B.S. Program Overview
The electrical engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. The accredited curriculum provides an excellent background for either graduate study or employment. The education and research activities in the department are strongly aligned with the department’s mission and program educational objectives.
Undergraduate education in the UCLA Electrical and Computer Engineering Department provides:
- Fundamental knowledge in mathematics, physical sciences, Electrical and Comput engineering.
- Opportunities to specialize in specific areas of interest or career aspirations.
- Intensive training in problem solving, laboratory skills, and design skills.
- A well-rounded education that includes communication skills, the ability to function well on an interdisciplinary and multi-cultural team, an appreciation for ethical behavior, and the ability to engage in lifelong learning.
Electrical Engineering B.S.
The undergraduate curriculum provides all Electrical Engineering majors with preparation in the mathematical and scientific disciplines that lead to a set of courses that span the fundamentals of the three major departmental areas of signals and systems, circuits and embedded systems, and physical wave electronics. These collectively provide an understanding of inventions of importance to society, such as integrated circuits, embedded systems, photonic devices, automatic computation and control, and telecommunication devices and systems.
Students are encouraged to make use of their electrical and computer engineering electives and a two-term capstone design course to pursue deeper knowledge within one of these areas according to their interests, whether for graduate study or preparation for employment.
Major Courses
In order to prepare for the major, students must take the following prerequisites :
- Chemistry and Biochemistry 20A
- Computer Science 31, 32
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 2, 3, 10, 11L, M16 (or Computer Science M51A)
- Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A, 33B
- Physics 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL
The Electrical Engineering B.S. consists of the following courses:
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 101A, 102, 110, 111L, 113, 131A
- Six core courses selected from Computer Science 33, Electrical and Computer Engineering 101B, 115A, 121B, 132A, 133A, 141, 170A
- Three technical breadth courses (12 units) selected from an approved list available in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs
- 12 units of major field elective courses, at least 8 of which must be upper-division electrical and computer engineering courses—the remaining 4 units may be from upper-division electrical and computer engineering courses or from another UCLA Samueli department
- One two-term electrical and computer engineering capstone design course (8 units)
For information on UC, school, and general education requirements, see Requirements for B.S. Degrees on page 22 or the GE Requirement web page.
Suggested Tracks
The technical breadth area requirement provides an opportunity to combine elective courses in the Electrical Engineering major with those from another UCLA Samueli major to produce a specialization in an interdisciplinary domain. Students are free to design a specialization in consultation with a faculty adviser.
- Bioengineering and Informatics (BI) refers to the design of biomedical devices and the analysis of data derived from such devices and instruments. Students might take Chemistry and Biochemistry 20B and two courses from Bioengineering 100, C101, C102, and 110 and/or 12 units from Computer Science CM121, Electrical and Computer Engineering 114, 133B, 134, and 176 and 8 capstone design units from 180DA/180DB.
- Computer Engineering (CE) concentrates on the part of the hardware/software stack related to the design of new processors and the operation of embedded systems. Students might take a 12unit technical breadth area in computer science such as Computer Science 111, 117, 130, and 180 and/or 12 units of electives from Electrical and Computer Engineering 115C, M116C, M116L, M119, 132B, and M146 and 8 capstone design units from 113DA/113DB or 180DA/180DB or 183DA/183DB.
- Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) refer to networked systems that include sensors and actuators that interact with the physical world. They blend embedded systems with networking and control and include, for example, robotic systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). Students might take a 12unit technical breadth area in computer science such as Computer Science 111, 117, and 180 and/or 12 units of electives from Electrical and Computer Engineering M116C, 132B, and 142 and 8 capstone design units from 183DA/183DB.
- Course Flowchart
- Course Planning Worksheet
- Curriculum Updates
Four-Year Sample Plan
Freshman Year
1st Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Computer Science 31 – Introduction to Computer Science I 2 | 4 |
| English Composition 3 – English Composition, Rhetoric, and Language | 5 |
| Mathematics 31A – Differential and Integral Calculus 1 | 4 |
2nd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Chemistry and Biochemistry 20A – Chemical Structure 1 | 4 |
| Computer Science 32 – Introduction to Computer Science II 2 | 4 |
| Mathematics 31B – Integration and Infinite Series 1 | 4 |
| Physics 1A – Mechanics 1 | 5 |
3rd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering M16 (or Computer Science M51A) – Logic Design of Digital Systems 2 | 4 |
| Mathematics 32A – Calculus of Several Variables 1 | 4 |
| Physics 1B/4AL – Oscillations, Waves, Electric and Magnetic Fields/Mechanics Laboratory 1 | 7 |
- Counts as Mathematics and Basic Sciences for ABET, total units Mathematics and Basic Sciences = 47.
