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Educational Program Objectives
The electrical engineering program objectives are designed to promote technical competence, professional development, and citizenship in the global community.Technical Competence
Graduates will apply their technical skills in mathematics, science and engineering to the solution of complex problems encountered in modern electrical engineering practice.Graduates will model, analyze, design and experimentally evaluate components or systems that achieve desired technical specifications subject to the reality of economic constraints.
Professional Development
Graduates will compete effectively in a world of rapid technological change and assume leadership roles within industrial, entrepreneurial, academic or governmental environments in the broad context of electrical engineering.Some graduates who choose to redirect their careers will be employed in diverse fields such as healthcare, business, law, computer science, multimedia and music through graduate-level studies and the process of lifelong learning.
Citizenship in the Global Community
Graduates will use their communication skills to function effectively both as individuals and as members of multidisciplinary and multicultural teams in a diverse global economy.Graduates will engage in highly ethical and professional practices that account for the global, environmental and societal impact of engineering decisions.
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
The requirement for the degree is 131 units. A cumulative scholarship average of C (2.0) is required for: (a) all courses taken at USC; (b) all courses taken within the Department of Electrical Engineering; (c) all upper division courses taken within the Department of Electrical Engineering. See also the common requirements for undergraduate degrees section.| composition/writing requirements | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| WRIT 140* | Writing and Critical Reasoning | 4 |
| WRIT 340 | Advanced Writing | 3 |
| General education (see here) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| General education* + | 20 | |
| pre-major requirements | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Math Requirement | ||
| MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 226 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MATH 245 | Mathematics of Physics and Engineering I | 4 |
| MATH 445 | Mathematics of Physics and Engineering II | 4 |
| Physics Requirement | ||
| PHYS 151L** | Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics | 4 |
| PHYS 152L | Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS 153L | Fundamentals of Physics III: Optics and Modern Physics | 4 |
| Chemistry Elective | ||
| CHEM 105aL | General Chemistry, or | |
| CHEM 115aL | Advanced General Chemistry, or | |
| MASC 110L | Materials Science | 4 |
| major requirements | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | ||
| ENGR 102 | Engineering Freshman Academy | 2 |
| Computer Science | ||
| CSCI 355 | Software Design for Engineers | 3 |
| Electrical Engineering | ||
| EE 101 | Introduction to Digital Logic | 3 |
| EE 105 | Introduction to Electrical Engineering | 3 |
| EE 150L | Engineering Computational Methods | 3 |
| EE 200L | Foundations of Electrical Engineering Systems | 4 |
| EE 202L | Linear Circuits | 4 |
| EE 330 | Electromagnetics I | 3 |
| EE 364 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, or | |
| EE 464 | Probability Theory for Engineers | 3 |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | ||
| ISE 460 | Engineering Economy, or | |
| BUAD 301 | Technical Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| Major electives | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Electives | See requirements for graduation | 37 |
| Total units: | 131 | |
Requirements for Graduation:
Engineering Electives
Engineering electives are to be chosen from the courses listed under entry-level electives and areas of specialization. At least one elective must be an asterisked course.Entry-Level Electives
The entry-level courses listed under two of the four following topical areas are required:Communication, Control and Signal Processing: EE 241 (3), EE 301 (3)
Computer Engineering: EE 201L (4), EE 357 (3)
Electromagnetics and Solid State: EE 238L (3), EE 338 (3)
Electronic Devices and Circuits: EE 338 (3), EE 348L (4)
Areas of Specialization
Courses in at least one of the 10 areas of specialization listed below are required:Communication, Control and Signal Processing
Signal Processing and Communication (take four): EE 434Lx (4/CD*), EE 467 (3), EE 469 (3), EE 475 (3), EE 483 (3), EE 484x (3/CD*)Controls and Robotics (take four): EE 482 (3), CSCI 445 (4), EE 454L (4), EE 459Lx (3/CD*)
Computer Engineering
Computer Architecture and Organization: EE 454L (4), EE 457 (3), EE 459Lx (3/CD*)Hardware/Software (take three): CSCI 402x (3), EE 454L (4), EE 457 (3)
Computer Networks (take three): CSCI 402x (3), EE 450 (3), EE 457 (3).
