Mar 29, 2024  
2010-2011 General Catalog 
    
2010-2011 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Electrical and Computer Engineering


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Department Head: Todd K. Moon
Location: Engineering Laboratory 149
Phone: (435) 797-2840
FAX: (435) 797-3054
E-mail: info@ece.usu.edu
WWW: http://www.ece.usu.edu

Undergraduate Advising:

Engineering Advising Center, Engineering 314A, (435) 797-2705, isobel.roskelley@usu.edu

Graduate Program Coordinator:

YangQuan Chen, Engineering Laboratory 216, (435) 797-0148, yqchen@ece.usu.edu

Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Science (MS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical Engineering; BS and MS in Computer Engineering; Master of Engineering (ME)

Graduate specializations: ME—Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering

Undergraduate Programs

Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to serve society through excellence in learning, discovery, and outreach. Undergraduate and graduate students are provided with an education in electrical and computer engineering, while developing attitudes, values, and vision preparing them for lifetimes of continued learning and leadership in their chosen careers. Through research the department strives to generate and disseminate new knowledge and technology for the benefit of the State of Utah, the nation, and beyond.

Program Description

The ECE Department offers a balanced curriculum of classwork, laboratory work, and design experiences to prepare students for careers as practicing engineers. The Bachelor of Science programs in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The research program of the department, which includes undergraduates as well as graduate students, is internationally acclaimed in the fields of aerospace instrumentation and measurements, image compression, communications, electromagnetics, controls, and robotics.

Program Objectives

The educational objectives of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering programs at Utah State University are as follows:

To provide students with:

  1. Education in the fundamental sciences and mathematics that underlie engineering, with a general breadth and depth in engineering analysis and design.
  2. Awareness of current technology and the fundamental background to enable them to stay informed and become adept at new technologies.
  3. The ability to put ideas into practice through effective analysis, problem solving, requirements development, design, and implementation.
  4. A broad awareness of the world around them through general education, preparing them to achieve their potential and contribute through their professional and personal lives.
  5. The foundation of communications and teamwork skills, as well as professional attitudes and ethics.

Electrical Engineering

Each Electrical Engineering student is given a solid foundation in electricity, electronics, signals, and systems, with individual practical experience. Upon this basic foundation, the students then build expertise in advanced areas, stressing actual design practice, to prepare them for productive engineering careers. The focus areas can be categorized into the following: analog and digital electronics, controls, signal processing, communications, electromagnetics, microwaves, and space systems.

Computer Engineering

Building on a solid curriculum in computing hardware and software, the Computer Engineering program begins with a strong foundation in electricity, digital logic design, and computer science, then leads into advanced software engineering and microcomputer systems. Advanced courses provide experience in formal design methods, high-performance architectures, data communications, concurrent programming, and real-time and embedded systems.

Students are also required to complete advanced course sequences in computer science. Students in the BS programs in both electrical engineering and computer engineering are permitted and encouraged to take courses in the other program. Many courses, such as controls, digital signal processing, and robotics, draw heavily on skills in both areas.

Assessment

In addition to the regular national accreditation, the ECE Department employs a number of means to assess the quality of departmental programs. The primary indicator is the success of ECE graduates in obtaining professional employment. At intervals following graduation, the department keeps track of student placement. Other major tools include annual quantitative assessment of program objectives, semi-annual reviews of the curriculum and facilities by the ECE Industrial Advisory Board, interviews of undergraduate and graduate students upon completion of their programs, regular monitoring of faculty members by peers, and surveys of ECE graduates working in industry.

Requirements

Prior to entry into the upper-division classes, the student must meet the standards for entry into the Professional Engineering Program. Additional information concerning these items is given in the College of Engineering  write-up. It is the responsibility of students to be aware of these rules and procedures; however, advisor assistance is available.

Student Research Opportunities

Undergraduate students are extensively involved with research activities in the department. Electrical engineering majors and computer engineering majors have presented papers at research conferences and have won prizes. They have also designed satellites for deployment from the space shuttle. Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty members are dedicated to helping students and providing a challenging and interesting learning atmosphere. For additional information, see the Research section under Graduate Programs.

Departmental Honors

Students who would like to experience greater academic depth within their major are encouraged to enroll in departmental honors. Through original, independent work, Honors students enjoy the benefits of close supervision and mentoring, as they work one-on-one with faculty in select upper-division departmental courses. Honors students also complete a senior project, which provides another opportunity to collaborate with faculty on a problem that is significant, both personally and in the student’s discipline. Participating in departmental honors enhances students’ chances for obtaining fellowships and admission to graduate school. Minimum GPA requirements for participation in departmental honors vary by department, but usually fall within the range of 3.30-3.50. Students may enter the Honors Program at almost any stage in their academic career, including at the junior (and sometimes senior) level. The campus-wide Honors Program, which is open to all qualified students regardless of major, offers a rich array of cultural and social activities, special classes, and the benefit of Honors early registration. Interested students should contact the Honors Program, Main 15, (435) 797-2715, honors@usu.edu. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.usu.edu/honors/

Financial Support

Scholarships, assistantships, grants-in-aid, and work-study programs are available through the University. In addition, the department employs undergraduate and graduate students to assist in engineering research and development.

