ECE 381A

Introductory Electromagnetics
Fall and spring
Required for EE; elective for CE
Catalog Data: 

ECE 381A - Introductory Electromagnetics (3 units)

Description: Electrostatic and magnetostatic fields; Maxwell's equations; introduction to plane waves, transmission lines, and sources.


MATH 223 and ECE 220

Ulaby, Fawwaz T., and Umberto Ravaioli. Fundamentals of Applied Electromagnetics. 7th ed. Pearson, 2014.

Course Learning Outcomes: 


  1. Perform vector calculus operations such as the gradient, the divergence and the curl
  2. Identify and list Maxwell's equations in time domain, as well as associated boundary conditions
  3. Apply Coulomb's law to find the force on a charge caused by other charges
  4. Apply Gauss' law to determine the electric field caused by a simple charge distribution
  5. Calculate the electrostatic potential of simple charge distributions
  6. Explain the effects of conducting and dielectric materials on field quantities
  7. List the boundary conditions for the electric field vectors on the interface of two different materials
  8. Calculate the energy stored in an electrostatic field.
  9. Identify Poisson's and Laplace's equations and solve them to find electrostatic potentials and fields
  10. Calculate the capacitance for basic configurations that reduce to one-dimensional systems
  11. Apply the method of images to find electrostatic potentials and fields of simple charge distributions above perfect conductors
  12. Describe the conservation of charge and Ohm's laws and write them in vector calculus format
  13. Apply Ampere's force law to calculate the force between constant currents of simple configurations
  14. Apply the Biot-Savart law to calculate the magnetic flux density caused by a simple current configuration
  15. Apply Ampere's law to calculate the magnetic field produced by simple current configurations
  16. Identify the magnetostatic potential and flux
  17. Identify and list different magnetic materials
Course Topics: 
  • Transmission lines
  • Electrostatics
  • Magnetostatics
  • Quasi-statics
  • Time-varying fields and Maxwell's equations
  • Uniform plane waves in lossless and lossy media
  • Antennas
  • Radiated waves
Class/Laboratory Schedule: 

Three 50-minute lectures per week
One 50-minute discussion

Relationship to Student Outcomes: 

ECE 381A contributes directly to the following specific electrical and computer engineering student outcomes of the ECE department:

  • Ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems (high)
  • Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility (low)
  • Ability to communicate effectively (low)
  • Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning (low)
  • Knowledge of contemporary issues (medium)
Prepared by: 
Richard W. Ziolkowski
Prepared Date: 

University of Arizona College of Engineering