The requirement for the degree is 135 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. In addition to a grade of D (minimum passing) or better must be earned in each required course in the Bachelor of Science curriculum. See also the common requirements for undergraduate degrees.
| First Year, First Semester | Units | |
| EE 101 | Introduction to Digital Logic | 3 |
| MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| PDP 103x* | Introduction to FORTRAN Programming | 2 |
| Electives (see requirements for graduation) | 8 | |
| ____ | 17 | |
*Students may substitute PDP 105x Introduction to Pascal Programming or PDP 110x Introduction to C Programming if they obtain a satisfactory score on the FORTRAN Placement Test.
| First Year, Second Semester | Units | |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYS 151L | Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics, Waves, and Sound | 4 |
| Electives (see requirements for graduation) | 8 | |
| ____ | 16 | |
| Second Year, First Semester | Units | |
| EE 250 | Numerical Methods and Software for Electrical Engineering | 3 |
| MATH 226 | Calculus III | 4 |
| PHYS 152L | Fundamentals of Physics II: Thermodynamics, Electricity, and Magnetism | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| ____ | 15 | |
| Second Year, Second Semester | Units | |
| EE 102L | Introduction to Digital Circuits | 2 |
| EE 202L | Linear Circuits | 4 |
| MATH 245 | Mathematics of Physics and Engineering I | 4 |
| PHYS 153L | Fundamentals of Physics III: Optics and Modern Physics | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| ____ | 18 | |
| Third Year, First Semester | Units | |
| EE 301 | Introduction to Linear Systems | 3 |
| EE 338 | Physical Electronics | 3 |
| EE 357 | Basic Organization of Computer Systems | 3 |
| MATH 445 | Mathematics of Physics and Engineering II | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| ____ | 17 | |
| Third Year, Second Semester | Units | |
| EE 330 | Electromagnetics I | 3 |
| EE 348 | Electronic Circuits I | 3 |
| EE 349L | Electronics Laboratory | 2 |
| EE 441 | Applied Linear Algebra for Engineering | 3 |
| Electives | 7 | |
| ____ | 18 | |
| Fourth Year, First Semester | Units | |
| EE 370 | Electromechanics | 3 |
| EE 464 | Probability Theory for Engineers | 3 |
| EE 470 | Electromagnetics II | 3 |
| Electives | 8 | |
| ____ | 17 | |
| Fourth Year, Second Semester | Units | |
| EE 482 | Linear Control Systems | 3 |
| Electives 1 | 4 | |
| ____ | 17 | |
| Requirements for graduation | Units | |
| Humanities and Social Sciences | 20 | |
| Expository Writing Program COMP 101 and 102* | 8 | |
| Math-Science elective*** | 4 | |
| CHEM 105aL | General Chemistry, or | |
| CHEM 115aL | Advanced General Chemistry, or | |
| MASC 110L | Materials Science | 4 |
| Engineering electives** | 21 | |
| Total elective units | 57 | |
| ____ | Minimum unit requirement for graduation | 135 |
*Expository Writing Program (COMP 101 and 102) is required unless Verbal SAT score is 600 or above. See Common Requirements.
**Engineering electives: 21 units of engineering electives are required for the BSEE degree, at least 15 of which must be in EE. All elective courses are to be 200-level or above. Any course which could be used to satisfy a humanities or social science requirement may not be used as an engineering elective. In addition:
(1) At least one elective must be a non-EE engineering science elective, either from the list below: CE 227, 228, 309; CHE 472; ME 201, 310, 452, 453; or others by special advisor approval;
(2) At least three courses must be taken from the following list of design courses: EE 402, *434L, 444L, 448, 473L, 447L, *454L, *459L, *478L, 479L, including at least one of the asterisked capstone design courses.
***The math-science elective (4 units) is fulfilled from the following list of courses: Astronomy 400, 410, 420, 430L, 440; Biological Sciences 106L or any higher numbered course; Chemistry, any course except 040x, 100x, 102x, 105aL, 115aL; Mathematics 408, 410, 425ab, 430, 432, 434, 435, 440, 447, 458, 461, 465, 471, 475; and Physics 302L, 304, 316, 438ab, 440.
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; CS/EE 455x; EE 457x; EE 478L.
See the listing under Computer Engineering.
If a student chooses six courses (9 to 18 units) from a prescribed program, he or she may graduate with the special designation Area of Emphasis in Manufacturing Engineering on the transcript. Details are given under Manufacturing Engineering.