- Counts as Engineering Concepts for ABET, total units Engineering Concepts = 90.
- Students should contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs for approved lists in the categories of technical breadth and GE (see pages 22 and 23 for details).
- See page 85 for list of core courses.
Sophomore Year
1st Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 3 — Introduction to Electrical Engineering 2 | 4 |
| Mathematics 32B — Calculus of Several Variables 1 | 4 |
| Mathematics 33A — Linear Algebra and Applications 1 | 4 |
| Physics 1C — Electrodynamics, Optics, and Special Relativity 1 | 5 |
2nd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 10 (Circuit Theory I) and 11L (Circuits Laboratory I) 2 | 5 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 102 — Systems and Signals 2 | 4 |
| Mathematics 33B — Differential Equations 1 | 4 |
| Physics 4BL — Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory 1 | 2 |
3rd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 2 — Physics for Electrical Engineers 2 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 110 (Circuit Theory II) and 111L (Circuits Laboratory II) 2 | 5 |
| UCLA Samueli Ethics Course | 4 |
| UCLA Samueli GE Elective 3 | 4 |
- Counts as Mathematics and Basic Sciences for ABET, total units Mathematics and Basic Sciences = 47.
- Counts as Engineering Concepts for ABET, total units Engineering Concepts = 90.
- Students should contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs for approved lists in the categories of technical breadth and GE (see pages 22 and 23 for details).
- See page 85 for list of core courses.
Junior Year
1st Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 113 — Digital Signal Processing 2 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 131A — Probability and Statistics 2 | 4 |
| UCLA Samueli GE Elective 3 | 5 |
2nd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering 101A — Engineering Electromagnetics 2 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Core Course 2,4 | 4 |
| UCLA Samueli GE Elective 3 | 5 |
3rd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Core Course 2,4 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Core Course 2,4 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Core Course 2,4 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Core Course or Computer Science 33 (Introduction to Computer Organization) 2,4 | 4 |
- Counts as Mathematics and Basic Sciences for ABET, total units Mathematics and Basic Sciences = 47.
- Counts as Engineering Concepts for ABET, total units Engineering Concepts = 90.
- Students should contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs for approved lists in the categories of technical breadth and GE (see pages 22 and 23 for details).
- See page 85 for list of core courses.
Senior Year
1st Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Core Course 2,4 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Design Course 2 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Elective 2 | 4 |
| Technical Breadth Course 3 | 4 |
2nd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Design Course 2 | 4 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Elective 2 | 4 |
| Technical Breadth Course 3 | 4 |
| UCLA Samueli GE Elective 3 | 5 |
3rd Quarter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering or UCLA Samueli Elective 2 | 4 |
| Technical Breadth Course 3 | 4 |
| UCLA Samueli GE Elective 3 | 5 |
- Counts as Mathematics and Basic Sciences for ABET, total units Mathematics and Basic Sciences = 47.
- Counts as Engineering Concepts for ABET, total units Engineering Concepts = 90.
- Students should contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs for approved lists in the categories of technical breadth and GE (see pages 22 and 23 for details).
- See page 85 for list of core courses.
Total Units: 182
Transfer Sample Plan #1
Please Note: This are just two examples of what your curriculum might look like based on requirements from previous school years. Requirements can be subject to change for this school year. Once school has started, you can meet with a counselor from your major to come up with an individualized course plan based on your specific transfer credit. Students are not guaranteed to get any specific class during any specific quarter.
Assumes student has completed all Math, Chemistry, Physics, CS 31, English Composition, GE requirements and also EL ENGR 3 or EL ENGR 102 in the summer.
First Year
Fall
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR 3 or EL ENGR 102 | 4 |
| EL ENGR M16 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 101A | 4 |
Winter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| COM SCI 32 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 10 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 11L | 1 |
| EL ENGR 131A | 4 |
Spring
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR 110 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 111L | 1 |
| EL ENGR 113 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #1 | 4 |
Second Year
Fall
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR 2 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #2 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #3 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #4 | 4 |
Winter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #5 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CAPSTONE DA | 4 |
| ENGINEERING ETHICS* | 4 |
| TECH BREADTH #1 | 4 |
Spring
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #6 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CAPSTONE DB | 4 |
| EL ENGR ELECTIVE #1 | 4 |
| TECH BREADTH #2 | 4 |
*Satisfied with either ENGR 183EW or ENGR 185EW
Third Year
Fall
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR ELECTIVE #2 | 4 |
| EL ENGR ELECTIVE #3 | 4 |
| TECH BREADTH #3 | 4 |
Finished after fall quarter.
Transfer Sample Plan #2
Assumes student has completed all Math, Chemistry, Physics, English Composition, CS 31, and 3 GE requirements.
