Electrical Engineering

Chairman: Dr. Abd-Elhamid Taha, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
E: ataha@alfaisal.edu

Web address: https://coe.alfaisal.edu/en/ee-home
 

General Department Information

The Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at Alfaisal University provides a broad and rigorous education across the core areas of the discipline, including electronics, power systems, communications, and control. The curriculum also integrates essential computing principles to prepare students for the digital and interconnected nature of contemporary engineering practice. Breadth is supported through university electives drawn from the humanities, social sciences, and general sciences. The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, reflecting alignment with international standards.

Students gain depth through technical electives and may pursue a track in Renewable Energy or a general pathway. Additional opportunities exist to complement the major with minors or double majors across the university. Real-world preparation is emphasized through a required summer internship and a year-long capstone design project.

Graduates gain strong analytical grounding, practical engineering competence, and professional readiness. They pursue careers across sectors such as power and energy, electronics, communications, automation and control, robotics, and emerging technology domains, or pursue advanced study.

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

BME 207: Electrical Circuits in Biomedical Engineering

The course teaches fundamental concepts of electrical circuits, students will be familiarized with the essential principles of electrical circuit analysis composition of components into systems and networks, and understanding the trade-offs and limits imposed by energy and noise. Students learn to apply the concepts during laboratory design.

EE 207: Foundation of Electrical Engineering

The course teaches fundamental concepts of electrical circuits, students will be familiarized with the essential principles of electrical circuit analysis composition of components into systems and networks, and understanding the trade-offs and limits imposed by energy and noise. Students learn to apply the concepts during laboratory design.

EE 209: Applied Electromagnetics

The course teaches the application of electromagnetic principles to classical and modern devices. The concepts of work and energy and electromagnetic fields are addressed.

EE 210: Digital Logic Systems

The course teaches theoretical foundations and concepts of digital systems and applies these concepts with design problems and projects. Students are exposed to the design and engineering of digital computers and subsystems.

EE 301: Signals and Systems

The course teaches fundamental concepts of signals and systems analysis, with applications drawn from filtering, audio and image processing, communications, and automatic control. The objective of the course is to allow students to develop a thorough understanding of time-domain and frequency domain approaches to the analysis of continuous and discrete systems. To provide students with necessary tools and techniques to analyze electrical networks and systems.

EE 302: Communications Theory

The course teaches communication systems and information theory. Topics covered include the classification of signals and systems, Fourier series and transform applications, power spectra and spectral density, band-limited signals and noise, sampling theory and digital transmission, modulation techniques and pulse code modulation.

EE 303: Introduction to Electronics

The course teaches the fundamentals of electronic circuits, including diode characteristics and diode circuits, transistors and applications, switches and MOS transistors, amplifiers, energy storage elements, digital circuits and applications. Design and laboratory exercises are also significant components of the course.

EE 304: Microelectronics

This course teaches analog circuit analysis and design, including an introduction to the tools and methods necessary for the creative design of practical circuits using active devices.

EE 305: Computer Networks

The course teaches the fundamental concepts of communication networks, and is concerned specifically with network architectures and protocols. The objective of the course is to allow students to develop a thorough understanding of the architectures of networks and the basic principles that allow the transmission of data over networks.

EE 307: Computer Architecture

The course introduces the architecture of digital systems, with an emphasis on the structural principles common to a wide range of computer technologies. Multilevel implementation strategies, the definition of new primitives (e.g., gates, instructions, procedures, and processes) and their mechanization using lower-level elements, the organization and operation of digital computers and the hardware/software interface are addressed.

EE 308: Electrical Energy Conversion

The course teaches the basic concepts of electrical machines and power semiconductor converters and their application within modern power systems.

EE 402: Introduction to Wireless Networks

The course surveys the various types of wireless communications, the protocols involved and the design issues that nature and engineering impose upon the telecommunications engineer. Specifically, the course covers wireless network architectures including cellular networks, local area networks, multi-hop wireless networks such as ad hoc networks, mesh networks, and sensor networks; capacity of wireless networks; medium access control, routing protocols, and transport protocols for wireless networks; mechanisms to improve performance and security in wireless networks; energy-efficient protocols for sensor networks.

