Introducing real world design problems into the undergraduate electromagnetic curriculum

General-purpose CAD (computer-aided design) programs have been used to teach electromagnetics to undergraduates at Carnegie Mellon University. The focus of the instruction is the use of real-world design problems to teach basic electromagnetics concepts. Students use computers to set up and solve a variety of electrostatics, magnetostatics, eddy current, and microwave problems. This gives them the opportunity to visualize EM fields and to interact with real-world devices and issues. Experience shows that solving such problems by means of electromagnetic CAD tools boosts student motivation and leads to a better grasp of key technical concepts