First Year
Fall
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR 2 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 3 | 4 |
| EL ENGR M16 | 4 |
Winter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| COM SCI 32 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 10 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 11L | 1 |
| EL ENGR 102 | 4 |
Spring
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR 110 | 4 |
| EL ENGR 111L | 1 |
| EL ENGR 113 | 4 |
| GE COURSE | 5 |
Second Year
Fall
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR 101A | 4 |
| EL ENGR 131A | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #1 | 4 |
| TECH BREADTH #1 | 4 |
Winter
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #2 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #3 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #4 | 4 |
| TECH BREADTH #2 | 4 |
Spring
| Course | Units |
|---|
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #5 | 4 |
| EL ENGR CORE COURSE #6 | 4 |
| EL ENGR ELECTIVE #1 | 4 |
| ENGINEERING ETHICS* | 4 |
*Satisfied with either ENGR 183EW or ENGR 185EW
Third Year
Fall
Winter
Finished after winter quarter.
For more information about the B.S. program, please click here.
Computer Engineering B.S.
The undergraduate curriculum provides all computer engineering students with preparation in the mathematical and scientific disciplines that lead to a set of courses that span the fundamentals of the discipline in the major areas of data science and embedded networked systems. These collectively provide an understanding of many inventions of importance to our society, such as the Internet of Things, human-cyber-physical systems, mobile/wearable/implantable systems, robotic systems, and more generally smart systems at all scales in diverse spheres. The design of hardware, software, and algorithmic elements of such systems represents an already dominant and rapidly growing part of the computer engineering profession. Students are encouraged to make use of their computer science and electrical and computer engineering electives and a two-quarter capstone design course to pursue deeper knowledge within one of these areas according to their interests, whether for graduate study or preparation for employment.
Major Courses
In order to prepare for the major, students must take the following prerequisites :
- Computer Science 1 (or Electrical and Computer Engineering 1), 31, 32, 33, 35L, M51A (or Electrical and Computer Engineering M16)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 3
- Engineering 96C
- Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A, 33B, 61
- Physics 1A, 1B, 1C, and 4AL or 4BL
The Computer Engineering B.S. consists of the following courses:
- Computer Science 111, 118 (or Electrical and Computer Engineering 132B), M151B (or Electrical and Computer Engineering M116C), M152A (or Electrical and Computer Engineering M116L), 180
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 100, 102, 113, 115C
- One course from Civil and Environmental Engineering 110, Electrical and Computer Engineering 131A, Mathematics 170A, 170E, Statistics 100A
- 8 units of computer science and 8 units of electrical and computer engineering upper-division electives
- Three technical breadth courses (12 units) selected from an approved list available in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs
- 8 units capstone design from either Electrical and Computer Engineering 180DA/180DB or 183DA/183DB
For information on UC, school, and general education requirements, see Requirements for B.S. Degrees on page 22 or the GE Requirement web page.
Suggested Tracks
- Networked Embedded Systems: This track targets two related trends that have been a significant driver of computing, namely standalone embedded devices becoming networked and coupled to physical systems, and the Internet evolving toward a network of things (the IoT). These may broadly be classified as cyber-physical systems, and includes a broad category of systems such as smart buildings, autonomous vehicles, and robots, which interact with each other and other systems. This trend in turn is driving innovation both in the network technologies (new low-power wireless networks for connecting things, and new High-speed networks and computing infrastructure to accommodate the transport and processing needs of the deluge of data resulting from continual sensing), and in embedded computing (new hardware and software stack catering to requirements such as ultralow power operation, and embedded machine learning).
- Students pursuing this track are strongly encouraged to take Electrical and Computer Engineering M119 or Computer Science M119 in junior year, and to choose three electives from courses such as Computer Science 117, 130, 131, 132, 133, 136, 181, 188, Electrical and Computer Engineering 2, 115A, 115B, 132A, 133A, 141, 142, 188.
- Students who pursue a technical breadth area in either electrical and computer engineering or computer science can choose an additional three courses from this list.
- Students pursing this track are strongly advised to take Computer Science 143 and M146 or Electrical and Computer Engineering M146, and to additionally choose two electives from courses such as Computer Science CM121, 136, 144, 145, 161, 188, Electrical and Computer Engineering 114, 133A, 133B, 134, 188.
- Students who pursue a technical breadth area in either electrical and computer engineering or computer science can choose an additional three courses from this list.
Students are also free to design ad hoc tracks. The technical breadth area requirement provides an opportunity to combine elective courses in electrical and computer engineering and computer science with those from another UCLA Samueli major to produce a specialization in an interdisciplinary domain. As noted above, students can also select a technical breadth area in either Electrical and Computer Engineering or Computer Science to deepen their knowledge in either discipline.
- Flowchart
- Course Planning Worksheet
- Major Comparisons and FAQ
