Electrical Engineering Technology

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Electrical Engineering Technology Solving Todays
Problems for Industry
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• The mission of the Electrical Engineering
  Technology program is to provide a quality
  education for its students and an outstanding
  professional development environment for its
  faculty and students.
• To accomplish this mission, the Department has
  set the following educational objectives for its
  Electrical Engineering Technology curriculum.
• To prepare students to immediately contribute in
  the workplace upon graduation through exposure to
  state of the art industrial equipment, internship
  experience and design project experience.
• To prepare students in the business of
  engineering technology through the understanding
  of economic and business principles and effective
  project management techniques.
• To prepare students for the increasing computer
  requirements of industry through the use of
  computing hardware and software throughout the
  technical curriculum.
• To provide students with an appreciation for the
  ethical, legal and professional obligations
  necessary to function effectively in a
  contemporary business environment.
• To develop students communication skills to a
  level that they can present complex ideas in a
  clear, logical and concise manner both orally and
  in writing.

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Program Description The Electrical Engineering
Technology (EET) program at the University of
Maine prepares students for professional
electrical engineering careers in industry. The
program provides students with the theory and
hands-on experience necessary for them to
quickly become productive in their jobs after
graduation. The EET program offers two distinct
paths to pursue the degree. These are the
Electrical Option and the Information Technology
Option.
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Electrical Option This option provides students
with a traditional electrical and electronic
engineering curriculum with extra concentration
in subject areas that are particularly important
to industry in the Northeast. These subject areas
are analog electronic design, integrated motion
control, electrical machinery operation and
microcomputer applications. All courses in the
program are taught in a way that includes a
strong component of practical applications, along
with basic theoretical concepts.
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Information Technology Option An increasing
industry demand for engineers with basic
electrical hardware knowledge along with advanced
network communication and management skills has
led to this option. This pathway requires
students to take the basic electrical courses
during the first two years of the program and
then branch to information technology courses in
the last two years of the program. The eight
information technology electives are taken in the
areas of information science, management
information systems, computer science and
computer engineering.
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Engineering Technology Combines Engineering
Theory with Practical Industrial Management
Principles Regardless of option selection, the
EET degree requires students to gain an
understanding of engineering management
principles. Courses in engineering economics,
statistical process control and project
management are required of all graduates. This
highlights the program's focus on preparing
graduates for entry into the work force upon
graduation. The program is constantly updated in
response to input from an Industrial Advisory
Committee that has representatives from
manufacturing, power utilities, process
industries, data communications and electronics
companies.
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Program Faculty The faculty in the EET program
focus upon teaching the students. They all have
significant industrial experience and serve
actively as consulting professional engineers
when not teaching. Program faculty teach all
classes and laboratories. Thus, students learn
first-hand about current industry trends and the
latest engineering equipment.
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Senior Design Experience A very important part
of the education of all EET students is a Senior
Design Project course that is taken during both
semesters of their senior year. Design projects
are required in most of the EET courses to
prepare students for their capstone project. The
Senior Design Project requires student teams to
solve a design problem while utilizing good
engineering design and reporting procedures.
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Concentration in Computer Engineering
Technology Students who wish to pursue the
electrical option but still gain some experience
in computer and data networking applications may
pursue a concentration in computer engineering
technology. To achieve the concentration students
are required to take 12 credits of approved
courses offered by the computer engineering,
information science and computer science
departments for their free and technical elective
choices.
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Minor Options The EET students can also enrich
their academic experience by completing minors
that complement their program such as business
administration, math, engineering
entrepreneurship or pulp and paper technology.

