Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Professor MacKenzie, Chairperson; Professors Alouani, L. Bruce (Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs), Mahajan, Ojo, Radman; Associate Professors Austen, Bhattacharya, J. Bruce, Elfouly, Hasan, Mahmoud; Assistant Professors Chen, Van Neste; Lecturer Roberts

The mission of the department is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education and to 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. Within the electrical engineering program there are two optional concentrations: Mechatronics (electronic control of mechanical systems) and Vehicle Engineering. The department also offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) in Electrical and Computer 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 educational objectives were formulated for consistency with the university mission and to meet the present and anticipated needs of student, alumni, employer, and faculty stakeholders. They are:

	Within a few years following graduation, our graduates will have:
	i.	progressed in the careers as indicated by promotions, positions of leadership, awards, recognitions, entrepreneurial activities, products or processes developed, patents, and/or publications;
	ii.	advanced their knowledge and expertise as indicated by continuing education, advanced degrees, and/or professional registration;
	iii.	contributed to the profession and society as indicated 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 abilities to:

identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems,
apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs,
communicate effectively with a range of audiences,
recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements,
function effectively on a team,
develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions, and
acquire and apply new knowledge as needed.

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.

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, ATC Automation, Schneider Electric, Nissan, and various electric utilities. Since its founding in 1942, the B.S.E.E. degree program has produced more than 3000 graduates and since 1966 has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org, and its predecessor organizations.

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 produced more than 275 graduates and has been continuously accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

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

Graduate program information is contained in the Graduate Catalog.

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Programs