COMPUTER ENGINEERING SAMPLE 4-YEAR PLAN WITH MILESTONES

All bolded courses meet general education requirements.  See the departmental flow chart for the current listing of courses.

Courses listed as Milestones are required to obtain Professional Component Standing (PCS). All Milestone courses require a grade of "C" or better. Prerequisite courses denoted (cc) may be taken concurrently.

*Students who earn an English ACT score of 27, or a written SAT score of 610, can opt out of EH 101.

**Students not Term 1-Calculus I ready will exceed the 129 hours required for this degree. If math is not started prior to Fall of Year 1, you are likely extending your four-year graduation timetable. Students with ACT Math scores 21 and below should begin math courses in the summer before Fall of Year 1.**

No 300 level courses can be taken without PCS

Two designated writing (W) courses are required with at least one course chosen from offerings in the student's major or minor. Courses carrying this required credit are identified in the University Bulletin by a (W) after the course title.

The Sample 4-year plan is designed as a guide for students preparing for their course selections. This information provides only a suggested schedule. Actual course selections should be made in consultation with an advisor.

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering website
https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/engineering/ece/index.html

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and  Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCpE), both granted by the College of Engineering.  The BSCpE program is administered by the ECE Department in collaboration with the School of Computing.  The ECE Department also offers the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

The program educational objectives (PEOs) of the Electrical Engineering Degree Program are to produce graduates who, during their first few years after graduation, will:

1. Achieve professional advancement with increasing responsibility, leadership, and mentorship.
2. Function effectively on multidisciplinary teams, and individually, to develop and apply electrical engineering solutions within a global, societal, and environmental context.
3. Communicate effectively and manage resources skillfully as members and leaders of their profession.
4. Advance professional competence through continuous learning such as studying for advanced degrees, professional registration, and leadership through ethical standards and professionalism.

By the time of graduation from the Electrical Engineering Program, students should attain the following outcomes:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

The BSEE curriculum is designed to ensure the attainment of the student outcomes.

The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org 

Electrical Engineering is among the fastest evolving disciplines in our technological society. Engineering developments in electrical technology have provided, in a substantial way, improvement in the standard of living of humanity. The domain of the electrical engineer reaches from massive electrical energy systems to microscopic integrated circuits; from life studies in bioengineering to satellite communications systems; and from the control of electromagnetic radiation to the control of information flow in this field.

The highly diverse and rapidly evolving characteristics of this field requires a thorough understanding of fundamentals as well as flexibility in the design of individualized programs of study. 

Therefore, emphasis is placed on mathematics, physics, humanities, social sciences, basic sciences and engineering sciences during the first two years. Sufficient flexibility is provided at the senior level to allow a student, in consultation with an advisor, to prepare a specialized course of study in six main concentration areas from the broad field of electrical engineering: 1 – Control Systems, 2 – Communications and Networks, 3 – Digital Systems, 4 – Electromagnetics and Optics, 5 – Electronics, and 6 – Power Systems. In addition, means are provided, through the Electrical and Computer Engineering Design Laboratory, for a student to pursue a design topic outside of, but related to, the formal coursework.

Students are required to take general education (GenEd) elective courses in four broad areas: (i) Literature, (ii) Humanities and Fine Arts, (iii) Natural Science and Mathematics and (iv) History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences. These courses provide breadth to the educational experience of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering students. They must be planned, in consultation with an academic advisor, to reflect a rationale appropriate to the educational objectives of the Departmental Programs, while conforming strictly to the requirements of the Articulation and General Studies Committee of the State of Alabama.

All students are required to successfully complete EH 101 and EH 102, English Composition I and II from area (i), plus a minimum of 18 semester hours of general education courses from areas (ii) and (iv). In area (ii), Public Speaking (CA110) is required for all Electrical and Computer Engineering students. Of the two remaining courses, one course must be in literature and one course must be in the fine arts. In area (iv), at least one course must be in history and at least one course must be from disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.

Students in Electrical Engineering are required to become Student Members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) when they enroll in EE 401 and EE 404. Through participation in the activities of such technical organizations the student becomes aware of the activities of electrical and computer engineers in society. An excellent opportunity is provided to students for contact with practicing professionals as well as fellow students.

Any Electrical Engineering student interested in pursuing a career in medicine or bioengineering should consult with an advisor for an appropriate sequence of courses which will meet the minimum requirements for entry into a medical school or the necessary life sciences background to enter a graduate program in bioengineering.

The award of the BSEE degree will allow the graduate to enter the professions of electrical engineering directly, or to continue his/her education at the graduate level.

The program educational objectives (PEOs) of the Computer Engineering Degree Program are to produce graduates who, during their first few years after graduation, will:

1. Achieve professional advancement with increasing responsibility, leadership and mentorship.
2. Function effectively on multidisciplinary teams, and individually, to develop and apply computer engineering solutions within a global, societal, and environmental context.
3. Communicate effectively and manage resources skillfully as members and leaders of their profession.
4. Advance professional competence through continuous learning such studying for advanced degrees, professional registration, and leadership through ethical standards and professionalism.

By the time of graduation from the BSCpE program, a student will have demonstrated attainment of the following outcomes:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

The BSCpE curriculum is designed to ensure the attainment of the student outcomes.
The Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org 

The Computer Engineering program is geared to students who are interested in the design of digital computing systems, integrating both hardware and software design components.

In the Computer Engineering Degree Program, sequences of courses are chosen from Electrical and Computer Engineering and from Computer Science that produce an in-depth treatment of digital logic and systems theory. In addition, means are provided through the Electrical and Computer Engineering Design Laboratory, for a student to pursue a design topic outside of, but related to, the formal coursework.

Students are required to take general education (GenEd) elective courses in four broad areas: (i) Literature, (ii) Humanities and Fine Arts,  (iii) Natural Science and Mathematics and (iv) History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences.  These courses provide breadth to the educational experience of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering students. They must be planned, in consultation with an academic advisor, to reflect a rationale appropriate to the educational objectives of the Departmental Programs, while conforming strictly to the requirements of the Articulation and General Studies Committee of the State of Alabama.

All students are required to successfully complete EH 101 and EH 102, English Composition I and II from area (i), plus a minimum of 18 semester hours of general education courses from areas (ii) and (iv). In area (ii), Public Speaking (CA 110) is required for all Electrical and Computer Engineering students.  Of the two remaining courses, one course must be in literature and one course must be in the fine arts.  In area (iv), at least one course must be in history and at least one course must be from disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.

Students in Computer Engineering are required to become members of either the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) or the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) when they enroll in EE 401 and EE 404. Through participation in the activities of such technical organizations the student becomes aware of the activities of electrical and computer engineers in society. An excellent opportunity is provided to students for contact with practicing professionals as well as fellow students.

Any Computer Engineering student interested in pursuing a career in medicine or bioengineering should consult with an advisor for an appropriate sequence of courses which will meet the minimum requirements for entry into a medical school or the necessary life sciences background to enter a graduate program in bioengineering.

The award of the BSCpE degree will allow the graduate to enter the professions of electrical engineering or computer engineering directly, or to continue his/her education at the graduate level.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering allows well-qualified EE and CpE undergraduates to follow an “Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s” study plan. This plan permits up to six credit hours of graduate coursework to count towards both the Bachelor’s (as Technical Electives) and the Master’s degrees, so that the Master’s degree is earned faster than usual. (The coursework concerned must individually satisfy the requirements of both degrees.) See a departmental advisor for specific details.