Welcome from the Chair

As the Chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this department. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is the largest department in the McCormick School with 53 full time faculty members, about 251 undergraduate and 162 graduate students, and many state-of-the-art laboratory facilities.

Our EECS faculty consists of 53 full-time faculty members, several of whom are Chaired Professors.  We have faculty who are Fellows of IEEE, OSA, APS, & AAAS.  Several faculty members have received PYI, NYI or CAREER awards from the National Science Foundation.  Two of our emeritus faculty have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

The department offers three degree programs for undergraduate students leading to the B.S. degree: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Computer Science.  The department also offers graduate programs in the form of M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Computer Science. Our EECS department boasts an internationally renowned faculty, state-of-the-art research equipment, and the considerable resources offered by a great university. We combine those advantages with an uncommon commitment to our students.

* Electrical Engineering (EE) involves the development and application of electronic and optical technologies for generating, communicating, and processing information. Our EE curriculum involves courses in electronic circuits, solid-state electronics, electromagnetics, optics, lasers, controls, digital signal processing, communications and networks.
* Computer Engineering (CompE) deals with digital design, computer hardware and architecture, microprocessors, software and programming, and the interrelationships between hardware and software. Our CompE curriculum involves courses in digital logic, electronic circuits, computer architecture, VLSI design, software programming, operating systems, microprocessor systems, and parallel computing.
* Computer Science (CS) curriculum focuses on computer programming, information technology, web tools, computer systems, data structures, data management, information processing, compiler construction, artificial intelligence programming, human computer interaction, design and analysis of algorithms, database systems, networking, operating systems, distributed systems, computer graphics, designing & constructing models, computer game design, software project management and development, design of interactive learning environments, design of educational software environments, resource virtualization, and internet security. 

You can obtain further information about the department by checking out our web site (http://www.eecs.northwestern.edu).

Research in our EECS department spans a wide variety of disciplines essential to the growing information technology, and our faculty are organized into six research divisions:

Solid State and Photonics
Computer Engineering & Systems
Computing, Algorithms & Applications
Cognitive Systems
Signals and Systems
Graphics & Interactive Media

In addition, the department is involved with seven interdisciplinary research centers:

Optimization Technology Center
Center for Quantum Devices
Motorola Center for Seamless Communications
Center for Photonic Communication and Computing
Center for Ultra-scale Computing and Information Security
Council on Dynamic Systems and Control
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Based Modeling

The Undergraduate Study Manual provides detailed information about the educational opportunities in the Undergraduate Programs in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Computer Science.  It includes descriptions of our curriculum, suggestions for course work, various options, and information about our faculty, computer facilities and student activities.
 
On behalf of the faculty of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, I would like to welcome you and wish you very successful and pleasant years at Northwestern University.

Alok P. Choudhary
Professor