Double Major in Electrical Engineering and Physics, Computer Engineering and Physics

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
The Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Alabama

Significant Educational Opportunity

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the Department of Physics and Astronomy (PH/AY) offer a double major program for students in Electrical Engineering (EE). This double major allows students to fulfill the requirements for both the PH major and the EE major, and they can do this within the College of Engineering.

The double major combines curricula that already have much in common. It has significant advantages for EE students in providing them with a broader background in fundamental physics. Yet, it only requires 4 additional hours beyond the standard EE major.

Students opting for the double major will have not only the practical knowledge of an Electrical Engineer, but also the fundamental background characterized by a physics major. Of significant value is the course in Quantum Mechanics, which forms the basis for our understanding of atoms and molecules, semiconductors, lasers, and other aspects of modern technology. Students completing the double major should be especially well prepared for our rapidly changing technological world, and will be especially attractive to employers in the technology sector. They will also be well prepared for graduate work in either engineering or physics, or related areas such as materials science.

Below is a summary of the requirements for this EE-PH double major. Where courses in EE and PH overlap (for example Electric Circuits), we have selected what we feel is the most appropriate choice for our students. Such courses will count toward the fulfillment of the requirements for both majors. Note that a similar arrangement can be arranged for students enrolled in the Computer Engineering Option, and interested students should see their ECE advisor or the ECE Department Head about the needed curriculum.

Requirements -- Double Major Curriculum for Electrical Engineering and Physics

For a standard major in Physics, 36 hours are required. Students in the Electrical Engineering major already take PH 105, 106, 253, and 301 (14 hours). The additional courses required for a standard Physics major include:

Because some of these courses duplicate ECE courses, a double major as described below adds only 4 hours to the EE major. Assumptions made in this curriculum are the following:

• Students would take PH 255 (Modern Physics Lab), as well as either PH 471 (Thermal Physics) or PH 491 (Advanced Lab), and this adds four extra hours above the EE major.
• ECE 332 (Electronics I) replaces PH 334 (Electronics I) as PH elective hours, and this removes two hours from the standard PH major.
• ECE 340 (Electromagnetics, four credits) replaces PH 331-332 (Electricity and Magnetism, six credits) and this would remove two hours from the standard PH major.
• PH 441 (Quantum Structure of Matter I) substitutes for the EE professional elective course.
• ECE 436/PH 495 (Electronic Materials and Devices) or PH 481 (Solid State Physics), substitutes for PH 442 (Quantum Structure of Matter II). Either course will be used for one EE senior elective lecture course.
• PH 491 (Advanced Lab) is not required, but may be taken in place of PH 471.

The double-major curriculum adds one hour to the regular ECE major over the first two years, and three additional hours over the junior and senior year, or an extra academic period, for a total of 134 hours compared to 130 hours. A student can successfully satisfy both majors in 4 years, taking 18 hours in only one academic period.

Below is the current curriculum for Double Major in Electrical Engineering and Physics for students beginning their college careers during Fall 2004 or later.

Flow Chart - A flow chart for this program shows the interrelationships of the courses. View in pdf format.

CURRICULUM FOR DOUBLE MAJOR IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND PHYSICS

1. These electives must help satisfy the College of Engineering in-depth requirement for at least two courses in the same subject area in either Humanities (HU), literature (L), or fine arts (FA) elective or history (HI) or social and behavioral sciences (SB) electives.
2. Students must select two electrical engineering electives with labs. The elective areas are computers, microelectronics, electromagnetics, power systems, communication systems, and control systems. Materials that describe each area are available in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering office.