Electrical Engineering Technology, Diploma

Contact Information
Contact Name: 
Dale Gust
Contact Title: 
Associate Dean

Program Information

Contact Phone: 
403.342.3400 OR 1.888.732.4630
Contact Email: 
inquire@rdc.ab.ca
The Program

Technology is everywhere - from the cars we drive to the cell phones in our hands to the heat in our homes. Electrical Engineering Technologists are professionals who apply the principles of electricity to develop, implement, and maintain systems that deliver power, transmit information, or control electro-mechanical devices. The Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) program at Red Deer College is a unique blend of the "traditional" discipline of power generation and distribution with the more contemporary specialization of Instrumentation and Automatic control.

All Engineering Technologists learn fundamental skills in mathematics, sciences, computer programming, technical writing, and project management. EET students at Red Deer College pursue advanced studies in power distribution, maintenance and troubleshooting, PLC programming, Electric Machines, Industrial Data Networks and Data Acquisition Systems. Elective courses in the fourth semester allow EET students to customize their program according to their own interests or the demands of industry. Graduates will meet the National Technology Benchmarks of their field and will develop knowledge and skills that enable them to:

  • install and test power systems equipment
  • communicate design ideas by producing reports, sketches and presentations
  • specify electrical and electronic components for manufacture
  • demonstrate a high level of critical thinking and troubleshooting ability
  • use project management principles to create and execute business plans
  • support continuous product improvement by utilizing forensic engineering practices
  • write functional programs for embedded microcontrollers, robotics and PLCs
  • use telecommunication and networking principles to acquire data and connect interdependent sub-systems
  • "tune" process control systems common to industrial instrumentation
  • apply the principles of mathematics, physics and other sciences to solve engineering problems
  • comply with industry standards of safety, ethics, and workplace practices
Requirements
Admission Requirements: 

A minimum average of 65% with no mark below 50% in:

  1. ELA 30-1 or ELA 30-2 or equivalent
  2. Math 30-1 or equivalent
  3. Physics 20 or equivalent
  4. Two of Chemistry 30, Mathematics 31, Physics 30, Science 30 or Computer Science Advanced-Level CTS (5 credits) or equivalent

Note: In addition to the program admission requirements applicants, whose first language is not English, must demonstrate English language proficiency.

Other Requirements: 

Note: Applicants are required to have a laptop computer that uses Microsoft Windows 7 as the operating system with a 64 bit processor, Intel i3 CPU or better, and 8GB RAM or more.

Note: Applicants may be required to undergo a Police Information Check to the satisfaction of some agencies where they might be placed for practicum experiences. The existence of a criminal record may affect practicum placement and program completion; therefor impacting future employment prospects. The decision to accept or reject a student for placement or observation experience based on the results of the criminal record check would rest solely with the respective organization.

Graduation Requirements: 

Students must pass all courses and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00

Program Content
Year 1 Course Descriptions
  • GET 100 Professional Practice
  • GET 105 Engineering Communications
  • GET 110 Math and Differential Calculus
  • GET 115 Advanced Calculus
  • GET 120 Statistics
  • GET 125 Microcontroller Applications I
  • EET 100 Project Management
  • EET 105 Physics and DC Analysis
  • EET 110 AC Analysis
  • EET 115 DC Machines
  • EET 120 Applied Electronics
  • EET 125 Electrical Systems Design I
  • EET 130 Microcontroller Applications II

GET 100

Explore major topics related to the Engineering Technology profession including its history in North America and Europe; the role of the technologist; public and workplace safety; ethical and legal issues and principles of sustainability; industrial hygiene; time management and study skills; career paths and professional development.

GET 105

Use industry standard software tools to collect; summarize and organize data in order to aid in critical decision processes. Employ professional presentation and communication skills to exchange data and information in a variety of ways.

GET 110

Apply the fundamental principles and operations of algebra; geometry; trigonometry; nonlinear equations; systems of equations using matrices and determinants and differential calculus by using real life examples and systems.

GET 115

Extend the understanding of calculus to include integration techniques and applications; differential equations; Maclaurin and trigonometric Fourier series; Laplace transforms and inverse Laplace transforms. Prerequisite: GET 110

GET 120

Examine the main concepts and techniques of statistical theory and their application to process control; quality assurance; data collection; summarization and presentation. Probability distributions; point and interval estimation; hypothesis testing; correlation; regression analysis; quality control and control charts will also be covered.

GET 125

Develop C programming skills by learning fundamental concepts such as data types; decision making; loops and recursion; functions and subroutines; software libraries; debugging methods; structured design; documentation and the software life cycle using microcontrollers.

EET 100

Covers the project management process; the role of the project manager; how projects help organizations achieve their objectives; organizational structure of projects; management of projects; and how to use project management software.

