Curricula Commonalities
B.3 Curricula Commonalities
Students desiring to study the application of computers and digital systems will find computer engineering to be a rewarding experience. Study is intensive and students desiring to develop proficiency in the subfields of computer engineering such as hardware, software, and systems that arise in the design, analysis, development, and application of computers and digital systems, will find this program to be a challenge. Applied skills will enable students to analyze, design, and test digital computer systems, architectures, networks, and processes.
Each sample curriculum leads to a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and provides a balanced treatment of hardware and software principles; each provides a broad foundation in some combination of computer science and electrical/electronic engineering of computers and digital systems with emphasis on theory, analysis, and design. Additionally, each of the first three curricula samples (Curriculum A, B, and C) provides a broad foundation in the sciences, discrete and continuous mathematics, and other aspects of a general education common in the United States of America. The remaining sample curricula (Curriculum D, E, F) illustrate typical programs in computer engineering that one might find in China, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. Two of the curricula are consistent with the Bologna Declaration, with the three-year program leading to a typical bachelor of engineering degree and the five-year program leading to a typical master’s of engineering degree.
The common requirements spread widely across a range of courses and allow revisiting the subject matter with spiral learning taking place. Each curriculum contains sufficient flexibility to support various areas of specialization. Each program structure allows a broadly based course of study and provides selection from among many professional electives. In all cases, the culminating design experience takes place after students in the program have developed sufficient depth of coverage in the core subject areas. A combination of theory, practice, application, and attitudes accompany the construction of each course.
The goal of each program is to prepare students for a professional career in computer engineering by establishing a foundation for lifelong learning and development. It also provides a platform for further work leading to graduate studies in computer engineering, as well as careers in fields such as business, law, medicine, management and others. Students develop design skills progressively, beginning with their first courses in programming, circuit analysis, digital circuits, computer architectures, and networks and they apply their accumulating knowledge to practical problems throughout the curriculum. The process culminates in the culminating design course(s), which complements the analytical part of the curriculum. The thorough preparation afforded by the computer engineering curriculum includes the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.
Graduates of each program should be well prepared for professional employment or advanced studies. They should understand the various areas of computer engineering such as applied electronics, digital devices and systems, software design, and computer architectures, systems, and networks. Graduates should be able to apply their acquired knowledge and skills to these and other areas of computer engineering. They will also possess design skills and have a deep understanding of hardware issues, software issues, models, the interactions between these issues, and related applications. The thorough preparation afforded by this computer engineering curriculum includes the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.