuits (either from the list of pre-defined systems or their proposed system), simulate the schematic, layout the circuit, extract the layout parasitics, perform full post-layout chip simulations, prepare the design for tape-out, and tape-out the chip. Chips are fabricated during the summer and packaged. Students will measure their chips in the follow up course, Chips-measurements, ESE 5750/4750. Students are welcome to use this course to design a chip towards their senior design project or master’s thesis (in coordination with their advisor).
