Mission
The Mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to educate our students, at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, to prepare for careers in electrical and computer engineering, or in other professions, in which they will make a positive contribution to the growth of society and to the betterment of the human condition, in the Jesuit tradition. We do this by teaching the concepts and the tools necessary to understand the physical world, particularly with respect to the fundamental laws of electricity and magnetism. Our students apply this knowledge to engineering problems, and they seek to understand the effect that electrical engineering has on society, and the obligations that the electrical engineer has to society. The Department contributes to the vitality of Silicon Valley and beyond through its teaching, practice, and scholarship.
Program Educational Objectives
The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department offers undergraduate degrees in Electrical Engineering and in Electrical and Computer Engineering. While the detailed curriculum requirements for each degree is different, the Program Educational Objectives and the Student Outcomes are the same for both degrees.
The Department has developed a program with four specific educational objectives, namely that our graduates who have been out of school for two to five years will have:
- Become successful professionals, applying the fundamental concepts of electrical and computer engineering science and engineering practice to the solution of practical problems, within engineering or in another field.
- Worked effectively within teams and communicated effectively to solve complex engineering problems, or other problems.
- Acted with responsibility within society in light of the obligation that engineers have to design and develop effective products that are of positive value to society, practiced leadership in advising society on the wisdom of specific developments, and acted with honesty and wisdom, courage, and compassion.
- Been driven to continue learning by an inherent curiosity for discovery, enjoying and embracing lifelong learning as a necessity for personal growth and societal improvement.
Student Outcomes
1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying
principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs
with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural,
social, environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering
situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of
engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide
leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan
tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret
data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning
strategies.
