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Microelectronics Go from Lab to Fab at UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute

March 17, 2025

Microelectronics Go from Lab to Fab at UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute

Little more than a year after the Microelectronics Commons program kicked off, University of California San Diego researchers have already made significant strides in bringing novel semiconductor technologies from possibility to prototype and beyond. Full Story

Quantum Properties in Atom-thick Semiconductors Offer New Way to Detect Electrical Signals in Cells

March 3, 2025

Quantum Properties in Atom-thick Semiconductors Offer New Way to Detect Electrical Signals in Cells

For decades, scientists have relied on electrodes and dyes to track the electrical activity of living cells. Now, UC San Diego engineers have discovered that quantum materials just a single atom thick can do the job—using only light. Full Story

UC San Diego Celebrates New Three National Academy of Engineering Members

February 28, 2025

UC San Diego Celebrates New Three National Academy of Engineering Members

Three members of our Jacobs School community have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Congratulations to Robert W. Heath Jr., Richard Sandstrom and Doug Cameron. Full Story

Exploring the Impact of Generative AI on Education, Research and More

February 27, 2025

Exploring the Impact of Generative AI on Education, Research and More

Better simulations to understand how viruses work. Better ways to model and predict climate change. Better robots that can navigate the real world. Researchers from all across the University of California San Diego and around the world converged on campus last week to explore the promise of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Full Story


What We Do

 

Network Inference: from Passive to Active Learning

Seminar Speaker
Negar Kiyavash

One of the paramount challenges of this century is that of understanding complex, dynamic, large-scale networks. Such high-dimensional networks, including social, financial, and biological networks, cover the planet and dominate modern life. In this talk, we propose novel approaches to inference in such networks, for both active (interventional) and passive (observational) learning scenarios. We highlight how timing could be utilized as a degree of freedom that provides rich information about the dynamics.

Seminar Contact
Prof. Todd Coleman <tpcoleman@ucsd.edu>

State of the Search for Majorana Fermions in Semiconductor Nanowires

Seminar Speaker
Sergey Frolov
Department of Physics
University of Pittsburgh

Majorana fermions are non-trivial quantum excitations that have remarkable topological properties and can be used to protect quantum information against decoherence. Tunneling spectroscopy measurements on one-dimensional superconducting hybrid materials have revealed signatures of Majorana fermions which are the edge states of a bulk topological superconducting phase. We couple strong spin-orbit semiconductor InSb nanowires to conventional superconductors (NbTiN, Al) to obtain additional signatures of Majorana fermions and to explore the  topological phase transition.

Seminar Contact
Cheryle Wills, clwills@eng.ucsd.edu
858-534-2498

Electrical Engineering and Society Major

This major intends to better prepare engineering students in the areas of social sciences and the humanities, as a response to the globalization of engineering and technology. We recognize that "engineering only" training may not be sufficient when students seek alternate career paths besides engineering upon graduation, such as in in the law, finance, and public policy sectors.

For course plans, please click here .

Electrical Engineering Graduate Programs

The Electrical and Computer Engineering department offers graduate programs leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in thirteen disciplines within electrical and computer engineering.  More than 60 faculty members in ECE perform cutting-edge research in areas including Signal and Image Processing, Machine Learning and Data Science, and Intelligent Systems, Robotics, and Control, just to name a few.  

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Overview

The Ph.D. is a research degree requiring completion of the Ph.D. program course requirements, satisfactory performance on the Preliminary Examination and University Qualifying Examination, and submission and defense of a doctoral dissertation.

Students in the Ph.D. program must pass the Preliminary Examination by the end of their second year of graduate study. To ensure timely progress in their research, students are strongly encouraged to identify a faculty member willing to supervise their doctoral research by the end of their first year of study.

The Undergraduate Programs

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers undergraduate programs leading to the BS in electrical engineering, engineering physics, and computer engineering, and the BA in electrical engineering and society. Each of these programs can be tailored to provide preparation for graduate study or employment in a wide range of fields.

Selective Major Application

Selective Major 

Beginning with the Summer 2025 continuing student application cycle, students will be able to apply to one of our majors once per year (between Summer and Fall quarters).  Note that space will be limited and acceptance to our majors is not guaranteed.  For more information about the admission process and criteria please see the UC San Diego Selective Majors Page. 

The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department traces its roots back to the establishment of the Applied Electrophysics department in 1965, under its founding chair Henry Booker. Through a succession of department realignments emerged today’s ECE in 1987, when the then-combined Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department was split into two departments. Since then, ECE has earned a world-class reputation for producing top-notch engineers for industry and academia.

By the Numbers

$38M+

In Research
Expenditures

17,000+

Alumni

2,200+

Remarkable
Students

65

Award-Winning
Faculty