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GVSU Engineering students working in an electronics lab.

Electrical Engineering, B.S.E.

Electrical engineering is a dynamic field that offers many opportunities and rewards. This multifaceted discipline spans various technical areas including analog and digital circuits, embedded systems, semiconductor devices and microelectronics, controls and instrumentation, power and alternative energy, communication and signal processing, and electromagnetics. Electrical engineers are adept at designing, analyzing, and solving complex challenges and specialize in applications such as robotics and automation, autonomous vehicles, the Internet of Things (IoT), green energy, avionics, and commercial and industrial electronics.

Visit the program website for more information.

This program requires a secondary admission process.

Program Overview

Students are prepared for engineering careers and leadership roles through ABET accredited programs that integrate academic studies with hands-on learning and paid professional experiences in diverse engineering companies. Grand Valley also offers a graduate program in engineering for those who want to expand their knowledge and skills.

Why Study Electrical Engineering at Grand Valley

  • Prepare for a career designing consumer electronics, power systems, guidance and navigation, aircraft systems, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles and more.
  • Work with state-of-the-art electronic equipment and tools to analyze and design electrical systems.
  • Complete real-world hands-on projects in small, student-focused courses.
  • Complete three semesters of paid cooperative-education work experience prior to graduation in recognized domestic and international engineering companies.
  • Partner with our industry supporters who sponsor capstone design projects, fund engineering scholarships, and provide career opportunities.
  • Join a group of successful graduates who have achieved a nearly 100% placement in industry-based careers or advanced graduate study.

Career Insights

This tool shows an overview of potential career opportunities for this major. Actual salaries, employment opportunities, and job titles may change over time.

Location & Format

All undergraduate students begin their academic career on the Allendale Campus. Students in this major continue their upper division studies downtown on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Format:
  • Face To Face

Coursework

A degree in electrical engineering involves coursework in:

  • Circuit analysis
  • Electronic devices
  • Embedded systems
  • Signals and systems
  • Power system analysis
  • Applied electromagnetics
  • Advanced electives

Combined Degree Programs

Many GVSU undergraduate programs can be combined with an existing master’s degree program to save on tuition and get you into the workforce sooner. On average, you can save $8,500 by pursuing a combined degree and take up to four fewer courses than if earning the degrees separately.

Talk with an advisor about how you can build your combined degree from existing programs to further personalize your education and create your own niche area of expertise.

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

Hands-on learning and other fieldwork not only deepen your mastery of your discipline but also give you the edge employers seek. Visit our experience matters page to see the work GVSU students are doing in their co-ops and internships.

Admission Requirements

Students with no previous college credit, or those who have not completed the 64-semester-hour engineering foundations course sequence, are pre-majors. Students who intend to pursue the B.S.E. degree are urged to declare an engineering major as soon as possible.

The School of Engineering admits students directly to major standing as freshmen. This honor is reserved for students who have both a 29 or higher composite score and a 32 or higher mathematics score on the ACT and a 3.6 or higher high school GPA.

Admission to major standing in the B.S.E. program requires a secondary application. All students in the program must meet at least the following:

  • A GPA of 2.7 or above in the engineering foundations course sequence;
  • Completion of each course in the engineering foundations course sequence with a grade of C (2.0) or above with not more than one repeat in each foundation course; and
  • Completion of EGR 289 in preparation for placement in cooperative engineering education.

See catalog for details.

For More Information

Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering

gvsu.edu/engineering
136 Kennedy Hall of Engineering
(616) 331-6750

Admissions and Recruitment Office

gvsu.edu/admissions

 

“I can directly attribute my success now to the education I got in the School of Engineering.”

RYAN PHILIPS
ENGINEERING ALUMNUS
FOUNDER AND OWNER OF MAGNUM ENGINEERING