Undergraduate Program

Director of Undergraduate Studies
Ganesh Balakrishnan, Associate Professor 

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, the department serves varied constituents: students; local, national and international industry; the federal research laboratories; local, national, and international graduate and professional schools; the state of New Mexico; and 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 published.


Degrees Offered

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (B.S.Cp.E.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.)

Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program

Undergraduate students in the Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering programs may seek admission to a Master of Science (M.S.) engineering program or the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Civil Engineering under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. See the School of Engineering section of this Catalog for specific admission information and requirements.


Admission

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 the Electrical and Computer Engineering Web site. There are 18 credit 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 credit 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 1110 or the 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 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering degrees 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 General Education curriculum requirements at UNM, which went into effect in the Fall of 1999, students must have a grade of "C" or better on specific General Education curriculum courses.

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 the B.S.Cp.E or B.S.E.E. degree programs in the ECE Department must complete a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of work applicable to the degrees after admission to the program.

Courses Numbered 300 or Above (8-Credit 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-Credit 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.

ECE courses numbered 300 through 499 are designed primarily for undergraduate 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 does 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 are given special consideration, but are expected to obtain advising from the ECE Graduate Director each semester.


Bachelor of Science in 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 (B.S.Cp.E.) 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 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;
  • 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, **338, *438 and *440, all of which include at least some hardware design. The software sequence consists of ECE 231L, 330, **331, 335, **344L, and *435; all of these include some software design. Finally, the electrical engineering sequence includes ECE 203, 206L, 213, **314L and **321L.

Curriculum

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

Credit hours required for graduation: 120. Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for information on courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. and Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements.

Credit
Hours
First Year First Semester
ECE 101 Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering 1
ECE 131L Programming Fundamentals 4
ENGL 1120 Composition II 3
MATH 1512 Calculus I 4
PHYS 1310 Calculus-Based Physics I  3
 Subtotal 15
Second Semester
ECE 231L Intermediate Programming and Engineering Problem Solving 4
MATH 1522 Calculus II 4
PHYS 1320 Calculus-Based Physics II 3
PHYS 1320L Calculus-Based Physics II Laboratory 1
General Education: Communication 3
 Subtotal 15
Second Year First Semester
ECE 203 Circuit Analysis I 3
ECE 238L Computer Logic Design 4
ECON 2110
-or-
ECON 2120
Macroeconomic Principles

Microeconomic Principles
3
ENG 220 Engineering, Business, and Society 3
Basic Science with Laboratory 4
 Subtotal 17
Second Semester
ECE 206L Instrumentation 2
ECE 213 Circuit Analysis II 3
ECE 300 Advanced Engineering Mathematics 4
ECE 330 Software Design
3
MATH 2530 Calculus III 4
 Subtotal 16
Third Year First Semester
ECE **314L Signals and Systems 4
ECE **321L Electronics I
4
ECE **340 Probabilistic Methods in Engineering 3
MATH **327 Discrete Structures 3
General Education: Second Language
3
 Subtotal 17
Second Semester
ECE **331 Data Structures and Algorithms
3
ECE **335 Integrated Software Systems 3
ECE 341 Introduction to Communication Systems 3
ECE **344L Microprocessors 4
 Subtotal 13
Fourth Year First Semester
ECE **338 Intermediate Logic Design 3
ECE 419 Senior Design I
3
ECE *437 Computer Operating Systems 3
ECE 400-level elective
3
General Education: Humanities
3
 Subtotal 15
Second Semester
ECE 420 Senior Design II
3
ECE *440 Computer Networks 3
Elective chosen from any department 3
General Education: Arts and Design
3
 Subtotal 12
 Total 120

Bachelor of Science in 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 people 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 (B.S.E.E.) program provides the student with the necessary skills to compete in such a rapidly changing discipline.

Program Educational Objectives

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. The department's 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 coursework 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;
  • Develop their knowledge and skills throughout their careers; and,
  • Function well in a diverse environment.

Curriculum

The Bachelor of Science program in Electrical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission ABET

Credit hours required for graduation: 120. Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for information on courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. and Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements.

Credit
Hours
First Year First Semester
ECE 101 Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering 1
ECE 131L Programming Fundamentals 4
ENGL 1120 Composition II 3
MATH 1512 Calculus I 4
PHYS 1310 Calculus-Based Physics I  3
    Subtotal 15
  Second Semester  
ECON 2110
-or-
ECON 2120
Macroeconomic Principles

