Objectives and Stats

The undergraduate BS program in electrical engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Additionally, the program provides a comprehensive background in electrical engineering, while offering significant flexibility in the areas pursued in depth through elective coursework and research projects. This breadth and depth prepares students for any future career path including work in engineering, careers in related mathematically-intensive fields, and further professional or graduate education.

Program Educational Objectives

In support of the mission of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the educational objective of the Electrical Engineering program is to prepare graduates to achieve success in one or more of the following within a few years after graduation:

1. Graduate or professional studies—as evidenced by admission to a top-tier program, attainment of advanced degrees, research contributions, or professional recognition.
2. Engineering practice—as evidenced by entrepreneurship; employment in industry, government, academia, or nonprofit organizations in engineering; patents; or professional recognition.
3. Careers outside of engineering that take advantage of an engineering education—as evidenced by contributions appropriate to the chosen field.

Our department periodically reviews these objectives and as part of this review process, encourages comments from all interested parties: current students, alumni, prospective students, faculty, teaching assistants, those who hire or admit our graduates to other programs, members of related professional organizations, and colleagues from other educational institutions. Please send comments to our ABET coordinator, Charles Zukowski (caz at columbia.edu).

Student Outcomes

An accredited engineering program must define a set of specific student outcomes that include but are not necessarily limited to items a-k listed below.  We regularly review the courses in our curriculum to make sure that all these items are covered, and assess whether our students are successfully attaining these goals.

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.

EE Program Statistics (As of October 2023)

• 18 EE graduates, May 2014
• 35 EE graduates, May 2013
• 22 EE graduates, May 2012
• 30 EE graduates, May 2011
• 26 EE graduates, May 2010