Undergraduate Program

Baccalaureate Programs

Director of Undergraduate Studies
Professor Gregory L. Heileman

Introduction

The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department’s vision demonstrates its long-standing commitment to provide excellent, “world class” quality undergraduate and graduate programs in a vibrant academic environment. In doing this, we serve our varied constituents: our students; local, national and international industry; the federal research laboratories; local, national, and international graduate and professional schools; the state of New Mexico; and our alumni.

The ECE department offers two undergraduate degree programs, one in electrical engineering and one in computer engineering. The technology in both these fields changes very rapidly. For this reason the curriculum in both programs stresses fundamental concepts as well as current application methods. Students are advised to get the latest Advisement Brochure for either program for changes made after this catalog is printed.

Admission to Baccalaureate Programs

Students must be admitted for study at the University of New Mexico and must have completed approximately one year of the appropriate freshman year subjects before applications can be processed for admission to the Baccalaureate Programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Approval from the ECE department is required. Applicants must consult the appropriate departmental advisor for evaluation of academic work before admission can be completed.

The criteria for admission to Baccalaureate Programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering are specified in detail in the ECE Department Undergraduate Handbook, which may be obtained from www.ece.unm.edu. There are 18 semester hours of freshman year technical subjects required by the School of Engineering for admission and a minimum grade point average of 2.50 in those courses is required for admission to undergraduate study in either Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering. A total of 26 semester hours applicable to a degree is required for admission with a grade point average of at least 2.20. All applicants must have completed ENGL 101 or its equivalent before admission. All courses required in a Baccalaureate degree program in the ECE Department must have grades of C or better for satisfying both admission and graduation requirements.

Policy on Passing Grades

Students admitted or readmitted to the Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering degree programs may not apply a course toward the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering if the grade earned in the course is not a C or better, regardless of where that grade was earned. In order to fulfill the requirements for the UNM Core Curriculum, which went into effect in the Fall of 1999, students must have a C or better on specific UNM core classes.

Course Prerequisites

No one may enroll in an undergraduate course in the ECE Department without first earning a grade of C or better in all prerequisites for the course.

Residence Policy

Students admitted to a B.S. degree program in the ECE Department must complete a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of work applicable to the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering after admission to the program.

Courses Numbered 300 or Above
(8-Hour Rule)

The policy on courses numbered 300 or above is defined by the School of Engineering policy in this catalog. This policy is commonly referred to as the 8-Hour Rule. Briefly, this policy states that a student may not enroll in courses in the junior year of the curriculum (300-level or above) unless the student is within 8 credit hours of meeting all requirements of the first two years and is enrolled in the remaining courses to satisfy those requirements, with the exception of MATH 314, 316 and CE 304.

ECE courses numbered 300 through 499 are designed primarily for B.S. majors in the ECE Department; courses numbered 500 and above are designed primarily for M.S. and Ph.D. students in the ECE department. Therefore, students who have not been admitted to one of the degree programs in the ECE department may take a maximum of four ECE courses numbered 300 or above. This restriction will not apply to students who are taking an approved minor in the ECE department or who are enrolled in an approved dual degree program. Non-degree students who already have a B.S. or M.S. degree and are making up deficiencies for entrance into the ECE graduate program or are engaged in continuing education will be given special consideration, but are expected to obtain advising from the ECE Graduate Director each semester.

Minor Studies Requirements

Minors in Electrical and Computer Engineering are offered to students majoring in Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science.

For a minor in Electrical Engineering, Physics and Mathematics students must take 203, 213, 206L, 238L, 314, 321L and one of 340, 360, 371 and 445.
For a minor in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science students must take 203, 206L, 213, 314, 321L and two of 322L, 340, 360, 371 and 445.
For a minor in Computer Engineering, Physics and Mathematics students must take 203, 213, 238L, 331, 337 and 344L.
For a minor in Computer Engineering, Computer Science students must take 203, 206L, 213, 321L, 322L, 338 and 438.

Substitutions for the above required courses may be made with the approval of the designated ECE advisor for the appropriate minor.

Additional Information

Advisement

Students are required to consult a departmental undergraduate faculty advisor and obtain approval for registration each semester. At this time, faculty advisors review the program requirements, including scholarship, course requirements, prerequisites and progress toward degree goals. A computer hold on the student’s academic record is removed only after this advisement. The department has an Undergraduate Academic Advisor who is available to answer questions students have concerning the undergraduate programs, and to assist students in arranging for consultation with faculty advisors.

Engineering Design

Design is at the heart of engineering. Thus, design is integrated throughout the courses offered in the two ECE undergraduate programs, beginning with the very first courses, and culminating in a year-long team-based senior design project. Specifically, in ECE 419 and 420, students from the computer and electrical engineering programs work together in order to create specifications for designing, managing and building a high technology product.

Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering has been and continues to be a very dynamic field that provides exciting and excellent career opportunities. Electrical engineers use mathematics, physics and other sciences, together with computers, electronic instrumentation and other tools to create a wide range of systems such as integrated circuits, telecommunication networks, wireless personal communication systems, diagnostic medical equipment, robots, radar systems and electrical power distribution networks. Their involvement has changed the way we live and work.

