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Students may follow the baccalaureate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in either electrical engineering or computer and systems engineering. The objective of both programs is to prepare graduates for professional practice and/or advanced study, together with continuing personal and professional growth.

In particular, the ECSE department seeks to graduate visionary and versatile professionals who will have a solid foundation in mathematics, science, and engineering, and be able to apply these to practical use. They will be able to identify, model, analyze, and solve challenging real world problems; have specialized technical knowledge in their chosen field; have strong communication skills with emphasis on technical writing and interpersonal communication; be able to design innovative products, processes, or systems; perform effectively on diverse, multidisciplinary teams, both as leader and as contributor; be informed citizens broadly educated in the humanities and social sciences; be prepared to practice engineering in a socially responsible and ethical manner; and have learned in a creative, stimulating environment that prepares and motivates them to continue to grow and learn.

Engineering design is introduced and developed in the required courses ENGR-2050, ENGR-2350, and ECSE-2610, and in various electives. These courses set the stage for capstone design experience in the design elective.

The design elective is also a writing-intensive course that satisfies the institute writing requirement.

The design elective and at least two other electives form a technical concentration in an area chosen by the student. Other electives may be used to further emphasize areas of individual interest or for complementary study in various fields, including minor programs in the liberal arts, science, or management.

The department encourages qualified students to consider graduate study in electrical engineering or computer and systems engineering.

The ECSE Department offers three curricula, Electrical Engineering and Computer and Systems Engineering, Electrical Power Engineering and four possible graduate degrees in each curriculum:

• Master of Engineering (M.E.)
  
• Master of Science (M.S.)
  
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
  
• Doctor of Engineering (D.E.) (rare)

The M.E. degree is a 30 credit non-thesis degree program designed for students who plan to enter professional practice and addresses the national direction towards Professional Masters Programs as the entry point for professional practice. As with all of our graduate degree programs, it may be possible to transfer to your M.E. program relevant course credits that you took as an undergraduate which did not count towards your bachelors degree requirements. If you're already a graduate student or a non-matriculated student who has taken graduate courses, then up to 6 credits may be transferable to the M.E. degree. Students who wish to obtain the M.Eng degree in Electrical Power Engineering must have an accredited bachelor's degree or its equivalent in Electrical Power Engineering or Electrical Engineering. Those who have a background in something other than those two areas should elect to M.S. degree option.

The M.S. degree requires 30 credit hours plus any required background courses. A 6 credit hour masters thesis or project is usually required for the M.S. This requirement may be waived for students who can submit documentation of previous individual research work which is equivalent in quality and which has been written up in a manner similar to a thesis or project report. Thesis/project waivers must be approved by the Director of ECSE Masters Programs. The student must then take 6 course credit hours to replace the waived credit hours, and the masters program must still total at least 30 credit hours. It may be possible to transfer to your M.S. program relevant course credits that you took as an undergraduate and that did not count towards your bachelors degree requirements. Students enrolled in the Electrical Power program are not necessarily required to complete a thesis as part of the M.S. degree and may elect to do a project or all course work instead.

Students may also choose to pursue a joint Masters degree in engineering with an MBA from the Lally School of Management.

There are two types of doctoral degrees: the D.E. and the Ph.D. The D.E. is awarded when the thesis proposes an engineering problem of substance and develops a solution to it in a creative and distinguished manner. This degree option is rarely pursued. The Ph.D. is awarded when the thesis is directed toward making an original contribution to fundamental knowledge in a particular field or in an interdisciplinary field. It may be possible to transfer up to 15 course credits taken elsewhere to your doctoral program at Rensselaer.