Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Faculty

Professor Emeritus
Kim L. Boyer, Ph.D., Purdue University

Professors
James “Randy” Moulic, Ph.D., Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Won Namgoong, Ph.D., Stanford University
Gary J. Saulnier, Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Chair)

Associate Professors
Mohammed S. Agamy, Ph.D., Queen's University, Canada
Aveek Dutta, Ph.D., University of Colorado
Hany Elgala, Ph.D., Jacobs University
Dola Saha, Ph.D., University of Colorado
Daphney Zois, Ph.D., University of Southern California

Assistant Professors
Mustafa Aksoy, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Nathan Dahlin, Ph.D., University of Southern California
Seetal Potluri, Ph.D., Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras

Professors of Practice
David Ardrey. Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Jeffrey Braunstein, Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Jonathan Muckell, Ph.D., University at Albany

Lecturer Emeritus
Guy Cortesi, Ph.D., University at Albany

Teaching Assistants (estimated): 9                       

Electrical & Computer Engineering is the creative application of engineering principles and methods to the design and development of hardware and software systems. The Electrical & Computer Engineering curriculum covers an extremely broad range of topics, encompassing the design, development, testing, and evaluation of hardware and software components, as well as integrated systems and networks. The Electrical & Computer Engineering faculty and students are actively engaged in research in areas ranging from wireless networks to next generation internet architectures, sensor networks, signal and information processing, control systems, communication systems, microelectronic circuits, devices and materials, computer graphics and vision, robotics, computer engineering and cyber physical systems, etc.       

Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Students in Electrical & Computer Engineering study a broad range of topics that span both electrical engineering and computer engineering. Graduates of the program can work in traditional electrical engineering fields such as integrated circuits, power systems, RF and microwave systems, wireless communications, automatic control, and video and image processing as well as traditional computer engineering fields such as software engineering, computer hardware, robotics, embedded systems, digital systems, and computer networking. The breadth of graduates from the Electrical & Computer Engineering program makes them uniquely prepared to adapt and meet the ever-changing needs of industry in a rapidly evolving technical landscape.

The Electrical & Computer Engineering program provides students with a strong foundation in both Electrical Engineering & Computer Engineering and the latitude to customize their degree through upper-division electives to meet their educational and career aspirations and goals. Studies can be adjusted along a continuum between the two endpoints of (mostly) computer engineering and (mostly) electrical engineering through the selection of electives in the junior and senior years, providing both depth and breadth that will be valuable post-graduation. The program has a strong design focus, giving students the analytical and hands-on tools needed to design systems for real-world applications. By integrating fundamentals from engineering, mathematics, computation, and physics, undergraduates learn how to design, build, and embed sophisticated hardware and software systems. Non major students can diversify their academic background by pursuing a minor in Electrical & Computer Engineering.

The Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.

Course Progression Restrictions
Students must complete I ECE/I CSI 201 or I ECE 141 with a C or better to register for I ECE/I CSI 213 or I ECE 231. Students must complete I ECE 202 with a C or better to register for I ECE 300, I ECE 310, or I ECE 371. Students must complete I ECE/I CSI 213 with a C or better to register for I ECE 233.

General Program B.S. (combined major and minor sequence) A minimum of 102 credits as follows:

Core Electrical & Computer Engineering Courses (51 credits)
I ECE 110 Introduction to Engineering
I ECE 111 Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering
I ECE/I CSI 201 Introduction to Computer Science
I ECE 202 Introduction to Circuits
I ECE/I CSI 210 Discrete Structures
I ECE/I CSI 213 Data Structures
I ECE 231 Digital Systems
I ECE 233 Computer Organization and Programming
I ECE 300 Introduction to Electronics       
I ECE 310 Engineering Electromagnetics
I ECE 371 Signals and Systems
I ECE 442 System Analysis and Design
I ECE 490 Design Lab I
I ECE 491 Design Lab II

Math and Science (33 credits):
A MAT 112 or 118 Calculus I
A MAT 113 or 119 Calculus II
A MAT 214 or 218 Calculus of Several Variables
A MAT 215 Ordinary Differential Equations
A MAT 220 or 222 Linear Algebra
A MAT 370 Probability & Statistics for Engineering and the Science
A PHY 140 or 142 Physics I Mechanics
A PHY 145 Physics Lab I
A PHY 150 or 152 Physics II: Electromagnetism
A PHY 155 Physics Lab II
A CHM 120 General Chemistry I and A CHM 124 General Chemistry Lab I or A CHM 115 General Chemistry I and Lab

Electrical & Computer Engineering Electives (18 credits):

• Depth: 9 credits (3 courses) selected from a single concentration area in ECE, two of which are designated as primary
• Breadth: 6 credits (2 primary courses) selected from two different concentration areas in ECE but outside the student’s depth area
• Elective: 3 credits (1 course) from any area. May also be satisfied by a single 3 credit hour instance of I ECE 497 Independent Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Area 1: Computers

I ECE/I CSI 404 Computer Architecture and Organization (primary)
I ECE/I CSI 416 Computer Communication Networks (primary)
I ECE 431 Reconfigurable Computing (primary)
I ECE 441 GPU Architecture and Programming
I ECE 451 Robotics
I ECE 453 Cyber-Physical Systems (primary)
I CSI 401 Numerical Methods
I CSI 403 Design and Analysis of Algorithms (primary)
I CSI 412 Operating Systems (primary)
I CSI 435 Artificial Intelligence
I CSI 436 Machine Learning

Area 2: Electronics
I ECE 401 Advanced Electronics (primary)
I ECE 402 Power Electronics (primary)
I ECE 411 Microwave Engineering (primary)
I ECE 412 Antenna Engineering
I ECE 413 Electrical Energy Systems (primary)
I ECE 414 Electric Machines
I ECE 418 Power Systems Analysis
I ECE 420 Introduction to VLSI (primary)
I ECE 421 Digital ASIC Design
I ECE 422 Integrated Circuit Devices (primary)
I ECE 431 Reconfigurable Computing (primary)
I ECE 441 GPU Architecture and Programming
I ECE 453 Cyber-Physical Systems

Area 3: Signal Processing, Communications, and Control
I ECE/I CSI 416 Computer Communication Networks (primary)
I ECE 451 Robotics
I ECE 462 Digital Signal Processing (primary)
I ECE 463 Digital Image Processing (primary)
I ECE 465 Introduction to Machine Learning for Engineers
I ECE 471 Communication Systems (primary)
I ECE 472 Advanced Digital Communications
I ECE 473 Radiowave Propagation and Remote Sensing
I ECE 481 Linear Control Theory (primary)
I CSI 426 Cryptography

Combined B.S./M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering

This combined program provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill the requirements of both the undergraduate and master’s degree programs in an integrated way starting from their junior year. Students admitted to the combined BS/MS program will be permitted to register for two (6 credits) 500-level graduate ECE courses that will satisfy BOTH the undergraduate ECE Technical Elective requirements and two of the MS course requirements. The combined degree program requires a minimum of 150 credit hours, including 30 credit hours of appropriate graduate study.

Students may apply for admission to this combined degree program after completing the fall of their junior year or after the successful completion of 75 credit hours of the B.S. program. A cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and three supportive letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration, but admission of a student who meets the minimum requirements is not automatic. The admissions decision will strongly weigh student performance in their mathematics and ECE courses which are strong predictors of future success in graduate courses.