James J. Sluss, Jr., Director
218 Carson Engineering Center
Norman, OK 73019-1023
Phone: (405) 325-4721
FAX: (405) 325-7066
Internet: http://ece.ou.edu
E-mail: ece@ou.edu
Professors Crain, Cruz, V. DeBrunner, L. DeBrunner, El-Ibiary, Fagan, F. Lee, S. C. Lee, Liu, McCann, Runolffson, Shi, Sluss, Verma; Associate Professors Commuri, Havlicek, Kartalopoulos, Tull; Assistant Professors Ibrahim, Refai, Yeary, Yu; Lecturer LaSpisa; Adjunct Professors Doviak, Palmer, Torres, Zrnic, and participating faculty from other departments; Emeritus Professors Breipohl, Cheung, Crane, Cronenwett, Kuriger, Zelby.
The mission of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to provide a high-quality educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students. Objectives to support this are to offer innovative curricula which prepare the students for successful careers, to broaden the learning experience through the use of technology in the classroom, to provide perspective to knowledge by integrating faculty research into the classroom, and to relate knowledge to contemporary problems with Laboratory experiences. The products of this experience are engineers who are able to think creatively, to advance their knowledge of technology, and to contribute to the creation of economic growth.
The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) was renamed in June of 1996. This change accompanied the introduction of the first degree program in Computer Engineering in the state of Oklahoma. This change continues a tradition of technological leadership demonstrated by the School since its inception in 1906 at the University of Oklahoma. Historical highlights of the School include:
1906: Moved from Applied Science to College of Engineering;
1972: Computer Science combined into the School;
1992: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science became separate Schools within the College of Engineering; and
1996: Curriculum reorganized to support both Electrical and Computer Engineering degrees.
The faculty of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is committed to excellence in teaching, quality research in selected areas of leading edge technology, and the professional development of students.
Having Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering in a single School offers the student an exciting combination of technologies with which to meet the design problems of the twenty-first century and an opportunity to develop hands-on skills at the device and system levels. Each degree is based on class offerings from both specialties within ECE, augmented by classes from the School of Computer Science and the Department of Engineering. With this balance, the student is prepared to handle both hardware and software design and analysis topics. Engineering research and career applications include bioengineering, communications, computer architecture, solid state devices and materials, electric power and radio frequency systems, image and signal processing, instrumentation and control systems, and linear and digital electronics. The School participates with other Colleges to develop advanced degrees specializing in electric energy management, bioengineering and telecommunications systems technologies.
ECE students who qualify may choose to participate in the University’s Honors College. This program affords unusual opportunities for intellectual and professional development under the tutelage of professors selected by the student.
The School offers the opportunity to become involved in undergraduate research. Students who qualify and are interested in participating in ongoing research programs may do so through special project courses, summer employment on a research grant or part-time employment during the academic year. This is especially encouraged for students interested in our five-year MS programs.
ECE students participate in design courses which culminate in an industry sponsored, Senior Project. This capstone course provides an opportunity to experience the complete engineering design process under the performance, schedule and cost constraints required for a product to survive in the engineering environment.
Students may participate in many professional activities and organizations including student chapters of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Each year students are selected to participate in regional and national professional contests. The school has an active chapter of the electrical engineering honor society, Eta Kappa Nu (HKN), which selects its members from the upper quarter of the junior class and the upper third of the senior class.
Graduate students have an opportunity to select a research topic in one of the many exciting research programs being pursued by our faculty. In many cases, these research programs have funding to support the student participants during the period of their thesis studies. While research activities and projects change rapidly, a brief survey of our current research activities is included here to illustrate our many programs of excellence for graduate students.
ECE faculty are currently engaged in research in a number of areas of technology critical to advancement of knowledge and commerce in the US and the State of Oklahoma.
