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, power generation, power distribution, 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 spread over three semesters finishing in 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.
Degrees are awarded upon satisfactory completion of 127 credits in the EET Option and 129 credits in the IT Option with an accumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 overall. Students must also achieve at least a 2.0 grade point average in all required EET courses. The EET program is accredited by TAC/ABET (Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
Concentration and Minor Options
Students who wish to pursue the electrical option but still gain some experience in computer and data networking applications 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.
Computers
Laptop computers are highly recommended. Beginning Fall 2008, all incoming students will be required to have a laptop computer. Visit our website at www.umaine.edu/set for recommended configuration details.
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. The electrical power field is another area where EET graduates are employed. Many in-state and out-of-state companies rely on our graduates to fill positions in design plants, substations, and transmission lines.
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.
The recommended sequence of the four-year curriculum is outlined below. Copies can be obtained in the School of Engineering Technology office.
The University of Maine The University of Maine
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