ELECTRICAL & cOMPUTER eNGINEERING
Welcome to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at San Diego State
University! We are committed to shaping a great future for each one of our students.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at San Diego State University
is interested in attracting exceptional students to our B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degree
programs. Our graduates become leaders in many areas represented by our Department,
both in private and public sectors.
Our faculty expertise includes antenna and microwave engineering, power electronics
and electric drives, embedded systems, digital VLSI, signal processing, power systems,
electromagnetic interference, machine learning, wireless communication, multimedia
communication, rehabilitation electronics, electronics and system design for biomedical
applications, robotic, artificial intelligence, and unmanned aerial systems.
We are proud to have seven awardees of the prestigious Monty Award, three NSF CAREER
awardees, an Albert W. Johnson Research Lectureship awardee, and IEEE Fellows.
Our Department is home to several research laboratories such as the Antenna & Microwave
Lab (AML) Group which is an antenna analysis, design, fabrication and measurement
facility, the Emerging & Advanced Green Energy Lab (EAGEL), the Graduate Automotive
Technology Education (GATE) Center for electrical drive transportation research, the
SysteMs & InteLligEnce (SMILE) Lab that explores fundamental theories and innovative
algorithms to improve dynamic systems and networks, and WIreless Networks & Communication
(WINC) Lab whose research areas include Body Area Networks (BANs), Green Networking,
Cloud Computing, and Research on Social Networking.
Program highlights:
- Well-recognized graduate program
- Distinguished faculty
- Exemplary diversity and inclusion
- Excellent support by local industry
The Department of ECE offers both graduate and undergraduate studies leading to a Master of Science or
a Bachelor of Science degree. ECE offers both on-campus and online degrees in the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
(MSEE) and starting in Fall 2023, in Computer Engineering (MSCompE). For information on the online Master of Science degrees please click on online MSEE or online MSCompE. The Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and Computer Engineering (BSCompE) are only offered on-campus.
In addition to our Master and Bachelor of Science degrees, ECE offers a Master of
Engineering (MEngr) degree and a Joint Doctoral Program (JDP) degree. The Master of Engineering degree is a practice-oriented, interdisciplinary degree designed to meet the needs of students
who are interested in furthering a career in engineering with a business/management
emphasis. For the JDP program, faculty from both San Diego State University (SDSU)
and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are actively involved in research
projects with the graduate students. The Ph.D. degree is awarded jointly by the two cooperating institutions.
Visit the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Engineering Building 426
electrical.sdsu.edu
(619) 594-7013
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 4:00 pm (PDT)
Important dates for SUMMER 2023
It is the student's responsibility to know the deadlines.
NOTE: This list does not have everything that is listed on the University's calendar. For a more detailed calendar, go to the Office of the Registrar site https://registrar.sdsu.edu/.
May 22 |
T1/S1 - Beginning on the first day of class, refunds for withdrawals will be prorated based on the |
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May 25 |
S1 - Last day of waitlist auto-enrollment. After this date, students must acquire
permission to enroll by |
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May 26 |
S1 - Last day for students to be administratively dropped from S1 courses due to missing
course |
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May 29 |
T1 - Last day of waitlist auto-enrollment. After this date, students must acquire
permission to enroll by |
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May 29 |
Holiday - Memorial Day. Faculty/staff holiday. Campus closed. |
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May 31 |
S1 - Last day to ADD/DROP, or change grading basis (11:59 p.m. deadline). |
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June 2 |
T1 - Last day to ADD/DROP, or change grading basis (11:59 p.m. deadline). |
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June 5 |
S3 - First day of S3 classes. If a seat becomes available, students on the waitlist
will automatically |
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June 6 |
S3 - Last day for students to be administratively dropped from S3 courses due to missing
course |
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June 7 |
S3 - Last day to ADD/DROP, or change grading basis (11:59 p.m. deadline). |
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June 19 |
S4 - First day of S4 classes. If a seat becomes available, students on the waitlist
will automatically |
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June 22 |
