Electrical Engineering

The Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at Stanford University continues to reinvent the future by advancing physical technologies, hardware/software systems, and information sciences. From cloud servers and smart devices to medical imaging and renewable energy systems, electrical engineers have created much of the technology we interact with daily. The department's programs prepare undergraduate and graduate students to lead, innovate, and serve in a dynamic technological world, preparing them for successful careers in industry, academia, and research laboratories.

Degree Programs and Academic Pathways

To accommodate diverse student interests, the department offers a variety of degree programs and joint-degree pathways:

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.): Undergraduates can pursue a major or a minor in Electrical Engineering.

• Master of Science (M.S.): Graduate students can pursue a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.): Doctoral students can pursue a degree or a minor in Electrical Engineering.

• Joint Degrees: Electrical Engineering and Law (M.S./J.D.) and Electrical Engineering and Business Administration (M.S./M.B.A.).

• Coterminal Program: Current Stanford undergraduate students can pursue a master's degree while completing their bachelor's degree(s).

Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research

Research in Stanford Electrical Engineering spans a broad array of intellectual disciplines. Faculty and students collaborate extensively across campus; more than a quarter of EE faculty hold joint appointments in other departments, and a similar portion of Ph.D. students work with advisors outside the department.

Active research is conducted across several core areas:

• AI, Machine Learning, and Optimization

• Biomedical Devices, Sensors, and Systems

• Complex Sensing Systems

• Computer Architecture, Security, and Hardware/Software Systems

• Energy, Environment, and Sustainability

• Information and Coding Theory, Communications, and Signal Processing

• Integrated Circuits and Systems

• New Materials, Nanofabrication, and Devices

• Quantum Science and Engineering and Photonics

• Robotics and Control

Addressing Key Societal Challenges

EE tools and methodologies are increasingly deployed to solve pressing global challenges, particularly in two major areas:

• Biomedical Innovation: Developing low-cost diagnostics, therapeutics (such as pacemakers, lasers, and neural interfaces), and analytical technologies to improve the detection, staging, and treatment of illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and brain disorders.

• Energy and Sustainability: Addressing climate change and rising electricity demands at both the macro level (including smart grid integration, renewable energy storage, and electric vehicles) and the micro level (such as energy-efficient devices, power electronics, and environmental energy-harvesting for wearable devices and the Internet of Things).