EE 403: Wireless Communications

The course teaches wireless communications for voice, data, and multimedia. Topics include wireless systems and standards, characteristics of the wireless channel, including path loss for different environments, random log-normal shadowing due to signal attenuation, and the flat and frequency-selective properties of multipath fading.

EE 404: Data Engineering in Electrical Systems

The course introduces students to data engineering and science (DES) techniques, with a focus on application to substantive (i.e. "applied") engineering problems. Students will gain experience in identifying which problems can be tackled by DES methods, and learn to identify which speciuc0u64257 c DES methods are applicable to a problem at hand.

EE 405: Electric Power Systems

The course teaches the components, analysis, and modeling of large scale electric power systems. This includes the review of single and three phase circuit variables and parameters and the per unit system. The components of the system are studied including the transformers and the transmission line parameters. In addition, the operation in terms of modeling and analysis of electric power systems is studied in steady state and transient state, with a particular focus on power flow solution methods. Case studies are introduced to prepare for more advanced topics. A project accompanies the course to introduce practical aspects of measurements and operation, with simulations addressing large scale problems.

EE 406: Digital Electronics

This course aims to familiarize students with the basic concepts and mechanisms of operation and design of digital electronic circuits, both discrete and integrated. Topics covered include an overview of MOS and BJT types, structures and operation, digital logic inverters (voltage transfer characteristic, digital integrated circuit technologies and logic-circuit families), CMOS inverters (dynamic operation of the CMOS inverter, inverter sizing, power dissipation), logic-gate circuits (NOR, NAND, XOR), propagation delay analysis, pseudo-NMOS logic circuits, gate circuits, pass-transistor logic circuits (NMOS transistors as switches, CMOS transmission gates as switches), dynamic MOS logic circuits (Emitter-coupled logic (ECL) and families), BiCMOS inverters and logic gates, latches, flip-flop circuits, multivibrators, and an overview of memory circuits types and architectures, and A/D and D/A converters.

EE 408: Communication Electronics

This course is designed for senior-level undergraduate students in Electrical Engineering. It builds upon perquisite courses on signal and systems, communications, control systems, and electronics to further enhance the understanding of communication circuits operation and physical implementation. The course focuses on the field of communication electronics at levels from block diagram to circuit analysis for physical implementation. It aims to cover topics as radio frequency amplifiers, oscillators, signal spectra, noise, modulation and AM systems, transmitter and receiver circuits, sideband systems, frequency and phase modulation, phase-locked loops, and pulse and digital modulation.

EE 410: Cyber Physical Systems

This course takes on an updated view of electrical engineering systems, especially in light of the their increasing predominant cyber-physical nature. It offers a review of modeling physical systems, including electrical, mechanical, thermal and fluid. It also covers notions such as hybrid (continuous-discrete) and applied control theory. Modeling computational (cyber) aspects of modern systems is then discussed, along with relevant considerations including communications, aggregate control, and connected sensing and actuation.

EE 411: Internet of Things

This course introduces the principles, technologies, challenges, and required expertise needed for building the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. It provides a big picture of what is involved in IoT. Topics covered in this course include analog and digital sensing, interfacing sensors with microcontrollers, digital communication protocols, microcontroller choices and capabilities, gateways, fog computing, networking, cloud computing, need and challenges for cryptography and compression, security issues, and low power/energy challenges. The course involves a hands-on-experience that culminates in an implementation project.

EE 412: Nanoelectronics

The course teaches an introduction to the electronic properties of molecules, carbon nanotubes, crystals and other nanodevices.

EE 413: Digital Communications

The course teaches the principles of digital communication systems. Topics include sampling, quantization and encoding of analog signals, pulse code modulation (PCM), delta modulation (DM), noise analysis in PCM and DM systems, base-band digital systems (matched filter, probability of error, inter-symbol interference, equalization, distortionless transmission, and M-ary transmission), line codes and their power spectra, pass-band digital systems (ASK, FSK PSK, DPSK, and M-ary), bandwidth and power requirements of modulation schemes, coherent and non-coherent detection, error rate analysis, and introduction to information theory.

