University of St. Thomas

When asked what one word best describes the electrical engineering major at St. Thomas, a faculty member replied, “I talked with a couple of our students and they suggested the following answer: ‘Engineers need to really understand what they do. If you can only deal with one word descriptions, this major may not be for you.’”

A real student asks:

 

What do electrical engineers do once they graduate? Do they really deal with electricity? Is it dangerous?

An electrical engineering faculty member responds: Electrical engineers design everything from cell phones to satellites. Everything you use that is powered by electricity was designed by an electrical engineer. Electrical engineers work in biomedical, automotive, aerospace and computer companies among many others. Many also go on to work in related fields such as management or law.

What jobs are possible with an Electrical Engineering major?

What are recent graduates doing now?

Our graduates have been hired at such companies as Caterpillar Paving Products, Delphi Automotive, Lake Region Manufacturing, Lockheed Martin, Remmele Engineering, Seagate Technology and the U.S. Air Force, just to name a few.

What opportunities are there to bolster my resume while I'm in the program?

Internships. The School of Engineering was started with a strong connection to industry. That said, all 2006-2007 seniors majoring in engineering had some internship experience prior to graduation. Businesses who have hired our students are St. Jude Medical, 3M, Nicros and many more.

Study abroad. The UST School of Engineering offers undergraduate students the opportunity to study mechanical and electrical engineering abroad.

Every other year, Roman Structure and Art travels to Rome during J-Term. Most recently, 20 students went to Italy in January, 2007. Senior Design offers students opportunities for international service learning. Over the past several years, student groups have contributed in Mali, Africa and St. Vincent in the Caribbean.

St. Thomas School of Engineering has identified two programs that work well for its students: the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England and St. Louis University in Madrid, Spain. Other sites are possible, but these two are recommended.

Faculty at work

Our faculty members are actively involved with numerous professional organizations, work or have worked in the engineering industry and write articles for nationally and internationally published journals.