Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronic Technology of Tsinghua University, founded in 1932, is one of the three earliest engineering departments established by Tsinghua University. In 1989, the former three majors of power system automation, high voltage technology and electrical engineering were merged into a major of "electrical engineering and automation", which was listed in the national specialty recommendation catalogue. This discipline became the first batch of the key discipline and the doctoral degrees conferring unit of first-level disciplines. It has kept the first or A+ in the past national evaluation of disciplines. EEA has the State Key Laboratory for Safety Control and Simulation of Power System and Large Power Generation Equipment.

Department of Electrical Engineering now has 103 full-time teachers, including 35 senior engineers and 55 professorate senior engineers, 8 IEEE fellows. Aiming at both international frontier basic research and major needs of Chinese national economic construction, EEA has tackled key problems scientifically in electrical and electrical engineering industries, and won 27 prizes of National Natural Science Award, National Science and Technology Progress Award and National Technological Invention Award.

Department of Electrical Engineering has trained about 13,000 graduates by upholding the motto of "Rigorous in Learning & Righteous in Conduct" refined by masters as Gu Yuxiu, Zhang Mingtao and Gao Jingde and the goal of "cultivating outstanding talents with solid basic knowledge, innovating ability and broad international vision". A large number of outstanding academic masters, business talents and backbones governing the country spring out, such as Academician Jin Yilian, a winner of the national top science and technology award, Ma Weiming, a winner of the Order of August 1, Zhao Xizheng, the first General Manager of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), and Zhu Rongji, the former Premier of the State Council.