Architecture, Computer Systems, and Embedded Systems (ACSES)
Computer
Architecture, Computer Systems, and Embedded Systems is a technical area within the
Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Computer architecture is at the interface of computer hardware and software. Its practitioners are responsible for specifying, designing, and implementing at the architecture level the hardware structures that carry out the work specified by computer software. Computer architects share the responsibility for providing mechanisms that algorithms, compilers, and operating systems can use to enhance the performance and/or energy requirements of running applications. Computer architecture spans many dimensions, such as the scope of a processor (embedded processors, desktop systems, servers, and supercomputers); the target application (general-purpose versus domain-specific); the characteristics of the design objectives (speed, power consumption, cost, reliability, availability, and reconfigurability); and the measurement and analysis of resulting designs.
Area Advisor: Jonathan Valvano, EER5.820, valvano@mail.utexas.edu
I have a phone, but it is best to email me.
Plan out all courses for your degree objective to make sure that you schedule everything correctly, e.g. to take the appropriate the pre-requisites. Scheduling 10 graduate courses distributed properly between major and supporting work will simultaneously satisfy the coursework requirements for both an MS non-thesis/non-report option and the PhD coursework requirements.
Major/Supporting Work Classification
Planned undergraduate courses for the future
Planned graduate courses for the future
Some graduate courses are only offered every other year. Develop the plan with your academic track advisor, or your research advisor if you have one.
Taking the right distribution of the 10 graduate-level courses will also
satisfy the PhD coursework requirements.
What courses do I need for a Masters
Degree?
There are no specific ACSES graduate classes that are required for
all
students. However, it is recommended that all ACSES students have the
equivalent
experience of our ECE360C Algorithms and our ECE460N/ECE382N.1 Computer
Architecture. Graduate students are not allowed to take ECE460N; rather
graduate students who need architecture background should take ECE382N.1 in the fall.
If you have not
had
substantial classes or work experience in should consider taking ECE360C
either in the fall or the spring.
It is recommended
that all
ACSES students discuss their particular academic preparation with an
ECE360C
instructor and an ECE460N instructor to determine whether or not they
need to
take them. If you have to take them, most people can count these
classes in
their program of work towards the MS degree. Your supporting work does
not have
to be concentrated in a single area, but it could be if you wanted. ECEx97C
(Research Problems), ECE397K.1 (Conference Course) ECE397M (Internship),
ECE398T
(Teaching), or ECEx97C (Research Problems) do not count towards the MS
degree.
Thesis Option: 8 courses; 4 to 6 courses in Major Work and 4 to 2
courses
in Supporting Work, excluding ECE698A and ECE698B. You take ECE698A only
once, and
in a separate semester before taking ECE698B. You must take ECE 698B in
the
semester you file to earn the MSE degree, even if you have to repeat
it. You
can count no ECE397K, Topic-1 Conference Courses.
Report Option: 9 courses; 5 to 7 courses in Major Work and 4 to
2
courses in Supporting Work, excluding ECE
398R. You take ECE398R in the semester you file to earn the MSE degree,
even if
you have to repeat it. You can count no ECE397K, Topic-1 Conference
Courses.
No-Thesis/No-Report Option: 10 courses: 6 to 8 courses in Major
Work and
4 to 2 courses in Supporting Work. You can count no ECE397K, Topic-1
Conference
Course courses.
|
Three MS Options |
Number of Formal Courses Required |
||||
|
Major Work |
Supporting Work |
Total |
|||
|
Total |
Graduate |
Total |
|||
|
Thesis |
ECE698A/B |
5 to 6 |
1 or more |
3 to 2 |
8 |
|
Report |
ECE398R |
5 to 7 |
1 or more |
4 to 2 |
9 |
|
No Thesis or Report |
6 to 8 |
1 or more |
4 to 2 |
10 |
|
|
Min GPA Required |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
|
1)
No more than 6 semester hours of upper-division undergraduate course
work may
be included on the ECE MSE Program of Work.
2) For the No Thesis/No report option, at least 30 semester hours of
formal classroom
instruction is required. Formal classroom instruction excludes
Conference
Course.
3) For the MS report option, at least 27 semester hours of formal
classroom
instruction, plus 3 hours of the report course (ECE398R) for a minimum
total of
30 semester hours. Formal classroom instruction excludes Conference
Course.
4) For the MS Thesis option, at least 24 semester hours of formal
classroom
instruction, plus 6 hours of thesis courses (ECE698A, ECE698B) for a
minimum
total of 30 semester hours. Formal classroom instruction excludes
Conference
Course.
5) No course of less than a grade of C and no more than one course with
a grade
of C or C+ may be included on the ECE MSE Program of Work.
6) At least 5 courses must be ECE courses.
How do I get an RA?
Individual faculty make RA decisions based on their research
grants. Go
down the list of all ECE faculty sorting the
list
according to your research interests. Then you should contact faculty
directly
about RAs. A list of ACSES faculty can be found at
http://www.ece.utexas.edu/academics/graduate/tracks/acses
and all tracks are listed at
http://www.ece.utexas.edu/academics/graduate/tracks
Most have websites describing their research. You choose your research
area by
asking professors currently doing research in areas in which you are
interested. In your first two semesters, it is a good plan to take
graduate
classes from these professors.
I am an MS-only student, what should I take my first semester?
1) Take three major courses
2) The most important task your first semester is to get an internship for
next summer. Take three courses in your first sememter than gives you the
best chance of getting the first intership. Note that recruiting for summer
internships starts in September!
3) If you are interested in architecture, take 382N.1 or get permission
from the architecture faculty to skip
382N.1 because your UG architecture was strong enough. Almost all grad-level architecture
courses have the material in 382N.1 as a prerequisite.
4) If you are interested in embedded systems, take 445L or get permission from
the embedded systems faculty to skip
445L because your UG architecture was strong enough. Almost all grad-level embedded systems
courses have the material in 445L as a prerequisite.
I am a PhD-bound student, what should I take my first semester?
1) Take two major courses and ECE397C
2) The most important task your first year is find a PhD supervisor.
So, pick classes from potential supervisors.
How do I get a TA?
1) The ACSES Admissions committee handles recruiting TA offers.
Unfortunately, we make very few such offers -- if you have not yet
received
one, it is unlikely that you will.
2) Some existing graduate students get TA offers by applying to the
department
TA job request and then contacting professors who teach classes with TA
vacancy. If you have a thesis supervisor, and ask the supervisor to
help you
get a TA. During their office hours, go see the professors that teach
classes that
have TA’s when they are making the selections (1 month before and
up to 5 days
into each semester.) You could also try other departments like Computer
Science, Math, and General Engineering .
The
General Engineering Program (GE Program) offers supplemental
instruction
courses in math, physics and chemistry during the Fall
and Spring semesters.
How do I find a research supervisor?
Individual professors decide on their own whom they want to work
with. Consequently,
this advice is broad and multifaceted. Any member of the ECE
graduate studies committee (GSC) can supervisor your MS or PhD
research.
Once admitted to the graduate program, feel free to contact any
professor in
whose research you are interested. However, I suggest you first study
what
research they are interested in before contacting them (e.g., read some
of
their papers and review their web sites). It is annoying to get email
asking
for money from students before they are admitted. It is ineffective to
ask a
professor for RA money unless you have a sincere interest and ability
in their
research area. Some professors prefer email, others prefer a
face-to-face
meeting, and many would like to see you in their graduate class before
committing to do research together. So I suggest you take graduate
classes from
potential research supervisors until you find one.
Which professors can supervisor my MS or PhD
research?
Any member of the ECE graduate studies committee (GSC) can
supervisor your
MS or PhD research. This committee includes all full time (not adjunct)
ECE
professors, and a few professors from CS, ME ,and
BME. The up-to-date list of professors who are on the
GSC
members can be found on this GSC website
https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/ogs/auth/gsc/gsc_members/.
You can select Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
to see a list of the current ECE GSC members.
See also http://www.ece.utexas.edu/academics/guides-and-procedures. Other
professors can
your research if your have two
supervisors, called cosupervisors, and one
of the cosupervisors
is on the ECE GSC.
What courses do I need for a PhD Degree?
Discuss this with your supervisor. See ECE Graduate Program Handbook.
I want to graduate. How do I get my MS degree?
1) Every semester the advising form specifies whether a course counts as major,
counts as supporting work, or doesn't count. This allow you to know at
every semester your progress towards the MS degree.
2) Contact the grad advisors, they know the forms to fill out.
