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2017-2018 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
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2017-2018 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

 

Michael Giesselmann, Dr.-Ing., Chairperson

Horn Professors: Jiang, Lin, Mitra, Neuber
AT&T Distinguished Professor: Neuber
Edward E. Whitacre Jr. Endowed Chair: Jiang
Linda F. Whitacre Endowed Chair: Lin
Keh-Shew Lu Regents Chair: Lie
Thornton Professor: J. Dickens
Professors: Baker, Bayne, Bernussi, Dallas, Gale, Giesselmann, Joshi, Mankowski, Nikishin, Rao, Sari-Sarraf
Associate Professors: Fan, R. He, Karp, Li, Nutter, Pal, Saed
Assistant Professors: Chong, M. He, Kim
Instructors: M. Dickens, Helm, Storrs

CONTACT INFORMATION: 224 Electrical Engineering Building, Box 43102, Lubbock, TX 79409-3102, T 806.742.3533, F 806.742.1245, www.depts.ttu.edu/ece

About the Department

This department supervises the following degree programs:

Vision. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will be the undergraduate electrical and computer engineering department of choice in Texas and will be recognized as one of the top research and graduate engineering departments in the nation.

Mission. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering educates, conducts research, and disseminates knowledge through nationally recognized programs in electrical engineering and computer engineering for the benefit of society.

Electrical Engineering BS Program Educational Objectives:

  • Graduates will have demonstrated growth in careers related to Electrical Engineering and become productive engineers.

  • Some graduates will pursue advanced degrees.

  • Graduates will engage in professional development activities to adapt to evolving technical challenges and career opportunities.

Computer Engineering BS Program Educational Objectives:

  • Graduates will have careers in computer engineering and related fields as productive engineers with potential for professional growth.

  • Some graduates will pursue advanced degrees.

  • Graduates will engage in professional development activities to adapt to evolving technical challenges and career opportunities.

Student Outcomes for Both Electrical Engineering BS and Computer Engineering BS:

  • An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
  • An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
  • An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
  • An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
  • An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
  • An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
  • An ability to communicate effectively.
  • The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
  • A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
  • A knowledge of contemporary issues.
  • An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Program Overview. The fields of electrical and computer engineering are very broad and include a number of specialty areas. To allow students to become more familiar with these areas, the programs will offer a wide range of technical specialties consistent with the breadth of electrical and computer engineering and inclusive of recent developments in the field.

Students pursuing an Electrical Engineering BS degree may gain a concentration in the following areas:

An important contribution to accomplish these objectives is the five-course sequence of stand-alone project laboratory courses. In each of the project laboratory courses, students are given a brief description of a complex, open-ended project. The students, usually working in teams, are required to design, develop, construct, and evaluate a system to satisfy the requirements for the project. Faculty advisors evaluate the project on the basis of finished products, required written reports, and oral presentations. By its very structure the project laboratory sequence gives students considerable experience in dealing with open-ended design problems. They also gain experience in working closely with others and in written and oral communication.

The material presented in the electrical and computer engineering lecture courses is incorporated into the project laboratory course sequence. The projects, however, are real-world problems that require students to go beyond the basic knowledge learned in the classroom. Through these experiences, students gain the technical maturity necessary to succeed in their chosen careers. In addition, the project laboratory courses address topics in engineering ethics and professionalism and help students develop the skills needed for life-long learning.

The result of the overall curriculum is to prepare a graduate who is sensitive to the consequences of his or her work, both ethically and professionally, for a productive professional career. A broad educational background has been incorporated into these curriculums and personalized advising plays an important role in its implementation.

Undergraduate Program

General Standards and Requirements. Admission requirements and academic standards for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are consistent with the dynamic enrollment plan for the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering. Refer to the introduction to the Whitacre College of Engineering  section of this catalog for a description of the criteria for initial admission to the Whitacre College of Engineering and the lower-division foundational curriculum. The recommended foundational curriculum for electrical engineering consists of ENGL 1301 , ENGL 1302 ; MATH 1451 , MATH 1452 ; PHYS 1408 ; ECE 1304 ; and CHEM 1307 /CHEM 1107 . The recommended foundational curriculum for computer engineering consists of ENGL 1301 , ENGL 1302 ; MATH 1451 , MATH 1452 ; PHYS 1408 , PHYS 2401 ; and ECE 1304 .