ECE is aggressive in selection of well-rounded students who have demonstrated ability to succeed in academic pursuits. Students declaring Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering majors will be admitted to the program essentially at the end of their sophomore year. Qualification for entry is established by making application that shows completion of a set of eight required, undergraduate courses in math and sciences and achievement of an overall and OU grade point average of 2.80 or better. Successful applicants may then begin taking upper division (3000- and 4000-level) ECE courses. Transfer students must enter with a 3.0 GPA and successfully pass 12 hours of curriculum required coursework with a 2.80 GPA before full admission to the program. Exact details of this plan are available on our website at ece.ou.edu.
Excellent facilities are available for advanced studies in digital systems, power systems, digital signal processing, intelligent transportation systems, alternate energy, GPS, weather radar and instrumentation, communication, opto-electronics and solid state electronics. The School operates and maintains a variety of computers, a microprocessor lab, a power systems simulator lab, a digital signal processing lab and other instructional and research laboratories. The facilities are used to provide “hands-on” experience for students. The Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
The facilities support advanced research and teaching in medical imaging and biomedical optics. One laboratory is located in Carson Engineering Center that contains state-of-the-art equipment, such as X-ray sources; custom developed CCD and other electronic detector systems, and computing resources. Another laboratory is located in the OU Medical Center to foster collaboration with clinicians. The equipment includes digital x-ray imaging systems, digital fluorescent imaging systems, optical tables, and lasers.
Research lab to support artificial intelligence, expert system, artificial neural networks and soft computing (fuzzy logic and genetic algorithm) investigations. This lab is set up on the North Campus. It is designed to aid research in the areas of controls, sensors, embedded systems, and algorithms. The lab is built on 1,400 sq. ft. using state-of-the-art flexible automation cells donated by Nokia Mobile Phones.
A research lab focused on communications signal processing and coding for data transmission and storage.
An upper-division teaching laboratory and graduate research labs. Developments and experimentation with microprocessor control circuits, memory, and I/O functions extend the understanding of the capabilities and flexibility of this technology. A full range of PC based development platforms and instrumentation is available at each two-person team workstation. Research labs provide workstation support for hardware design languages and programmable logic implementation. This lab features teamwork areas to support capstone industry-sponsored projects.
A research laboratory focused on DSP research issues in multimedia systems and telecommunications: representation, recognition, compression, and enhancement.
A research laboratory equipped to grow and characterize narrow band gap semiconductor materials, fabricate mid-infrared optoelectronic devices, and perform real-time in situ measurements of semiconductor manufacturing procedures. Laboratory facilities include molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) growth systems, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and mid-IR laser spectrometers, and a variety of computer controlled cryogenic test stations.
A multi-use state-of-the-art teaching laboratory for digital signal and image processing and distributed and parallel computing. Students design and implement multimedia and communications software using multiple DSP microprocessors and PC hosts.
The school annually awards many scholarships to students with superior records to help defray the cost of their education. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and need. Awards range from $200 to $2,500 per year. Scholarship applications can be obtained by writing to the Undergraduate Coordinator of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, calling (405) 325-4721, e-mail ece@ou.edu, or by visiting the ECE web page at ece.ou.edu and click on the Scholarship link under undergraduate programs.
The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering works closely with Career Services to develop opportunities for internships and for cooperative education (Co-Op) programs. Internships with industries throughout the central U.S. are available to qualified students sophomore through senior level. Co-Op activities allow students to alternate working semesters with scholastic semesters throughout their upper-division tenure.
Financial assistance to qualified graduate students is available from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and from other sources. The School awards fellowships, graduate teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. Students desiring financial assistance are encouraged to contact the Graduate Program Assistant of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and complete an application. Requests can be sent by e-mail to: ece@ou.edu.
Awards range from $7,730 to $16,000 per year for half-time (20 hours per week) appointments. Half-time research and teaching assistantships include waiver of out-of-state tuition and waiver of six hours of in-state tuition. Students must enroll in six credit hours per semester to qualify.
