The professions of electrical engineering and computer engineering are concerned with the analysis, design, construction and testing of systems based on electrical phenomena. In contemporary technological society, electrical methods are used to communicate and store information, control equipment and systems, perform mathematical operations, and convert energy from one form to another. Frequently, two or more of these functions are important in the design of systems such as television, radio, telecommunications, computers, robots and intelligent machines, telemetry systems, solid-state electronics, biomedical devices, environmental controls, electric machinery, and electric power generation and transmission facilities.
Computer engineering is a field in which digital techniques are used in system design.
Low-cost solid state microprocessors and memories permit computers to be widely incorporated in many different types of electronic systems. To work effectively in this rapidly growing field, the computer engineer must understand both hardware and software techniques and must effectively use both techniques in order to design, build and test complex digital systems. The department also from time to time has scholarships provided by industrial organizations such as the Alcoa Foundation, General Motors Corporation and United Technologies Research Center. Academic merit is generally the primary requirement for these awards, but other characteristics, such as demonstrated leadership, may also be specified. In addition, the endowed William M. Cates Scholarship Program provides multiple scholarships for students having documented financial need and high academic performance.