Prospective Major FAQs

For general information about EE program requirements please see the General EE FAQs.  This page covers questions unique to students who are considering an EE major in the future.

Why major in EE?

While every student should choose a major that is best for them, EE is a broad discipline that provides a good foundation for many different types of careers in the technology industry.  The EE program at Columbia is ABET accredited.  

How should I prepare for the EE major?

For the most part, following the standard SEAS program for the first two years is adequate.  The main addition needed to prepare for EE is to take ELEN E1201 Introduction to EE before Junior year.  And it is useful to continue the Physics sequence through Physics III and the Physics Lab.

Should I take the advanced Physics sequence (UN1601, UN1602, UN2601)?

Students who are not ready should feel no pressure to do this.  The best preparation for the EE major is to take the sequence that is the best fit.  The standard sequence (UN1401, UN1402, UN1403) is all that is needed.  The only reason to take the advanced one is if the standard one would be too easy to stay interesting and/or would have too much repetition to be an efficient use of time.

Should I take COMS W1004, Intro to Java?

There is no need for EE majors to ever take this, but some who are interested in taking certain CS electives later find it useful to take it early on.  And it keeps options open for a major in Computer Engineering.  It also allows students the option to choose the Java-based version of Data Structures, COMS W3134, which some students prefer.

Should I start taking core EE courses in my sophomore year?

Students who are not ready should feel no pressure to do this.  It is a common misconception that students who do not are “falling behind”.  For students who are ready to start early there are some benefits in flexibility later on when selecting electives and looking for research experiences, but students who rush often do not get a good foundation, and that can have lasting impact.  The EE major program is designed so that core requirements can be started in the Junior year.  Note that combined-plan students, who come from schools that often do not offer core EE courses, begin their program at Columbia as Juniors.