A student may apply for admission to the upper division of a degree program upon completion of the foundational curriculum and a minimum of 12 credit hours of Texas Tech coursework. The acceptance criterion is based exclusively on a cumulative GPA for coursework completed at Texas Tech. The specific GPA standard varies among the degree programs and may change from one academic year to the next as necessary to align enrollments with the educational resources. For students who entered Texas Tech prior to June 1, 2012, a minimum 2.0 GPA is required for admission to the electrical or computer engineering upper-division degree programs. Students entering Texas Tech after June 1, 2012, must have a minimum 2.5 GPA.

The academic standards required by the Whitacre College of Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are given in the introduction to the Whitacre College section of the catalog and are summarized below. Exceptions to these standards are at the discretion of the dean of the Whitacre College of Engineering.

  • A grade of C or better is required for all courses in an engineering degree plan.
  • A grade of C or better must be achieved in all prerequisites before the subsequent course may be attempted.
  • A minimum 2.5 GPA is required to maintain academic good standing and continued membership in the Whitacre College of Engineering.
  • A full-time student must achieve a C or better in 18 credit hours of coursework in the degree plan in each 10-month period.
  • An engineering course may be repeated only one time after a course drop, withdrawal, or failure to achieve a C or higher. A maximum of three engineering courses may be repeated.

The required undergraduate programs are contained in the curriculum tables shown in this section. The undergraduate curriculum gives students a broad education in electrical and computer engineering and enables them to pursue all career options in a fast-changing technical environment. In addition, students may select from a wide variety of elective courses in electrical and computer engineering and other related disciplines allowing them to specialize at the senior level. If a student wishes, specific specialization options are available, including analog VLSI, MEMS, power systems, signal processing, communication systems, electromagnetics, and digital systems.

Licensing as a Professional Engineer (PE) allows an engineer to perform engineering services for the public and to supervise the design and construction of public works. Students who wish to eventually earn a PE license should take IE 2324  and ENGR 2392  for core credit and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam while seniors. The Electrical Engineering BS  and the Computer Engineering BS  are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org, which accelerates the additional exam and experience requirements that must be met later in the engineer’s career. Further information can be found at www.tbpe.state.tx.us and www.ncees.org.

The Electrical Engineering BS offers interested students the opportunity to take up to four elective courses from other engineering departments that teach material tested by the FE. A list of these courses is maintained by the ECE department. The Computer Engineering BS is not a recommended path to PE licensing. Passing the FE exam offers one means that satisfies the final comprehensive evaluation for students seeking a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. Passing results on the FE exam are required for admission to candidacy for Ph.D. students.

Success in engineering courses is highly dependent on knowledge and skills in mathematics. It is strongly recommended that students be prepared to take calculus classes at Texas Tech. Students who are not adequately prepared for calculus, chemistry, and/or physics must take appropriate courses before enrolling in MATH 1451 , CHEM 1307 , CHEM 1107 , and/or PHYS 1408 . Students will be responsible for arranging a course of study with an advisor’s counsel and approval. Students whose high school courses include physics, chemistry, mathematics through analytical geometry, and at least two credits of a single foreign language are expected to follow the sequence of courses shown in the curriculum. However, students who lack credits in any of these areas of study in high school should consult with departmental advisors to determine a suitably adjusted first-year schedule. The exceptionally well-prepared student should consult the section of this catalog on credit by examination.

Students seeking an electrical engineering or computer engineering degree must take a minimum 18 hours at the 3000 level or above in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas Tech.

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs. Two accelerated programs are available for outstanding students wanting to earn both a BS and an M.S. degree. The degrees awarded would include (1) the Computer Engineering BS and the M.S. in Electrical Engineering (non-thesis option), or (2) the Electrical Engineering BS and the M.S. in Electrical Engineering (non-thesis option). Students interested in these programs should inform their academic advisor during the first semester of the junior year and apply when they are within 15 hours of completing their undergraduate degree. Students admitted to a combined BS/M.S. program may apply up to 6 graduate credit hours toward the BS degree requirements but only if they choose the non-thesis option. Each master’s degree must have at least 30 hours of graduate coursework beyond the BSdegree.

Graduate Program

For information on graduate programs offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, visit the Graduate Programs  section of the catalog.

Undergaduate Program Offerings, Course Descriptions & Curricular Tables

(Click on program for curricular table.)

Programs

    Bachelor’sUndergraduate MinorUndergraduate Certificate

    Courses

      ECE - Electrical and Computer Engineering (Undergraduate Courses)