Electromagnetics and Solid State
Electromechanics and Energy Systems (take three): EE 370 (3), EE 415 (3), EE 422x (3/CD*), EE 423Lx (3/CD*), EE 443 (3), EE 470 (3)Lasers and Photonics: EE 471 (3) or PHYS 438a (4); (take two) EE 472 (3), EE 473L (3), EE 474 (3)
Solid State: EE 471 (3) or PHYS 438a (4); (take two) PHYS 440 (4), EE 438L (3), EE 439 (3)
Electronic Devices and Circuits
Electronic Circuits (take three): EE 447Lx (4/CD*), EE 448L (4), EE 478Lx (4/CD*), EE 479 (3)Integrated Circuits: EE 438L (3), EE 448Lx (4), EE 477L (4).
*CD — Capstone Design Elective
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (Computers)
The Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering (computers) is earned by successfully completing the normal requirements for the Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering with the following courses chosen as EE electives: EE 454L; CSCI 455x; EE 457; EE 478L.Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Computer Science
See the listing under Computer Engineering.Minor in Music Recording
A minor in music recording is offered through the USC Thornton School of Music to provide undergraduate students with the background necessary to enter the field of recording engineering and to familiarize them with the design needs of modern recording equipment. The minor is recommended to electrical engineering majors with extensive musical training who would like to combine their technical and musical abilities while learning the engineering applications of physical and mathematical principles to the art of music recording. See the listing under the Thornton School of Music.Minor in Engineering Technology Commercialization
See listing in the the Special Educational Opportunities.Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be earned on all course work applied toward the master's degree in electrical engineering. This average must also be achieved on all 400-level and above course work attempted at USC beyond the bachelor's degree and through an accumulation of no more than 45 units. Transfer units count as credit (CR) toward the master's degree and are not computed in the grade point average.In addition to the general requirements of the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Master of Science in electrical engineering is also subject to the following requirements: (1) a total of at least 27 units is required; (2) every non-EE course for graduate credit requires prior written advisor approval recorded each semester on a special request form in the student's department file; (3) no more than three courses (maximum 12 units) may be counted at the 400 level – at least 18 advisor-approved units must be taken at the 500 or 600 level; (4) at least 18 units must be taken in electrical engineering, those not in EE require written advisor approval and must be technical in nature; (5) to achieve a degree of breadth in their program, students are encouraged to take two technical courses outside their area of specialization but within EE; (6) at least 21 of the 27 units must be taken in the Viterbi School of Engineering; (7) units to be transferred (maximum four with advisor approval) must have been taken prior to taking classes at USC — interruption of residency is not allowed.
The aerospace controls option is available as an area of emphasis for MSEE students interested in learning to apply innovative control techniques to aerospace control problems. In addition to 18 approved units of electrical engineering courses, students in this option will take at least three of the following aerospace and mechanical engineering courses: AME 453 Engineering Dynamics (3); AME 531 Aerodynamics of Wings and Bodies (3); AME 532ab Flight Vehicle Stability and Control (3-3); AME 525 Engineering Analysis (3); AME 526 Engineering Analytical Methods (3); ASTE 580 Orbital Mechanics I (3).
