Electrical Engineering Major Requirements 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | FA09-SP13
NOTE: WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SP20, FA20, WI21 AND SP21, ALL COURSES USED TO SATISFY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS MUST BE TAKEN FOR A LETTER GRADE AND RECEIVE A GRADE OF C- OR BETTER.
BS Electrical Engineering Program (effective Fall 2025)
Lower-Division Requirements (sixty eight units)
Electrical Engineering (twenty-four units)
ECE 5, 25, 30, 35, 45, and 65
Programming course (four units for electronic circuits and systems, electronic devices and materials, photonics, and power engineering depths)
ECE 15
Programming courses (eight units for communication systems, computer system design, machine learning and controls, and signal and image processing depths)
ECE 15, and 17 or 18
Mathematics (twenty-four units)
MATH 18 and 20A-B-C-D-E.
Physics (twelve units for communication systems, computer system design, machine learning and controls, and signal and image processing depths)
PHYS 2A-B-C or PHYS 4A-B-C. (Note: MATH 20A is a prerequisite for PHYS 2A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with MATH 20B or higher may take PHYS 2A in the fall quarter of the first year.)
Physics (sixteen units for electronic circuits and systems, electronic devices and materials, photonics, and power engineering depths)
PHYS 2A-B-C-D or PHYS 4A-B-C-D-E (Note: MATH 20A is a prerequisite for PHYS 2A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with MATH 20B or higher may take PHYS 2A in the fall quarter of the first year.)
Additional Notes
1. Students with AP Math credit are strongly advised to take MATH 20B in the fall quarter, leaving room for a GER in the winter quarter.
2. The ECE undergraduate website shows sample course plans. Please refer to the website and consult with the staff advisers in the undergraduate offices, room 2700 in Jacobs Hall.
Upper-Division Requirements
Students must select an engineering depth to provide a focus for their studies. Students may choose one of the approved depth sequences listed below or propose another with the approval of the department. A list of approved technical electives and professional electives can be found in our electives page.
Communication Systems (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 102, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE 153, 155, 157A, 158A, 159, 161A
• Technical Electives: one upper-division engineering, math, or physics course, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Computer System Design (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 109, 116
• Depth Courses: any five of ECE 102, 103, 111*, 140A-B, 141A-B, 143, 158A-B, or 165
• Technical Electives: three upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE 111*, 115, 140B, 190, or 191 *ECE 111 MUST be taken as either a depth, technical elective, or design course
Electronic Circuits and Systems (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 102, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE 164, 165, 166
• Technical Electives: three upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses,
• Design Course: one of ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Electronic Devices and Materials (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 102, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE 135A-B, 136L, 183
• Technical Electives: two upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Machine Learning and Controls (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE 171A, 174, 175A and one of ECE 171B, 172A, or 175B
• Technical Electives: four upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Photonics (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE 181, 182, 183 and either ECE 184 or 185
• Technical Electives: three upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Power Engineering (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 102, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE 121A-B, 125A, 128A, and either 125B or 128B
• Technical Electives: one upper-division engineering, math, or physics course, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Signal and Image Processing (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE 100, 101, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE 153, 161A-B-C
• Technical Electives: four upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
For official policies regarding major requirements, please consult the UC San Diego Catalog .