CURRICULUM IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
155 Everitt Laboratory
1406 West Green Street
Urbana IL 61801
217-333-2300
URL: http://www.ece.uiuc.edu/For the Degree of Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
PURPOSE
The electrical engineering curriculum, which is administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), stresses scientific principles, rigorous analysis, creative design, clear communication, and responsible teamwork. Students will gain the fundamental knowledge, practical skills, professional attitudes, and experiences that provide a broad foundation for further learning during productive careers in electrical engineering. In consultation with their faculty advisors, students choose electives to prepare for immediate employment, graduate study, or both. While the course of study is designed primarily to prepare students for careers closely allied with electrical engineering, it also provides a valuable understanding of science and technology for those who will pursue careers in law, medicine, commerce, and other professions. The curriculum also meets the requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST YEAR ECE EXPERIENCE
First year students take ECE 110, Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering, a four-credit hour class combining theory, laboratory measurement, and design. Not only do beginning students get a substantive course in their major, they also gain a better appreciation for the basic science and mathematics courses that are taken during the first two years of study. Students gain first-hand experience in the activities of a professional electrical engineer and are better able to make the important decision as to whether they have chosen the major best suited to them.
INTELLECTUAL CONTENT OF THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM
Student involvement in the electrical engineering discipline increases during each year of the program. Most of the core electrical engineering courses are taken in the fourth and fifth semesters. During the last three semesters the student chooses electives so as to define a curriculum to meet specific educational and career needs.
The electrical engineering core curriculum focuses on fundamental electrical engineering knowledge: circuits (ECE 110), systems (ECE 210), electromagnetics (ECE 229), solid state electronics (ECE 340), computer engineering (ECE 290, ECE 249), computer science (C S 125, 223), and design (ECE 345). The rich set of ECE elective courses permits students to study in any subdiscipline of electrical engineering including: acoustics, bioengineering, circuits, communications, control, electromagnetics, physical electronics, power, signal processing, and space science and remote sensing.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION AND DESIGN EXPERIENCE
Instruction is given using a combination of lecture, discussion, laboratory, and project methodologies of the highest quality. The large number of laboratory courses and superb access to advanced computer facilities provide excellent practical experience in the field. Laboratory and design work are emphasized throughout the curriculum beginning with Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE 110). The sophomore year includes design experience in Introduction to Computer Engineering (ECE 290) and the Digital Systems Laboratory (ECE 249). During the junior and senior years, students gain further design experience in elective courses, including at least two laboratory courses, in their chosen subdiscipline. In the Senior Design Project Laboratory (ECE 345), students learn to combine all phases of an engineering project including design, analysis, construction, teamwork and reporting.
HONORS ACTIVITY
Students wishing to do honors work are encouraged to apply to the James Scholar Program administered jointly by the College of Engineering and the ECE Department. In consultation with departmental honors advisors, students create and carry out honors activity contracts. They must also participate in the ECE Honors Seminar and are encouraged to participate in the yearly Undergraduate Honors Symposium. The department offers thesis courses and project opportunities for students wishing to graduate with Highest Honors.
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE REQUIREMENTS
A student must have a grade-point average of at least 2.0 (A=4.0) in ECE courses in order to remain in good standing and to graduate. To qualify for registration for the ECE courses shown in the third year of the curriculum, a student must have completed, with a combined 2.25 grade-point average, the mathematics, physics, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering courses shown in the first two years.
OVERVIEW OF CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS
The curriculum requires 128 hours for graduation and is organized as follows:
Required Courses
Required courses total 61 or 62 hours.
HOURS
BASIC SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS These courses stress the scientific principles upon which the engineering discipline is based.1 10
Calculus for students entering with analytic geometry: 5
MATH 135-Calculus 5
MATH 245-Calculus II 11
Calculus for students entering without analytic geometry: 5
MATH 120-Calculus and Analytic Geometry, I 3
MATH 130-Calculus and Analytic Geometry, II 3
MATH 242-Calculus of Several Variables 3
MATH 285-Differential Equations 4
PHYCS 111-General Physics (Mechanics) 4
PHYCS 112-General Physics (Electricity and Magnetism) 2
PHYCS 113-General Physics (Fluids and Thermal Physics) 2
PHYCS 114-General Physics (Waves and Quantum Physics) 4
CHEM 101-General Chemistry 29-30
Total
1. Either the MATH 120/130/242 sequence or the MATH 135/245 sequence may be taken according to the student's advanced placement status and score on the mathematics placement exam.
HOURS
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CORE These courses stress fundamental electrical engineering concepts and basic laboratory techniques which comprise the common intellectual understanding of all electrical engineering. 4
ECE 110-Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering 4
ECE 210-Analog Signal Processing 3
ECE 229-Introduction to Electromagnetic Fields 2
ECE 249-Digital Systems Laboratory 3
ECE 290-Introduction to Computer Engineering 3
ECE 340-Solid State Electronic Devices 2
ECE 345-Senior Design Project Laboratory 3
C S 125-Introduction to Computer Science 1
C S 223-Software Laboratory 25
Total HOURS PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS This course lays the ground work for understanding problems ranging from communications engineering to data analysis in diverse areas such as medicine and manufacturing. 3
ECE 313-Probabilistic Methods of Signal and System Analysis Note that ECE 313 may be replaced by one of the following: 3
I E 230-Analysis of Data 4
STAT 310/MATH 363-Introduction to Mathematical Statistics and Probability, I 3 min
Total HOURS
COMPOSITION I This course teaches fundamentals of expository writing. 4
RHET 105-Principles of Composition
Engineering & Science Electives
The engineering and science electives total 37 hours.
