Electrical Engineering Department

Contact Information

Thomas P Montoya
Interim EE Department Head and Associate Professor
Electrical Engineering/Physics 311/325
Phone: (605) 394-1219 or (605) 394-2459;
Email: Thomas.Montoya@sdsmt.edu

The Electrical Engineering (EE) Department offers the following degrees.

Bachelor of Science (BS) Program in Electrical Engineering (EE)

Master of Science (MS) Program in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)

BS in Electrical Engineering (EE)

The electrical engineering curriculum prepares students for life-long careers by providing them with the engineering and technical education appropriate to meet modern technological challenges. The basic curriculum includes required coursework in mathematics, basic sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fundamental engineering topics in circuit analysis, electronics, electrical systems, electromagnetics, energy and control systems, and properties of materials. Electrical engineering students are required to select a number of senior elective courses from a wide variety of subject areas to fit their particular interests. Elective subject areas include communication systems, power systems, control systems, microwave engineering, antenna engineering, and computer systems.

The bachelor of science program in electrical engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org, 415 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; Phone +1.410.347.7700.

Electrical Engineering Mission

The mission of the electrical engineering program, in support of the mission of School of Mines, is to provide electrical engineering students with education that is broadly based in the fundamentals of the profession so that graduates will be able to maintain a high degree of adaptability throughout their professional careers. It is also intended that the students will develop a dedication to the profession, assume leadership roles, and an ability to maintain professional competency through a program of lifelong learning.

Electrical Engineering Objectives

Graduates will be able to successfully practice electrical engineering and related fields regionally, nationally, and globally.
Graduates will be well-educated in the fundamental and applied concepts of electrical engineering and be able to continue their professional development throughout their careers.
Graduates will be skilled in clear communications and teamwork and capable of functioning responsibly and ethically in diverse environments.
Graduates will be prepared to demonstrate leadership in outreach, innovation and invention.

Electrical Engineering Program Strengths

A two-semester capstone design experience requires electrical engineering students to conduct their own design project in a simulated industrial environment. They are encouraged to work on team projects and often the team projects are multidisciplinary. This foundation provides students with a broad base of understanding that allows them to apply their knowledge of scientific and engineering principles to the practical and innovative solutions of existing and future problems.

Students are required to develop a high level of written and oral communication skills and to work well as members of a team. They must develop a social and ethical awareness so they understand their responsibility to protect both occupational and public health and safety and to implement these factors in their professional activities. Students are encouraged to participate in the activities of professional societies, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), to enhance their educational and social life while on campus and to gain professional contacts for their careers. Students have opportunities to participate in cooperative education and summer intern programs whereby they elect to seek employment to experience engineering work before they complete their degree requirements. Students gain insight into future opportunities and are often hired by their intern companies after graduation.

EE Department Laboratories

The Electrical Engineering Department houses well-equipped laboratories designed to give students easy access to experimental support for their theoretical studies. Junior and senior laboratory projects are conducted on an open laboratory basis that allows students to schedule experimental work at their own convenience.

General-purpose laboratories are fully equipped to provide facilities for experiments in such diverse areas as communication systems, control systems, electromechanics, energy conversion, digital circuits, computer vision and autonomous systems, and electronics. These laboratories can also be used to provide practical experience under the direct supervision of electrical and computer engineering faculty. In addition, there are special-purpose laboratories serving the fields of power systems, antennas, microwave engineering, analog and digital systems, mechatronics, real-time embedded systems and computer instrumentation.

Seniors and graduate students have access to facilities to work on senior design and graduate thesis projects. The work area allows students a convenient place in which to work for the duration of their project.

EE Curriculum Integration of Design Concepts

One of the key elements of the undergraduate electrical engineering or computer engineering education experience is to integrate design throughout the curriculum. Students experience various design concepts in a variety of settings:

Hands-on laboratory projects (including team projects);
Effective integration of computer applications;
Senior elective courses;
Senior capstone experience; and
Participation in competitive team projects such as the Robotics team, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Team, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Team, Lunar Regolith Mining, and the Formula SAE Mini-Indy Team.

EE Department Graduate Degree Opportunities

The undergraduate curriculum is broad based to give graduates flexibility in their career paths. Qualified students may study areas of interest in more depth and specialize further by pursuing a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) graduate program at the School of Mines.

School of Mines undergraduate students interested in earning a master’s (MS) degree may choose to apply for the Accelerated BS/MS in Electrical Engineering at the beginning of their junior year. Please check the graduate catalog or EE department website for more information about the graduate programs.