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Cooperative Work Experience Program Option All
EET students who have achieved sophomore status
are encouraged to participate in a
well-established co-op program that allows
students to receive course credit while gaining
valuable experience with an industry of their
choice. The department faculty work closely with
key industrial partners to maintain cooperative
education opportunities that are technically
challenging and offer strong economic benefits.
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Employment Opportunities Graduates of the EET
program fill a wide variety of professional
technical positions in industry. Typically, they
take jobs that involve designing and
manufacturing a product or operating a plant. EET
graduates are the electrical back-bone of the
manufacturing community and often manage project
and maintenance teams of electricians and
engineers. Their responsibilities lean toward
design and production rather than research.
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Scholarships The program offers scholarships for
outstanding students majoring in Electrical
Engineering Technology. In addition, students can
apply for scholarships through the College of
Engineering.
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Questions and answers Where can I find
employment? Just about anywhere a graduate wants
to live. Logically, there will be more
opportunity in Portland than Fort Kent. Graduates
have gotten jobs all over the United States from
Hawaii to Florida, Maine to California. What
jobs can I get as a graduate of Electrical
Engineering Technology? There are numerous jobs
in the manufacturing sector with equipment
manufacturers, semiconductors, electronics,
paper, power delivery and consulting firms
servicing those industries. The most common jobs
are project engineer, electrical and
instrumentation engineer, equipment engineer,
field engineer and applications engineer. What
is the starting salary? Salaries depend on the
location of the employer. The Boston area pays
more than Fort Kent. Starting salaries last year
ranged from 45,000 to 55,000.
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Questions and answers Where do graduates work?
Graduates work across the United States though
many choose to stay in Maine. They work in small
towns and large cities. Location is largely based
on where manufacturing firms are located.
Graduates can generally work where ever they
desire, in whatever size firm they feel
comfortable. How hard is it to get jobs? The
EET faculty have built a strong network of
contacts consisting of firms that typically hire
our students. We work with students personally to
help place them in positions that fit their
interests. Over the last several years, we have
had an almost 100 placement rate within three
months of graduation. How difficult is it to
find summer jobs? With a little effort, students
can obtain summer positions with prospective
employers the summer after their second or third
year in firms near their home. A typical student
will work as an electronics technician or update
electrical drawings during their first year. The
summer after their third year they are assigned
regular engineering duties so they can get a feel
for engineering careers with that firm. A very
high percentage of student internships lead to
full time jobs after graduation.
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• Questions and Answers
• Will I be small fish in a big pond at the
  University of Maine?
• The University of Maine has almost 10,000
  students. As a result, the University of Maine
  has a well-staffed medical facility, comfortable
  dorms, large library, spacious concert center,
  numerous recreation opportunities, nationally
  recognized sports teams (e.g., ice hockey), free
  tutoring, and a friendly atmosphere. Situated
  within the University of Maine is a small,
  close-knit family of students that comprise
  Electrical Engineering Technology. The Electrical
  Engineering Technology program has approximately
  80 students total. That is less than most high
  school classes that students come from. The
  average class size in an Electrical Engineering
  Technology class is about 19 students. The
  program is more like a one-room school house.
  With a cadre of four full-time faculty, the
  faculty are able to work closely with the
  students throughout the four-year program.

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• Can an EET graduate go to graduate school? Yes.
  While most graduates grab the many of the
  lucrative offers made to them at graduation, a
  few have gone on to earn a graduate degree. Most
  of the graduates that have gone on to graduate
  school have pursued a Master of Business
  Administration (MBA). Through a unique
  partnership with the UMaine ECE program, strong
  students may pursue a master of science in
  electrical engineering with minimal additional
  coursework.
• Can an EET student get a professional
  engineering (PE) license? Yes. Many electrical
  engineering positions do not require a
  professional engineering license, but most
  graduates pursue licensing to enhance their
  career opportunities. Maine makes no distinction
  between a regular engineering graduate and a
  technology graduate in pursuing an engineering
  license.

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• Are the courses difficult? All engineering
  courses are difficult. Electrical Engineering
  Technology courses are no exception. The
  difference with our program is the exceptional
  access that students have to our faculty. While
  some institutions may only have 1-2 hours
  available for students to see faculty, we average
  10-15 hours weekly. Students who put sufficient
  effort into their studies generally perform well.
  There are tutoring services available. Students
  with learning disabilities are provided with help
  and faculty provided with instructions on how to
  help the student learn.

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• Who are the faculty?
• There are four full-time faculty and one
  part-time faculty within the Electrical
  Engineering Technology program. All our faculty
  are licensed professional engineers. They are
  required to have both a bachelors and masters
  degree in engineering to receive tenure. All have
  several years of engineering practice before
  teaching in the program.
• Scott Dunning specializes in power systems,
  electric machines, and energy efficiency.
• Paul Villeneuve specializes in analog circuit
  design, control systems and robust
  instrumentation design.
• Jude Pearse specializes in digital systems,
  microprocessor application and project
  management.
• Spider Williams specializes in digital circuit
  design and electric circuit design. 
• Tom Christensen specializes in sequential motion
  control.

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• Contact Information
• Scott Dunning [phone] Tom Christensen
  [phone]
• scott_at_eece.maine.edu thomas.christensen_at_umit.main
  e.edu
• Paul Villeneuve [phone] Jude Pearse
  [phone]
• paul.villeneuve_at_umit.maine.edu jude.pearse_at_umit.ma
  ine.edu
• Spider Williams [phone]
• spider_at_eece.maine.edu
• School of Engineering Technology [phone]
• 5711 Boardman Hall www.umaine.edu/set
• University of Maine [phone] fax
• Orono, Maine 04469

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The Electrical Engineering Technology Program is
anxious to help you meet your educational goals!