The Undergraduate ECSE Student Handbook

• What is Electrical and Computer Engineering?
• Answers to FAQ
• Goals for Undergraduates
• ECSE Course Description
• EPOW Course Description
• Dual Curriculum Checklists
• ECSE Graduation Requirements
• Suggested Technical Concentrations
• Co-op Information for ECSE Majors
• Undergrauate Honors Program
• Eta Kappa Nu is the International Honor Society for Electrical Engineers.
• IEEE Homepage
• IEEE Code of Ethics
• Abbreviations

Electric Power Engineering includes energy conversion and power distribution.

The computer revolution has changed the way in which we all work and play. Computer engineers are at the heart of this rapid development. The field of computer engineering covers a wide range of topics including computer architecture, operating systems, communications, computer networks, robotics, artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and computer-aided design. Computer and Systems Engineering at RPI differs from Computer Science in two respects:

(1) it is an engineering discipline and

(2) hardware and systems courses are required.

Electrical and computer engineers have continuously worked at the frontier of high technology and are involved in research, the creation of new ideas, and in design and development of new products, manufacturing, and marketing activities.

Career opportunities for graduate electrical and computer engineers continue to be plentiful and diverse. As technology expands, the demand for electrical and computer engineers will also increase. A new graduate in electrical and computer engineering will face a bright and challenging future, with positions to be found in research, design and development, manufacturing, marketing, management, and other areas.

Electrical and computer engineering graduates are heavily recruited by large and small companies for positions throughout the United States and abroad. These companies include computer, aerospace, automotive, telephone and power utilities, electronics manufacturers, and most other industries. There are also positions available in many government agencies.

An electrical or computer engineering degree is also a good background for pre-medicine, as well as for careers in business and law. Electrical and computer engineers have become entrepreneurs, beginning new businesses by applying electrical and computer engineering systems and technology to new areas of service.

Beginning salaries for electrical and computer engineers having a bachelor's degree from RPI is approximately $55,000 per year

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Checklists:

Class year:

Design Elective Changes:

D grades:

Dual Majors:

Free electives:

GPA:

Graduate Courses:

H&SS Core:

One-credit Courses:

P/NC:

PD II:

ROTC Courses:

Technical Concentration:

Transfer Credit Approval:

If you have further questions please email the Undergraduate Advisor , David Nichols.

Web Information: For more advising information please visit the Advising & Learning Assistant Center web page.

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ECSE Course Description

Check List for Class of 2003
Check List for class of 2004 & 2005
Check List for Class of 2006
Check List for Class of 2007
Check List for Class of 2008

All Classes of ECSE can pick up a hard copy of their Curriculum Checklists in JEC 6049

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• interviews during sophomore year
• one work assignment during a fall or spring term
• one summer session at Rensselaer
• taking the senior year in standard fall-spring sequence

  Most of the required sophomore and junior courses are offered in the fall and spring, and some are available in the summer, so a co-op program can probably be tailored to fit your particular needs and interests.

  Co-op students who plan to delay graduation to December (to avoid summer courses) should note that taking the senior year out of the normal fall-spring sequence may reduce the choice of electives, since many spring electives have fall prerequisites. This is particularly true for the senior design electives, and many of them are available only in the spring. For the same reason, the ECSE Department opposes co-op programs in which the last two academic terms are both in the fall or both in the spring.

  The advisor for EE and CSE co-op students is the Undergraduae Advisor (David Nichols). You should contact him for an appointment for academic planning before you go on your first work assignment (but after you have attended the Co-op Briefing). Please bring your current CAPP.

  The first three terms of the curriculum provides sufficient background for an introductory co-op experience. However, to gain full value from the program, the best time to go on your first co-op assignment is after the end of the sophomore year, either that summer or the following fall.

  Co-op programs with three work blocks are also possible, but they should be arranged during the freshman year to avoid delaying the date of graduation. Students considering this option should see the Undergraduate Advisor as soon as possible.

  Maximum benefit is derived from a co-op program when the student alternates between work and study. Thus, unless there are special circumstances, the ECSE Department opposes year-long co-op programs without an intervening return to campus.

  Academic Credit for Co-op Experience:

  Students majoring in Electrical Engineering, Computer and Systems Engineering, or Electric Power Engineering may be granted academic credit for co-op work experience, subject to the following conditions:

  Credit can be earned only for a second (or later) work assignment with the same employer in the Rensselaer Co-op Program (NOTE: The second part of a double length assignment, summer and fall, spring and summer, etc. counts as a second assignment.

  The student must have completed the equivalent of four academic terms before the assignment in question. Advance arrangements must be made with the department. [Note that all paperwork for academic credit should be submitted to Priscilla Magilligan in JEC 6049.] The student must submit a report on the work done together with a supporting letter from the co-op supervisor The academic credit may be used to satisfy the curriculum requirement for a free (or engineering) elective. The procedure for obtaining credit is as follows:

  During a preceding work assignment, the student and his/her co-op supervisor develop a tentative plan for the work to be done for credit. The work must include significant engineering content commensurate with the student's background.

  Before the assignment in question, the student submits the work plan to the Department. This should be 1 or 2 typed pages, with the signature of the co-op supervisor. Work plans may be sent via email or by fax (518/276-4403). If circumstances during the assignment require changing the original plan, then the student should contact the Department for approval.

  Upon returning to campus, and no later than the second week of the term, the student submits a letter from the supervisor recommending academic credit along with a report by the student on the actual work experience (4-6 typed pages). NOTE: The report should be technical in nature, and not the same as the report submitted to the Co-op Office. If applicable, the report should include reference to any external publications or patent applications by the student.

  When the required documentation is complete, the student registers for 4 credits of independent study under the course designation ENGR-2940. At the end of the term of registration, the Department Head or his or her designee will issue a grade - usually a B unless the co-op experience includes special accomplishments such as an external publication or a patent application.

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  Undergraduate Honors Program

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  A special program that introduces research as a professional activity is available for outstanding undergraduates in electrical engineering, electric power engineering, or computer and systems engineering. ECSE students who maintain a grade point average of 3.7 through the first term of their sophomore or junior years are encouraged to apply (see below for application procedure) for admission to this program. Students whose grades do not quite meet this requirement can apply if they are recommended by an ECSE professor. All participants attend the ECSE Honors Seminar during their sophomore or junior years. Students also participate in at least one research project. An honors faculty adviser is assigned with whom special academic programs are developed that reflect the capabilities and interests of the exceptional student. If you are interested in this program, please email Prof. Connor a short message in which you include the following information:
  • Major, year in school and grade point average
  • Schools attended other than RPI, if any
  • Professional/technical experience such as co-op, summer internships, part-time jobs, etc.
  • Research experience (describe the particular topics addressed and where you did this research)
  • Any honors and awards you have received
  • Reasons why you are interested in this program
  • Your preferred email address and the name of your hometown
  • Your probable area of interest within ECSE
    
    Please note that this is a very informal application procedure, so you are free to interpret these items any way you wish. It is also not necessary to address all of them.
    Please visit Honors Web page