ECE first: An attempt to reinstate the favorability of ECE program

The department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is one of four departments in the College of Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Sultanate of Oman. The department admits around 2 5% to 30% of engineering students every semester. Specialization selection is based on students' discretion and academic achievement. From its inception, ECE accommodated the largest share of students in the college and was usually favored by students compared to other departments. Nevertheless, it was observed that students refrain from selecting ECE as a first choice in the last couple of years. In 2005, 33% of students applying for specialization chose ECE as their first choice. Today, the number is south to 13%. This paper studies the reasons behind students' aversion from ECE and proposes countermeasures to turn the tide.