Open Questions for the BSEE and BS Comp. Eng. Curriculums for the 2002-2004 Catalog

Counting Courses That Would No Longer Be Required

• Question: How would EM 314 be counted under the 2002-2004 catalog?
  Possible Answer: Probably as a technical elective.
• Question: How would CH 301 taken before Fall 2002 be counted under the 2002-2004 catalog?
  Possible Answer: Probably as an approved elective.
• Open Question: Starting Fall 2002, we are proposing to no longer require CH 301 but instead expect that an incoming ECE student would have the equivalent background. How do we implement this?
  Possible Answer: The way Chemical Engineering handles this is to make every student demonstrate that they have this background by either having Advanced Placement credit (AP Chemistry) or taking CH 301 or testing out of CH 301. If a Chemical Engineering student takes CH 301, then it cannot be applied toward the Chemical Engineering degree.

Required Mathematics Courses

• Question: Will PHL 313K continue to be an acceptable substitute for M 325K for a BS Comp. Eng. major?
  Comments: At issue is that M 325K introduces matrices. Understanding something about matrices is important in courses such as EE 411 and EE 313. That said, PHL 313K is very important for those computer engineers wanting to specialize in logic design, e.g. by taking one of the technical areas associated with computer engineering (VLSI Design, Embedded Systems, and Computer Design). M 325K is more relevant for those specializing in software engineering (Software Development or System Software).
• Question: What to do about a BSEE student who switches to BS Comp. Eng. but who has already taken M 340L?
  Possible Answer: Probably count M 340L as a technical elective.
• Question: What to do about a BS Comp. Eng. student who switches to BSEE but who has already taken M 325K?
  Possible Answer: Probably count M 325K as a technical elective.

Completely Redesigned Required Courses

• Question: EE312 becomes a procedural programming course. Should its list of topics include functions, recursion, and software development, as initially proposed?

Newly Required Courses

• EE 306. This is an new introductory course on introduction to computing. Starting Fall 2001, it will carry this number. In the 2000-2001 academic year, this course was given an EE 379K number. For those in transition, we expect that taking any upper division EE course in any technical area can be used as a substitution for EE 306. The course used for the substitution for EE 3067 cannot also be used as a technical area elective.
• EE 322. In the 2002-2004 catalog, the old EE 360C will essentially become EE 322, and the new EE 360C will be essentially the old EE 360E course and the name will be changed to EE 360C Algorithms. Are students going to be able to take the old 360C and the new EE 360C and apply both towards their degree? In terms of the course abstract for EE 322, should it cover software testing, validation, and version control, as initially proposed? For the new version of EE 360C, should it also cover automata theory, as initially proposed?
• EE 438. EE 438 will be EE 338 plus a one-credit laboratory component. The one-credit laboratory component will consist of four of the labs from EE 321. Here are possible ways to obtain equivalent credit for EE 438:
  • EE 438 = EE 338+321, if taken prior to F2002.
  • EE 438 = EE 338, if taken prior to F2002, + new EE 160/Buckman. And EE 321, if taken prior to F2002, as a tech area course.
  • EE 438 = EE 338, if taken prior to F2002, + new EE 160/Buckman. Even if EE 321 has not been taken.
  If a student uses EE 321 and 338 for 438, then they cannot use it again for the NEW EE 321. However, if they took EE 160 after having taken 321 then this presents an unfair advantage in this class.
  Open Question: When should we start offering EE 160 Buckman and how long to offer this? It may be extremely difficult to be able to provide this class to all students who would want to bypass EE 321.
  Possible Answer: We hope to offer EE 160 Buckman during the Spring 2002, Summer 2002, and Fall 2002 semesters only.
• EE 366. We expect that EE 366 or ME 353 taken before Fall 2002 would count for EE 366 under the 2002-2004 catalog.

Last updated 09/19/01. Mail comments about this page to bevans@ece.utexas.edu.