Concurrent BS/Master’s Program

The concurrent BS/Master’s program allows engineering students to begin taking graduate-level classes during their senior year. This permits them to complete requirements for both the BS degree and the  master’s degree concurrently in five years. Students in this program have a greater selection of graduate courses, since many graduate courses are taught during alternate years. In addition, the student’s senior design project could be a start for a graduate design project or thesis. Both the BS and the master’s degree can generally be earned with 150 total credits. The department requires that students have a minimum GPA of 3.3, both overall and during the last 60 semester credits, in order to qualify for acceptance into the concurrent BS/Master’s program. (For more information, see the College of Engineering )

Additional Information

For more information about Bachelor of Science requirements and the sequence in which courses should be taken, see the major requirement sheet, available from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, or online at: http://www.usu.edu/majorsheets/

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

See general admission requirements in the Graduate Admission  section. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from an ABET accredited program and having a 3.1 GPA or better can generally be admitted without restriction. Additional coursework in electrical and computer engineering fundamentals may be required in individual cases. Students must take the general GRE exam; however, the subject GRE is not required. All graduate students are expected to have a working knowledge of a high-level computer language (preferably C or C++).

Applications may be considered throughout the year. However, students desiring financial aid should submit application materials by January 1 to be considered for the following fall semester and July 1 to be considered for the following spring semester.

No applications will be considered until all required information arrives in the office of the School of Graduate Studies.

Degree Requirements

Specific requirements for the ME, MS, and PhD degrees are outlined in the programs section; these are in addition to the general requirements of the School of Graduate Studies.

Research

The department conducts extensive research through the following centers:

  1. Center for Self-Organizing Intelligent Systems (CSOIS)
  2. Information Dynamics Laboratory (IDL)
  3. Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL)
  4. Anderson Center for Wireless Teaching and Research
  5. Rocky Mountain NASA Space Grant
  6. Center for Advanced Imagery LADAR (CAIL)
  7. Micron Research Center
  8. CHAMP

Research activities include: robotics, control systems, digital system design, computer networks, concurrent systems, antennas, space systems, image processing, digital signal processing, wireless communications, acoustics, electromagnetic compatibility, and LADAR systems.

Financial Assistance

All applicants who are accepted academically are automatically considered for financial aid. Many successful graduate students in the department do receive some level of financial aid during their degree program.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty

Professors
Doran J. Baker, electromagnetics, infrared measurements, engineering systems in space
H. Scott Hinton, photonic switching
Todd K. Moon, communications and signal processing
Charles M. Swenson, space science and space engineering

Adjunct Professors
Heng-Da Cheng, pattern recognition, image processing
Gene A. Ware, computer systems

Trustee Professor Emeritus
Kay D. Baker, electronics, space science

Professors Emeritus
Robert W. Gunderson, control systems, pattern recognition, robotics
Ronney D. Harris, microwaves, transmission line circuits, atmospheric modeling
William L. Jones, integrated circuits
Alan W. Shaw, electromagnetics, controls, microcomputers
Allan J. Steed, electro-optics, aerospace measurement systems
Gardiner S. “Dyke” Stiles, concurrent systems
Ronald L. Thurgood, computers, database systems

Associate Professors
Scott E. Budge, signal processing, image processing
YangQuan Chen, control systems
Jacob H. Gunther, communications and signal processing
Paul A. Wheeler, microprocessors, acoustics

Research Associate Professors
Paul D. Israelsen, integrative services, digital systems design
Robert T. Pack, geological and geomatics engineering

Adjunct Associate Professors
R. Rees Fullmer, control systems, space engineering
Ronald J. Huppi, space research
John C. Kemp, robotics, electro-optics
Tsung-Cheng Shen, physics

Associate Professor Emeritus
Duane G. Chadwick, remote sensors, instrumentation

Assistant Professors
Reyhan Baktur, electromagnetics
Bedri Cetiner, microwaves, electromagnetics
Koushik Chakraborty, computer engineering
Wei Ren, controls
Sanghamitra Roy, computer engineering
Edmund Spencer, space science and engineering
Chris Winstead, analog VLSI

Principal Lecturer
Donald L. Cripps, control systems, robotics

Research Assistant Professor
Hui Fang Dou, precision instruments, mechatronics

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Patric L. Patterson, space research

Adjunct Research Assistant Professor
Randy J. Jost, electromagnetic fields, solid state, microwaves

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