Students enrolled in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) are offered a choice of Bachelors of Science degrees in computer engineering (CpE) and electrical engineering (EE). Qualified CpE students may chose accelerated program tracks leading to an MSECE or MS in Computer Science. Accelerated program students complete their MS degrees with an accumulated 12 credit hours less than normally required to obtain both degrees. Curricula are designed to give a thorough understanding of the physical principals, the design process and the current technology in the student’s chosen discipline. Electrical engineering (EE) conventionally specializes in communications, electric power systems, microwave and rf systems, solid state electronic devices and electronics. Computer engineering (CpE) specialties include instrumentation and control systems, digital signal and image processing, and advanced computer architecture. Students are offered professional courses intended to broaden the understanding of the non-technical considerations of a successful engineering design. The objective of the programs is to prepare the student to make valuable job contributions immediately upon graduation.
Electrical and Computer Engineering professions have many facets. An extremely wide range of interesting and satisfying careers is presented to the well-qualified graduate. Some of the fields opened by this background lead to research, management, sales, and manufacturing development. Technical areas include the design, manufacture and utilization of computers, power systems, communications, automatic control systems, electronics, semiconductor devices, quantum electronics, microwave systems, instrumentation, digital signal and image processing, system instrumentation and biomedical electronics.
(Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012; telephone (410) 347-7700.)
The Program Objectives of the School are to produce engineering graduates:
The School has selected five specific Academic Outcomes that provide overarching guidance to curriculum decisions - to produce graduates that:
This program requires a minimum of 126 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (combined and at OU, in the major, curriculum and overall). For detailed semester by semester curriculum requirements, please consult: http://checksheets.ou.edu/engrindx.htm.
The lower-division (1000- and 2000-level courses) requirements of 75 hours are to be met as follows:
1. Communication: six hours. ENGL 1113 and ENGL 1213 or EXPO 1213.
2. Foreign Language: 0-10 hours. Two years in high school or two consecutive semesters (6-10 hours) of foreign language. (College level foreign language does not count toward the curricular hours required for the engineering degree.)
3. Social Science: six hours. P SC 1113; three hours of General Education Social Science electives.*
4. Humanities: 12 hours. HIST 1483 or 1493; one course each of the following General Education fields: Understanding Artistic Forms, Western Civilization and Culture; and Non-Western Culture.*
5. Science and Math: 25 hours. CHEM 1315; MATH 1823, 2423, 2433, 2443; PHYS 2514, 2524.
6. Core Engineering: three hours. ENGR 1410, 1420, 2003.
7. Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: 10 hours. ECE 2214, 2713, 2723.
8. Computer Science courses: 13 hours. CS 1323, 2334, 2413, 2813.
*Three of the 12 General Education elective hours (one course each from Social Science, Artistic Forms, Western Civilization, and Non-Western Culture) must be at the upper-division level (3000-4000).
Upper division course hours will comprise 51 hours, but elective requirements will vary for those selecting a terminal BS CpE degree or one of the two accelerated BS/MS degree program options.
A. Leading to BS in Computer Engineering:
The upper division (3000- and 4000-level courses) requirements of 51 hours are to be met as follows:
1. Core Engineering: three hours. I E 3293.
2. Math: six hours. MATH 3113, 3333.
3. Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: 27 hours. ECE 3223, 3723, 3773, 3793, 3813, 3873, 4273, 4613, 4773.
4. ECE/CS 3000-4000-level electives: six hours selected from a list available in the ECE office.
5. ECE/CS 4000- or higher level electives: six hours selected from a list available in the ECE office.
6. Professional electives: three hours.
B. Leading to a BS in Computer Engineering and an MS in electrical and computer engineering:
The upper division (3000- and 4000-level courses and graduate G4000- 5000-level) course requirements of 51 hours are to be met as follows:
1. Core Engineering: three hours. I E 3293.
2. Math: six hours. MATH 3113, 3333.
3. Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: 27 hours. ECE 3223, 3723, 3773, 3793, 3813, 3873, 4273, 4613, 4773.