Microeconomic Principles
3
ENGL 2210 Professional and Technical Communication 3
MATH 1522 Calculus II 4
PHYS 1320 Calculus-Based Physics II 3
PHYS 1320L Calculus-Based Physics II Laboratory 1
   Subtotal 17
Second Year First Semester  
ECE 203 Circuit Analysis I 3
ECE 238L Computer Logic Design 4
MATH 2530 Calculus III 4
PHYS 2310 Calculus-Based Physics III 3
   Subtotal 14
  Second Semester  
ECE 206L Instrumentation 2
ECE 213 Circuit Analysis II 3
ECE 300 Advanced Engineering Mathematics 4
Basic Science or Mathematics Elective 3
General Education: Humanities
3
    Subtotal 15
Third Year First Semester  
ECE **314L Signals and Systems
4
ECE **321L Electronics I
4
ECE **340 Probabilistic Methods in Engineering 3
ECE **371 Materials and Devices 3
General Education: Second Language 3
    Subtotal 16
  Second Semester  
ECE **322L Electronics II 4
ECE **344L Microprocessors 4
ECE 360 Electromagnetic Fields and Waves 4
ECE 381 Introduction to Electric Power Systems 3
    Subtotal 15
Fourth Year First Semester
 
ECE 341 Introduction to Communication Systems 3
ECE 345 Introduction to Control Systems 3
ECE 419 Senior Design I
3
ECE Track Course
3
General Education: Arts and Design
3
    Subtotal 15
  Second Semester  
ECE 420 Senior Design II
3
Technical Elective
3
ECE Track Course
3
Elective chosen from any department 3
    Subtotal 12
 Total 120


See the Electrical and Computer Engineering department Web site for an approved list of ECE Track Courses. Technical Electives are developed in consultation with an academic advisor and can be taken from ECE 231L or 300-level or above CS, ECE, MATH, PHYC, or other engineering-related courses.


Minor Study

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

Minor in Electrical Engineering

  • Physics and Mathematics students must take: ECE 203, 213, 206L, 238L, **314L, **321L; one of: **340, 360, **371.
  • Computer Science students must take: ECE 203, 206L, 213, **314L, **321L; two of: **322L, **340, 360, **371.

Minor in Computer Engineering

  • Physics and Mathematics students must take: ECE 203, 213, 238L, **331, **338, **344L.
  • Computer Science students must take: ECE 203, 206L, 213, **321L, **322L, **338, *438.

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


Departmental Honors

Only students in junior standing (or the equivalent) and with a GPA of 3.50 and above are invited to participate in the Electrical and Computer Engineering departmental honors program. The awarding of departmental honors is not automatic; students must formally apply to the program and meet all requirements by the date of graduation. 

Students in the departmental honors program are required to register for ECE 493 (1-2 credit hours) and ECE 494 (1-2 credit hours) in separate semesters for a total of 3 credit hours. These credit hours may substitute for the technical elective. Students in this program must also propose a project idea, which must be reviewed and approved by the supervising faculty member. The final draft of the subsequent project paper must be submitted no later than five weeks prior to the date of graduation. 

Upon satisfactory completion, departmental honors will be noted on the commencement program, the transcript, and the diploma.


Additional Information

Advisement

Students are required to consult a departmental undergraduate academic or faculty advisor and obtain approval for registration each semester. At this time, advisors review the program requirements, including scholarship, course requirements, prerequisites and progress toward degree goals. An advisement hold on the student’s academic record is removed only after this review. 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.

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. See the School of Engineering: Other Courses of Instruction section of this Catalog for more information.

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.

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.


Courses

ECE 101. Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering. (1)



ECE 131L [131]. Programming Fundamentals. (4 [3])



ECE 203. Circuit Analysis I. (3)



ECE 206L. Instrumentation. (2)



ECE 213. Circuit Analysis II. (3)



ECE 231L [231]. Intermediate Programming and Engineering Problem Solving. (4 [3])



ECE 238L. Computer Logic Design. (4)



ECE 300. Advanced Engineering Mathematics. (4)



ECE **314L [**314]. Signals and Systems. (4 [3])



ECE **321L. Electronics I. (4)



ECE **322L. Electronics II. (4)



ECE 330. Software Design. (3)



ECE **331. Data Structures and Algorithms. (3)



ECE **335. Integrated Software Systems. (3)



ECE **338. Intermediate Logic Design. (3)



ECE **340. Probabilistic Methods in Engineering. (3)



ECE 341. Introduction to Communication Systems. (3)



ECE **344L. Microprocessors. (4)



ECE 345. Introduction to Control Systems. (3)



ECE 360 [**360]. Electromagnetic Fields and Waves. (4 [3])



ECE **371. Materials and Devices. (3)



ECE 381. Introduction to Electric Power Systems. (3)



ECE 412. Introduction to Computer Graphics: Scanline Algorithms. (3)



ECE 419. Senior Design I. (3)



ECE 420. Senior Design II. (3)



ECE 421 / 523. Analog Electronics. (3)



ECE 424 / 520. VLSI Design. (3)



ECE *435 [**435]. Software Engineering. (3)



ECE *437. Computer Operating Systems. (3)



ECE *438. Design of Computers. (3)



ECE *439. Introduction to Digital Signal Processing. (3)



ECE *440. Introduction to Computer Networks. (3)



ECE *442. Introduction to Wireless Communications. (3)