S4 - Last day of waitlist auto-enrollment. After this date, students must acquire
permission to enroll by |
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June 23 | S4 - Last day for students to be administratively dropped from S4 courses due to missing
course requirements or non-attendance (11:59 p.m. deadline). |
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June 26 | S4 - Last day to ADD/DROP, or change grading basis (11:59 p.m. deadline). |
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June 30 | S1/S3 - Last day of classes. (Final exams are the last day of classes for each summer
session.) |
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July 3 | S1/S3 - Grades due from instructors (11 p.m. deadline). |
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July 4 | Holiday - Independence Day (observed). Faculty/staff holiday. Campus closed. |
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July 5 | S2 - First day of S2 classes. If a seat becomes available, students on the waitlist
will automatically be added. |
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July 10 | S2 - Last day of waitlist auto-enrollment. After this date, students must acquire
permission to enroll by obtaining a permission number from the instructor of the course. |
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July 11 | S2 - Last day for students to be administratively dropped from S2 courses due to missing
course requirements or non-attendance (11:59 p.m. deadline). |
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July 13 | S2 - Last day to ADD/DROP, or change grading basis (11:59 p.m. deadline). |
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Aug 14 | T1/S2/S4 - Last day of classes. (Final exams are the last day of classes for each
summer session.) Last day to submit a Petition for Late Schedule Adjustment for Summer 2023. |
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Aug 16 | T1/S2/S4 - Grades due from instructors (11 p.m. deadline). Last day for submission of incomplete and RP grade removals (excluding thesis) for August 2023 graduation with an advanced degree. |
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NEWs
For previous news items, please go to our News Archives.
Outstanding Faculty Award
Dr. Ashkan Ashrafi, Associate Professor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering was awarded the 2023 Outstanding Faculty Award in recognition as the most influential university professor in the academic career of Kyle Donoghue (BSEE ’22, Summa Cum Laude).
Dr. Ashkan Ashrafi received his Ph.D. at the University of Alabama, Huntsville in
2006. He has been teaching at San Diego State University since 2007. Dr. Ashrafi’s
research areas include Digital Signal Process, Brain Signal Processing, and Estimation
Theory.
Dr. Junfei Xi Receives a $314,818 CCRI Grant, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Dr. Junfei Xie, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering received a $314,818 CCRI grant from the NSF to develop an enhanced networked airborne computing platform. The grant is sponsored by the NSF and is titled "Enhanced Open Networked Airborne Computing Platform".
The project aims to develop an enhanced open networked airborne computing platform
to facilitate the design, implementation, and testing of an airborne computing platform
that seamlessly integrates control, computing, communication, and networking. The
project will provide community support based on the flywheel model, and to attract
and engage community users through organized support from four regional sites in the
nation, hands-on workshops, testbed access, and technical user services.
This collaborative project brings together investigators from the University of North
Texas (UNT), the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), San Diego State University
(SDSU), and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM). All four participating
universities are minority-serving (UPRM) or Hispanic-serving (UTA, UNT, and SDSU)
institutions with a large number of underrepresented minority students. The project
will reach out to local communities through K-12 activities, and also pursue broad
dissemination through organizing student design competitions, tutorials, and workshops,
participating in national demonstration efforts, and engaging domain professionals.
The proposed education and outreach activities will produce a profound impact on broad
communities and benefit a large number of underrepresented minority students. The
proposed project on enhanced open networked airborne computing platform will address
the design and evaluation needs of many researchers in the CISE community and benefit
a wide range of applications in the emergency, energy, environment, and transportation
sectors.
Dr. Longya Xu, ECE Adjunct Faculty
National Academy of Engineering Member, Dr. Longya Xu joins SDSU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as an Adjunct Professor.
Dr. Xu, Fellow of IEEE, is the recipient of the prestigious 2018 Nikola Tesla Award
which is presented annually by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE). He was named a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2023.
