About Electrical And Computer Engineering in University of California San Diego

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers undergraduate programs leading to the BS in electrical engineering, engineering physics, and computer engineering, and the BA in electrical engineering and society. Each of these programs can be tailored to provide preparation for graduate study or employment in a wide range of fields. The Electrical Engineering (B.S.) program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. 

Students must complete 180 units for graduation, including the general-education requirements (GER). Note that 140 units (excluding GER) are required for the major.

Lower-Division Requirements
(total of seventy-six units for computer system design depth, and seventy-two units for all other depths)

Electrical Engineering (twenty-four units for communication systems, electronic circuits and systems, electronic devices and materials, machine learning and controls, photonics, power engineering, and signal and image processing depths)

ECE 5, 25, 30, 35, 45, and 65

Electrical Engineering (twenty-eight units for computer system design depth only)

ECE 5, 16, 25, 30, 35, 45, and 65

Programming course (four units for electronic circuits and systems, electronic devices and materials, photonics, and power engineering depths)

ECE 15

Programming courses (eight units for communication systems, computer system design, machine learning and controls, and signal and image processing depths)

ECE 15,17

Chemistry (four units)

CHEM 6A

Mathematics (twenty-four units)

MATH 18 and 20A-B-C-D-E.

Physics (twelve units for communication systems, computer system design, machine learning and controls, and signal and image processing depths)

PHYS 2A-B-C or PHYS 4A-B-C. (Note: MATH 20A is a prerequisite for PHYS 2A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with MATH 20B or higher may take PHYS 2A in the fall quarter of the freshman year.)

Physics (sixteen units for electronic circuits and systems, electronic devices and materials, photonics, and power engineering depths)

PHYS 2A-B-C-D or PHYS 4A-B-C-D-E (Note: MATH 20A is a prerequisite for PHYS 2A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with MATH 20B or higher may take PHYS 2A in the fall quarter of the freshman year.)

Upper-Division Requirements

Students must select an engineering depth to provide a focus for their studies. Students may choose one of the approved depth sequences listed below or propose another with the approval of the department. A list of approved technical electives and professional electives can be found in the ECE undergraduate office. Note: In order to fulfill the design requirement, students must complete ECE 111, 115, 140B, 190, or 191 with a grade of C– or better. Graduation will not be approved until a written copy of the design project is submitted to the ECE undergraduate office.

GPA (Grade-Point Average) Requirement

To be eligible for admission to UC San Diego, you must earn the following minimum GPAs:

• California residents must earn a GPA of 3.0 (or better) with no grade lower than "C."
• Non-California residents & International applicants must earn a GPA of 3.4 (or better) with no grade lower than "C."

Your GPA is based on the above college preparatory (A-G) courses taken during 10th and 11th grades. Students admitted to UC San Diego have GPAs that exceed these minimums.

 UC San Diego will not consider SAT or ACT test scores as a factor in admissions decisions through Fall 2024. If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll.

International Students

If your native language is not English and your secondary/high school education was in a country where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination (academic modules) and have your scores reported to the UC San Diego Office of Admissions. A minimum score of 83 is required for the TOEFL, or a minimum score of 7 is required for the IELTS. Learn more on the International Students page.

University of California San Diego Highlights

University of California Cost of Attendance

An expected budget for overseas students wishing to study in the United States is as follows for potential university aspirants enrolling in the forthcoming sessional term:

The cost of attendance for graduate programs varies by program. However, the estimated cost is presented below: