Course Descriptions
General Engineering Courses
ENGR-5003: Foundations of Engineering Ethics and Values
Theories of engineering ethics and values. Ethical theory from a Christian viewpoint. Impact of technology on society. Individual options and obligations for action. Case studies will be used to study a range of issues including environment, safety, honesty, organizational communication, quality control, and product liability.
ENGR-5013: Foundations of Graduate Engineering Mathematics (Leveling)
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the MSE program.
This is a graduate leveling class required of students possessing an undergraduate engineering degree (or equivalent), but lacking sufficient hours in advanced mathematics. This class provides a broad overview of the key areas of mathematics needed to successfully complete graduate engineering work. The course design aims at students already holding an undergraduate engineering degree (or equivalent), but lacking sufficient hours of advanced mathematics training for the MSE program. Special topics that will be covered include oridinary differential equations, Laplace methods, Fourier methods, and functions of complex variables and linear systems.
ENGR-5103: Innovation and Invention
Innovation and invention and their relation to engineering in the workplace. Study of sources of innovative ideas, such as surroundings. Understanding the patent process and managing intellectual property.
ENGR-5113: Random Variables and Stochastic Processes
Prerequisite: ENGR-5013 or equivalent.
Provides a fundamental understanding of probabilistic methods in engineering and the essential mathematical methods for handling random processes. Include the statistical properties of random variables, probabilistic transformations, and stationary and non-statitionary random processes. Applications to estimation, hypothesis testing, response of systems to random inputs, estimation theory, decision theory, and queueing theory.
ENGR-5203: Systems Engineering
Principles and applications for design and engineering of complex technical systems. Material will be a mix of lectures, case studies, and application to current industry systems. Topics include engineering systems terminology and methodology, creating innovative technical solutions, managing program requirements, resolving integration issues, effective communication, and effective team, project, and program management.
ENGR-5213: Tools of Operations Research
This course will introduce students to concepts, methods, and an assortment of management tools available to the Operations Research / Management Science (OR/MS) practitioner. The course emphasizes an applied approach that begins with an emphasis on modeling and progresses to practical methods for linear and nonlinear programming, data analysis, decision analysis, and simulation.
ENGR-5223: Systems Engineering Management
Principles and applications for systems engineering and management of complex technical systems. Material will be a mix of lectures, case studies, and application to current industry systems. Topics include systems engineering terminology and processes, managing program and design requirements, design reviews, organizational structures, program planning for large system projects, and effective team, project, and program management.
ENGR-5700: Research
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
Research under the supervision of a member of the faculty. 1-6 credit hours. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits.
ENGR-5710: Project
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
Individual or group projects involving design, verification, and report. 1-6 credit hours. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits.
ENGR-5723: Graduate Engineering Practicum
Prerequisite: Internship approval of Graduate Chair
Provides three hours of credit in association with completion of an acceptable engineering industry internship/practicum.
ENGR-5800: Directed Study
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
Investigation outside the classroom of topics not normally covered in lecture courses. 1-3 credit hours. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits.
Computer Engineering Courses
CENG-5013: Integrated Circuit Design (2 hour lecture, 3 hour lab)
Prerequisite: CENG-3203: Introduction to Microprocessors or equivalent
Design of modern integrated circuits with emphasis on design and development of custom digital circuits using Hardware Description Languages (HDL) (e.g., VHDL/Verilog). Projects requiring both hardware and software architecture elements will be developed. A complete application-specific microprocessor will be designed, implemented, and tested in the lab.
CENG-5023: Advanced HDL Design (2 hour lecture, 3 hour lab)
Prerequisite: CENG-5013: Integrated Circuit Design or equivalent
Design of advanced systems-on-a-chip using Hardware Description Languages (HDL) (e.g., VHDL/Verilog). Projects requiring both hardware and software architecture elements will be developed. Emphasis will be on designs that can be implemented on single integrated circuits, such as high-end, multi-element FPGA's.
CENG-5113: Network System Design
Prerequisite: CENG-3113: Data Communications and Networking or equivalent
A study of advanced computer network design issues. Examination of the prominent protocols and standards for wired and wireless local area networks and the wireless Internet. Students cannot receive credit for both CENG-4123 and CENG-5113.
CENG-5213: Computer Networks
A course covering computer and data communications and computer networks. Strong emphasis on Layer 2 - Layer 4 Internet protocols, including Ethernet, IP, TCP, and UDP. The course includes the use of network analyzers to enable hands-on network protocol experience.
CENG-5223: Design of Embedded Systems
Prerequisite: CENG-3213: Computer Systems or equivalent
Embedded microcontroller system design using an integrated development environment (IDE). Reduction of development cycle time through the use of contemporary tools, blending high-level and assembly-level code, conservation of memory resources, performance improvement, conservation of power, serial interfaces, internal peripherals, flash memory, in-system programmability. Students cannot receive credit for both CENG-4223 and CENG-5223.
CENG-5233: Advanced Computer Architecture
Computer organization and design. Fundamentals of computer design, instruction set architectures, instruction-level parallelism, pipelining principles, speculation, thread-level parallelism, memory hierarchies, cache principles, virtual memory, multiprocessors, storage systems, clusters, historical perspectives. Students cannot receive credit for both CENG-4233 and CENG-5233.
CENG-5613: Object-Oriented Software Engineering
An introductory software engineering course for students who can program in either C++ or Java. Since the tools and techniques now widely available are for Java, the course would begin by teaching C++ programmers the simplifications that led to Java (no multiple inheritances, no manual storage management, and no operator overloading). The goal of the course would be to prepare the programmer to be a software engineer and to begin the study of software architecture.
CENG-5623: Software Engineering for Trustworthy Software
This course explores the technologies and methodology underlying a new robust software design model (RSDM) for software development based on successful methods used in hardware design and development. These include cost of software quality (CoSQ), the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), inventive problem solving (TRIZ), failure mode effects analysis (FMEA), quality function development (QFD), and Taguchi Methods, including orthogonal matrix methods. The overall design approach is to eliminate software problems as far upstream in the development process as possible, rather than finding and fixing bugs downstream. The course is intended for the software architect or software engineer or the programmer or student wishing to progress into software design.
Electrical Engineering Courses
ELEC-5123: Digital Communications
Prerequisite: ELEC-5113: Random Variables and Stochastic Processes
Characterization of communication signals and systems, source coding, optimum receivers, channel capacity and coding, band pass modulation and demodulation, detection in the presence of noise, broadband signaling techniques, spread spectrum techniques, multi-path channels, multi-user communications. Applications in satellite, wireless, and computer communication networks.
ELEC-5323: Electronic Devices
Introduction to physics of semiconductor devices. Operation of fundamental electronic devices. Development of current voltage relationships and linear circuit models. Students cannot receive credit for both ELEC-4323 and ELEC-5323.
ELEC-5333: Power Electronics
Application of electronics to energy conversion and control. Modeling, analysis, and application of power semiconductor devices and passive components in various commonly used circuit topologies for AC-DC, DC-DC, and DC-AC conversion. Role of power electronics for advanced renewable power sources and hybrid and electric vehicles is examined.
ELEC-5383: Power System Analysis
Prerequisite: ELEC-3303 or equivalent
An introduction to basic power system topics. Major focus is on the steady-state modeling, analysis, and design of single and three phase power systems.
ELEC-5393: Power System Protection
Prerequisite: ELEC-3303 or equivalent
An introduction to basic power system protection. Major focus is on the steady-state modeling, analysis of balanced and unbalanced faults. The course will also focus on the systems and principles used to detect and interrupt faults on the power system.
ELEC-5523: Real-Time Signal Processing
Design and implementation of real-time embedded digital signla processing systems. DSP programming, real-time operating systems, parallel processing, host computer interfacing. Students cannot receive credit for both ELEC-4523 and ELEC-5523.
ELEC-5533: Image Processing and Computer Vision
Topics include image properties and human perception, edge detection, morphological operations, image transforms, image data compression, image restoration, segmentation, shape recognition, patterm recognition, 3-D vision, texture, motion, and image intelligence.
ELEC-5613: Radio Frequency Engineering
Analysis and design of Radio Frequency circuits and systems. Network analysis parameters for system level RF design will be used to bridge field theory analysis to modern RF cicuit design techniques and software. Students cannot receive credit for both ELEC-4613 and ELEC-5613.
ELEC-5803: Special Topics
Current topics in electrical engineering not normally included in existing courses. Repeat credit may be earned with different subtitles assigned.
Mechanical Engineering Courses
MECH-5003: Foundations of Mechanical Engineering
The course provides an overview of the discipline of mechanical engineering. The material covered encompasses the primary structural and thermal topics included within the BSME degree at an accelerated pace. Emphasis will be placed on breadth of knowledge rather than specialization topics. This class is designed for graduate students with a bachelor's degree outside the fields of aerospace, civil, and mechanical engineering.
