Power, Physics Minor, 8 Semesters
Hello, I am an electrical engineering alumnus from UIUC, having graduated in Spring 2024. I am mainly interested in power electronics and integrated circuits. I did not start out as an electrical engineering major, so I hope this schedule shows that with hard work, it is still possible to graduate in 8 semesters while coming in from another department.
Features of this Schedule
- Transferred into ECE during sophomore year
- Physics minor
Schedule
AP Credits and Proficiency Tests
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| CS101 - Intro Computing: Engrg & Sci | 3 |
| HIST100 - Global History | 3 |
| LAT201 - Intermediate Latin | 4 |
| LAT202 - Intro to Latin Literature | 4 |
| MATH220 - Calculus | 5 |
| PHYS211 - University Physics: Mechanics | 4 |
| RHET105 - Writing and Research | 4 |
| Total | 27 |
1st Semester, Freshman Year, Fall 2020
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ASRM210 - Theory of Interest | 3 |
| LAS122 - Leadership and Society | 1 |
| MATH241 - Calculus III | 4 |
| PHYS110 - Physics Careers | 0 |
| PHYS212 - University Physics: Elec & Mag | 4 |
| STAT200 - Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
I started out as a physics major (college of LAS) this semester. I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do though, and just took some random classes that I was interested along with fulfilling some of my core requirements with MATH241 and PHYS212. This semester and the next was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so all courses were online. As a result, I don't feel I learned as much as I should have freshman year, which hurt me in later classes.
Tips:
- Freshman year is when you have the most freedom. Join RSOs, make friends, have fun.
- Pay attention in your introductory courses, the concepts really do show up later.
2nd Semester, Freshman Year, Spring 2021
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| CHEM102 - General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM103 - General Chemistry Lab I | 1 |
| CS125 - Intro to Computer Science | 4 |
| CS196 - Freshman Honors | 1 |
| MATH286 - Intro to Differential Eq Plus | 4 |
| PHYS213 - University Physics: Thermal Physics | 2 |
| PHYS214 - University Physics: Quantum Physics | 2 |
| Total | 17 |
This semester was also online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of my first semester, I realized I did not have credit for Calculus II, when I thought that I did, so I took the proficiency test for MATH231 and passed. CHEM102 ended up being my most difficult class this semester. CS125 was very similar to AP Computer Science A, which I had taken in high school. Looking back, the course has not been relevant to me, and I do not recommend ECE majors take this course. I took CS196 as a James Scholar requirement. MATH286 does not exist anymore, and has since been replaced with MATH285. It was essentially the same course as MATH286, but with some added linear algebra. Of the introductory math courses, this was the easiest and least time consuming. PHYS213 and PHYS214 were very interesting courses, though they were pretty accelerated.
Tips:
- Enjoy freshman year while it lasts.
3rd Semester, Sophomore Year, Fall 2021
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ANTH101 - Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| ECE110 - Introduction to Electronics | 3 |
| ECE120 - Introduction to Computing | 4 |
| ECE313 - Probability with Engineering Applications | 3 |
| ENG101 - Engineering at Illinois | 1 |
| MUS132 - Popular Music Studies | 3 |
| Total | 17 |
After my first year, I was dead set on transferring into electrical engineering. For students in the college of LAS, this required first going through the Pre-Engineering Program, which does not exist anymore. I was in PrEP this semester, which is why I took ENG101. For students who transfer in to ECE, I recommend taking ECE110 and ECE120 together, as it is not too difficult of a course combination. However, I would not recommend taking ECE313 this early. I took it as it had no prerequisites at the time, but ECE313 was by far the most difficult class I had taken, and I was not prepared for the heavy math of this course. It is better to take this course after ECE210.
Tips:
4th Semester, Sophomore Year, Spring 2022
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ECE210 - Analog Signal Processing | 4 |
| ECE220 - Computer Systems Engineering | 4 |
| MATH415 - Applied Linear Algebra | 3 |
| NPRE402 - Nuclear Power Engineering | 3 |
| PSYC100 - Intro Psych | 4 |
| Total | 18 |
This semester was pretty difficult. I found ECE210 to be a very fun course. As I had already taken ECE313, I was more prepared for the math and workload involved in electrical engineering courses, and ended up doing well. ECE210 encouraged me to continue as an electrical engineering major. The combination with ECE220 ended up being fine, as ECE220 was not too much work. MATH415 has been replaced with MATH257; it essentially was an easier version of MATH416, without proofs. I struggled a bit in this course, as it definitely was a step up from past math courses. While this semester was hard, it definitely prepared me for the workload that being an upperclassman in ECE entails. After this semester, I had finished my gen ed requirements and did not take any more.
Tips:
- Save gen eds for later semesters, if possible, as ECE heavily ramps up in difficulty.
5th Semester, Junior Year, Fall 2022
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ECE200 - Seminar | 0 |
| ECE329 - Fields and Waves I | 3 |
| ECE330 - Power Circuits & Electromechanics | 3 |
| ECE333 - Green Electric Energy | 3 |
| ECE342 - Electronic Circuits | 3 |
| ECE343 - Electronic Circuits Lab | 1 |
| ECE398RI - Fields and Waves VR Lab | 1 |
| PHYS225 - Relativity and Math Applications | 2 |
| Total | 16 |
While this is a lot of courses, ECE329 and ECE342 were the only courses I took that required a significant amount of work this semester, so this semester was about the same difficulty as the last. I highly recommend taking ECE329 directly after taking ECE210 for EE majors, as electromagnetics is very important. I also recommend all electrical engineering majors take ECE342 and ECE343, as they provide a basic understanding of circuits that all electrical engineers should have. ECE330 and ECE333 were very fun classes, and weren't too time consuming. These courses inspired me to continue down the power path and take ECE431 the following semester.
