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What every EE and CompE needs to know

This is a minimal list of material, in the electrical and computer engineering technical areas, that we believe is relevant for the long-term success of electrical and computer engineers. It is intended to be a MINIMAL list; that is, not what is good to know or might possibly be useful or is useful for some engineers, but knowledge that the lack of which would very likely hold our graduates back in their careers. It is a list of what EE and CompEs specializing in areas other than that specific area minimally need to know to work effectively in their own, different, specialties. (That is, what every signal processor needs to know about semiconductor devices; what a control theorist needs to know about computers; what a solid-state device engineer needs to know about signal processing, etc.)

[Topics in brackets have been proposed but not yet confirmed by the full Committee.]

Systems

Circuit and system theory

Digital signal processing

Control theory

Communication theory

Probability and statistics

Physics

Electromagnetics

Power systems

Solid-state physics and devices

Circuits

Materials (cl)

Computers

Programming

Digital hardware

Software/hardware interface

Networking

Laboratory

Professionalism and ethics

ECE facts, history, and culture

Comments

"In teaching my experimental 398 course (Intro to Speech Technology) I was truly surprised to find that about half the students had minimal or no knowledge of programming or in some cases even of basic computing. The students come from a wide set of areas -- one does power systems -- so I would expect some variation, but not the wide variation that I see. ... To me computer literacy is both essential to anyone in a technical field, and means more than just knowing how to use MS Office and a few GUI-based applications in one's own area of interest. So if I had to make one recommendation it would be that we look carefully at the computing requirements for the UG curriculum and possibly add or revise courses accordingly." (rws)

"These topics are accompanied by mathematical skills in vector algebra, line integrals, surface integrals, volume integrals, curl, divergence, gradient, Laplacians, and phasors." (btc)

From the Power area

"In [the power systems] field one could be a very successful electrical engineer in the power field and need no knowledge about transistors, diodes, and other semi-conductor devices." (TJO)

"What does a generalist in EE or in CompE look like? My personal feeling is that a generalist in EE should know basic circuits (dc, ac, transient), Maxwell's equations and their meaning and use (including basic electromechanics as well as fields and waves), key math tools including Fourier and frequency-domain methods, modulation and signal processing basics, basics of computer system structure and microcontrollers, the operation and function of typical semiconductor materials and devices, and principles of feedback." (PTK)

"Presumably a recent grad should be able to use an op-amp or D/A and A/D converter, use a simple microprocessor in an application, understand why high-speed circuits radiate noise, know why wideband modulation is important, and have some notion about what sorts of problems are easy and what sorts are hard." (PTK)

"A power system engineer can't really function if that person has not internalized the functions of a transformer or the basic field concepts of a transmission line. Personally, I think that also applies to a diode or simple rectifier." (PTK)

"I include electromechanics because it is an essential tool for helping an EE internalize Maxwell's equations. I would not leave out ECE 329 -- or ECE [430]. Maxwell's equations to an EE are like laws of thermodynamics to an ME, and we need to teach them as soon as students can handle it. Similar arguments apply to frequency-domain concepts, to computer interrupt processing, etc." (PTK)

PWS to deliver a copy of his curriculum committee document "what every EE should know" that they worked on in 1991.

"We've traded fundamentals for tech electives. This caters more to specializing (note medical specialists are paid well), which itself is not bad, but we may need to require some more fundamental courses that students are unlikely to take as electives." (PLC)

From Chang Liu

Also, I suggest our students not only need to know the n elements we listed, but also the permutative n! connections between these elements. (CL)

I recognize that "materials" does not fall under the jurisdiction of any specialized area committee - but I think it is the job of the departmental curriculum to look at things that may fall through cracks. (CL)

I also recognize that we have a very strong department and very highly sought graduates as is, by keeping the status quo. However, I think the ambition of our department should be to create leaders. (CL)

I strongly suggest that the curriculum committee chair discuss the motive for the curriculum overhaul to the general faculty at the next departmental faculty meeting and seek broader input. I hope we keep the momentum of this initiative going. (CL)

Yesterday I heard on the radio that Cisco is going to create 4000 high end R&D jobs in India. Cisco in some essence is trying to be a Chinese compny or an Indian company. Leaving the politics of job outsourcing aside, this story illustrate the fact that US can not sit comfortably assuming the high end, high paying R&D jobs will be kept in this country. Our students will be facing competition from India and China more directly. To maintain their advantage, they must be leaders and have strong fundamentals. Otherwise they would be expensive and less trained, and out of a job.
If anything, this kind of story shows that the competition is becoming global, interdisciplinary, and intense. This is a good time to talk about changing curricula. (CL) <% CreatePageFoot %>