EET 105

Explore multi-dimensional engineering problems in kinematics; Newton's laws; circular motion; torque; electromagnetic and mechanical waves; conservation laws and steady state linear circuits. Corequisite: EET 120

EET 110

Analyze the response of electrical circuits and networks when driven by single and multiple alternating current (AC) sources. Prerequisite: EET 105 and GET 110

EET 115

Explore the physical laws underlying the operation of direct current motors and generators. DC motor construction; characteristics; control; and applications. Construct circuits using actual machines in the lab to examine their operations. Prerequisite: GET 103; GET 111 Corequisite: EET

EET 120

Develop an understanding of semiconductor circuits built from components such as diodes; transistors; operational amplifiers; silicon controlled rectifiers; triacs; diacs; photo devices and electronic transducers. Corequisite: EET 110

EET 125

Design electrical systems for small industrial; residential and commercial buildings using Canadian Electrical Code. Size and specify electrical service; feeders and overcurrent protection using minimum code and engineering requirements. Apply computer aided drafting to produce electrical drawings. Prerequisite: GET 110

EET 130

Implement microprocessor-based control systems commonly found in robotics and instrumentation utilizing knowledge of microcontroller architecture and instruction sets; interfacing techniques; high level programming languages and multitasking. Prerequisite: GET 110 and GET 125

Year 2 Course Descriptions
  • EET 200 AC Machines
  • EET 205 Programmable Controllers
  • EET 210 Power Systems
  • EET 215 Power Electronics
  • EET 220 Control and Instrumentation
  • EET 225 Electrical Systems Design II
  • EET 230 SCADA and HMI
  • EET 235 Industrial Networks
  • EET 240 Forensic Engineering
  • EET 245 Topic in Emerging Technologies
  • EET 246 Topic in Instrumentation
  • EET 247 Topic in Power Systems
  • EET 250 EET Capstone Project I
  • EET 251 EET Capstone Project II

EET 200

Examine the underlying principles; construction; control; and performance characteristics of transformers; single-phase and three-phase alternating current motors and generators. Analyze losses and efficiency. Determine developed speed and torque. Prerequisiste: EET ; EET 115 Corequsiste: EET 210

EET 205

Examine the roles; functions; hardware; software; programming; and interfacing of Programmable Controllers in a production environment. Learn about digital logic concepst; ladder logic and Function Block Diagram programming. Prerequisite: GET 114; EET Corequisite: EET

EET 210

Explore the main components of a complex power system from generation to consumption. Analyze faults and determine fault currents using symmetrical components; MVA-base; and per-unit methods. Use the latest software to design and test power systems. Prerequisites:EET and EET 115 Corequisite: EET 200

EET 215

Learn about polyphase rectification; AC inverters; open and closed loop systems; AC motor variable frequency controllers; DC solid-state controllers; reflected waves and power quality. Prerequisite: EET 120

EET 220

Examine the principles and practices used in the design and application of common industrial process control components and systems including open and closed loop systems; feedback design principles of electronic; pneumatic and hydraulic devices; signal converters; power amplifiers and control valve specification and sizing. Prerequisites: GET 115 and EET 110 Corequisiste: EET 205

EET 225

Explore the electrical design of industrial plants and motor control centers. Specify; size; and produce schematic drawings for control of industrial loads. Examine substation wirings; equipment; and grounding. Apply appropriate power factor correction techniques and devices. Prerequisite: EET 210

EET 230

Learn about the main concepts; communication protocols; software; hardware and interface technology used in remote monitoring; data collection; and control of industrial processes. Implement interactive Human-Machine Interface (HMI) screens. Prerequisite: EET 205 Corequisite: EET 235

EET 235

Study the characteristics; components; and processes of typical control systems' networks. Establish communication and control links between sensors; actuators; controllers; drives; and other industrial devices in an industrial network. Prerequisite: EED 204 Corequisite: EET 230

EET 240

Employ scientific and engineering investigation methods and tools to assess potential sources; causes and solutions for prevention of failure due to natural accidents; fire; high and low speed impacts; design defects; improper selection of materials; manufacturing defects; improper service conditions; inadequate maintenance and human error. Prerequisite: EET 110

EET 245

Examine newer technologies in the electrical; electronic and instrumentation fields. Specific topics might vary from year to year and may include alternative energy sources; swarm robotics; neuroprosthetics and nanotechnology applications. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all courses in term 3 or permission of the Department. Note: Not eligible for prior learning credit.

EET 246

Consider subjects of increasing importance in modern control systems. Specific topics might vary from year to year and may include artificial intelligence and robotics; signal processing; satellite communication; remote sensing and fuzzy logic. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all courses in term 3 or permission of the Department. Note: Not eligible for prior learning credit.

EET 247

Cover advanced material related to Power Systems. Specific topics will vary from year to year and may include trans- mission and distribution modelling; forecasting and decision theory. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all courses in term 3 or permission of the Department. Note: This course is not eligible for Prior Learning and Recognition.

EET 250

Perform preliminary research and prepare a proposal for an Electrical Engineering Technology project to be completed in EET Capstone Project II. Prerequisites: Completion of all first year courses or permission of the department. Prior Learning and Recognition is not available for this course.

EET 251

This course; along with EET Capstone Project I; consists of researching and compiling a technical report on a topic that will incorporate the skill set of an Electrical Engineering Technology graduate. Progress reports occur at regular intervals. Presentations are scheduled for end of the semester. Prerequisite: EET 250 Prior Learning and Recognition is not availabe for this course.