Electrical and Computer Engineering
Faculty
Professors: Black, Cook, Gertler, Ioannou, Levis, Manitius (Chair), Mulpuri,
Tabak, Van Trees
Associate Professors: Athale, Baraniecki, Beale, Berry, Ceperley, Chang,
Ephraim, Haney, Hintz, Jabbari, Paris, Schaefer, W. Sutton
Adjunct Professors: Gorman, Lake, Lyons
Course Work
The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department offers all courses designated
ECE in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog.
B.S. Degree with a Major in Electrical Engineering
The field of electrical engineering plays a major role in everyone's life. Electrical
engineers are involved in research, development, design, production, and operation
of a wide variety of products ranging from devices so small that three million would
fit on a quarter, to systems of communication networks spanning large geographical
areas and serving hundreds of thousands of people.
The bachelor's program in electrical engineering at George Mason is accredited
by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and is staffed by 22 full-time
professors, including five fellows of IEEE or other professional societies. The curriculum
provides a strong background in the fundamentals of electrical engineering as well
as senior-level courses in the important areas of electronics, communications, computer
engineering, and controls and robotics. Further, the curriculum includes nine credits
of senior technical electives, two credits of advanced engineering labs, and three
credits of Advanced Design Project, which may be used for further concentration in
one of these areas.
Career opportunities exist in the areas of basic research, product design, software
engineering, project engineering, engineering management, engineering consultancy,
technical sales, and many others. The program provides a strong preparation for graduate
study.
The requirements for the degree may be satisfied on a part-time or co-op basis.
Cooperative education provides students with the opportunity to integrate paid, career-related
work experience with classroom learning.
Concentrations and Computer Engineering Program
Computer engineering, communications/signal processing, control systems, and electronics
concentrations are available within the electrical engineering baccalaureate program.
Completion of specific senior-level courses leads to one of these designations on
the student's transcript upon graduation.
The computer engineering concentration is being converted to a full degree program
during the 1998-99 academic year. Details are available in the ECE Department office.
Degree Requirements
All electrical engineering students are required to see their major advisors before
course registration each semester. Students interested in engineering who are not
declared majors are also invited to obtain advising at the ECE Department office.
Students are strongly encouraged to obtain and follow a sample schedule published
by the department to ensure that course prerequisites are satisfied.
Course requirements for the B.S. in Electrical Engineering are as follows:
Computer Science: CS 112, 211
Economics: ECON 103
Electrical and Computer Engineering: ECE 101, 201, 220, 280, 305, 320, 331, 332,
333, 334, 421, 433, 445, 460, 491, 492, 493
- Advanced ECE labs (2 credits)
- ECE technical electives (9 credits)
Engineering: ENGR 107
English: ENGL 101, 302; COMM 100 or ENGL 410
Humanities or Social Science (6 credits)
Mathematics and Statistics: MATH 113, 114, 203, 213, 214; STAT 344
Physics: PHYS 250, 350, 351, 352, 353
- The two humanities/social science electives and the two literature electives
should be selected from the department's list of approved courses. Three credits
of humanities/social sciences electives must be in the disciplines of sociology,
psychology, anthropology, economics (excluding the required ECON 103), history, geography,
or government. Students must either take at least two humanities/social science courses
from within the same academic area (i.e., two ECON courses [ECON 103 plus another],
two history courses, two psychology courses, etc.) or they must take at least one
of the humanities or social science or literature electives at the 300 level or above.
- The ECE technical electives should be selected from the department's list of
approved courses. The required design content must be satisfied by these electives.
Change of Major
Students who want to change their major to electrical engineering must have at
least a 2.750 GPA in all math, physics, and engineering courses, and should have
successfully completed MATH 114.
Writing-Intensive Requirement
The university writing-intensive requirement is satisfied by completion of ECE
492 and 493, Senior Advanced Design Project.
Graduate Degree (M.S.) in Electrical Engineering
Graduate programs leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in engineering prepare
students for careers in industry, government, or academia. The M.S. in Electrical
Engineering is offered by the ECE Department. The Ph.D. in Information Technology
is offered by the School of IT&E, which includes the ECE Department.
The department is firmly committed to high standards of teaching and research
excellence in the traditional areas of communications and signal processing, control
and robotics, computers, and electronics. The department recognizes the need to augment
and enhance these areas through the use of modern information technology. Graduate
students are offered a progressive environment with ample opportunities for the type
of multidisciplinary research that will be needed to confront the complex realities
of the 21st century.