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Computer Networks)
Under the computer networks option students must satisfy the M.S., Electrical Engineering requirements with the exception that only 15 units of EE are required. It is expected that each student in this program will take or have taken the equivalent of the following fundamental courses: CSCI 402x, EE 450, EE 457Lx, and EE 465. The following required courses must be included: CSCI 551, EE 549 or EE 550, and EE 555. Suggested elective courses include: CSCI 530, CSCI 555, CSCI 558L, CSCI 570, CSCI 694a, CSCI 694b, EE 532, EE 535, EE 554, EE 557, EE 558, EE 579, EE 590, EE 599, EE 650, EE 652, EE 659. Any other course must be approved by a faculty advisor. No more than three courses (maximum 12 units) may be counted at the 400 level – at least 18 advisor-approved units must be taken at the 500 or 600 level. Total units required for the degree is 27.Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Electric Power)
The Master of Science in electrical engineering (electric power) is a program option for students seeking careers in the electric power industry. The plan of study combines traditional topics in power generation, transmission and distribution with cutting-edge topics such as the integration of renewable energy sources in the “smart grid.”The degree is earned by successfully completing the following required courses: EE 443, EE 444, EE 521, EE 524, EE 525, EE 526 and EE 527. Students must also take at least one course from two different areas:
Area 1: Construction Management
CE 501, CE 556, CE 559
Area 2: Environmental Engineering
CE 518, ENE 505, ISE 576
Area 3: Decision and Risk Analysis
ISE 561, ISE 563, PPD 587
Area 4: Public Administration
PPD 540, PPD 542, PPD 545
All other program requirements are consistent with those for the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Multimedia and Creative Technologies)
See listing under Multimedia and Creative Technologies.Master of Science in Systems Architecting and Engineering
See the listing under Systems Architecting and Engineering.Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (VLSI Design)
The Master of Science in electrical engineering (VLSI design) is earned by successfully completing the normal requirements for the Master of Science in electrical engineering, with the following additional required courses: EE 536a; EE 577a; EE 577b or EE 536b; and EE 552. If a student chooses to take EE 536b as well as EE 577b, the student may either count EE 536b as one of the courses for Area 2 or EE 577b as one of the courses for Area 1 or Area 3. No more than three courses (maximum 12 units) may be counted at the 400 level – at least 18 advisor-approved units must be taken at the 500 or 600 level.The students must also take two courses from one of the following areas and one course from a second area:
Area 1: CSCI 455x, EE 560, EE 577b (see above), EE 658, EE 680 and EE 681.
Area 2: EE 448L, EE 504L, EE 536b (see above), EE 537 and EE 630.
Area 3: CSCI 455x, CSCI 570, EE 557, EE 560, EE 577b (see above), EE 659 and EE 677.
With explicit approval of a faculty advisor, EE 599 Special Topics and/or 3 units of EE 590 Directed Research may be used to meet requirements for any of the approved areas.
The remaining courses must be technical electives approved by the advisor, and can including the following: EE 501, EE 502, EE 504L, EE 506, EE 540, EE 554, EE 560, EE 590, EE 601 and EE 677.
Financial Engineering
Faculty Contact: Professor Petros Ioannou, ioannou@usc.edu
Master of Science in Financial Engineering
The objective of this program is the training of graduate students with engineering, applied mathematics or physics backgrounds in the application of mathematical and engineering tools to finance. Financial engineering is a multidisciplinary education program that involves the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Marshall School of Business and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences (Department of Economics). Financial engineering uses tools from finance and economics, engineering, applied mathematics and statistics to address problems such as derivative securities valuation, strategic planning and dynamic investment strategies, and risk management, which are of interest to investment and commercial banks, trading companies, hedge funds, insurance companies, corporate risk managers and regulatory agencies.A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be earned on all course work applied toward the master's degree in financial engineering. Transfer units count as credit (CR) toward the master's degree and are not computed in the grade point average. In addition to the general requirements of the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Master of Science in financial engineering is also subject to the following requirements: (1) a total of at least 27 units is required, 18 of which have to be from the Viterbi School of Engineering; (2) every plan of study requires prior written approval by the contact faculty of the program; (3) units to be transferred (maximum of four with advisor approval) must have been taken prior to taking classes at USC; interruption of residency is not allowed.