ECE ELECTIVES
These upperclass electives stress the rigorous analysis and design principles practiced in the subdisciplines of electrical engineering. The electives total 22 hours distributed as follows.
HOURS
RESTRICTED ECE ELECTIVES The following five course selections are introductory to major speciality areas of electrical engineering. Students must take three of the following: 4
ECE 310-Digital Signals and Systems 3
ECE 330-Electromechanics 3
ECE 350-Lines, Fields and Waves 4
ECE 342-Electronic Circuits and ECE 343-Electronic Circuits Laboratory 3-4
ECE 291-Computer Engineering, II or C S 225-Data Structures and Software Principles ECE ELECTIVE LABORATORIES
The elective laboratory courses provide the student with essential hands-on experience in techniques and design that are important for the practicing engineer as well as the research scientist. Students choose two courses from a departmentally approved list. One lab must not be on the list of Restricted ECE Electives.
OTHER ECE ELECTIVES
With these courses a student defines her or his interest area within the field of electrical engineering. Elective choice should be chosen with care, planning, and consultation with an adviser. Consult also the advising materials for all the subdisciplines of electrical engineering. These courses make up the balance of the 22 ECE elective hours and can be taken from a departmentally approved list including almost all of the 200- and 300-level ECE courses.
TECHNICAL ELECTIVES
Technical electives total 15 hours. This elective requirement gives each student freedom to define a technical course of study of considerable breadth or focus. One course must come from a list of basic science electives and one from a list of non-ECE engineering electives. The remainder must be taken from a list of technical electives (including courses in ECE, other engineering departments, the basic sciences, and mathematics) and must include six hours outside of ECE and six hours in engineering.
Social Sciences and Humanities
HOURS
REQUIREMENTS These courses assure that students have exposure in breadth and depth to areas of intellectual activity that are essential to the general education of any college graduate. 18
Social sciences and humanities courses approved by the College of Engineering. Other Electives
HOURS
REQUIREMENTS These electives give the student the opportunity to explore any intellectual area. This freedom plays a critical role in helping students to define what are effectively minor concentrations in areas such as bioengineering, technology and management, languages, or research specialties. At least six hours must be taken for a letter grade. 11-12
Electives Campus General Education Requirements
Students must select courses that satisfy both the college social sciences and humanities requirement and the campus requirements in social and behavioral sciences and in humanities and the arts. Proper choices will assure that these courses also satisfy the campus requirements in the areas of Western and non-Western cultures. Many of these courses satisfy the campus composition II requirement, which assures that the student has the advanced writing skills expected of all college graduates. The campus requirements in composition I, natural sciences and technology, and quantitative reasoning are met by required ECE courses.
First Year
HOURS
FIRST SEMESTER 4
CHEM 101-General Chemistry 0
ENG 100-Introduction to Engineering 5
MATH 135*-Calculus or MATH 120*-Calculus and Analytic Geometry, I 4
RHET 105-Principles of Composition or ECE 110*-Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering 3
Elective in social sciences or humanities 16
Total HOURS
SECOND SEMESTER 4
PHYCS 111*-General Physics (Mechanics) 5 or 3
MATH 245*-Calculus, II or MATH 130*-Calculus and Analytic Geometry, II 4
ECE 110*-Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering or RHET 105-Principles of Composition 3
Elective in social sciences or humanities 0 or 3
Additional elective if MATH 130 is taken instead of MATH 245 16 or 17
Total Second Year
HOURS
FIRST SEMESTER 3
C S 125*-Introduction to Computer Science 3
MATH 285*-Differential Equations and Orthogonal Functions or MATH 242*-Calculus of Several Variables 4
PHYCS 112*-General Physics (Electricity and Magnetism) 6
Electives 16
Total HOURS
SECOND SEMESTER 1
C S 223*-Software Laboratory 4
ECE 210*-Analog Signal Processing 3
ECE 290*-Introduction to Computer Engineering 2
PHYCS 113*-General Physics (Fluids and Thermal Physics) 2
PHYCS 114*-General Physics (Waves and Quantum Physics) 4 or 3
Electives or MATH 285*-Differential Equations and Orthogonal Functions 16 or 15
Total Third Year
HOURS
FIRST SEMESTER 3
ECE 229-Introduction to Electromagnetic Fields 2
ECE 249-Digital Systems Laboratory 3
ECE 313**-Probabilistic Methods of Signal and System Analysis 3
ECE 340-Solid State Electronic Devices 5
Electives 16
Total HOURS
SECOND SEMESTER 6
Advanced Core ECE Courses 10
Electives 16
Total Fourth Year
HOURS
FIRST SEMESTER 2
ECE 345-Senior Design Project Laboratory 3
Advanced ECE Core Courses 11
Electives 16
Total HOURS
SECOND SEMESTER 16
Electives
* 2.25 GPA rule courses
** May be replaced by one of the following: I E 230-Analysis of Data or STAT 310/MATH 363-Introduction to Mathematical Statistics and Probability, I.