See ECE Graduate Program Handbook.
How do I tell if a course is a major or a
supporting work?
1) If you are a MS student, look it up in the Major/Supporting
Work Classification, or
2) If you are a PhD student, which courses are major and which are
supporting
is determined by your PhD qualifying committee.
Can I take undergraduate courses for my
master’s degree?
Yes with the limitations (regardless of the thesis/report/NT-NR
option)
1) You must take it for a letter grade
2) There is a limit of 2 total undergraduate courses allowed
3) There must be at least one graduate course in the supporting work
category
4) The course cannot be required by all ECE undergraduates
(see the major/supporting work
guidelines for specific classes that are OK)
5) It cannot have a 0,1 as the middle number in the course number
6) It must be a class that students in that department use for their
degree. It
cannot be a survey class for nonmajors.
Under most situations it is a good idea to get approval before you take
it
Can I transfer classes into my master’s
degree?
Yes, even courses taken as a non-degree seeking student, with the
limitations (regardless of the thesis/report/NT-NR option)
1) Up to 2 graduate classes (course must be strictly for graduate
students, and not open to undergraduates)
2) You must have taken it for a letter grade at an accredited university
3) You must not have counted it towards another awarded degree
How do I transfer classes into my master’s
degree?
Go to the ECE graduate office and ask for the forms.
Can policies be changed/waived
for
me?
If you have a thesis supervisor, have that professor petition to
the
appropriate body (ACSES faculty, ECE graduate studies committee, or the
Graduate
School) for the change/waiver. Without an official supervisor, any ECE
professor can be your advocate.
How do I qualify for PhD program?
Discuss this with your supervisor. See ECE Graduate Program Handbook
How do I
transfer into
Architecture Computer Systems and Embedded Systems?
Transferring is like the original admission process. You will need
a
transcript, letters of reference, statement
of
purpose, GRE scores etc. Transfers are evaluated at specific times
during the
year along with the regular new admissions. Discuss the transfer
process with
chairman of the ACSES admissions committee.
I want to register for classes but can’t
find Valvano in his
office. What do I do?
1)Email him again (I get a lot of email) at valvano@mail.utexas.edu.
List all the courses you have taken, what you wish to take next
semester, and
when you plan to graduate. After you and Valvano agree on your courses,
then
complete the Docusign ECE registration form.
Can I take business classes for my supporting
work?
Yes, as long as they are regular business classes meant for
business
majors. You cannot count business classes
intended
for nonmajors.
Can I take machine learning classes in other departments?
You can take ML classes in CS or math, but you cannot take ML classes in other
departments.
Can I take computer science classes for my
supporting work?
Because of the overlap between computer engineering and computer science,
there are many CS classes that will be considered major work. On the other hand, because of the
breadth of computer science, many CS classes will be considered supporting work.
In general, you can count a CS class towards your degree in ECE as long as the course is regular CS class meant for CS majors.
You cannot count computer science classes
intended for nonmajors. To tell if a CS class is considered major see
Major/Supporting Work Classification.
The basic idea is that CS classes in architecture, computer hardware, compilers, operating systems, and algorithms will be major.
Does the supporting work have to be concentrated
in a single
area?
No, but it could be concentrated if you wanted it to be.
How many ECE397C, ECE397M, ECE397K.1 Conference Courses can I count
towards my
MS degree?
Students can count no individual studies classes for their MS or
PhD
degrees.
What do I do to work off campus full-time during a
long
semester?
This applies only to full-time graduate students, not part-time
students.
First, you find a computer engineering job with a commitment for the
entire
semester. Second, you find a ECE faculty member in an area close to the
job
functions you will be performing. You must register for ECE397M under
the
supervision of that ECE faculty member. To be a full-time student, you
need to
take 9 hours. If you are working in Austin you could take regular
courses. You
could also register for ECE397M three times.
What if I am a foreign student and want to work
off campus
full-time during the summer semester?
This applies only to full-time graduate students, not part-time
students.
First, you find a computer engineering job with a commitment for the
entire
semester. Second, you find a ECE faculty member in an area close to the
job
functions you will be performing. You must register for ECE397M under
the
supervision of that ECE faculty member. Under some circumstances, you
have the
option of registering for ECE397M either in the summer or the next fall.
