Bulletin
Undergraduate Programs
This undergraduate program
incorporates most of the core curricula in both electrical engineering and computer
science so that students will be well prepared to work in the area of computer
engineering, which substantially overlaps both fields. Both hardware and software
aspects of computer science are included, and, in electrical engineering, students
receive a solid grounding in circuit theory and in electronic circuits. The program
includes several electrical engineering laboratory courses as well as the Computer
Science Department’s advanced programming course.
Students will be prepared to work
on all aspects of the design of digital hardware, as well as on the associated software
that is now often an integral part of computer architecture. They will also be well
equipped to work in the growing field of telecommunications. Students will have the
prerequisites to delve more deeply into either hardware or software areas, and enter
graduate programs in computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering.
For example, they could take more advanced courses in VLSI, communications theory,
computer architecture, electronic circuit theory, software engineering, or digital
design.
Minors in electrical engineering
and computer science are not open to computer engineering majors, due to excessive
overlap.
Technical Electives
The Computer Engineering Program
includes 15 points of technical electives. Any 3000-level or higher courses listed in
the Computer Science or Electrical Engineering sections of this bulletin can be used for
this requirement with the following exceptions:
ELEN E3000,
EEHS 3900/4900, EEJR E4901, COMS W3101, COMS W4400, COMS W4405, courses used
for other computer engineering requirements (including
COMS
W3203 and either
CSEE W4840 or EECS E4340),
and courses that have significant overlap with other required or elective courses (e.g.,
COMS W3137 and
COMS
W3139). Up to one course may be chosen from outside the departments with
adviser approval. Courses at the 3000 level or higher in other areas of engineering,
math, and science can be considered for approval, as long as they do not significantly
overlap with other required or elective courses. Economics courses cannot be used as
technical electives.
Starting Early
Students are strongly encouraged
to begin taking core computer engineering courses as sophomores. They start with
ELEN E1201: Introduction to electrical engineering in
the second semester of their first year and continue with other core courses one
semester after that. For sample “early-starting” programs, see the charts on the
following two pages. It must be emphasized that these charts, as well as the
“late-starting” charts that follow, present examples of programs only; actual programs
may be customized in consultation with academic advisers.