The continuous need to improve and discover new systems makes the electrical engineering profession more sought after than ever before. The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering is the first degree offered at the University of New Mexico and provides the student with the necessary skills to compete in such a rapidly changing discipline.

Program Educational Objectives
Electrical Engineering Degree

The principal goal of this program is to provide students with the fundamentals of electrical engineering, thereby providing an excellent base for a successful engineering career. This includes building a sufficient knowledge and analytical capability so that the graduates can continue to expand their knowledge as their fields of interest and the scope of electrical engineering changes. Our core courses are intended to provide a broad base so that those who terminate their formal education with the Bachelor’s degree can continue to grow. Likewise, the base provides insight into fields that students may choose to study at the graduate level. This goal is met by a curriculum in which there is a progression in course work and in which fundamental knowledge of earlier years is applied in later engineering courses.

The educational objectives of the electrical engineering program are to educate students to become resourceful practitioners of engineering who:

Are capable of utilizing their engineering skills in industry, nonprofit organizations, and national laboratories, or in pursuit of graduate education;
Are knowledgeable of the professional responsibilities and social context associated with being an engineer; can work in teams and effectively communicate the results of their work;
Will develop their knowledge and skills throughout their careers; and,
Function well in a diverse environment.

Scholarships

In addition to the scholarships available through the University of New Mexico and the School of Engineering, the ECE department has scholarships available for highly qualified students.

Curriculum in Electrical Engineering

The Bachelor of Science Program in Electrical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Hours required for graduation: 132

First Year	First Semester	Cr. Hrs.
MATH 162	Calculus I	4
ECE 101	Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering	1
PHYC 160	General Physics	3
ECE 131	Programming Fundamentals	3
ENGL 101	Composition I: Exposition	3
	Core Elective (1)	3
		17
	Second Semester
MATH 163	Calculus II	4
ECE 231	Intermediate Programming and Engineering Problem Solving	3
CHEM 121	General Chemistry I	3
CHEM 123L	General Chemistry I Lab	1
PHYC 161	General Physics	3
PHYC 161L	General Physics Lab	1
ENGL 102	Composition II: Analysis and Argument	3
		18
Second Year	First Semester
ECE 203	Circuit Analysis I	3
ECE 238L	Computer Logic Design	4
MATH 264	Calculus III	4
MATH 316	Applied Ordinary Differential Equations	3
CE 304	Engineering Mechanics	4
		18
	Second Semester
ECE 206L	Instrumentation	2
ECE 213	Circuit Analysis II	3
PHYC 262	General Physics	3
ENGL 219	Technical and Professional Writing	3
MATH 314	Linear Algebra with Applications	3
		14
Third Year	First Semester
ECE 314	Signals and Systems	3
ECE 321L	Electronics I	4
ECE 344L	Microprocessors	4
ECE 371	Materials and Devices	4
	Core Elective (1)	3
		18
	Second Semester
ECE 322L	Electronics II	4
ECE 340	Probabilistic Methods in Electrical Engineering	3
ECE 360	Electromagnetic Fields and Waves	3
	Core Elective (1)	3
	Focus Elective	3
		16
Fourth Year	First Semester (3)
ME/CE 350	Engineering Economy	3
ECE 419	Senior Design I	3
ECE 445	Introduction to Control Systems	3
	Core Elective (1)	3
	Focus Electives (4)	3
		15
	Second Semester
ECE 420	Senior Design II	3
ECE 441	Introduction to Communication Systems	3
	Tech Elective (2)	3
	Core Elective (1)	3
	Core Elective (1)	3
		15

Notes:

See Electrical Engineering Advisement Brochure for list of approved UNM core electives.
Technical electives must be approved in writing by the ECE department and 300, 400 and 500 level ECE courses. Technical electives may be a 300, 400 or 500 level course in Math (except MATH 345, 441, or 461), Physics, Computer Science, or another in the engineering department.
Students are encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination during their senior year. This is in preparation for professional registration examination.
See Electrical Engineering Advisement Brochure for a list of approved focus electives.
No grades below a C are allowed in the Electrical Engineering Program.

Computer Engineering

Computer Engineering is an exciting, rapidly growing and changing field with high-paying jobs in industry, government and education. Computers pervade society, from microprocessors in electronic devices, to personal computers, laptops and workstations, to large parallel and distributed computers for solving complex problems. Computer engineers design computers and computer systems and write software for a wide variety of applications. Some specific areas are robotics, spacecraft and space applications, medical applications, navigation systems, information systems, entertainment systems, virtual reality, telecommunications, computer networks, computer graphics, the World Wide Web, embedded systems and digital systems in general.

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering is intended to prepare students for work in industry as well as for graduate school. The ECE Department offers both M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs in Computer Engineering.

