- Engineering & Technology
- B.S.
- M.S.
- Ph.D.
- Undergraduate Minor
- Jack Baskin School of Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
Program overview
The electrical engineering curriculum provides a balance of engineering science and design and allows students to specialize in both the traditional topics and the latest subjects in electrical engineering. Students may concentrate their electives in the areas of electronics and optics or communications, signals, systems, and controls. The major is designed to attract motivated students who, upon graduation, will be sought by employers in the high-tech industry. The electrical engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Learning Experience
The mission of the Electrical Engineering Department is to build and sustain a teaching and research program to provide undergraduate and graduate students with inspiration and quality education in the theory and practice of hardware and information processing-oriented electrical engineering, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary activities, complementing the computer science and computer engineering programs, serving industry, science, and government. Undergraduates can participate in research activities and must complete a senior design capstone course, choosing either a corporate sponsored project or their own.
Study and Research Opportunities
- B.S., M.S., Ph.D., undergraduate minor.
- Two concentrations: electronics/optics and communications, signals, systems, and controls.
- Partnerships with NASA Ames Research.
First-Year Requirements
Please see the current UC Santa Cruz General Catalog for a full description of the Jack Baskin School of Engineering admissions policy.
First-Year Applicants: It is recommended that high school students applying to the BSOE have completed four years of mathematics and three years of science in high school, if possible one year each of chemistry, physics, and biology. Comparable college mathematics and science courses completed at other institutions may be accepted in place of high school preparation.
Students are expected to have the mathematical background for Math 19A, Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics and Physics 5A, Introduction to Physics I, during their first quarter.
Transfer Requirements
This is a screening major. The following courses, or their equivalents, should be completed prior to transfer: First Year Calculus (Mathematics 19A-B), Linear Algebra (Applied Mathematics 10 or Mathematics 21), Differential Equations (Applied Mathematics 20 or Mathematics 24), a year of calculus-based physics courses (accepted as equivalent to Physics 5A/L, 5B/M, 5C/N). Only students who have completed the following minimum courses with a GPA of 2.8 or better will be considered for acceptance into the major: Math19A, Math 19B, Physics 5A/L, Physics 5B/M, Physics 5C/N, AM 10 or Math 21 and AM 20 or Math 24. Note: Starting in fall 2026, CSE 12 (Computer Systems and Assembly Language and Lab) will be required for transfer as well.
Internships and Career Opportunities
- Analog electronics
- Antenna design
- Biomedical electronics
- Biophotonics
- Communications
- Control systems
- Digital electronics
- Electronics packaging
- Fiber optics
- Information theory
- Microwave circuits
- Nanotechnology
- Opto-electronics
- Radar systems
- Remote sensing
- Semiconductor device physics
- Signal/image/video processing
- Wireless communications
- VLSI design
These are only samples of the field’s many possibilities.
Many students find internships and fieldwork to be a valuable part of their academic experience. They work closely with faculty and career advisers in the BSOE and in the UC Santa Cruz Career Center to identify existing opportunities and often to create their own internships with local companies or in nearby Silicon Valley. For more information about internships, visit the Internships & Volunteering page.
The Wall Street Journal recently ranked UCSC as the number two public university in the nation for high-paying jobs in engineering.
Program Contact
apartment Baskin School of Engineering Building
email soeadmissions@soe.ucsc.edu
phone (831) 459-5840