Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 University Catalog 
    
2018-2019 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Computer Engineering, BSCMPE


About the Program

The Computer Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Electrical and Computer engineering encompasses all areas of research, development, design, and operation of electrical and electronic systems and their components, including software. Emphasis in such varied areas as bioengineering, circuit theory, communication sciences, computers and automata, control systems, electromagnetic fields, energy sources and systems, and materials and electronic devices is available. Two degree programs are offered by the School: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCmpE).

Engineers in both fields must have a strong background in mathematics and physics, a broad base in the humanities, and a command of the English language in order to provide the scope of knowledge essential for optimum professional growth. The curriculum offered by the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering meets these objectives.

Graduates from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering are sought after by all major industries. Electrical engineers hold many unusual and challenging positions in the aerospace, chemical, nuclear, automotive, medical, metallurgical, textile, railway, petroleum, and other basically non-electrical industries, as well as in computers, electronics, communications, power, and other electrical industries. Their professional roles span industrial activity, research, development, design, production, marketing, operation, field testing, and maintenance of many types of equipment for government, industry, farm, and home.

Two degree programs are offered by the school:

Electrical Engineering encompasses the development, design, research, and operation of electrical and electronic systems and components. Disciplines include VLSI and circuit design, communication and signal processing, computer engineering, automatic control, fields and optics, energy sources and systems, and microelectronics and nanotechnology.

Computer Engineering is a specialization within electrical and computer engineering offering an in-depth education in both hardware and software aspects of modern computer systems.

Electrical and Computer Engineering provides students with a versatile education that will prove valuable looking toward a professional future.  Along with problem-solving and design skills, students develop a strong foundation in math, science, and core electrical/computer engineering fundamentals.  This skillset prepares them for research and development positions in industry, management, sales, teaching, medical school, and law school.

At Birck Nanotechnology Center, engineers and scientists conduct research in emerging fields where new materials and tiny structures are built atom by atom or molecule by molecule.

Degree Requirements


125 Credits Required

Required Major Courses (49 credits)


An overall 2.000 cumulative GPA or better in these courses is required. Some courses have minimum grade requirements for prerequisites.

Senior Design Requirement - Choose One Option (3-4 credits)


The CmpE Core Requirements listed above must be completed before taking Senior Design.

Option 4 (4 credits):


Must be taken in each of 2 consecutive semesters.

Other Department/Program Course Requirements (76 credits)


General Engineering Requirement (10 or 14 credits)


Choose One Introductory Engineering Option and One Engineering Breadth Selective.

Introductory Engineering - Choose One Option (7 or 11 credits)


Mathematics Requirement - Choose One Option (21-24 credits)


ECE General Education Requirement (24 credits)


While a comprehensive understanding of science and mathematics is central and foundational to effective engineering practice, real-world engineering problems are both complex and situated within dynamic social, political, and cultural contexts. Therefore, well-rounded engineering curricula must also include courses that encompass the breadth of human experience and culture, both past and present. Such courses may include, but are not limited to, those that explore individual behavior, social and political structures, aesthetic values, modes and dynamics of communication, philosophical and ethical thought, and cognitive processes. These types of courses provide engineering students with a framework for rational inquiry, critical evaluation, and judgment when dealing with issues that are non-quantifiable, ambiguous, and/or controversial. In addition, they offer engineering students the opportunity to develop interests and insights that will deepen their appreciation for the diversity of the world in which they live and work.

Based on these premises, the goals of the ECE General Education Program are to

  • Provide the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
  • Support and complement the technical content of the engineering curricula through coursework that emphasizes such skills as written communication, oral communication, information literacy, cultural awareness, leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and managing change.

These goals are consistent with the objectives of the College of Engineering’s Engineer of 2020 initiative (Engineering Faculty Document 15-06), as well as the objectives of Purdue University’s Undergraduate Outcomes-Based Curriculum (University Senate Document 11-7).

To these ends, all B.S. students in Electrical and Computer Engineering are required to complete the ECE General Education Program described below. This program is consistent with the College of Engineering General Education Program (Engineering Faculty Documents 43-13 and 39-14).

Foundational General Education Electives


Students must select from the list of courses approved by the University Curriculum Council (UCC) to satisfy each of the following six Foundational Learning Outcomes of the University Core Requirements (click here ) - the Science and Quantitative Reasoning Foundational Outcomes are satisfied elsewhere in the BSCMPE curriculum. Some courses may have been approved to meet more than one of the Foundational Learning Outcomes, so fewer than six courses can be used to fulfill this condition. There is no minimum number of credit hours needed to satisfy this component of the College of Engineering General Education Program. If a course taken to fulfill some other EE/CMPE degree requirement has also been approved as satisfying one or more of these Engineering Foundational Learning Outcomes, then those Engineering Foundational Learning Outcomes need not be satisfied again within the ECE General Education Program. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in courses used to satisfy this component of the ECE General Education Program. The pertinent Foundational Learning Outcomes are defined as follows:

  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Information Literacy
  • Human Cultures: Humanities
  • Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science
  • Science, Technology & Society

ECE General Education Electives


Students must take additional approved courses to reach the minimum requirement of 24 credit hours. Other courses, as approved by the ECE Curriculum Committee, may also be selected. See Additional Degree Requirements below to see the list of approved courses.

Advanced Level General Education Requirement


At least 6 of the 24 credit hours needed to satisfy the ECE General Education Requirement must come from courses at the 30000-level or above, or from courses with a required prerequisite in the same department.

Educational Diversity Requirement


At least 12 credit hours of the 24 credit hours needed to satisfy the ECE General Education Requirement must be taken from the College of Liberal Arts, the Krannert School of Management, and/or the Honors College - provided such courses are not focused primarily on engineering, technology, the natural sciences, or mathematics. The subject areas associated with these colleges and school are:

  • College of Liberal Arts: AAS, AD, AMST, ANTH, ARAB, ASL, CHNS, CLCS, CMPL, COM, DANC, ENGL, FR, GER, GREK, HEBR, HIST, IDIS, ITAL, JPNS, JWST, LATN, LC, LING, MARS, MUS, PHIL, POL, PTGS, REL, RUSS, SOC, SPAN, THTR, WGSS
  • Krannert School of Management: ECON, ENTR, MGMT
  • Honors College: HONR

Complementary Electives (up to 6 credits)


Choose additional coursework to bring total credits to the minimum 125 required for the BSCMPE degree. Students should carefully select these courses to complement their personal interests and their academic record.

All courses, except those specifically excluded by the ECE Curriculum Committee, may be used as Complementary Electives (See Additional Degree Requirements below to view list).

University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning

For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.


 

Program Requirements


The following is an example of a 4-year plan that satisfies the BSCMPE degree requirements.

16 Credits


16 Credits


15 Credits


16 Credits


15 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


16 Credits


Fall 4th Year


  • ECE General Educational Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • ECE General Educational Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Complementary Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Computer Engineering Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

16 Credits


Spring 4th Year


  • Computer Engineering Elective - Credit Hours: 6.00
  • Engineering Breadth Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • ECE General Education Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Complementary Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Notes


  • An overall GPA of 2.0 or higher in the Required Major Courses is required.
  • All 30000-level and above courses applied towards the Required Major Courses must be completed at the Purdue West Lafayette campus.
  • The pass/no pass (P/N) grade option, if available, may be used for courses taken to satisfy the ECE General Education and Complementary Elective Requirements. The P/N grade option cannot be used for courses applied towards the Required Major Courses, General Engineering Requirement, Mathematics Requirement, and the Science Requirement (unless P/N is the only allowed grade option for that course).

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical. A Critical Course is one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.