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2012-2013 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Computer Engineering Major

Computer Engineering encompasses the design, development and testing of computer systems, including computer chips, circuit boards, servers and related hardware. Students who elect the computer engineering program may prepare themselves for a variety of careers related to computer engineering and fulfill the educational requirements for taking the Fundamentals of Engineering professional examination before graduation.

The junior and senior years of the computer engineering program build upon the foundation courses to provide greater depth in engineering science, engineering design, and the program areas of computer engineering. Students complete seven required courses and three computer engineering elective courses distributed in algorithms and data structures, electronic circuits, computer systems architecture, embedded systems and control, and software engineering.

Integral to all four years of the program is a design and build educational philosophy incorporated through extensive laboratory and project activities as preparation for professional practice. Students engage in design at all levels of the curriculum. At each level they must realize their designs and proceed with testing, validation, and redesign. This approach allows students to experience many real world constraints such as project economics, project planning and scheduling, environmental considerations, manufacturability/productibility of the designs, laboratory and product safety, and product reliability.

Accreditation

The computer engineering majoris accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Program Educational Objectives

  1. The graduate will have the technical knowledge and capabilities expected of a practicing engineer appropriate to computer engineering, specifically in the areas of:
    • Algorithms and data structures
    • Electronic circuits
    • Computer systems architecture
    • Embedded systems and control
    • Software engineering
  2. The graduate will be able to function effectively in an industrial environment. He or she must have the ability to communicate effectively, engage in critical thinking, and have highly developed skill in problem solving (in both individual and team situations).
  3. The graduate will have the ability to apply engineering knowledge and be able to create physical realizations of their theoretical concepts and models.
  4. The graduate will have the demonstrated ability to engage in engineering design.
  5. The graduate will have an awareness of the need for continued professional growth.
  6. The graduate will have an awareness of, and sensitivity to, those areas in which engineering practice affects society and the environment. Such awareness, extending beyond technical knowledge to include ethical and social responsibility, must frame the continued professional and scholarly growth of the graduate.

Program Outcomes and Assessment

The graduate will demonstrate:

  1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering,
  2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data,
  3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs,
  4. an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams,
  5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems,
  6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility,
  7. an ability to communicate effectively,
  8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context,
  9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning,
  10. a knowledge of contemporary issues,
  11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice,
  12. knowledge of probability and statistics,
  13. knowledge of mathematics through differential and integral calculus, basic sciences, and engineering sciences necessary to analyze and design complex systems containing hardware and software components, and
  14. knowledge of discrete mathematics.

Degree Requirements

Computer engineering students must complete all requirements for the B.S.E. degree including the general education and basic skills requirements, foundations of engineering courses, cooperative education, engineering design Capstone and the following computer and electrical engineering courses:

Required Courses:

Elective Courses Three courses selected from the following:

Sample Curriculum for the Junior and Senior years of the Computer Engineering Major

First Co-op Semester: Spring/Summer

Fifth Academic Semester: Fall

Second Co-op Semester: Winter

Sixth Academic Semester: Spring/Summer

Third Co-op Semester: Fall

Seventh Academic Semester: Winter

Eighth Academic Semester: Spring/Summer

Engineering Program Description

Engineering - Program Description


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