Curriculum
Students are expected to have a background in probability at the level of USC's EE 464 or ISE 220 and linear algebra at the level of USC's EE 441 or MATH 225. Admitted students who do not meet prerequisites will be assigned courses to complete the deficiencies.The degree requirements are minimum of 27 units (18 units have to be from the School of Engineering) which corresponds to nine, three-unit courses. Three of the courses are required and the other six are electives from a restricted list of courses:
| Required | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GSBA 548 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| ISE 563 | Financial Engineering | 3 |
| EE 556 | Stochastic Systems and Finance | 3 |
| Electives (advisor approved) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Finance, Business, Economics Area: | ||
| Two courses (6 units) from the following: | ||
| ECON 500 | Microeconomic Analysis and Policy | 4 |
| ECON 501 | Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy | 4 |
| ECON 613 | Econometric and Financial Time Series I | 4 |
| FBE 529 | Financial Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FBE 535 | Applied Finance in Fixed Income Securities | 3 |
| FBE 543 | Forecasting and Risk Analysis | 3 |
| FBE 554 | Trading and Exchanges | 3 |
| FBE 555 | Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| FBE 559 | Management of Financial Risk | 3 |
| FBE 589 | Mortgages and Mortgage-Backed Securities and Markets | 3 |
Optimization, Simulations, Stochastic Systems: | ||
| Three courses (9 units) from the following: | ||
| CE 645 | Uncertainty Modeling and Stochastic Optimization | 3 |
| EE 517 | Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| EE 553* | Computational Solution of Optimization Problems | 3 |
| EE 562a | Random Processes in Engineering | 3 |
| ISE 520* | Optimization: Theory and Algorithms | 3 |
| ISE 536 | Linear Programming and Extensions | 3 |
| ISE 538 | Elements of Stochastic Processes | 3 |
| ISE 539 | Stochastic Elements of Simulation | 3 |
| Systems and Control Area: | ||
| One course (3 units) from the following: | ||
| AME 541 | Linear Control Systems II | 3 |
| EE 500 | Neural and Fuzzy Systems | 3 |
| EE 585 | Linear System Theory | 3 |
| EE 587 | Nonlinear and Adaptive Control | 3 |
| EE 588 | Linear Quadratic Control | 3 |
Viterbi Integrated Master of Science Program (VIP) for the General Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
The Viterbi Integrated Master of Science Program (VIP) allows selected undergraduates from U.S. institutions that are partnered with the Viterbi School to complete the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with a 6-unit reduction of the total 27 units required.The VIP Master of Science in Electrical Engineering is subject to the following requirements: (1) students must complete a total of at least 21 units; (2) at least 18 units must be completed at the 500 or 600 level; (3) at least 18 units must be taken in electrical engineering, (4) a minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be earned on all course work applied toward the master's degree in electrical engineering and all course work attempted at USC beyond the bachelor's degree. Students are encouraged to complete two technical courses outside their area of specialization but within EE to achieve a degree of breadth in their plan of study.
To be eligible for the VIP program, students must have completed the equivalent of at least two 400-level preparatory courses at their undergraduate institution from the list below prior to enrollment at USC. A designated department advisor for the USC VIP program must approve the course selections.
| Preparatory Courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Complete equivalent of at least two courses | ||
| EE 401 | Transform Theory for Engineers | 3 |
| EE 441 | Applied Linear Algebra for Engineering | 3 |
| EE 448L | Communication Electronics | 4 |
| EE 450 | Introduction to Computer Networks | 3 |
| EE 454L | Introduction to System Design Using Microprocessors | 4 |
| EE 457 | Computer Systems Organization | 3 |
| EE 464 | Probability Theory for Engineers | 3 |
| EE 465 | Probabilistic Methods in Computer Systems Modeling | 3 |
| EE 470 | Electromagnetics II | 3 |
| EE 477L | MOS VLSI Circuit Design | 4 |
| EE 482 | Linear Control Systems | 3 |
| EE 483 | Introduction to Digital Signal Processing | 3 |
| CSCI 402x | Operating Systems | 3 |
Students applying to the VIP must be recommended by a faculty representative at a partner undergraduate institution; complete the regular graduate admission application (with exception of the GRE); and hold junior standing in electrical engineering with a 3.5 GPA or better on major related course work.