Program Educational Objectives
Computer Engineering Degree

Computer engineering degree programs vary from institution to institution, so it is important to understand the goals of this program. One important goal of the program is to integrate computer hardware (design), computer software (programming) and electrical engineering into a broad and cohesive program within the framework of an engineering degree. This goal includes providing a core set of courses which lays a firm foundation for specialization in all significant areas of Computer Engineering. Other goals are: 1) to stress fundamental and advanced principles to prepare the student to become a practicing engineer, obtain an advanced degree or engage in continuing education; 2) to provide opportunities for specialization and for hands-on experience through laboratories at all levels; 3) to maintain modern and up-to-date laboratories; and 4) to take advantage of resources within electrical engineering and computer science.

The educational objectives of the electrical engineering program are to educate students to become resourceful practitioners of engineering who:

Are capable of utilizing their engineering skills in industry, nonprofit organizations, and national laboratories, or in pursuit of graduate education;
Are knowledgeable of the professional responsibilities and social context associated with being an engineer; can work in teams and effectively communicate the results of their work;
Will develop their knowledge and skills throughout their careers; and,
Function well in a diverse environment.

The Computer Engineering degree program can be looked at as consisting of three major threads that are intertwined: computer hardware, computer software and electrical engineering. The hardware sequence consists of ECE 238L, 337, 338, 438 and 440, all of which include at least some hardware design. The software sequence consists of CS 151L and ECE 231, 344L, 330, 331, and 435; all of these include some software design. Finally, the electrical engineering sequence includes ECE 203, 206L, 213, 314 and 321L.

Scholarships

In addition to the scholarships available through the University of New Mexico and the School of Engineering, the ECE department has scholarships available for highly qualified students.

Curriculum in Computer Engineering

The Bachelor of Science Program in Computer Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Hours required for graduation: 132

First Year	First Semester	Cr. Hrs.
MATH 162	Calculus I	4
ECE 101	Intro to ECE	1
PHYC 160	General Physics	3
ECE 131	Programming Fundamentals	3
ENGL 101	Composition I: Exposition	3
	Social/Behavioral Science Core Elective (1)	3
		17
	Second Semester
MATH 163	Calculus II	4
ECE 231	Intermediate Programming and Engineering Problem Solving	3
PHYC 161	General Physics	3
PHYC 161L	General Physics Laboratory	1
ENGL 102	Composition II: Analysis and Argument	3
	Core Humanities Elective (1)	3
		17
Second Year	First Semester
ECE 203	Circuit Analysis I	3
ECE 238L	Computer Logic Design	4
ENGL 219	Technical and Professional Writing	3
	Basic Science with Laboratory	4
MATH 316	Applied Ordinary Differential Equations	3
		17
	Second Semester
ECE 206L	Instrumentation	2
ECE 213	Circuit Analysis II	3
MATH 314, 321 or 375		3
MATH 264	Calculus III	4
ECE 330	Software Design	3

		15
Third Year	First Semester
ECE 321L	Electronics I	4
MATH 327	Discrete Structures	3
ECE 314	Signals and Systems	3
ECE 337	Introduction to Computer Architecture and Organization	3
	Core Elective (1)	3
		16
	Second Semester
ECE 331	Data Structures and Algorithms	3
ECE 340	Probabilistic Methods in Engineering	3
ECE 344L	Microprocessors	3
	Core Elective (1)	3
	ECE Elective (2)	3
		15
Fourth Year	First Semester
ECE 419	Senior Design I	3
ECE 437	Computer Operating Systems	3
CE/ME 350	Engineering Economy	3
	Humanities Elective (1)	3
	Senior Elective (3)	3
	ECE Track Elective (2)	3
		18

	Second Semester
ECE 420	Senior Design II	3
ECE 440	Computer Networks	3
	Senior Elective (3)	3
	Senior Elective (3)	3
	Fine Arts Core Elective (1)	3
		15

Notes:

See approved list of core electives in the ECE Undergraduate Handbook.
ECE track electives consist of ECE 338 and 438, or ECE 335 and 435.
Senior Electives: These electives will be developed in consultation with the computer engineering advisor from ECE, CS, Physics or other engineering related courses. See list of suggestions in Computer Engineering Advisement Brochure.
No grades below a C are allowed in the Computer Engineering Program.

Cooperative Education and Part-Time Study

Electrical and Computer Engineering students may participate in a cooperative education program. In this program, students gain engineering experience with full-time employment during part of the year and full-time study for the remainder of the year. It is also possible to participate in programs in which the student has a mixture of part-time engineering employment and part-time study. Because almost all courses required for both degree programs are offered in each of the fall and spring semesters, the department offers a firm base for both cooperative education and part-time study. Both the Electrical and Computer Engineering programs require a minimum grade point average of 2.50 to participate in the co-op program. See appropriate entry in this catalog in the School of Engineering, Co-op section.

Honors Program

Students with a B+ average (3.20 degree GPA) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are encouraged to enroll in the University Honors Program. Students in their junior year who have a degree grade point average of 3.5 or above are invited by letter to apply for departmental honors. If the student wishes to complete the two courses required for departmental honors--ECE 493 and ECE 494--he/she should obtain the application from the undergraduate academic advisor. The student completes both courses with the same professor in two consecutive terms, and the project is determined by the professor and the student. ECE students may graduate with General Honors (honors in general studies) or with Departmental Honors or with both. Information is available from University College advisors, departmental advisors and the University Honors Program.

Keys and Symbols Reference