If you
register in the fall for ECE397M covering work performed over the
summer, you
register for ECE397M in addition to the 9-hour full-time course load.
All
full-time students must register for at least 9 hours for both the Fall and Spring semesters.
Questions regarding full-time status should be referred to the
Office of the
Registrar or the Office of Graduate Studies. Certification of full-time
status,
when needed, is provided by the Office of the Registrar.
What is a full-time course load during the summer
semester?
The Graduate School recognizes three hours during a summer term as
a
minimum full-time course load. Individual graduate programs may require
more,
but the ECE Department approves 3 hours as full-time in the summer. The three semester credit hour minimum course
load for the summer session may be satisfied in one six-week term, or
in the
nine-week or twelve-week terms. Under various circumstances, graduate
students
must be registered for and must remain registered for a full-time load,
including: holders of Graduate School-administered fellowships and
scholarships; assistant instructors, teaching assistants, assistants
(graduate), and graduate research assistants; and students living in
University
housing or receiving certain student loans. In conclusion, bear in mind
that
outside agencies that grant loans or provide for educational funding
can set
their own requirements about what constitutes full-time status.
Students need
to be familiar with the regulations of any agency to which they have an
obligation.
Questions regarding full-time status should be referred to the
Office of the
Registrar or the Office of Graduate Studies. Certification of full-time
status,
when needed, is provided by the Office of the Registrar.
What is a report?
There are two types of reports. A regular report is a project that
typically takes 1 semester at 20 hours/week to complete. The scope can
range
from any engineering process: research, design, implementation and/or
evaluation. Reports, unlike theses, do not usually include all four of
the
above processes. The second type of report is an industrial report,
which is
available only to full-time employees working in a computer engineering
field.
For this you get approval from your boss at work and a professor at UT.
You
write a report about a project for which you made a major engineering
contribution. You work out some way to convince the professor at UT
that you
personally performed enough design, implementation and testing to be
classified
as a major engineering design project without having to disclose into
the UT
library the company secrets. The official report may be short and
contain
general statements about the project. This report follows all the
format
specifications defined by the University and is recorded in the
library. If you
perform all the efforts at the outside company, then the University of
Texas
will not attempt to obtain ownership. On the other hand, if some of the
creative ideas come from the professor, or if any of the
design/development/testing occurs on campus, then this is not an
industrial
report and the usual collaborative arrangements will apply. Your boss
at work
and the professor at UT are cosupervisors
of the
industrial report.
What do you think that I need to know as a Grad
student?
Get to know other students. Be careful about advice from students,
because
the rules can change semester to semester.
Although a good source of ideas to think about, please verify
the specific
information with a faculty advisor or someone in the ECE Graduate
Office.
Where could I find information as regards which
courses are
being offered? Which Professors will be teaching? Which books will be
required?
What you ask is not readily available. But if you start with the
ECE web
page, you can find the up to date list of exactly what classes will be
taught
in the next semester. If you wish to plan for subsequent semesters, use
last
year's listing as a starting point. Most of the classes offered last
fall/spring/summer will be offered next fall/spring/summer. Then, if
there is a
professor defined, contact them directly. If no professor is defined,
look at
last year's page to see who taught it last year.
Contact the professor
teaching
the class for details such as the textbook and syllabus.
I would also like to know if I would have to take
up any
deficiency courses and if yes then which ones?
The only two deficiency classes we make sure everyone has are: 1)
ECE360C
Algorithms, and 2) ECE382N.1 Computer Architecture. If you have not had substantial classes
like
these, then you will have to take them here. I strongly suggest that
every CE
student discuss their particular academic preparation with an ECE360C
instructor
and an ECE460N instructor to check whether or not they need to take
them. If you
have to take them, most people can count these classes in their program
of work
towards the MS degree. Grad students are not allowed to take ECE460N, but rather should take the grad version ECE382N.1.
Can GRS 389T be counted towards the MS/PhD degrees
in the CE
area?
Although worthwhile, GRS 389T can not
be counted
towards the MS or PhD degrees. It does count towards your hours as a
full-time
student
I don’t have an undergraduate degree in
Electrical
Engineering. What do I do?
If your undergraduate degree is in a related field like Computer
Engineering, then you are exempt from the usual preparatory class
requirements.
