About Us
The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at Union traces its history back to 1902 when the department was founded by Charles Proteus Steinmetz. He hoped to imbue in students, “the spirit of divine discontent, for without it the world would stand still." Union College fosters an educational environment where students from engineering also have the flexibility to study subjects in the liberal arts which has led to its reputation as one of the finest engineering schools in the country. This standard of excellence is maintained to this day and U.S. News & World Report’s 2006 ranks Union Engineering in the top 20 undergraduate colleges.
The department offers programs in electrical engineering and computer engineering which are both nationally accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Both programs offer exciting courses in a vast array of topics such as nanotechnology, computer networking, signal processing, embedded systems, and neural networks. Students with interests in the arts, history, languages or social sciences can pursue these exciting courses as a minor or as free electives. Most students participate in one of the many term abroad opportunities that are offered at Union College. In addition, the department is heavily involved in current and planned activities in Converging Technologies at Union.
Our focus solely on undergraduate education differentiates us from larger research institutions and close faculty-student interaction is paramount to the success of our programs. All courses are taught by Union College faculty members and most classes have fewer than twenty students. In addition, faculty work closely with students in laboratories and supervise individual senior projects where students apply their skills and creativity to their own design project.
Alumni of the ECE programs have been very successful in a wide range of areas and many have pursued advanced technical and professional degrees. Their broad education, problem solving ability, and technical skills make them attractive to a large variety of employers, fields, and career paths. Their “discontent” with the status quo continues to inspire them throughout their careers and to achieve success in their chosen field.