They will develop an appreciation for the individual, society, and human heritage, and raise their awareness of the impact of their designs on humankind and the environment. They will be proficient in the use of analytical tools in the design and analysis process, such as equation solvers and CAE software tools. Design methodology and anaylsis techniques are stressed throughout the curriculum in the majority of the core courses required for graduation. The lecture classes are typically complemented by laboratory experiments that the student has designed, simulated, and analyzed before commencing with the actual hands-on construction and testing. Skills in software, hardware, and CAE that have been emphasized in the design process throughout the upper-division classes are employed in the design of advanced electronic systems in senior and special project classes.
Teamwork is stressed throughout the majority of the project classes.
Students have several pattern electives to choose from in advanced software and hardware design classes. Such classes include topics in networks, embedded systems, VHDL, digital signal processing, state machine design, VLSI, control systems, communications RF circuits, and artificial intelligence. The senior project class brings together the design and analysis skills acquired throughout the required and elective curriculum. This project is a culminating experience which involves teamwork, design, report writing, and oral presentation. Many students enter their projects in the annual IEEE student competition.