EE 417: Digital Signal Processing

This course presents an introduction to the techniques and algorithms of digital processing for signals and information data. It is designed for senior-level undergraduate students in electrical and computer engineering. The theory and practice covered in this course can be applied in wide range of science fields, such as image processing, communications, satellite systems, biomedical, power and electronic devices, and programmable units. The proposed content covers a review of discrete-time sequences and systems, sampling of continuous-time signals and aliasing effect, discrete Fourier transform: properties and applications; fast Fourier transform (FFT): implementation and computations, finite impulse response (FIR) filters design and analysis: low-pass, band pass, high pass, phase response etc., and infinite impulse response (IIR) filters design methods and cascaded structures. The course involves extensive software and programming experience to enrich the understanding of the covered material.

EE 418: Digital Image Processing

The course teaches an introduction to image processing and its applications, including the fundamental concepts of visual perception and image acquisition, the basic techniques of image manipulation, segmentation and coding, and a preliminary understanding of pattern recognition and computer vision.

EE 420: Power Electronics

The course teaches the principles of designing power electronic circuits. Power electronics design has applications in several fields from motor drives to consumer electronics to electric power transmission over HVDC lines. Therefore, the course reviews the fundamentals before covering generic power electronic circuit topologies. This entails a review of the switching devices, e.g., diodes, thyristors, BJTs, and the review of the fundamentals of electric circuit design and magnetism. Building on the fundamentals, the course covers AC to DC, DC to DC, DC to AC, and AC to AC electric power conversion topologies. The lab component is simultaneously administered to offer a practical perspective including the selection of components vis-'e0-vis the application, the instrumentation. In addition, the lab goes over the prototyping and testing aspects of power electronic circuit design.

EE 422: Antennas and Wave Propagation

This course introduces the characteristics of electromagnetic waves and their behavior during the propagation through different media. The wave equation is derived using the Maxwell'92s equations for time varying fields. The electromagnetic wave propagation in different media as well as their reflection at normal and oblique angle of incidence is discussed. The concept of transmission line theory and its parameters, smith chart and its application are introduced. Waveguide and TM & TE modes are discussed. In addition the course includes Antenna characteristics, antenna types such as dipole, loop and antenna array.

EE 423: Optical Fiber Communication Systems

The course teaches the introduction to the optical fiber communications. Topics discusses dielectric slab waveguide, step-index and graded-index optical fibers, single mode and multimode fiber, attenuation and dispersion, light sources (LED and Laser diode), optical modulation and detection, noise modeling in optical receivers, and error rate analysis.

EE 424: Optoelectronics

The course teaches semiconductor light sources, such as different types of LEDs, Lasers (both gas and solid states), modulation techniques, photodetectors, PIN diode, avalanche Photo Diode (APD), the basics of optical waveguides and the principles of fiber optics

EE 425: Microwave Engineering

The course teaches the fundamentals of Microwave Engineering. Topics include a review of electromagnetics theory, and discuss transmission lines and waveguides, microwave network analysis, impedance matching, passive microwave devices (power dividers and directional couplers), strip-line and micro-strip line circuits, microwave filters, and introduction to ferrimagnetic materials and components.

EE 426: Renewable Energy

This course covers fundamentals of renewable energy systems, Solar energy, Bio-energy, Wind energy, Hydro-power, Tidal power, Wave energy and Geothermal energy. Also integration of renewable energy systems will be covered in the course. The students will be exposed to technical aspects of mentioned topics; How to utilize renewable energy for domestic and industrial applications; requirements and obstacles of applications; how to integrate renewable energy systems.