ECE *443. Hardware Design with VHDL. (3)



ECE *446. Design of Feedback Control Systems. (3)



ECE 460 / 560. Introduction to Microwave Engineering. (3)



ECE *463. Advanced Optics I. (3)



ECE *464. Laser Physics. (3)



ECE 469 / 569. Antennas for Wireless Communication Systems. (3)



ECE *471. Materials and Devices II. (3)



ECE 474L / 574L. Microelectronics Processing. (3)



ECE *475. Introduction to Electro-Optics and Opto-Electronics. (3)



ECE 482 / 582. Electric Drives and Transformers. (3)



ECE 483 / 583. Power Electronics I. (3)



ECE 484 / 584. Photovoltaics. (3)



ECE 488 / 588. Smart Grid Technologies. (3)



ECE 489 / 589. Power Electronics II. (3)



ECE 490. Internship. (3)



ECE 491. Undergraduate Problems. (1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



ECE 493. Honors Seminar. (1-3)



ECE 494. Honors Individual Study. (1-6)



ECE 495 / 595. Special Topics. (1-4 to a maximum of 9, 1-4 to a maximum of 15 Δ)



ECE 500. Theory of Linear Systems. (3)



ECE 506. Optimization Theory. (3)



ECE 510. Medical Imaging. (3)



ECE 511. Analysis Methods in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. (3)



ECE 512. Introduction to Computer Graphics. (3)



ECE 514. Nonlinear and Adaptive Control. (3)



ECE 516. Computer Vision. (3)



ECE 517. Machine Learning. (3)



ECE 519. Theory, Fabrication, and Characterization of Nano and Microelectromechanical Systems (NEMS/MEMS). (4)



ECE 520 / 424. VLSI Design. (3)



ECE 522. Hardware Software Codesign with FPGAs. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



ECE 523 / 421. Analog Electronics. (3)



ECE 525. Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



ECE 529. Introduction to Technical Cybersecurity. (3)



ECE 530. Cloud Computing. (3)



ECE 531. Introduction to the Internet of Things. (3)



ECE 533. Digital Image Processing. (3)



ECE 534. Plasma Physics I. (3)



ECE 565. Satellite Communications. (3)



ECE 536. Computer System Software. (3)



ECE 537. Foundations of Computing. (3)



ECE 538. Advanced Computer Architecture. (3)



ECE 539. Digital Signal Processing. (3)



ECE 540. Advanced Networking Topics. (3)



ECE 541. Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes. (3)



ECE 542. Digital Communication Theory. (3)



ECE 546. Multivariable Control Theory. (3)



ECE 549. Information Theory and Coding. (3)



ECE 551. Problems. (1-6 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 554. Advanced Optics II. (3)



ECE 555. Foundations of Engineering Electromagnetics. (3)



ECE 557. Pulsed Power and Charged Particle Acceleration. (3)



ECE 558. Charged Particle Beams and High Power Microwaves. (3)



ECE 559. Internship in Optical Science and Engineering. (3)



ECE 560 / 460. Introduction to Microwave Engineering. (3)



ECE 561. Engineering Electromagnetics. (3)



ECE 562. Electronics RF Design. (3)



ECE 563. Computational Methods for Electromagnetics. (3)



ECE 564. Guided Wave Optics. (3)



ECE 565. Optical Communication Components and Subsystems. (3)



ECE 568. Avalanche Photodiodes. (3)



ECE 569 / 469. Antennas for Wireless Communications Systems. (3)



ECE 570. Optoelectronic Semiconductor Materials and Devices. (3)



ECE 572. Semiconductor Physics. (3)



ECE 574L / 474L. Microelectronics Processing. (3)



ECE 576. Modern VLSI Devices. (3)



ECE 577. Fundamentals of Semiconductor LEDs and Lasers. (3)



ECE 581. Colloidal Nanocrystals for Biomedical Applications. (3)



ECE 582 / 482. Electric Drives and Transformers. (3)



ECE 583 / 483. Power Electronics I. (3)



ECE 584 / 484. Photovoltaics. (3)



ECE 588 / 488. Smart Grid Technologies. (3)



ECE 589 / 489. Power Electronics II. (3)



ECE 590. Graduate Seminar. (1 to a maximum of 2 Δ)



ECE 594. Complex Systems Theory. (3)



ECE 595 / 495. Special Topics. (1-4 to a maximum of 15, 1-4 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



ECE 620. Topics in Interdisciplinary Biological and Biomedical Sciences. (3, no limit Δ)



ECE 633. Advanced Topics in Image Processing. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 637. Topics in Algorithms. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 638. Topics in Architecture and Systems. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 642. Detection and Estimation Theory. (3)



ECE 649. Topics in Control Systems. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 651. Problems. (1-6 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 661. Topics in Electromagnetics. (3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ECE 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



[]

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Office of the Registrar

MSC11 6325
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Phone: (505) 277-8900
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