Scholarships at St. Thomas
97% of first-year students receive merit scholarships that bring the average tuition cost down to $21,000 per year
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering is a hands-on, industry-oriented and career-focused program that blends theory and research with practical engineering fundamentals to prepare you to succeed in this increasingly autonomous and interconnected world. Electrical Engineering is one of the largest and most-diverse of the engineering fields contributing solutions to range of issues we face today including global health (e.g. medical devices, medical diagnostics, health informatics) and sustainability (e.g. renewable energy generation and distribution, low power and efficient systems, electric vehicles etc.) among many others.
Why Study Electrical Engineering at St. Thomas?
Your St Thomas Electrical Engineering journey consists of a hands-on, experiential learning in small groups facilitated by faculty with real-word experience. You will apply your curiosity and creativity to enhance your understanding of topics in analog electronics, digital embedded systems, communications, signal processing, control systems and sustainable power systems. At the same time, you will get a strong foundation in the liberal arts to cultivate critical thinking, oral and written communication and problem-solving skills that will accelerate your path, whether you plan to go into industry or further your academic studies after graduation.
With this in-demand degree, you will be prepared to work in industries focused on both traditional and sustainable energy sources, aerospace, medical devices, electronics and more. Senior year, you will spend two semesters in our Senior Design Clinic working as part of a team to solve a real-world design challenge provided by an industry partner. This practical challenge mirrors what you will do as a professional engineer and is a critical component of the St. Thomas engineering program.
Program Overview
Students earning a BS in Electrical Engineering will complete the University of St. Thomas Core Curriculum requirements and Electrical Engineering major requirements and allied requirements.
Electrical Engineering Plans of Study
Your faculty adviser will personalize a four-year plan with you based on your goals. This is one snapshot of how the plan of study for this major can look. Plans of study exist for students who wish to study abroad, double major or for ROTC.
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET).
Students in Electrical Engineering have the opportunity to participate in meaningful research with faculty. Currently, student teams are developing new ways to power an ATV steering wheel; designing eyeglasses with embedded EEG sensors that capture brain activity; and working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to develop a 100 percent sustainable microgrid that will create an efficient energy source for the remote Minnesota Lake of the Woods region. 100 percent of engineering students design and solve and engineering problems for industry as a part of the Senior Design Clinic.
Course Requirements
Students earning a BS in Electrical Engineering will complete the University of St. Thomas Core Curriculum requirements and Electrical Engineering major requirements and allied requirements.
Electrical Engineering Plans of Study
Four-Year Plan
Your faculty adviser will personalize a four-year plan with you based on your goals. This is one snapshot of how the plan of study for this major can look. Plans of study exist for students who wish to study abroad, double major or for ROTC.
Degrees Awarded
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET).
Senior Design Clinic
Students in Electrical Engineering have the opportunity to participate in meaningful research with faculty. Currently, student teams are developing new ways to power an ATV steering wheel; designing eyeglasses with embedded EEG sensors that capture brain activity; and working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to develop a 100 percent sustainable microgrid that will create an efficient energy source for the remote Minnesota Lake of the Woods region. 100 percent of engineering students design and solve and engineering problems for industry as a part of the Senior Design Clinic.
A Community of Problem-Solvers
Brianna McIntyre ’16
Brianna McIntyre ’16 had an internship at Walt Disney World in Florida where she “kept the magic moving” in its transportation department. When the monorail, steam trains, ferry boats and parking lot trams broke down, her team worked to get them back on track.
Aaron Redepenning ‘16
Aaron Redepenning was on a student team that won $10,000 in the St. Thomas Fowler Business Challenge. The team created a menu reader for people with visual impairments. Called “elate,” the product is a smart bracelet that scans a sticker on a menu and then reads the menu aloud using a Bluetooth-connected device.
Jessica Bremseth '17 and Emma Koller '17
Electrical engineering majors Jessica Bremseth ‘17 and Emma Koller ‘17 were also Fowler Business Challenge winners. Together, they developed DermaScan, a home device that aids individuals in detecting early skin cancer.
Career Paths
- Project Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Power Systems Engineer
- Medical Device Engineer
- Instrumentation Engineer
- Embedded Systems Engineer
- Autonomous Vehicle Engineer
- Communications Systems Engineer
Jobs and internships
- Every engineering student participates in our Senior Design Clinic where they design and solve an engineering problem for industry.
