ECE329 and PHYS435
Relevant Course Reviews:
Overview:
For EE's and CE's, PHYS435 (and PHYS436) do not count as tech electives but they can be used as free electives. PHYS435 requires PHYS325 while ECE329 requires ECE210. At first glance the classes may seem very similar but they are actually quite different. ECE329 skips out on a lot of the deeper physics and math rigor established in PHYS435. PHYS435 ends after completing Maxwell's Equations and does not do any waves, which leaves out about between a third and a half of ECE329.
(Depending on the semester and professor PHYS435 may cover a bit more content)
Who should take them?
EE majors need to take ECE329. PHYS majors need to take PHYS435.
ECE329 can substitute as a prerequisite for most courses that require PHYS435. Most ECE courses that require ECE329 do not officially list PHYS435 as an acceptable substitute. This makes sense since classes that uniquely require ECE329 may assume Smith Chart and non-trivial EM wave knowledge.
Recommendation:
ECE majors should take ECE329. One case for taking PHYS435 alongside ECE329 or after taking ECE329 is where you think you may go into physics grad school. Otherwise you can find a copy of Introduction to Electrodynamics by David J. Griffiths and self study the topics that ECE329 skips over.