If your undergraduate degree is in Computer Science and you are going
into a
Software Engineering graduate program, then you are exempt from the
usual
preparatory class requirements. If your undergraduate degree in not in
Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Computer Science, then
you must
fulfill the Computer Engineering undergraduate deficiency BEFORE you
can take
graduate courses. Go to the ECE graduate office for the appropriate
form/procedure.
Can I defer enrollment?
You can request deferment for one long semester. Make a written
request to
the graduate advisor or Dr. Valvano, sending a copy also to the ECE
graduate
office. To defer more than one long semester will usually require
readmission
via the normal application process.
How many credit hours would you recommend for me?
A typical load for full-time graduate students is 9 hours. A new MS
student in
his/her first year typically takes 3 classes per semester. A PhD-bound
student
(with or without an MS) in his/her first year typically takes 1
research class
and 2 regular classes per semester. Later, while the student is
performing
research, he/she typically takes 0 to 2 classes and registers for one
or more
research class (e.g., ECE397C, ECE698A).
What are the prerequisites?
Officially, most graduate classes state
"consent of the instructor". The university does not officially check
graduate students for prerequisites, so you can register for whatever
classes
you want. Undergraduate students do have formal prerequisites which are
systematically and officially checked, but a graduate student taking an
undergraduate class is not officially checked. However, for every class
and for
every semester, all graduate students should have a one on one
discussion with
the professor to make sure you understand the course content and the
professor
agrees you have the prerequisite knowledge. Prerequisite checking for
graduate
students is done face to face because graduate students are from all
around the
world, and each year graduate classes are updated with state of the art
information. Although there is no formal process and no paperwork, most
students do this during the couple of days before classes start. Most
problems
with students dropping classes or getting C's can be traced to students
having
a poor understanding of the course content and/or expected prerequisite
knowledge.
Some courses are titled -ECD and -SE. What does it
mean?
There are two special MS programs called Circuit Design (ECD) and
Software
Engineering (SE). These are entirely separate programs and regular ECE
graduate
students can not take classes designated
-ECD or -SE.
Many graduate courses (e.g., 382C) have multiple
courses/instructors
listed. Why?
The first digit signifies the number of hours (with the exception
ECE698A
and ECE698B, which are 3 hours each). Thus, ECE382C is 3 hours. The
second digit
signifies the level. ECE301 to ECE319 are lower division undergraduate,
and ECE320
to ECE379 are upper division undergraduate classes. ECE graduate courses
have
numbers ECE380 to ECE399. Most courses also include a letter. There are
not
enough number-letter combinations for all our graduate classes. So,
course
numbers like ECE382C have multiple topics. Sometimes there is a dot
followed by
a number, like ECE382M.7, and sometimes there is
no dot
followed by a number, like ECE382V (which is used for new classes). You
can take
a course multiple times, as long as the topic is different.
Research
courses can be taken multiple times.
What is ECE397K Intellectual Property? Can I count
it towards
a degree?
It's a business school course. It counts as supporting work for an
MS CE
track. The course is listed under LEB380.14 in the business school.
"LEB" stands for "Legal Environment of Business", and there
are a number of other graduate level business-law courses under LEB380
in the
business school course schedule. For more info at the McCombs school
site: www.mccombs.utexas.edu.
Whether or not you can count Intellectual Property towards a PhD degree
is up
to the five (or six) professors on your PhD committee.
Can I count ECE397K
No, this
Can I take a leave of absence?
You can take a total of 2 Leaves of Absence as a graduate
student. It’s harder to get approved for LOA if
you’re a Ph.D.
candidate. One Leave of Absence is for one semester. While
you're
on a LOA you do not have student status. You have to apply for
readmission even if you’ve been on a LOA, and you cannot have a
gap of
non-enrollment for a semester or more between a LOA and the semester of
reapplication-and-re-enrollment or it voids the benefits of having
taken a
LOA. When you earn your degree, your courses that you list on the
Program
of Work aren't supposed to be more than six years old; the clock keeps
on
ticking even if you're on leave. However, we can petition for
inclusion
of older coursework and the petitions almost always get approved. The
two
benefits of a LOA are:
1) You don’t have to pay the
reapplication
fee when you apply for readmission .
2) We readmit you automatically
without
comparison to new applicants as long as you've been on LOA during the
preceding
semester.
Updated June 5, 2024