Electrical Engineering Bachelor's Degree

Electrical engineers defined the 20th century with society-transforming technologies. They gave us universal electric power, telecommunications, radio, and television. We have access to electronic surveillance, medical imaging, computers, and the Internet.

Michigan Tech will prepare you to make your own contributions to the 21st century. Shape the technological areas we can only begin to imagine. Take advantage of some of the best opportunities in the nation as an electrical engineering student. We provide laboratory-based learning, sustainability, real-world design, and engineering entrepreneurship.

  • 12
    out of 20 universities with the greatest salary impact
  • 2
    out of 38 best colleges in Michigan
  • A
    for value and professors

Electrical Engineering Concentrations

Electrical engineering majors can choose the general pathway or concentrate in various areas. Specialize in extracting energy from turbines, fuel cells, or hydroelectric plants. Devise energy transfer systems to homes and businesses. Develop sensors to detect IEDs—improvised explosive devices—saving thousands of lives. Design autonomous vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, or smart electronic devices.

Electric Power Engineering Concentration

Concentrate in Electric Power Engineering to build skills in power and energy. Learn power electronics, drives, and power system protection. Use computer modeling in power systems. Uncover principles of wind power and distribution engineering. Graduates with knowledge of power and control systems are in high demand in industry.

Photonics Concentration

Diversify your undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in photonics. Photonics is using light energy to make systems fast, efficient, and accurate. Apply photonics to energy generation, detection, communications, and information processing. Robotic sensing and vision, imaging, and astronomy use photonics. It is useful in medical instrumentation and satellite communication. You will study laser systems, optics, and the control of photons.

Biomedical Applications Concentration

The biomedical industry is in need of electrical engineers. You can help make advances in healthcare and related fields. Our concentration in Biomedical Applications prepares student to join biomedicine. Learn to apply your electrical engineering skills in biomedical instrumentation. Pursue medical imaging or biomedical electronic device design. Take courses in anatomy and physiology. Learn cellular and molecular biology, biomaterials, or biomechanics. Choose an elective in biomedical engineering.

Environmental Applications Concentration

You can work as an Electrical Engineer in environmental applications. Take courses in environmental engineering, such as air quality engineering and wastewater management. Learn remote sensing or optics. Do environmental monitoring and measurement analysis. Be prepared to work in environmental-focused applications and companies.

Engineering Enterprise Concentration

You can pursue an Enterprise concentration by taking part in Michigan Tech's award-winning Enterprise program. It's a great way to enhance your undergraduate degree. Enterprise is when students work in teams on real projects, with real clients, in an environment that's more like a business than a classroom. Choose from among 25 Enterprise teams on campus to invent products, provide services, and pioneer solutions. Tackle real-world design projects for industry sponsors or take part in a national competition (or both). This concentration adds courses in business and entrepreneurship.

Electrical Engineering Focus Areas

Students taking the general pathway may mix and match choices as they like. Take more courses from one area for a stronger focus or area of specialization.

  • Power and Energy
  • Photonics
  • Robotics, Control, and Automation
  • Communication and Digital Signal Processing
  • Electronics
  • Electromagnetics
  • Computer Systems

Tomorrow Needs 21st Century Electrical Engineers

Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise. They are responsible for the manufacture of electrical equipment for tomorrow. With a median annual wage of $100,420 and an annual job growth of 7%, you'll be in great demand. (BLS, May 2021).

Prepare to contribute from day one. Join an Enterprise team to solve real engineering problems. Explore new commercial opportunities. Develop marketing, business, and leadership skills. Teams are open to any major and operate like companies in the private sector. Many Enterprise teams have projects that are a natural fit for electrical, computer, and robotics engineers. This department houses some of the team resources:

  • Blue Marble Security Enterprise (BMSE)—Focused on securing the future through thoughtful use of technology. Address challenges of security, the environment, and industrial process control.
  • Wireless Communication Enterprise (WCE)—Create wireless, optical, and biomedical solutions. Utilizing lasers, RFID, and wind or solar power. Do printed circuit board design and embedded systems programming.
  • Robotic Systems Enterprise (RSE)—Integrate electrical and mechanical systems with embedded AI to solve problems. For example, help create a fully functional SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle.

ECE majors also join:

  • Aerospace Enterprise
  • Innovative Global Solutions
  • Supermileage Systems

You can also take a co-op semester. Work with professional engineers gaining valuable experience and career direction. Electrical engineers at Michigan Tech are ready for what tomorrow needs.

