Industrial Electronics Technology

Welcome to the Industrial Electronics WebSite at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. The Industrial Electronics Program of Study is designed to educate students in computer based data acquisition and control, process control technology, production management, and industrial communications. It will prepare graduates to enter the broad the field of production and manufacturing. Entry level employment skills include installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting production equipment. Extensive laboratory coursework allows the student to work with a broad variety of computer based control systems and industrial instrumentation. Recommended courses include bolstering the student's understanding of industrial data communications, computer maintenance, and computer networking. This, along with a solid foundation in analog electronics, signal conditioning, and sensor technology provides an excellent background to enter any facet of industrial electronics. Graduates find themselves on career tracks that lead to production management and supervision. Recent graduates have found excellent job opportunity in literally all areas of the industry.

The American manufacturing industry is booming. Today's economy along with advancement in production and control equipment is providing excellent job opportunities for electronics technologists in a wide range of positions.

Production technicians maximize productivity through proper, installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of modern industrial control and communication equipment in a production plant. Production managers oversee the equipment and are an integral part of the selecting appropriate equipment, coordinating production, and managing maintenance personnel. Field service engineers travel within their service areas and are the front line interface between their company and the customer. They provide technical assistance and training. Sales representatives apply their people skills along with an in-depth understanding of the technology in order to market their company's products. These are only a few of the career tracks the EST core and elective courses can prepare you for.

The first two years of the Electronics Systems Technologies program is designed to give all students a background in fundamental electronics technology. Formal and informal articulation agreements with community colleges ensure the transfer student a smooth transition into the program. Previous coursework, military, and work experiences are evaluated on an individual basis. Faculty and the student work together in order to determine the most appropriate point of entry into the program.

The final two years of study include a blend of advanced technical, university core, and electronics management courses. Below is a listing of the courses recommended to provide an excellent, well rounded program of study in Industrial Electronics Technology.

Career Prerequisites-36 hours

Four-semester sequencing of electronics theory begins in the first fall semester. Students enrolled in laboratory courses are required to purchase electronic components for the purpose of constructing, analyzing, and evaluating electronic circuits. The total cost of theses components is estimated to be at least $200.

  • EST 101-3 DC-AC Circuit Analysis
  • EST 111-3 DC-AC Circuit Analysis Laboratory
  • EST 102-3 Electronic Circuits Theory
  • EST 112-3 Electronics Circuits Laboratory
  • EST 201-3 Digital Circuits Theory
  • EST 211-3 Digital Circuits Laboratory
  • EST 202-3 Industrial Process Control Theory
  • EST 212-3 Industrial Process Control Laboratory
  • EST 221-3 Introduction to Electronic Communications
  • ISAT 121-3 Installing and Upgrading Computer Systems
  • ISAT 224-3 LAN Installation and Administration
  • IST 209-3 Introduction to Programming

Core Mgmt & Tech Requirements-9 hours

All majors take the following professional development classes.

  • EST 305-3 Electronic Troubleshooting and Maintenance
  • EST 451-3 Current Trends in Elec. Sys. Technologies
  • ISAT 366-3 Applications of Technical Writing

Industrial Equipment Technology Concentration Courses - 21 hours

  • EST 307-3 Industrial Control Equipment
  • EST 317-3 Industrial Human Machine Interfacing
  • EST 337-3 Power Distribution and Motor Control
  • EST 340-3 Application of Solid State Devices
  • EST 341-3 Digital Circuit Applications
  • EST 407-3 Industrial Networking and Systems Integration
  • EST 319C-3 Industrial Internship

Electives - 13 Hours

Students may choose from the following general electives or other EST program option courses to complete hours.

  • EST 306-3 Technical Drawing
  • EST 342-3 Microcontroller Applications Lecture
  • ISAT 365-3 Data Applications and Interpretation
  • TRM-332-3 Labor-Management Problems
  • TRM 361-3 Fiscal Aspects of Technical Management
  • TRM 362-3 Legal Aspects of Technical Management
  • TRM 364-3 Work Center Management
  • TRM 383-3 Data Interpretation (Same as ISAT 365)
  • TRM 421-3 Professional Development

More information as to course description and program requirements may be found in the Abbreviated EST Course Descriptions and EST Program Requirements.

Other Concentrations:
Biomedical Equipment Technology
Communications Technology
Networking Technolgy