About ECSE

About ECSE

It has been over a century since the inception of Electrical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1907.  (See the ECSE History page from Ken Connor.) The world, and technologies, have of course changed a great deal in a hundred years.  Incandescent light bulbs became solid state LEDs, Radios became 4K TV, telegraph and telephone became 5G network, electrical power is now distributed through smart grid, artificial intelligence governs computer vision, and robots work alongside and together with humans.   Our mission remains the same: educate well-rounded engineers and conduct impactful research – “applications for the common purposes of life.” ECSE offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer and Systems Engineering.  The ECSE curriculum builds a broad foundation in math, science, humanities and social science, and multiple disciplines in engineering, while allowing flexibility in electives to pursue specialized focus areas.  ECSE students are trained in engineering fundamentals and application-specific domains with emphasis on hands-on education, design experience, and teamwork. ECSE faculty conduct cutting edge research across multiple disciplines and physical scales, including semiconductor design and processing, smart sensors and devices, 5G communication, and cyberphysical systems such as smart grid and collaborative robots.  ECSE research is powered by federal funding agencies including NSF, NIH, ONR, ARO, AFOSR, DOE, state funding agencies including NYSTAR and NYSERDA, private foundations, and industry partners. ECSE faculty include multiple NAE members, IEEE and other professional society Fellows and NSF CAREER Award winners. Please contact us for more information.