By 
Electrical Engineering
What do you think is the biggest misconception about your Program and why is it a misconception?Probably the biggest misconception about electrical engineering is that electrical engineers spend all of their time at desks designing circuits. EEs do design circuits occasionally. But most of their time is spent developing solutions to real problems and building complex systems, such as wireless communications systems, digital television, computer networks, and artificial organ controllers. They usually design a circuit for an application only if no one has designed one before.What sorts of interests would a freshman possess in order to find course work in your Program exciting?Electrical engineering techniques have a very wide range of application, and it is difficult to identify specific interests a student should have. Certainly, students who enjoy hands-on experience with electronic and optical devices, computers, sound systems, and control projects (like automatic door openers and electric train control systems), would find the work interesting. There are other application areas in communications, information processing, speech and image analysis, and mathematical modeling of complex systems (like biological systems) that appeal to students more interested in analytical than experimental work.What types of employment would a student find upon graduation with a degree in your program? What are some major companies that hire students from your program?Because of the wide variety of activities that EEs are involved in, EE students are hired by a wide range of companies and in many different capacities. Some may be involved in design of an electronic component for a specific project, some in embedded software development, some in sales, and some in supporting research activities. New developments that will involve EEs include digital television and photography, virtual meeting technology, intelligent highways, control systems, and new technologies for computers. Major employers of Pitt graduates include Anderson Consulting, Boeing, Cutler-Hammer, Delphi-Packard Electric, Fore Systems, General Electric, IBM, Lockheed-Martin, Sony, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and U.S. Air.Which courses are stressed in your program, which are expanded upon, and how much is theory, practical lab application, design, computers (in what way do you use them), etc.?The electrical engineering curriculum builds on the basic sciences and mathematics. The primary focus in the early courses is on analysis of analog and digital electrical circuits. Later courses explore how these circuit ideas are used to build complex systems, such as computers, motor controllers and robot controllers, and communication systems like television, wireless telephones, and computer networks. The curriculum is about half theory (primarily in the early courses) and half applications (in the later courses). Computers are used extensively in courses and labs, both as means to solve problems and as a subject to be studied.
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