A minor in music recording is offered through the 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 School of Music.
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. 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 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 course for graduate credit requires prior written advisor approval recorded each semester on the study plan in the student's department file; (3) no more than nine units at the 400 level may be counted toward the degree -- the remaining 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 are subject to 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 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: ME 453 Engineering Dynamics (3); AE 512 Aerodynamics of Wings and Bodies (3); AE 515ab State Space for Aeronautical Engineers (3-3); AE 516ab Flight Vehicle Stability and Control (3-3); AE 525ab Engineering Analysis (3-3); ME 553ab Advanced Analytical Mechanics (3-3); AE 580 Orbital Mechanics (3).
Under the computer networks option students must satisfy the MSEE requirements with the exception that only 15 units of EE are required and the following courses must be included in the program: EE/CSCI 450; EE/CSCI 465 or EE 549; CSCI 402; CSCI 555 or CSCI 558L; CSCI 551; EE 550 or EE 555; EE 557 or EE 554. Students who can demonstrate that they have already taken these courses (or equivalent) may be waived out of the requirement by memo from a faculty advisor. All courses must be approved by a faculty advisor. A list of suggested electives is available from the department office.
See the listing under Systems Architecture and Engineering.
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 533a; 577a; 577b or 533b; 552 and 582.
The students must also take three courses from one of the following areas and one course from a second area:
Area 1: CSCI/EE 455x, EE 658, 680 and 681.
Area 2: EE 448, 536, 537 and 630.
Area 3: CSCI/EE 455x, EE 557, CSCI 570, EE 677.
The remaining courses must be technical electives approved by the advisor, and can including the following: EE 501, 502, 504L, 506, 532, 540, 554, 560L, 590, 601 and 677.
A graduate student who already holds a master's degree from USC or another accredited engineering school may apply up to four units toward a second master's degree with the permission of the chair of the major department. All credit, including the transferred units, must be earned within seven calendar years.
Requirements for the Engineer in Electrical Engineering are the same as those listed under Engineer Degree, except that both areas of concentration must be in electrical engineering.
The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Electrical Engineering is awarded in strict conformity with the general requirements of the Graduate School. See general requirements for graduate degrees. Departmental requirements for this degree consist of a concentrated program of study and research and a dissertation. Each student wishing to undertake a doctoral program must first be admitted to the program and then take the screening examination. This examination will emphasize comprehension of fundamental material in one of the 13 specialized areas of electrical engineering listed below. Listed under each area are courses offered by the Department of Electrical Engineering which will provide basic background for the examination and partial preparation for the dissertation. Not all courses listed are required for preparation for the screening examination in any specific area. Consult a separately published guide, available from the department office, for more information concerning examination content and scheduling. Further guidance concerning the full completion of courses, including those given outside the department, which are recommended for preparation for the dissertation, can be obtained from the faculty in each technical area.
Students may major in the following fields: Electromagnetics-EE 570ab, 571ab, 572ab, 573ab, 575, 576, 578, 604; Plasma Science-EE 539, 570ab, 572ab; Power and Machinery-EE 510, 511, 512, 513, 514, 521, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 620, 621; Quantum Electronics-EE 529, 530, 531, 532, 539, 540; Solid State-EE 501, 502, 504L, 506, 507, 508, 533, 537, 601, 602, 604, 606, 607, 609; Integrated Circuits-EE 471, 501, 504L, 506, 533, 536, 537, 540, 569, 577, 585, 601, 602, 604, 605, 606, 630; Optics-EE 529, 530, 531, 532, 539, 540, 559, 566, 569, 589, 629ab, 642, 669.
Students may major in the following fields: Biomedical Engineering and Biomathematics-EE 591ab, 593, 595, 596; Communication Theory-EE 550, 551, 562ab, 563, 564, 565ab, 566, 567, 568, 569, 583, 595, 664, 666, 667, 669; Computer Engineering-EE 541, 545, 546L, 547, 548, 549, 550, 552, 553, 554, 555, 557, 560L, 561, 574, 577ab, 578, 582, 597, 649, 650, 653, 656, 657, 658, 677, 680, 681 (see program listing for the Master of Science in Computer Engineering); Intelligent Systems-EE 559, CSCI 561, CSCI 574; Signal Processing-EE 559, 562a, 566, 569, 583, 586L, 589, 668, 669, 683, 689; Systems and Controls-EE 541, 544, 553, 563, 582, 585, 586, 587, 588, 593, 596, 597, 680, 684, 685.
Next SectionProduced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995