EE 427: Digital Control

The course discusses digital control designs and methodologies for dynamic systems. It describes classical and state-space control methods, and applies them to selected applications. The course explores the advantages and limitations of each method, offers an overview of feedback control systems, and proposes to cover selected topics on multivariable and optimal control methods. The course involves Matlab experience to improve the understanding of the covered design methods. The topics include a review of continuous control (feedback, root locus, frequency response design, compensation, state-space design), basic digital control (digitization, sampling, PID), discrete systems (linear difference equations, z-transform, spectrum, block diagrams), discrete equivalents (design via numerical integration, zero-pole matching), transform techniques (root locus in z-plane, frequency response), state-space approaches (regulator design, integral control and disturbance estimation, controllability and observability), and an introduction to multivariable and optimal control (time-varying and LQR steady-state optimal control, multivariable design)

EE 428: Modern Control Theory

The course covers the fundamentals of Matrix Theory including eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and the matrix representations of the Diagonal, Jordan, Controllable, and Observable forms. The student learns to represent systems in terms of their state variables and state diagrams, and then solve for their response in the time domain. The focus of the course is on linear time invariant or LTI systems. Furthermore, the controllability and observability of the LTI system is studied, before covering the design of state feedback and output feedback control techniques. In addition, observer design is covered, with the separation principle, to construct observer-based control systems.

EE 435: Undergraduate Research in Electrical Engineering

Students participate in supervised research with a faculty member. Supervised research can be: 1) independent research undertaken by the student (thesis, independent study), or 2) assistance on a faculty member'92s research project. Students must find a faculty member who is willing to supervise him/her as an assistant on an existing project or as the author of an individual project. The student and the faculty supervisor will complete and sign a research contract which will be turned in to the chair of the Electrical Engineering Department. Drafting the contract will allow the student to develop ideas about what should be accomplished and what the faculty supervisor'92s expectations are. All academic requirements are at the discretion of the supervising faculty member. Students should agree on a plan for the semester with the faculty mentor before the research begins. The plan should include academic requirements, the basis for grading the experience, and a plan for student/professor meetings for the semester. It is the student'92s responsibility to report progress and seek guidance when needed. Students are expected to be active and reliable participants in the research experience.

EE 440: Machine Learning

This course introduces machine learning and its applications in electrical engineering systems. It offers a review of relevant background in probability and background, and introduces general machine learning methods including supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. Applications instances in electrical engineering systems are discussed.

EE 444: Artificial Intelligence

The course teaches the theory and implementation of Artificial Intelligence through several state-of-the-art methods. It is also cross listed with SE 444 Artificial Intelligence

EE 481: Innovations and Entrepreneurship in Engineering

This course guides engineers and scientists who want to create new products that that could become income-producing businesses for themselves and for investors. Students will learn to sharpen an idea and turn it into a product, conduct patent searches, complete a provisional patent application, and prepare a business plan from a business model.

EE 495: Electrical Engineering Capstone Project I

Students work in teams as professional engineering consultants on an independent engineering project under the supervision of a project advisor. The design process is emphasized, encompassing project definition, feasibility analysis, evaluation of alternative designs, and design computations. For each project, the scope of work is developed and negotiated between client and student consultants. The scope of work may also include fabrication, device testing, and field-testing. Projects are arranged by the students with approval of the instructor. The design and methodology are emphasized in part 1. Progress reports and an end of term report are submitted to the project advisor with an oral presentation of the design and methodology of the project.

EE 496: Electrical Engineering Capstone Project II

The students work on the implementation and validation of the designs developed in part 1. A demonstration is presented, and a final written report is submitted to the project advisor. Oral presentations of reports are made before the faculty and students. A student who selects a project suggested by the industry has the opportunity of working with an industry sponsor.

EE 499: Ethics and Professional Development

The course will integrate modules covering ethics, career and professional development, along with preparations for taking the Jahiziyah/ Saudi Engineering Council Exams. The course will introduce the professional ethics and compare it with personal ethics and common morality. The professional ethics will be studied within the Engineering context where differentiation between Ethics, Morals and the Law will be discussed. Typical Ethical issues that engineers face such as safety, health, confidentiality and conflict of interest will be covered.

The course will also cover professional development lecture series for the students to introduce them to topics and application related to their fields,  job market as well as trends in the local and international economies.

The students will also be prepared for the Jahiziyah and the Saudi Engineering Council Exams through lectures, discussions and mock up exams.