The courses in this program are offered during the evening or late afternoon hours
to permit persons who are employed full time to enroll in the program. For those
who enter the program on a full-time basis, some financial aid may be available in
various forms such as teaching assistantships, research assistantships, work-study,
or co-op agreements with local industry.
Students may take courses through the Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program.
Appropriate courses may be transferred, with advisor approval, into this George Mason
degree program.
Admission Requirements
Admission is strictly competitive. The department's policy is to admit only those
students who have demonstrated a potential for outstanding performance in their graduate
work. To be considered for admission to the master's program, an applicant should
have the following:
- An earned baccalaureate in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a
closely related discipline from an accredited program with a reputation for high
academic standards
- A grade average of B or better during the last 60 credits
- Three letters of recommendation, preferably from academic references, or from
references in industry or government who hold advanced degrees and are familiar with
the applicant's professional accomplishments
- A detailed statement of career goals and aspirations
- For a student who has not earned a bachelor's degree from a U.S. university,
satisfactory performance on the Graduate Record Examination; and for a student whose
native language is not English, a minimum score of 575 on the TOEFL. (A minimum score
of 600 is required for applicants who wish to be considered for a graduate teaching
assistantship.)
Admission Catagories
Students may be admitted into one of the following categories: degree, provisional,
or nondegree. Provisional admission is for students whose past performance provides
reasonable, but not strong, evidence of their ability to pursue graduate work. To
advance to degree status, provisional students must achieve a 3.000 GPA after 12
credits, remove all undergraduate deficiencies (by taking the corresponding courses
with a grade of B or better), and receive a B or better in specific courses representing
two of the four graduate core areas: ECE 521, 528, 546, or 548, and ECE 565 or 584.
The nondegree category is used primarily by students who wish to take courses but
not necessarily pursue a degree. Nondegree students who wish to enter the degree
program must formally apply for admission.
Non-ECE Students
- Circuit Theory (ECE 285, 286)
- Digital Electronics (ECE 331, 332)
- Linear Electronics (ECE 333, 334)
- Signals and Systems (ECE 320)
- Matrix Algebra (MATH 203)
- Differential Equations (MATH 214)
- Probability (STAT 344)
- Data Structures and C++ (CS 211)
In addition to the above core areas, students must display some competence in
two or more of the following areas--controls, semiconductors, computers, and communications--before
being granted the master's degree. The following undergraduate courses correspond
to these areas:
- Control Theory (ECE 421)
- Device Theory (ECE 430)
- Computer Architecture (ECE 445)
- Communication Theory (ECE 460)
Transfer of Credit
Up to 12 credits, the maximum permitted, may be transferred from schools that
are part of the Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program. Up to six credits may
be transferred from other graduate programs.
Student Advising
Newly admitted graduate students must consult with the ECE graduate coordinator
before they register for classes. Students should make an appointment by calling
the ECE office. Each student is expected to select an area of concentration: communications
and signal processing, computer engineering, control and robotics, or electronics
and electromagnetics. The student then is assigned an academic advisor from that
area. Before the end of the second semester, each student must submit a plan of study
(approved by his or her academic advisor) to the graduate coordinator's office.
Degree Requirements
Course Work--Each student must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credits beyond
the bachelor's degree. A minimum GPA of 3.000 is required. The plan of study for
the degree includes the following:
- A minimum of two core courses (with B or better in each) from the following:
ECE 521 Modern Systems Theory
ECE 528 Random Processes in Electrical and Computer Engineering
ECE 546 Parallel Computer Architectures or ECE 548 Sequential Machine Theory
ECE 584 Solid-State Device Theory or ECE 565 Introduction to Optical Electronics
- A minimum of three courses with a grade of B or better at the 600 or 700 level
(not including ECE 798 or 799) from a chosen area of concentration
- A maximum of six credits of non-ECE courses, subject to prior departmental approval
A maximum of two courses with a C grade may be applied toward the degree. However,
all graduate courses are counted in computing the student's GPA.
Seminar Requirement-All degree candidates must attend a minimum of 10 department
seminars.
To complete the requirements for graduation, students may select one of the following
options.
Thesis Option
Thesis students must complete ECE 799 Master's Thesis (6 credits) and 24 credits
of course work. The thesis is particularly recommended for those students who wish
to develop and document their research skills, and/or who contemplate subsequent
enrollment in a Ph.D. program. The thesis involves a research effort, which is conducted
under the guidance of a faculty advisor. In some cases, permission may be granted
to complete a portion of the work at the student's place of employment. The final
written thesis and oral defense are approved by the student's advisory committee.
This committee consists of at least three full-time faculty members, including two
from the student's major area and one from outside the area. Thesis students may
not register for ECE 798 Research Project.