4. ECE/CS G3000-4000-level electives: three hours selected from a list available in the ECE office.
5. ECE/CS G4000-5000-level electives: six hours selected from a list available in the ECE office.
6. ECE/CS 5000- or higher level electives: three hours selected from a list available in the ECE office.
7. Professional Electives: three hours.
C. Leading to a BS in Computer Engineering and an MS in computer science:
The upper division (3000- and 4000-level courses and graduate G4000- 5000-level) course requirements of 51 hours are to be met as follows:
1. Core Engineering: three hours. I E 3293.
2. Math: six hours. MATH 3113, 3333.
3. Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: 27 hours. ECE 3223, 3723, 3773, 3793, 3813, 3873, 4273, 4613, 4773.
4. ECE/CS G4000-5000-level electives: three hours selected from a list available in the ECE office.
5. Computer Science courses: nine hours. CS 3113, 3823, 4413.
6. CS G4000-5000: three hours Applications Elective selected from list in ECE office.
All College of Engineering students are required to make a minimum grade of C in each course presented for the degree. Also, students must make a C in each prerequisite course before progressing to the next course(s).
(Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012; telephone (410) 347-7700.)
The Program Objectives of the School are to produce engineering graduates:
The School has selected five specific Academic Outcomes that provide overarching guidance to curriculum decisions, to produce graduates that:
This program requires a minimum of 125 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (combined and at OU, in the major, curriculum and overall). For detailed semester by semester curriculum requirements, please consult: http://checksheets.ou.edu/engrindx.htm.
The lower-division (1000- and 2000-level courses) requirements of 65 hours are to be met as follows:
1. Communication: six hours. ENGL 1113 and ENGL 1213 or EXPO 1213.
2. Foreign Language: 0-10 hours. Two years in high school or two consecutive semesters (6-10 hours) of foreign language. (College level foreign language does not count toward the curricular hours required for the engineering degree.)
3. Social Science: six hours. P SC 1113; three hours of General Education Social Science electives.*
4. Humanities: 12 hours. HIST 1483 or 1493; one course each of the following General Education fields: Understanding Artistic Forms, Western Civilization and Culture; and Non-Western Culture.*
5. Science and Math: 25 hours. CHEM 1315; MATH 1823, 2423, 2433, 2443; PHYS 2514, 2524.
6. Core Engineering: three hours. ENGR 1410, 1420, 2003.
7. Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: 10 hours. ECE 2214, 2713, 2723.
8. Computer Science courses: three hours. CS 1313.
*Three of the 12 General Education elective hours (one course each from Social Science, Artistic Forms, Western Civilization, and Non-Western Culture) must be at the upper-division level (3000-4000).
The upper division (3000- and 4000-level courses) requirements of 60 hours are to be met as follows:
1. Core Engineering: three hours. I E 3293.
2. Math and Science: nine hours. MATH 3113, 3333; PHYS 3223.
3. Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: 33 hours. ECE 3113, 3223, 3323, 3613, 3723, 3773, 3793, 3813, 3873, 4273, 4773.
4. ECE electives: 12 hours (no more than three hours of 3000-level) selected from a list available in the ECE office.
5. Professional electives: three hours.
All College of Engineering students are required to make a minimum grade of C in each course presented for the degree. Also, students must make a C in each prerequisite course before progressing to the next course(s).
The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) offers a Masters and a Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE and PhDECE). We also offer a Masters Degree in Telecommunications Systems (MS T-Comm), principally from our Tulsa campus. Current research activities in electrical and computer engineering span a variety of areas of specialization as well as a variety of interdisciplinary subjects. The research activities were detailed in earlier paragraphs of this Section.