Dr. Longya Xu received his M.S. and Ph. D. from University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1986 and 1990, respectively. From 1971 to 1978, he participated in 150kVA synchronous machine design, manufacturing and testing for mobile power station in China. From 1982 to 1984, he worked as a researcher on linear machines at the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Sinica Academia of China. After his arrival in the U. S., Dr. Xu has served as a consultant to many industrial companies, including Honeywell, Boeing, General Electric, Raytheon Company, US Wind Power, Pacific Scientific Co., Ford Motor Company, and General Motor Company for various industrial concerns. He was a faculty member at The Ohio State University where he was a professor until 2022 when he was named Professor Emeritus. Professor Longya Xu is known for his “contributions to design and control of efficient electric machines for wind power generation and electrified vehicles.” His specific research and teaching interests include dynamics and optimized design of special electrical machines and power converters for variable speed drive and generating systems, application of advanced control theory and digital signal processor for motion control and distributed power systems in super-high speed operation. He served as Director for the Center for High Performance Power Electronics at Ohio State University.
Go AzTechs: SDSU Team Wins First Place in National Hackathon
Article by Melinda Sevilla, March 14, 2023
A team of electrical and computer engineering students won first place with their
solution to managing crowds in an emergency. Target: Petco Park.
San Diego State University students are working to solve pressing public safety issues
for crowd control at concerts, sporting events, and other large-scale events. Team AzTechs, a group of SDSU electrical and computer engineering students, won the grand prize
of $10,000 in a competition at the DASSH (Designing Actionable Solutions for a Secure
Homeland) Student Design Challenge held February 24-26. To read the full article, click on Go AzTechs: SDSU Team Wins First Place in National Hackathon.
Nathan Russert ('22) Pens Children's Book on Engineering - The Great Harvest: An Engineering Story
Article by Melinda Sevilla, March 8, 2023
An electrical and computer engineering alumnus has written and published a children’s
book on a group of animal engineers to introduce young readers to the world of engineering.
“The Great Harvest: An Engineering Story” is a read-aloud story for kids with the aim of transporting kids to a fictional
world where animals with different skills work together to solve a big problem. “They'll
watch the animal friends use mechanical, electrical, civil, and aerospace engineering
to come up with brilliant solutions,” said author, Nathan Russert (‘22). To read the full article, click on Nathan Russert.
Dr. Chunting “Chris” Mi Receives a $959,932 Grant in Collaboration with Solid Energies, Inc.
Dr. Chris Mi, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering received a $959,932 grant for his work in collaboration with Solid Energies, Inc. The grant is sponsored by the California Energy Commission and is titled “High Safety, Wide-Operation-Temperature, Low-Cost All-Solid-Sates Li-Ion Battery and ASSLiB-Based Energy Storage Systems”.
Octavio Martínez (BSEE '92, MBA '00) - From Internship to International Agreement
Article by Melinda Sevilla, January 17, 2023
Octavio Martínez’s (BSEE ‘92, MBA ‘00) immersion into semiconductors as a San Diego State University
student led to a successful career in the field, and a recent high-profile involvement
in the binational semiconductor chip agreement between the United States and Mexico.
Electrical engineering alumnus Martínez had what he called the “greatest privilege”
of being selected as an honorary witness and signing the memorandum of understanding
(MOU) on semiconductor cooperation between the two nations. To read the full article,
click on From Internship to International Agreement.
Eric Johnson ('86) - What the Hell is an Economy?
Article by Melinda Sevilla, January 4, 2023
It’s a question that Eric Johnson ‘86 wouldn’t have asked while an electrical engineering graduate student at San Diego State University. “I gave it no thought,” he said.
But throughout his career and life experiences, Johnson has learned that the economy includes goals of productivity, improving quality of life across the board, and “just the right amount of compassion.” To read the full article, click on What the Hell is an Economy?
Jesus "Sammy" Samaniego Sanchez, Troops to Engineers (T2E)
Article by Melinda Sevilla and Audrey Chuakay, November 8, 2022
Jesus "Sammy" Samaniego Sanchez is currently working towards his bachelor of science degree in Electrical Engineering
here at San Diego State University. SDSU's T2E program’s goal is to ease the transition
to civilian learning for student veterans like Sammy Sanchez. T2E is offered exclusively
at SDSU to student veterans in undergraduate and graduate engineering programs. To
read the full article, click on Troops to Engineers.
Barry Dorr, Engineering Lecturer by Day, Jazz Musician by Night
Article by Audrey Chuakay, November 8, 2022
Professor Barry Dorr, Lecturer for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at San Diego
State University works his childhood passion for music into his instruction for senior
design projects.
