Degrees Offered

SIU's School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering offers multiple undergraduate degree options as well as Master's and Ph.D degree programs. Employment opportunities exist within a wide range of organizations, such as aerospace industry, automotive industry, biomedical industry, cyber-systems, defense agencies, electric utilities, electrical systems companies, semiconductor industry, software engineering, software development, telecommunications, start-ups and consulting.

Electrical Engineering Testimonials

"As an ECE student at SIU-C, I took classes on a large variety of subjects, which prepared me for an exciting career in aerospace, working in launch vehicles. My most valued experiences were from joining a design RSO, which gave me hands-on and practical design and build experience outside my field of study. My RSO made me feel confident enough in my abilities to start my internship, which developed into a successful career."

-Ben Harris, B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Spring 2022

"When I enrolled in university, I was not certain about what I wanted to do with my education, but through unwavering support from faculty, administrators, and fellow students, SIU’s ECBE department guided me in exploring my interests and developing meaningful career goals. As a sophomore, Dr. Arash Komaee encouraged me to join SIU’s Laboratory for Controls and Optimization as an undergraduate researcher, which enabled me to discover my passion for control theory through an experimental environment and theoretical courses. As I prepare to enter a PhD program at UC Berkeley, I am confident that SIU has provided me with a strong foundation in research essential to reaching my aspirations in academia."

-Denae Cantrell, B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Spring 2024

Computer Engineering Testimonials

"SIU helped shape my career path by providing me a wide variety of opportunities to discover and pursue my interests. Within a week of being on campus, I was able to work in a research lab, learning how to build image detection systems. I loved the smaller class sizes which allowed the students to build close relationships with the professors and helped to gain a deep understanding of the concepts being taught. By the end of my four years at SIU, I was able to work on many fun projects that helped enable me to discover what I wanted to do post-graduation."

-Nicolas Forcade-Perkins, B.S. in Computer Engineering, Spring 2023

Undergraduate Degrees Offered

Electrical Engineering

The flexibility of the electrical engineering curriculum allows the students to choose courses among four tracks: (a) Electronic Circuits and Devices: electronic circuits, instrumentation, RF circuit design, microwave circuit design. Relevant courses: ECE 423, ECE 438, ECE 440, ECE 446, ECE 447, ECE 449, ECE 479. (b) Electromagnetics and Photonics: microwave engineering, antenna systems, fiber optic systems. Relevant courses: ECE 441, ECE 448, ECE 472, ECE 477, ECE 479. (c) Power Systems and Energy: utility power systems, energy systems, electric drives. Relevant courses: ECE 481, ECE 483, ECE 484, ECE 486, ECE 487, ECE 488, ECE 489. (d) Signals and Control: signals and systems, signal processing, telecommunications, control. Relevant courses: ECE 456, ECE 459, ECE 466, ECE 467, ECE 468A, ECE 471, ECE 476, ECE 478.

Computer Engineering

In the computer engineering curriculum the students can choose courses in (a) Design Automation and Application Programming: Algorithms and software development for digital integrated circuits, embedded systems, microcontrollers, multicore architecture, networks. Relevant courses in this track are ECE 422, 424, 425, 432, and 456. (b) Computer Hardware Design: Design and evaluation of integrated circuits, configurable hardware, embedded systems, computer architectures. Relevant courses: ECE 422, 423, 424, 425, 427, 428, 429.

Biomedical Engineering

The biomedical engineering curriculum relevant courses include BME 417 Neuroengineering, BME 418 Biomedical Electronics and Biosensors, BME 435 Computational Methods in BME, ECE 438 Medical Instrumentation, BME 485 Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics, ECE 467 Modern Biomedical Imaging, ECE 494 Biomedical Ultrasound, ECE 498 Biomedical Signal Analysis, BME 521 Neuromodulation, BME 531 Biophotonics, and BME 540 Tissue Mechanics.

ABET Accreditation

The electrical engineering and computer engineering bachelor of science degree programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET (abet.org). Click here to view the program objectives and student outcomes for the electrical engineering and computer engineering programs.

Dual Degree

A student may earn two different degrees (e.g., B.A. and B.S.) at the same time by having completed the requirements for each degree and a total of at least 120 semester hours. An application for graduation must be submitted for both degrees. Students officially enrolled in a dual degree program who, for any reason, choose to graduate with a single bachelor’s degree after having completed more than one-half of the requirements for the second degree will be granted seven years beyond the date of initial graduation for purposes of completing requirements for the second degree. It shall be the student’s responsibility to monitor the passage of time and to complete degree requirements by the official deadline. The University assumes no responsibility for notifying students of pending deadlines.