Nick McKenzie Readies for Future in Space Force

Michigan Tech was the only school I ever visited, the only school I ever applied to, and it just worked out really well where this was a Division II program that I was able to run at with a team that I was interested in being part of. They had the academic program that I was interested in pursuing with electrical engineering and they had the Air Force ROTC program.

Nick McKenzie
Nick McKenzie ’23
electrical engineering

Be Career-Ready

Be prepared with the essential technical and leadership skills needed in industry. Get outstanding lab-based learning coupled with real-world experience. You can enhance your degree through internships, co-ops, Enterprise, and Senior Design. You’ll bring immediate value to your employer.

Explore career opportunities for electrical engineers.

  • Renewable-energy solutions
  • Hybrid-vehicle power
  • Control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles
  • Reliable, safe power grids
  • Robotics systems
  • Voice-activated control systems in automobiles
$71,403 average entry-level salary

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying electrical engineering at Michigan's flagship technological university.

 

Connected, innovative.

Build real skills at Michigan Tech. Become an engineer.

Gain diverse experience.

Engage in design and research.

Leap forward in your program.

Connect with students and industry.

"The thing that I love the most about my academic major is the overall flexibility of it, but also the ability to narrow down on a specific industry."Anna Browne, undergraduate electrical engineering student

Be an MTUengineer

Join the LEAP leaders, wow the elementary students, and attend the AIPG National Conference.

Teach coding and circuitry. Research combustion and nanotechnology. Do a co-op with Kimberly-Clark. Show us how to slurry sand and complete miners training.

Tell us how important wetland mitigation is to you.

This is what we're all about.

Read our student stories.

A Professional Start

Electrical engineering majors have great peers.

  • Eta Kappa Nu
  • IEEE Michigan Tech Student Branch
  • IEEE Power Engineering Society
  • MTU Society of Women Engineers
  • SPIE/OSA Optics and Photonics Society

Compete in Enterprise. Design audio systems.

Begin your networking journey here.

Join clubs and groups.

 

Beyond Engineering

Engineering majors cultivate their interests and talents at Michigan Tech. Join Superior Wind Symphony, follow military service, and be active in local politics.

Dive into Yucatan Culture.

Attend GeekU.P., become a lifeguard, and do a Canal Run. Be a musher. Set a Guinness World Record. Take part in Parade of Nations.

Let yourself shine.

Go beyond.

The ECE Department

Faculty mentoring takes the quality of your education to the next level.

You will have labs, shops, and makerspaces to apply your skills.

The department creates the best environment to create, innovate, and design.

Use lasers, microcontrollers, robots, and power stations.

We provide industry standard software and current generation computer systems.

Gain the personal attention you need for academic success.

MTU engineering

Real Engineering. Meaningful Work.

We are committed to inspiring students, advancing knowledge, and innovating technological solutions to create a sustainable, just, and prosperous world. With an entering engineering class of about 1,000 students, 17 degrees to choose from, and 160 faculty in the College of Engineering alone, we provide a world-class education with the trusted reputation of Michigan Tech.

As a student at Michigan Tech you’ll work closely with faculty mentors, immerse yourself in experience-powered learning, and gain a thorough understanding of engineering practice. Collaborate and innovate in laboratories, coursework, Enterprise, and Senior Design—you'll work with industry partners on real engineering projects and develop strong skill sets for your future.

You could study abroad, with engineering opportunities ranging from a few weeks to one full year. Or focus on problems facing disadvantaged communities in countries around the world. Michigan Tech’s Global and Community Engagement program offers you a range of options.

More than 400 employers regularly recruit our students for internships, co-ops, and full-time employment. Engineering students average seven interviews, and 98 percent are employed within their field of study, enlist in the military, or enroll in a graduate school within six months of graduation. A degree in engineering from Michigan Tech can take you anywhere.

Tomorrow Needs You

Engineers do a lot of things, but there's one thing we do first and foremost: we help people. We use creative ideas and technologies to solve problems in health care, energy, transportation, hunger, space exploration, climate change, and more—much more. Become an engineer who is ready for what tomorrow needs.

Student Stories

"The electrical engineering program at Michigan Tech helped me build the foundation necessary for a career in the electronics industry."Laura Ludwig '18, electrical engineering