Undergraduates.
Undergraduate Guide to the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department.
Welcome to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. This Undergraduate Guide provides information which we have found useful to current and prospective majors in Electrical Engineering and in Electrical and Computer Engineering. This web version reflects the most up-to-date program developments. Acrobat Reader (pdf) snapshots of this Guide and copies of pertinent sections of the Duke University Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction have been archived for those wishing to print paper copies or for current students to research requirements in effect at matriculation. For Course Descriptions for the current academic year, select the current-year Courses & Requirements entry in the archive.
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and the Pratt School of Engineering are the two undergraduate schools at Duke. All undergraduates at Duke enroll in one of these two schools and share an integrated living and learning experience taking arts, mathematics, science, humanities, and similar courses together in Trinity College and, for engineering majors, engineering courses in the Pratt School. Engineering majors enroll in the Pratt School of Engineering.
The Pratt School is also one of Duke's seven graduate and professional schools. Schools with which we have extensive collaboration include the School of Medicine, the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, the School of Law, the Fuqua School of Business, and the Graduate School,
For Undergraduate applications to Duke University, including the Pratt School, and for questions about financial aid, contact Duke Undergraduate Admissions.
Undergraduate Degree Programs
All undergraduate majors in the Pratt School of Engineering lead to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE). Each major program provides a solid foundation in analytical thinking, problem solving, and technology, and each fosters the development of ethical leadership, communication, and teamwork skills.
High ethical standards are embraced in the Duke Community Standard and, for students embarking upon a career in electrical engineering, in the Code of Ethics adopted by the IEEE, the operative professional society. The Code is a reminder of the huge impact of engineering on society and of the importance of responsible personal behavior.
Two programs are currently offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: one a major in Electrical Engineering (EE), the other a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Both are fully accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone: (410) 347-7700.
The EE and ECE programs both lead to a BSE degree, and each shares a common core curriculum in mathematics, science, computer methods, social sciences and humanities, and a set of fundamental engineering courses. All emphasize the acquisition, processing, control, transmission, and application of information and energy by what are fundamentally electrical or electromagnetic means. All encompass high-level computer languages (software) that facilitate the convenient and efficient application of technology (hardware) to the solution of useful problems. They provide a firm foundation for future technical accomplishment and for effective problem solving in the diverse nominally non-technical fields that many of our graduates pursue.
In addition to prescribed core courses, each student in the EE and ECE programs must select a minimum of four upper-level concentration electives in Departmental Areas of Undergraduate Concentration. For students expecting to enter the engineering profession after graduation, the upper-level courses prepare the student for professional work. For all students, including those expecting to enter fields such as medicine, law, or business management, the upper-level courses reinforce the broad relevance of the powerful problem-solving methodologies of engineering and illuminate enabling technologies for breathtaking applications of technology. Upper-level courses which incorporate readings from the current engineering literature introduce the maturing student to that literature, motivate independent thinking, and promote lifelong learning.
Students can explore areas more deeply and experience some of the challenges of research at the frontiers of knowledge by taking additional advanced courses and/or by independent study with faculty experts.
Classroom lectures are enhanced and augmented by intensive use of the Department's extensive computer and laboratory facilities. The timely completion of laboratory exercises is an important component of the educational experience, advancing physical understanding and motivating classroom discussions.
Engineering design is integrated throughout the curriculum, but especially in laboratory challenges to build systems with specified measurable properties. Prior to graduation, each engineering major must complete an approved collaborative design project incorporating a significant design experience integrating science, engineering, and design principles learned in prior courses into a meaningful design outcome. Students learn the importance of project planning, well defined product specifications, and effective engineering teamwork.
The Pratt undergraduate program provides an excellent foundation for continuing professional and personal development after graduation.
Program Changes and Evolution
Graduation requirements and course content are continuously under review by an ECE faculty Undergraduate Studies Committee in a formal process of continuous improvement. When they occur, changes reflect the recommendations of faculty with expert knowledge of technology and curriculum trends. Other important inputs include end-of semester student course evaluations; formal surveys of Pratt alumni at different intervals after graduation, including information about their career directions; recommendations from members of the Pratt Board of Visitors from industries that employ electrical and computer engineering graduates; and an annual Engineering Benchmark Inc (EBI) engineering alumni study which compares the opinions of Pratt graduates with those from other engineering schools in our cohort. In addition we seek to learn from cohort universities and from the engineering education literature how to structure the best learning experience.
One clear imperative has been greater emphasis upon laboratory-based learning. Accordingly, program requirements for the EE and ECE majors outlined elsewhere in this Guide reflect the substitution of five newly structured, and newly numbered, courses (ECE 27L, 51L, 52L, 53L, & 54L) for five former courses (ECE 61L, 62L, 151L, 170, & 64, respectively). The new courses have a greater hands-on laboratory emphasis. (Students who have already taken one or more of the former courses will not need to take the corresponding new course.)
Students can expect the curriculum to continue to evolve, both in requirements and in the content of individual courses. Such evolution is encouraged by ABET, the accreditation body for engineering education in the United States, as part of a program of continuous improvement. It is expected that most changes will not be large enough to warrant new course numbers, but that may happen from time to time, and, when it does, students can expect to receive graduation credit for courses already taken.
Minors and Second Majors
The Electrical Engineering (EE) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) programs at Duke are each sufficiently flexible to permit motivated students to complete the requirements for a minor or major in departments in Trinity College and/or a second major in the Pratt School of Engineering. (Departments in the Pratt School do not offer minors in engineering programs.) In each case the student receives a single diploma awarding a single Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree.
Interests such as premedicine, prelaw, art, economics, music, history, psychology, public policy, and religion can be accommodated through individually designed programs which take advantage of the Pratt School's placement in a university with a strong liberal-arts tradition. In addition, Juniors and Seniors can, with proper planning, participate in international programs such as a semester of study abroad or the International Honors Program. Sample programs for several popular options are outlined in this Guide for both the EE and ECE programs.
The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University offers a supportive environment where students experience a dynamic and diverse peer community of potential leaders, a challenging but supportive learning experience with favorable faculty-to-student ratios, and many opportunities for personal and professional development.
Other Useful Information
This Undergraduate Guide incorporates the latest, ongoing updates to the EE and ECE programs. Check with your faculty advisor or with Dr. Gary Ybarra, the departmental Director of Undergraduate Studies, if you have questions.
For information about ECE undergraduate programs or about undergraduate academic issues not covered in this guide, contact:
- Dr. Gary Ybarra, ECE Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) or
- Dean Connie Simmons, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Engineering Programs.
Descriptions for all undergraduate courses are available in Acrobat Reader (PDF) format in the Courses & Major/Minor Requirements section of the Duke University Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction.
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Page last modified July 25 2008 14:08:10