The mission of the Electrical Engineering Technology program is to
provide a quality education for its students and an outstanding professional
development environment for its faculty and students.
To accomplish this mission, the Department has set the following educational
objectives for its Electrical Engineering Technology curriculum.
- To prepare students to immediately contribute in the workplace upon
graduation through exposure to state of the art industrial equipment,
internship experience and design project experience.
- To prepare students in the business of engineering technology through the
understanding of economic and business principles and effective project
management techniques.
- To prepare students for the increasing computer requirements of industry
through the use of computing hardware and software throughout the technical
curriculum.
- To provide students with an appreciation for the ethical, legal and
professional obligations necessary to function effectively in a contemporary
business environment.
- To develop students’ communication skills to a level that they can present
complex ideas in a clear, logical and concise manner both orally and in
writing.
Program Description
The Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) program at the University of Maine
prepares students for professional electrical engineering careers in industry.
The program provides students with the theory and “hands-on” experience
necessary for them to quickly become productive in their jobs after
graduation. The EET program offers two distinct paths to pursue the degree. These are the Electrical Option and the Information Technology Option.
- Electrical Option: This option provides students with a traditional electrical and electronic engineering curriculum with extra concentration in subject areas that are particularly important to industry in the Northeast. These subject areas are: analog electronic design, integrated motion control, electrical machinery operation and microcomputer applications. All courses in the program are taught in a way that includes a strong component of practical applications, along with basic theoretical concepts.
- Information Technology Option: An increasing industry
demand for engineers with basic electrical hardware knowledge along with advanced network communication and management skills has led to this option. This pathway requires students to take the basic electrical courses during the first two years of the program and then branch to information technology courses in the last two years of the program. The eight information technology electives are taken in the areas of information science, management information systems, computer science and computer engineering.
Regardless of option selection, the EET degree requires students to gain an understanding of engineering management principles. Courses in engineering economics, statistical process control and project management are required of all graduates. This highlights the program’s focus on preparing graduates for entry into the work force upon graduation. The program is constantly updated in response to input from an Industrial Advisory Committee that has representatives from manufacturing, power utilities, process industries, data communications and electronics companies.
The faculty in the EET program focus upon teaching the students. They all have
significant industrial experience and serve actively as consulting
professional engineers when not teaching. Program faculty teach all classes and laboratories. Thus, students learn first-hand
about current industry trends and the latest engineering equipment.
A very important part of the education of all EET students is a Senior Design
Project course that is taken during both semesters of their senior year.
Design projects are required in most of the EET courses to prepare students
for their capstone project. The Senior Design Project requires student teams
to solve a design problem while utilizing good engineering design and
reporting procedures.
Concentration and Minor Options
Students who wish to pursue the electrical option but still gain some experience in computer and data networking spplications may pursue a concentration in computer engineering technology. To achieve the concentration students are
required to take 12 credits of approved courses offered by the computer
engineering, information science and computer science departments for their free and technical
elective choices.
The EET students can also enrich their academic experience by completing
minors that complement their program such as business administration or pulp
and paper technology.
Cooperative “Work Experience” Program Option
All EET students who have achieved sophomore status are encouraged to
participate in a well-established co-op program that allows students to
receive course credit while gaining valuable experience with an industry of
their choice. The department faculty work closely with key industrial partners
to maintain cooperative education opportunities that are technically
challenging and offer strong economic benefits.
Employment Opportunities
Graduates of the EET program fill a wide variety of professional technical
positions in industry. Typically, they take jobs that involve designing and
manufacturing a product or operating a plant. EET graduates are the electrical
back-bone of the manufacturing community and often manage project and
maintenance teams of electricians and engineers. Their responsibilities lean
toward design and production rather than research.
Scholarships
The program offers scholarships for outstanding students majoring in
Electrical Engineering Technology. In addition, students can apply for
scholarships through the College of Engineering.
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