As a James scholar, I was required to take ECE200 and declare a minor, so I opted to declare a physics minor and take PHYS225 this semester, as I enjoyed physics well enough. PHYS225 was difficult, but not too much work, as it is only 2 credit hours.
I was a CA for ECE210 this semester. I recommend trying out being a CA for some course, at some point, as it is great at building communication and leadership skills. I also joined HKN this semester, which I recommend doing as well!
Tips:
- Use the semester after ECE210 to explore your interests.
- Declaring a minor is a good way to add depth to your curriculum.
6th Semester, Junior Year, Spring 2023
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ECE310 - Digital Signal Processing | 3 |
| ECE311 - Digital Signal Processing Lab | 1 |
| ECE340 - Semiconductor Electronics | 3 |
| ECE385 - Digital Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| ECE431 - Electric Machinery | 4 |
| PHYS325 - Classical Mechanics I | 3 |
| Total | 17 |
This semester was difficult. ECE385 requires a very large time commitment, unmatched by any prior course. It is not fun to take it along with other time consuming lab courses. ECE431 is a continuation of ECE330, focusing on electric motors and generators, with a time consuming lab component. I had a lot of fun with the labs in this course, and dedicated as much time as I could to the reports so that I could get as much as possible out of the course. I highly recommend this course for anybody who enjoyed ECE330.
I was not sure whether to take ECE310 or ECE350 for my 3-of-5 requirement, but ended up taking ECE310 as I did not enjoy ECE329 and didn't plan on going into radio frequency design. This ended up being a good decision, as ECE310 was very useful, fun, and not too difficult. ECE340 is a very useful class for EEs, especially if you plan to work with circuits at all. Despite being notorious for its difficulty, you can do well in ECE340 if you spend a lot of time reading the textbook and go to office hours. PHYS325 is the first "real" physics class in the physics curriculum, so take it seriously. With a lot of hard work, I did manage to do well this semester.
Tips:
- Get ECE385 out of the way as soon as possible, it will make your future semesters much more enjoyable.
- Spend a lot of time studying ECE340, understanding of semiconductor physics is crucial for anyone interested in circuit design.
7th Semester, Senior Year, Fall 2023
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ECE200 - Seminar | 0 |
| ECE444 - IC Device Theory & Fabrication | 4 |
| ECE464 - Power Electronics | 3 |
| ECE469 - Power Electronics Laboratory | 2 |
| ECE476 - Power System Analysis | 3 |
| ECE482 - Digital IC Design | 3 |
| PHYS427 - Thermal and Statistical Physics | 4 |
| Total | 19 |
This semester was about the same difficulty as the last. ECE464 and ECE469 were very fun and got me interested in power electronics, specifically. ECE476 is a more mathematical course in power systems (the grid), a very interesting and important course for students who want to work in power systems or go to graduate school in power.
I intended to take ECE486 this semester, but could not due to a time conflict, so I pushed it to my last semester. I took ECE482 in its place, as I had an interest in circuit design, though it quickly became my most time consuming class by far, especially with its final project. That being said, I highly recommend ECE482 for anyone interested in ICs, as it provides a lot of experience with layout. I also decided to try out ECE444, as I had enjoyed ECE340 enough. It was a fun experience; it is definitely worthwhile to take if you are interested in the IC fabrication process. PHYS427 is one of the most difficult undergraduate physics courses, though it has applications to many areas of physics. I was not able to study for this course as much as I should have, as I mostly focused on my ECE courses, so I struggled a lot in the course.
I joined a research group at the beginning of this semester, while also applying to graduate schools. I highly recommend getting involved in research at UIUC, especially if you plan on going to graduate school.
After this semester, I satisfied all degree requirements, except the ECE445 requirement.
Tips:
- Use your senior year to dive deep into your area of interest, while still exploring other areas.
- Work on your graduate school applications over the summer, they are a lot of work!
8th Semester, Senior Year, Spring 2024
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ECE445 - Senior Design Project Lab | 4 |
| ECE483 - Analog IC Design | 3 |
| ECE486 - Control Systems | 4 |
| PHYS326 - Classical Mechanics II | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
This semester was more difficult than I intended, due to not being able to take ECE486 the previous semester, but ended up not being too bad. ECE445 really is a good experience to have as an electrical engineer, especially for students interested in power. It is definitely challenging, but the course does a good job of preparing you for a professional career. ECE483 was probably my favorite course I took this semester. It heavily builds off of the circuit analysis concepts taught in ECE342, and provides great experience in amplifier simulation and design. I particularly liked working through the design problems throughout the course. ECE483 is really an essential course for anybody interested in ICs. ECE486 is also an important course for anyone interested in power, ICs, or electrical engineering in general. The course gives a good introduction of the control system design methods used in industry. The inverted pendulum final project was pretty fun too. PHYS326 - Classical Mechanics II was just a class I took to complete my minor, but the parts of the class relating to dynamics ended up being very interesting to me. This was my last semester. After this, I graduated and started pursuing an MS at UIUC in the fall.