Welcome message from the
department chair

On behalf of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Stanford University, I would like to welcome you to our website and, through it, invite you to explore our department. We are proud of our internationally renowned faculty, their impressive research programs, supported by state-of-art research equipment, and the diverse set of classes they offer. When you combine this with the considerable resources offered by the rest of Stanford, it is easy to see why our department is consistently rated one of the best in the world. Perhaps even more important is our unceasing commitment to our students, helping them learn, grow, and achieve their goals, whether it is becoming a Professor or starting a new company.

Electrical Engineering has always been the place where the physical world meets the virtual world, which is the world of energy and information. With the raising importance of information technology in our society, this interface has never been more important. Almost all recent advances were either designed, made measurements, or analyzed their data using EE tools, and some did all three. As a result, the department’s research and teaching spans a wide variety of disciplines. We group our research into three broad research focus areas: Information Systems, Hardware/Software Systems, and Physical Technology/Devices. In addition to focusing on fundamental questions in these areas, we also apply this research to drive advances in three broad application areas: bio, energy/environment, and information technology. We have a history of creating technology that the world needs, usually before they realize it, which is what really makes this a great place to be.

The Department enjoys a close relationship with industry, both in terms of research and recruiting; our EE graduates are consistently in high demand. The department offers graduate programs in the form of M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering. Each year, the Department admits approximately 150 MS students and 150 PhD students from diverse backgrounds. We are the largest department in the School of Engineering, with 62 faculty, and many emeriti still active in the department.

Let me add one final advantage to coming to Stanford. While you come to Stanford to learn, there are things you cannot learn in a class room. Stanford is located in an amazing region, both in terms of being in the middle of Silicon Valley, and having access to amazing natural resources (not to mention the great weather). Coming here allows you to interact and build friendships with students, faculty and staff from around the world. Even better, you can do all that and also enjoy the weather by taking a morning hike in the hills, or surfing some afternoon. The only downside to coming here is having to choose between all the great options that are available to you. But you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Please browse our website, learn more about us, and contact us with any questions. If you are joining us as a student, we look forward to learning from and getting to know you. We hope to be part of your success.

Mark Horowitz, Ph.D.
Yahoo! Founders Professor
Chair
Electrical Engineering