In addition to meeting the general requirements of the Graduate College, prospective students are expected to have previously earned a B.S. degree or its equivalent in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering. Students with baccalaureate degrees in other engineering disciplines, physical sciences or mathematics who meet the Graduate College requirements may be admitted to the graduate program with the stipulation that specified undergraduate courses must be satisfactorily completed to correct deficiencies in their background. GRE General Examination scores are required. Most students accepted have a combined analytical and quantitative score of 1250 or greater. Three letters of recommendation are required which evaluate the candidate’s potential for success as a graduate student.
Specific questions concerning the programs or admission requirements may be addressed to the Graduate Liaison, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 202 W. Boyd St., Room 219, Norman, OK 73019-1023. Prospective students are encouraged to visit the School. The School’s Internet web site is http://ece.ou.edu. Inquiries concerning graduate applications should be directed to the graduate program assistant (405) 325-4721 or in care of ecegrad@ou.edu.
Master of Science ECE degree candidates may choose to pursue the degree with either a thesis or one of two non-thesis option. Any option may be used to enter the Ph.D. program.
The MSECE thesis option in electrical and computer engineering requires a minimum of one year of full-time study. The total number of required credits is 30 semester hours. At least 12 credit hours must be ECE or C S; however 12 credit hours (not including thesis) must be in 5000-level or higher ECE coursework. Three credit hours must be taken in mathematics or physics, and at least nine credit hours must be technical electives. Graduate credit will not be allowed for any courses that are numbered below 4000 or are part of the required undergraduate electrical or computer engineering curriculum. A maximum of 12 hours of 4000-level graduate credit courses are allowed. Enrollment in six credit hours of ECE 5980, Thesis Research, is required, and the student must write a thesis and successfully defend it before an examining committee.
The MSECE non-thesis option has two tracks. Both require a minimum of 33 semester hours of coursework and at least 12 hours must be 5000-level or higher ECE coursework. The General Track requires a minimum of 18 credit hours in ECE or C S courses, subject to limitations specified above. The M.S. General Track also requires at least 12 credit hours in technical electives and the M.S. Comprehensive examination required by the Graduate College. The remaining requirements, except for Thesis Research, ECE 5980, are the same as for the thesis option. The MSECE Industrial Internship Track requires at least 15 hours in ECE or C S coursework, at least three credit hours in math or physics, and ECE 5883, Professional Project, for which a report and an oral examination will be required. Other restrictions apply as specified above.
An MSECE concentration in Electrical Energy Production and Risk Management combining electrical and computer engineering and finance, conforms to the non-thesis General Track. Twelve credit hours must be in electrical energy (power) with nine credit hours in finance courses, eight credit hours in electrical and computer engineering courses, and three credit hours in the field of mathematics or physics. Enrollment in internship hours (which counts toward the electrical energy requirement) is also required and the student must submit a written report upon completion of each internship (a maximum of two internships is allowed).
Students should consult the ECE Graduate Handbook for specific degree requirements.
The MS TCOM degree is a thesis or project based program with focus in Telecommunications Engineering. The MS TCOM may be used as an entry to the Ph.D. electrical and computer engineering program.
The MS TCOM requires 32 semester credit hours. These include 11 hours of core coursework and a master's thesis or a comprehensive project. Details of this program are available at http://tcom.ou.edu.
The total number of credits required to complete the Ph.D. is 90 semester hours beyond the B.S. degree. This normally includes 30 credit hours for a doctoral dissertation. Students are allowed to transfer up to 44 credits (in accordance with the Graduate Bulletin) from a master’s degree toward the 90 hours required.
Specific requirements for the Ph.D. are set by each student’s doctoral committee in conformance with the current rules of the Graduate College. A qualifying examination is required of all students.
Successful completion of a General Examination, consisting of both written and oral parts, is required before preparation of the dissertation. The General Exam focuses on the dissertation proposal but may also include examination over other topics the student’s committee deems to be appropriate. The main intent of the exam is to evaluate the student’s total preparation for conducting research and successfully completing a dissertation.
Students should consult the ECE Graduate Handbook for specific degree requirements.
September 2006