Message from the Chair

The ECET Department of MSU Mankato was founded in 1987 as an extension of the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. Since its establishment, our department grows and thrives. Now the Department hosts four ABET accredited programs, Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Computer Engineering, Bachelor of Electronic Engineering Technology and Bachelor of Computer Engineering Technology. We also host a Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE) program. In addition, a five-year BS/MS combined program is available to Electrical and Computer Engineering students. Over the years our department strived to build high quality academic programs to serve the region, nation and globe. Our curricula seamlessly integrate rigorous engineering theory and hands-on laboratory practices. The curricula have been consistently revised to reflect the latest technology trends and the industry’s needs based on feedbacks from students, faculty and employers. We are proud of our close tie to industry, which brings real world research and development experiences to the students. The Department strives to create a warm and hospitable learning environment to all the students with diverse background. Our passionate professors foster and prepare all our students to succeed and prosper in their future careers. With solid and rigorous engineering training through our programs, the ECET graduates are hired by leading technology companies and government agencies such as Apple, Google, Oracle, IBM, Honeywell, 3M, Boeing, Microsoft, Meta, NASA, National Laboratories, etc.

Last few decades are the golden age of Electrical and Computer Technology. It reshapes the human society in many aspects. Transformative technology breakthroughs change the way we see the world and ourselves. Thanks to the advanced wireless communication technology, we’ve never been so closely connected to each other. “Be connected anywhere anytime” was a dream of our previous generations but now making a cell phone call is a daily activity for many of us. Computing technology is so accessible and affordable that nowadays it can be used by an individual to explore the physical world from a new perspective. The Electrical and Computer Engineering is the backbone of many modern technology fields such as information technology, renewable energy, communications, electronics/photonics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, etc. It is because Electrical and Computer Engineering not only provides hardware instrumentation to advance those technology fields but also supplies abundant theories and methods to researchers and scientists of different fields.

Look forward, a new technology wave is forming on the horizon. Artificial intelligence, Internet of things, systems on chip, nanotechnology, autonomous vehicles, etc. will profoundly revolute the entire human society. Electrical and Computer Engineering will continue acting as a major force that pushes the technology frontier forward. As the ECET department chairperson, I encourage you to devote your passion and future career to the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technology. You will not only witness but also be part of such a historical and spectacular technology evolvement.