To read the full article, click on Engineering Lecturer By Day, Jazz Musician By Night.
Alan Dulgeroff, SDSU Alumni ('92, '18), SDG&E and Snapdragon Stadium
Video provided by Melinda Sevilla, November 2, 2022
Alan Dulgeroff, Director of Electric System Planning at SDG&E received his Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering in 1992 and his Master of Engineering degree in 2018 at San
Diego State University. Alan shares his story of SDG&E's collaboration with SDSU's Snapdragon Stadium. Click SDG&E and Snapdragon to view the video clip.
Audrey Chuakay - Pinoy Pride: Finding Her Chosen Family at SDSU
Article by Melinda Sevilla, October 26, 2022
Audrey Chuakay, a senior in Computer Engineering at San Diego State University, shares her story
about her identity as a Filipina and woman in STEM, and how SDSU's organizations help
her explore them. To read the full article click on Pinoy Pride: Finding Her Chosen Family at SDSU.
Dr. Junfei Xie Named Presidential Research Faculty Fellows
Article by Kelly Woodhouse, October 21, 2022
Dr. Junfei Xie, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was
among seven faculty members to be named Presidential Research Faculty Fellows at San
Diego State University in recognition of their outstanding research, scholarship and
creative endeavors. To read the full article click on Presidential Research Fellows Honored for Advancing Their Fields.
Joe E. Kiani, SDSU Alumni ('84 & '88), 2022 Forbes 400 Billionaire
Joe E. Kiani, founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Masimo Corporation, a publicly held (since 2007) global medical technology company, immigrated to the U.S. from Iran as a child of poverty to become a billionaire!
In 1984, Joe earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and in 1988 his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at San Diego State University. He was also the 2005 Monty Awardee. SDSU's Monty Award honors alumni who have made significant contributions to San Diego State University, the San Diego community or California, nationally or internationally, and is presented to one distinguished alumnus/alumna from each college annually.
Now, Joe Kiani is the cover story on the 2022 Forbes 400 magazine. To read the entire
article, click on Meet the Iranian Immigrant Who Became a Covid MedTec Billionaire, written by Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes Staff.
Dr. Duy H. N. Nguyen, Beyond 5G: SDSU Professor Earns NSF CAREER Award
Article by Melinda Sevilla, October 19, 2022
We have sensors in our cars, our phones, and now even our homes — all meant to make
our day-to-day lives easier through the use of wireless communications. Electrical
and Computer Engineering professor Duy Nguyen wants to make these machine learning and signal processing algorithms even stronger
— and our lives even easier.
Nguyen has earned an NSF CAREER Award of $500,000 over the next five years for his
research on wireless communications, signal processing, and machine learning. The
NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award is the NSF’s most prestigious
award for early-career faculty. To read the full article, click on Beyond 5G: SDSU Professor Earns NSF CAREER Award.
Events

2023 Engineering Senior Design Day
CBS8 video on Senior Design Day 2023.
For an in depth look at all of the senior design projects for 2023, please visit our
digital 2023 Senior Design Day booklet.
- The San Diego State University engineering Senior Design Day presents a collection of projects from graduating seniors.
- The San Diego State University College of Engineering hosted its annual Senior Design Day on May 3, 2023 at Montezuma Hall in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union building from 1:30pm-4:00pm.
- The event featured project demonstrations from graduating seniors in the engineering program, as part of a capstone design class.
- Senior Design Day exhibits a collection of projects from graduating seniors from Electrical and Computer engineering majors. This event is well attended by representatives from local industry, parents and faculty from other departments.
- Please continue to check our Engineering Senior Design Day website for further information and this site also lists all of our past Design Day events.
Innovation Center

Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad
- Apply to the $50K Zahn Challenge for SDSU students, faculty and staff with an idea for a commercial enterprise, social enterprise or project resulting in a social impact.
- The Zahn Innovation Center is a commercial and social incubator that supports San Diego State University innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs—students, faculty and staff from any major or department on campus—as they transform their ideas into companies.
- Zahn Innovation center at San Diego State University College of Engineering is an incubator that support students, faculty and staff as they transform their ideas into products and companies.