- 80% of engineering students graduate with a technical internship in industry (Many with more than one!)
- Meet the Engineers is the School of Engineering’s Reverse Career Fair and it is held every fall. St. Thomas engineering students interested in full-time employment and internships represent themselves with a poster board and standby as prospective employers, many of whom are engineering alumni, walk and talk with students about their particular goals, interests and talents.
- Over 600 companies are within 20 minutes of campus including: 3M, Honeywell, Ecolab, Polaris, Medtronic, Cargill, Xcel Energy, Cargill, Graco, Boston Scientific.
Affordability and Outcomes
Scholarships for Engineering Students
Several competitive scholarships are available for first-year students planning to major in engineering, science and mathematics. There are also undergraduate scholarships available for returning engineering students each academic year.
$99K
is the median annual pay for electrical engineers in 2018.
Faculty With Real-World Experience
Dr. Mahmoud Kabalan, Assistant Professor
Dr. Mahmoud Kabalan works with students to research how we can add more renewable energy resources such as solar photovoltaic systems to an electric grid without jeopardizing the grid's operation. He also researches how multiple energy resources can work together in a microgrid (a small electric grid). This work will allow us to turn every home into an independent electric grid and provide electricity for rural communities in the developing world that don’t have access to electricity.
Dr. Greg Mowry, Professor and Program Director, M.S. in Electrical Engineering
Recently Dr. Greg Mowry and his student teams have made several breakthroughs in their research on microgrids. One is related to developing low-cost energy storage for small residential and village microgrids. Another breakthrough involves low-cost protection for these microgrids—something that currently is very costly.
Dr. Cheol-Hong Min, Assistant Professor
Dr. Cheol-Hong Min is developing smart,wearable systems and integrating them into clothing to detect and monitor an individual’s posture and fitness. Wearable sensors can detect the angles at which the knees, hips and back bend during the day and alert the wearer of proper posture for daily activities.
The St. Thomas Experience
Clubs
The School of Engineering has many student clubs to choose from:
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Engineers for a Sustainable World
- Projects and Robotics Club
- Society of American Military Engineers
- National Society of Black Engineers
- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
- Society of Women Engineers
- Nearly every engineering course is paired with a hands-on laboratory
- Over 90% of engineering classes have 30 students or less. Laboratory sections are designed for 12 students.
- First semester introductory engineering courses are designed for students to work with fellow engineering students on projects and to get to know our engineering faculty.
- 50% of engineering students work on research projects outside coursework, and often have a chance to present at a conference as an undergraduate.
- Students participate in meaningful collaborative research with faculty who are designing engineering projects with impact in the world. Currently, student teams are developing new ways to power an ATV steering wheel; designing eyeglasses with embedded EEG sensors that capture brain activity; and working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to develop a 100 percent sustainable microgrid that will create an efficient energy source for the remote Minnesota Lake of the Woods region.
Accelerate Your Master’s Degree
The Fast Track Bachelor’s/Master’s Program, offers electrical engineering students the opportunity to begin their graduate studies during their undergraduate years, accelerating the process of getting their master’s degree. Students earn their bachelor’s degree first and then would go on to earn their master’s with as few as 8 additional classes, saving time and money. With careful planning, it is possible to finish both degrees from St. Thomas in as few as five years for both degrees. Degree options exist for electrical engineering students both from the graduate engineering and graduate software programs.
Engineers get global experience in study abroad programs focused on engineering, social entrepreneurship or cultural immersion. Programs are held worldwide, including in Italy, Peru, Germany, Australia and Jordan.
Quick Facts
80%
of our engineering students graduate with a technical internship or co-op industry experience. (Many with more than one.)
100%
of electrical engineering students design and solve an engineering problem for industry as a part of the St. Thomas Engineering Senior Design Clinic.
It takes more than theory to transform an idea into useful technology for our society. St. Thomas engineers emerge with practical, hands-on experience, the power of strong communication skills and the broad perspective of a liberal arts education. Our rigorous engineering programs are designed to transform the young creative minds of our students into engineers who can truly make a difference in the world.
Dr. Don Weinkauf, dean of the School of Engineering