Electrical & Computer Engineering
The work of electrical and computer engineers can be found all around you—from smartphones, video games, robotics, and the Internet to car electronics, medical imaging, green energy, and Homeland Security. Computer engineers are experts in the hardware and software that make up all computer systems, from tiny microprocessors and sensors embedded almost everywhere to large-scale supercomputers and the various wireless and wireline networks that connect them. Electrical engineers draw on both mathematical and physics-related disciplines all linked by a common thread: the generation, processing, and transmission of various signals either analog or digital and the design and control of related systems with ubiquitous uses in every aspect of our daily lives.
At Boston University, an innovative undergraduate curriculum and graduate Master of Engineering, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy prepare students for the global economy of the 21st century and lead to careers in industry, academia, and government.
With a faculty that cares deeply about education, we balance teaching and research and create technological breakthroughs that help shape the future.
The department hosts a diverse and vibrant research portfolio in areas such as nanotechnology, photonics, signal and image processing, smart lighting, communication networks, and computer circuit design. These endeavors are categorized into three main departmental research areas: electro-physics, information systems, and sciences and computer engineering.
As an ECE undergraduate, you’ll study today’s technologies—computers, cell phones, fiber-optic communications, medical imaging systems, digital media, and much more—as early as your very first semester. You’ll be prepared to become an expert and innovator in your field while gaining a strong foundation in math, science and the humanities. You’ll benefit from close contact with professors in the classroom and in laboratories, and you’ll have ample opportunities to conduct research side-by-side with faculty.
Graduate students at BU can choose from Master of Engineering, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy programs that emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration, developing an understanding of the scientific and mathematical basis of critical technologies and preparing students for the application of sophisticated analysis and design methods to solve a broad range of problems. A recent study released by the National Research Council shows that BU’s electrical & computer engineering doctoral programs are placed in the top quartile based on their quality and effectiveness in areas like faculty research productivity, diversity, and institutional support for students. Many of our graduates now work in higher education and for industry giants such as Intel, IBM and Microsoft, to name a few.
Research activities in the ECE department include electro-physics, solid-state materials and devices, photonics, electromagnetics, space science and technology, information systems, signal and image processing, multimedia processing, information and decision systems, communications and networking, computer networking and distributed systems, software engineering and more. Each area has a distinct, faculty-centered group, however interaction and interdisciplinary work are encouraged and common. You have the opportunity to conduct research in any of these groups under the guidance of ECE faculty, through access to University-wide centers and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Research in ECE has a strong funding base from governmental agencies, foundations, and corporate sponsors.
