Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Professor Johnson, Chairperson; Professors Alouani, Carnal, Mahajan, Ojo, Qiu (Center for Manufacturing Research), Radman; Associate Professors Austen, Elkeelany; Assistant Professors Anderson, Belkacemi, Chaoui, Hasan, Mahmoud

Electrical engineering and computer engineering are dynamic fields that provide great benefits to society. People’s lives are touched many times daily by the products and services made possible by electrical and computer engineers. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tennessee Technological University prepares its students for the challenges, opportunities, and rewards of these rapidly changing fields.

The mission of the department is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education and perform research in the areas of electrical and computer engineering to enhance the competitiveness of our graduates and contribute to economic, scientific, and social development. The department strives to continuously strengthen its reputation for excellent academic programs at the regional, national, and international levels.

As part of this mission, the department offers two undergraduate academic programs, one leading to the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.) degree and the other leading to the Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (B.S.Cmp.E.) degree. In addition, a concentration in Mechatronics (electronic control of mechanical systems) is available in the B.S.E.E. program. The department also offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) in Electrical Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Engineering degrees; these programs are described in the Graduate Catalog.

The B.S.E.E. and B.S.Cmp.E. program objectives, which were formulated to meet present and anticipated student needs and satisfy University, State, and accrediting agency requirements, are:

1.	Within one year following graduation, our graduates will be:
	i.	working in the field of electrical and computer engineering and/or
	ii.	pursuing graduate studies
2.	Within five years following graduation, our graduates will have:
	i.	progressed in the careers as measured by indicators such as promotions, positions of leadership, awards, recognitions, entrepreneurial activities, products or processes developed, patents, and/or publications;
	ii.	advanced their knowledge and expertise as measured by continuing education, advanced degrees, and/or professional registration;
	iii.	contributed to the profession and society as by research, national and international collaboration, professional service, community service and/or public service.

Students are required to follow an integrated curriculum of courses and experiences that lead to the achievement of these objectives. The curriculum is designed so that students will obtain state-of-the-art technical knowledge, design experience, enhanced critical thinking and problem solving skills, an understanding of ethical responsibility, and verbal and written communication skills. To maintain quality, the achievement of these objectives, and other more specific outcomes based on these objectives, is evaluated on a regular basis and the results are used to update courses and curricula.

An integrated design experience is provided to all B.S.E.E. and B.S.Cmp.E. students which begins with elemental designs in lower level courses and culminates in a year-long, comprehensive capstone design experience at the senior level. The program places considerable emphasis on laboratory experience and computer applications, and the department maintains several state-of-the-art laboratories.

Students are encouraged to develop leadership and other social skills by participating in professional and honor societies such as IEEE and Eta Kappa Nu.

High School Preparation

Engineering study requires a strong foundation in mathematics and science. Recommended high-school preparation includes Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics. In addition to technical skills, engineers must be able to communicate effectively, both in written and spoken form, and to work productively as team members. A well-rounded background in non-technical areas, including history, culture, arts, and current events, is also important.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.) Degree Program

Electrical engineers research, design, develop, and test electrical and electronic equipment, including systems relating to communication, power generation and distribution, automation, robotics, radar, and electronic navigation. Departmental graduates are well-rounded and professionally prepared with a strong foundation in electrical engineering fundamentals. They are employed by many large and small companies such as TVA, IBM, Raytheon, Texas Instruments, ATA Arnold Air Force Base, DENSO, Schneider Electric, Nissan, and various electric utilities. Since its founding in 1942, the B.S.E.E. degree program has produced nearly 3000 graduates and has been accredited since 1966 by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org or its predecessor organizations.

Students in the B.S.E.E. program are required to take chemistry, mathematics, calculus-based physics, and general education courses including English composition and literature. They take core electrical engineering courses such as circuit analysis, signals and systems, electromagnetic field theory, electronics, microcomputer systems and electronic circuits. They acquire breadth in four fundamental areas of electrical engineering and depth in at least one area. The department has expertise and offers in-depth courses in a number of electrical engineering areas: Communications and Signal Processing; Devices and Electromagnetics; Digital Systems; Power; and Robotics, Automation and Control.

The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering also offers a concentration in Mechatronics. This concentration provides a combination of electrical, mechanical, and control system engineering courses to prepare students to work on systems consisting of interdependent electrical and mechanical components. Applications of mechatronics include automobiles, robotics, and automated manufacturing systems.

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (B.S.Cmp.E.) Degree Program

Computer engineers research, design, develop, and test computer and computer-based equipment such as CPUs, high-performance computers, embedded computer systems, computer-based data acquisition and control systems, computer networks, and computer graphics hardware and software. The B.S.Cmp.E. program is tailored to meet the growing demand for engineers with expertise in computer and computer-based systems hardware and software design. This program, a joint effort between the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science, is designed to prepare graduates for entry into the computer engineering profession. They are employed by many large and small companies such as ADTRAN, Boeing, IBM and TVA.Since its beginning in 1998 the program has been continuously accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Students in the B.S.Cmp.E. program are required to take chemistry, mathematics, calculus-based physics and general education courses including English composition and literature. The core consists of a combination of electrical engineering and computer science courses that provide knowledge and expertise in both hardware and software design. Upper-level courses include various electives and feature a number of design projects involving both hardware and software.

The details of the curriculum are presented elsewhere in the catalog.