Electrical Engineering Major Requirements 2025 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | FA09-SP13
NOTE: WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SP20, FA20, WI21 AND SP21, ALL COURSES USED TO SATISFY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS MUST BE TAKEN FOR A LETTER GRADE AND RECEIVE A GRADE OF C- OR BETTER.
BS Electrical Engineering Program (effective Fall 2025)
Lower-Division Requirements (sixty eight units)
Electrical Engineering (twenty-four units)
ECE-005, 025, 030, 035, 045, and 065
Programming course (four units for electronic circuits and systems, electronic devices and materials, photonics, and power engineering depths)
ECE-015
Programming courses (eight units for communication systems, computer system design, machine learning and controls, and signal and image processing depths)
ECE-015, and 017 or 018
Mathematics (twenty-four units)
MATH-018 and 020A-B-C-D-E.
Physics (twelve units for communication systems, computer system design, machine learning and controls, and signal and image processing depths)
PHYS-002A-B-C or PHYS-004A-B-C. (Note: MATH-020A is a prerequisite for PHYS-002A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with MATH-020B or higher may take PHYS-002A in the fall quarter of the first year.)
Physics (sixteen units for electronic circuits and systems, electronic devices and materials, photonics, and power engineering depths)
PHYS-002A-B-C-D or PHYS-004A-B-C-D-E (Note: MATH-0020A is a prerequisite for PHYS-002A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with MATH-020B or higher may take PHYS- 002A in the fall quarter of the first year.)
Additional Notes
1. Students with AP Math credit are strongly advised to take MATH-020B in the fall quarter, leaving room for a GER in the winter quarter.
2. The ECE undergraduate website shows sample course plans. Please refer to the website and consult with the staff advisers in the undergraduate offices, room 2700 in Jacobs Hall.
Upper-Division Requirements
Students must select an engineering depth to provide a focus for their studies. Students may choose one of the approved depth sequences listed below or propose another with the approval of the department. A list of approved technical electives and professional electives can be found in our electives page.
Communication Systems (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 102, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE-153, 155, 157A, 158A, 159, 161A
• Technical Electives: one upper-division engineering, math, or physics course, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE-111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Computer System Design (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 109, 116
• Depth Courses: any five of ECE-102, 103, 111*, 140A-B, 141A-B, 143, 158A-B, or 165
• Technical Electives: three upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE-111*, 115, 140B, 190, or 191 *ECE-111 MUST be taken as either a depth, technical elective, or design course
Electronic Circuits and Systems (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 102, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE-164, 165, 166
• Technical Electives: three upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses,
• Design Course: one of ECE-111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Electronic Devices and Materials (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 102, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE-135A-B, 136L, 183
• Technical Electives: two upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE-111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Machine Learning and Controls (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE-171A, 174, 175A and one of ECE-171B, 172A, or 175B
• Technical Electives: four upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE-111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Photonics (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE-181, 182, 183 and either ECE 184 or 185
• Technical Electives: three upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE-111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Power Engineering (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 102, 103, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE-121A-B, 125A, 128A, and either 125B or 128B
• Technical Electives: one upper-division engineering, math, or physics course, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE-111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
Signal and Image Processing (sixty-eight units)
• Breadth Courses: ECE-100, 101, 107, 109
• Depth Courses: ECE-153, 161A-B-C
• Technical Electives: four upper-division engineering, math, or physics courses, AND two upper-division or lower division engineering, math, physics, chemistry or biology courses
• Professional Electives: two upper-division courses
• Design Course: one of ECE-111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191
For official policies regarding major requirements, please consult the UC San Diego Catalog .