Scholarly Paper Option
Students who select this option must complete 30 credits of course work or 27 credits
of course work plus ECE 798 Research Project, and must present a scholarly paper.
The scholarly paper is a technical report on an independent study, laboratory or
computer experimentation, or literature search done by the student on a current scientific
or technological topic, such as a survey of some new technologies, or new methodologies,
or a case study of new applications, on a theme selected under the guidance of a
faculty advisor. The student must demonstrate knowledge of the topic and make a satisfactory
technical presentation of the paper in the graduate seminar. The scholarly paper
and the final presentation must be approved by the student's advisory committee.
Certificate in Communications and Networking
The certificate in communications and networking provides graduate students with
the opportunity to reach a demonstrated level of competence in one of the five concentration
areas in communications and networking-- communication networks, optical communications,
mobile communication systems, communication theory, and digital communications. Course
work toward the graduate certificate can be used for credit toward the M.S. in Electrical
Engineering. However, the primary purpose of the certificate is to provide a well-defined
target for students who want to advance their knowledge of modern communications
but do not necessarily want to complete all the requirements for the M.S. in Electrical
Engineering. The certificate may be pursued concurrently with any of the graduate
degree programs in the School of IT&E.
The certificate program provides the opportunity for in-depth study of one of
five concentration areas in communications and networking. The concentration area
is indicated on the certificate.
Admission Requirements
The certificate program in communications and networking is open to all students
who hold a B.S. degree in any scientific or engineering discipline from an accredited
university.
Program Requirements
The certificate is awarded upon completion of five graduate courses (15 credits)
in communications. A cumulative GPA of 3.000 is required, and at most one course
with a grade of C may be applied toward the certificate. The certificate courses
comprise two required foundation courses, one core course, and two elective courses.
The latter three courses are to be in the chosen concentration.
Foundation Courses:
- ECE 528 Random Processes in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- ECE 542 Computer Network Architectures and Protocols or CS 555 Computer Communications
and Networking
Concentrations-After completing the foundation courses, students can choose among
the five concentrations described below by taking three courses in that area, one
of which is to be the corresponding core course. In rare cases, with prior approval
from the chairman of the graduate committee, one elective course may be substituted
with a course from a different concentration.
- Communication Networks: Core Course: ECE 642
Electives: ECE 643, 742; OR 635, 643, 647; INFT 834, 886
- Optical Communications: Core Course: ECE 667
Electives: ECE 565, 630, 631, 642, 665
- Mobile Communication Systems: Core Course: ECE 732
Electives: ECE 630, 631, 637, 639, 642, 663
- Communication Theory: Core Course: ECE 630
Electives: ECE 633, 636, 734, 735; INFT 886
- Digital Communications: Core Course: ECE 631
Electives: ECE 535, 630, 636, 637, 639, 734, 738; INFT 886
Certificate in Signal Processing
The certificate in signal processing provides graduate students with a concise
sequence of courses and laboratory experiences within the wide field of signal processing.
Course work toward the graduate certificate can be used for credit toward the M.S.
in Electrical Engineering or in Statistical Science. However, the primary purpose
of the certificate is to provide a well-defined target for students who want to advance
or update their knowledge in this fast moving field but do not necessarily wish to
complete all the requirements for the M.S. degree. The certificate may be pursued
concurrently with any of the graduate degree programs in the School of IT&E.
Admission Requirements
The certificate program in signal processing is open to all students who hold
a B.S. degree in any scientific and engineering discipline from an accredited university,
and are in graduate status (either degree or nondegree) in the School of IT&E.
Program Requirements
The certificate is awarded upon completion of five graduate courses (15 credits)
in signal processing. A cumulative GPA of 3.000 is required, and at most one course
with a grade of C may be applied toward the certificate. The certificate courses
comprise two foundation courses taken by all students and elective courses.
Foundation Courses:
- ECE 528 Random Processes in Electrical and Computer Engineering, or STAT 544
Applied Probability
- ECE 535 Digital Signal Processing
Elective Courses: After completing the two foundation courses, students can choose
elective courses by taking three courses from the list below.
- ECE 635 Digital Speech Processing
- STAT 652 Statistical Inference
- STAT 658 Time Series Analysis and Forecasting
- STAT 662 Multivariate Statistical Methods
- ECE 665 Optical Signal Processing
- ECE 728 Random Processes in Electrical and Computer Engineering II
- ECE 734 Detection and Estimation Theory
- ECE 735 Data Compression
- ECE 738 Advanced Digital Signal Processing
- INFT 746 Stochastic Calculus
- INFT 776 Real Analysis and Statistics
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