MECH-5123: Machine Dynamics
A study of kinematics and dynamics of machines and machine parts. Analysis of the kinematics of planar linkages, dynamics of cam mechanisms, gear trains, governors, flywheels, and gyroscopes. Students cannot receive credit for both MECH-4123 and MECH-5123.
MECH-5233: Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning
Prerequisite: MECH-4243: Heat Transfer or equivalent
An introduction to analysis and design methods used in HVAC equipment and systems. Emphasis on comfort, safety, economy, and energy conservation in load calculations, room air distribution, piping and duct design, and equipment selection. Students cannot receive credit for both MECH-4233 and MECH-5233.
MECH-5513: Advanced Mechanics of Materials
Prerquisite: MECH-4123: Machine Design or equivalent
Stress, strain, and torsion analysis; deflections of statistically indeterminate structural systems and failure analysis; design criteria. Three-dimensional and unsymmetrical stress analysis, finite element methods, and buckling. Students cannot receive credit for both MECH-4513 and MECH-5513.
MECH-5523: Finite Element Analysis
Prerequisite: MECH-4123: Machine Design or equivalent
An introduction to the use of finite element methods for the analysis and design of mechanical systems. Emphasis will be placed on both structural and thermal scenarios. The course will start with an overview of 1 and 2-dimensional finite element theory and then progress to the use of commercial software in solving real-world applications. Students cannot receive credit for both MECH-4523 and MECH-5523.
MECH-5533: Vibration Theory and Application
A study of free and forced vibration of both single and multiple degree-of-freedom mechanical and structural systems with and without damping, design of vibration isolators and absorbers, and shock spectrums. Students cannot receive credit for both MECH-4533 and MECH-5533.
MECH-5543: Radiation Heat Transfer
Prerequisite: MECH-4243: Heat Transfer or equivalent
This course covers the fundamentals of blackbody radiation, surface characteristics, solar and infrared sources, gray-body exchange in enclosures, and combined mode heat transfer. Included is an introduction to the methods of analysis used for radiation heat transfer.
MECH-5553: Data Measurements and Analysis
Applications of computer technology to measurement systems. Dynamic performance characteristics of measurement systems. Digital data collection using Labview. Signal conditioning, amplification, and filtering.
MECH-5623: Advanced Engineering Materials
A continuation of the study of material science, including a more in-depth look at metal and polymer behaviors, plus discussions of modern materials including composites, nano-materials, and multifunctional materials such as shape-memory alloys. Special emphasis will be placed on material selection considerations for engineering design.
MECH-5803: Special Topics
Current topics in mechanical engineering nor normally included in existing courses. Repeat credit may be earned with different subtitles assigned.
Computer Science Courses
CMSC-5323: Database Processing
Introduction to database processing. Topics include design and implementation of major database models. Students cannot receive credit for both CMSC-4323 and CMSC-5323.
CMSC-5413: Operating Systems
Examination of the major feathers of an operating system and its interaction with the hardware at the register level. Topics include memory management, job scheduling, and multi-programming. Students cannot receive credit for both CMSC-4413 and CMSC-5413.
CMSC-5513: Programming Languages
Study of the organization of programming languages. Topics include data types, sequence control, data control, and operating environment considerations. Several high-level languages will be studied. Students cannot receive credit for both CMSC-4513 and CMSC-5513.
CMSC-5713: Artificial Intelligence
Study of artificial intelligence. Topics include problem solving using state-space and problem reduction techniques, search methods, game playing, and predicate calculus. Students cannot receive credit for both CMSC-4713 and CMSC-5713.
Mathematics Courses
MATH-5113: Probability and Statistics I
Simple probability models, random variables, distribution functions, and discrete and continuous distributions. Students cannot receive credit for both MATH-4113 and MATH-5113.
MATH-5213: Probability and Statistics II
Sampling, presentation of data, testing statistical hypotheses, estimating and testing variability and comparisons of populations. Students cannot receive credit for both MATH-4213 and MATH-5213.
MATH-5313: Complex Variables
Complex numbers, analytical functions, integration, series, contour integration, analytical continuation, multi-valued problems, conformal mapping, boundary value problems and integral transforms. Students cannot receive credit for both MATH-4313 and MATH-5313.