Double Major

A student may complete two or more majors under the same degree with a minimum of 120 semester hours, provided the student fulfills the requirements specific to each major. Additional school or college and University Core Curriculum requirements must be met for the primary program only. Students completing a double major are awarded one degree and therefore one diploma.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

A student may earn a second bachelor’s degree upon completion of a minimum of 30 hours, making a total of 150 hours minimum, provided the student fulfills the requirements of the department or school and college for the second bachelor’s degree. A prior bachelor’s degree fulfills the Core Curriculum requirement. If a student’s first bachelor’s degree is from another university, 30 hours in residence is required to fulfill the requirements for the second bachelor’s degree. If the first bachelor’s degree was earned at the University, a minimum of 10 semester hours must be taken in residence at the University.

Undergraduate Courses

A list of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering courses with descriptions can be found in the Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Catalog, Computer Engineering Undergraduate Catalog or Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Catalog.

Highlights

Highlights of the program include small classroom size, lab-based instruction, real world capstone design sequence, optional internships, co-ops and externships, national recognition, reseach experiences through industry sponsored research centers and federal/state/university funding.

Summary of highlights.

Technical Areas

The Electrical Engineering program offers technical areas in (a) Electrical Systems: Autonomous Vehicles, Control Systems, Robotics, Electric Energy & Renewables, Electric Utilities, Electric Vehicles, Medical Instruments, Optics & Photonics, Power Grid, Antennas, (b) Microelectronics: Electronic Design Automation, Emerging Technologies, Integrated Circuits, Integrated Systems, Medical Electronics, Sensors, and (c) Signals and Communications: Robotics, Image processing, Signal Processing, Telecommunications, Communication Networks.

The Computer Engineering program offers technical areas in (a) Microelectronics: Electronic Design Automation, Emerging Technologies, Integrated Circuits, Integrated Systems, Medical Electronics, Sensors, (b) Hardware and Firmware: Computer Architectures, Embedded Systems, Network Systems, Robotics, Programmable Logic Controllers, and (c) Systems Software: Cloud Computing, Digital Design Automation, Multi-Core Programming, Operating Systems, Software Engineering, Systems Programming.

The Biomedical Engineering undergraduate program offers courses in Bioelectricity, Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biomechanics, Biosignal Processing, Biostatistics, Instrumentation and Medical Devices, Mechanobiology, Medical Imaging, Neural Engineering, Physiological modeling, Tissue Engineering.

Summary of technical areas.

Professional Placement

Employment opportunities exist within a wide range of organizations, such as aerospace industry, automotive industry, defense agencies, electric utilities, electrical systems companies, semiconductor industry, software engineering, software development, telecommunications, cyber-systems, biomedical industry, start-ups and consulting.

Graduate Degrees Offered

We offer a Masters of Science degree in electrical and computer engineering, thesis or non-thesis options. A Masters of Engineering in electrical and computer engineering is available in traditional or online mode, non-thesis only. We also offer masters degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Cybersecurity and Cyber Systems. Our PhD program is one of the largest and most successful programs in the state of Illinois.

The School provides a rich environment for educational and professional advancement in the following areas: Antennas, circuits and systems theory, electromagnetics, robust and adaptive control, robotics, embedded control, MEMS, plasma processing, energy conversion, power systems, power electronics, pattern recognition, image processing, biomedical engineering, neural networks, optical computing, stochastic modeling, wireless communications, detection and estimation theory, communication networks, mobile ad hoc networks, sensor networks, digital systems, programmable ASICs design, bioengineering, computer architecture, CMOS VLSI, fault tolerance, mixed signal testing and design, low power system design, hardware/software co-design, synthesis and verification of digital systems, physical design automation, and VLSI testing.

The ECBE programs of study provide a balance between formal classroom instruction and research, and are tailored to the individual student’s academic and professional goals. Graduates of the program enjoy excellent employment opportunities and are highly recruited worldwide in industry, government, and academia.

Online Programs

For information about online programs, email ecbedept@siu.edu or call Shannon Oxendine at 618-453-2110.

Graduate Courses

A list of Electrical and Computer, and Biomedical Engineering courses with descriptions can be found in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Catalog and Biomedical Engineering Graduate Catalog.

Assistantships

The School awards teaching assistantships based on teaching support needs. The number of awards is limited by the availability of funding. Students will be selected by the School director, and the applicants will be notified promptly following established university guidelines. Selection criteria include: (a) technical competence on the assigned duties, (b) performance on previous assignments as evidenced by instructor evaluations and any feedback from students in those courses, (c) communication skills, and, if applicable, evaluation on language skills according to established university procedures, and (d) feedback from their MS thesis or PhD dissertation advisers to identify strengths and weaknesses in specific technical areas. Application for Graduate Teaching Assistantship for ECE Dept.

If you are interested in a Research Assistantship, please directly contact the faculty whom you wish to do research with.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements can be found in the Graduate Catalog.

Contact Information

Please address any correspondence to "Master of Science Program" or "Doctor of Philosophy Program" to the following address:

School of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering
Mail Code 6603
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
1230 Lincoln Drive
Carbondale, Illinois 62901

For telephone inquiries, please call (618) 536-2364 and refer to the program you're inquiring about. The ECBE fax number is (618) 453-7972 and email address is ecbedept@siu.edu.