Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)

OFFICES:
Undergraduate Affairs, Room 2705
Graduate Affairs, Room 2718
Engineering Building Unit 1, Warren College
http://www.ece.ucsd.edu/

Professors

Courses

Program Mission Statement

To educate tomorrow’s technology leaders.

Program Educational Objectives

To provide our students with training in the fundamental science and mathematics that underlie engineering, and with a general breadth and depth in engineering and in engineering design so that they are prepared for graduate school and for engineering careers. Students should have both proficiency in a specific technical area, and the flexibility and broad knowledge base needed for life-long engineering careers in a changing technical environment.
To ensure that our students are educated in the classical sense. In particular, that they are broadly aware of social and environmental issues and of the impact of their profession on these issues.
To assist our students in preparing themselves to work effectively in their profession. Specifically, to develop communications, teamwork, and leadership skills.

Program Outcomes and Assessment

Program outcomes have been established based on the Program Educational Objectives. Graduates of the ECE Program in Electrical Engineering are expected to have:

An understanding of the underlying principles of, and an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to electrical engineering problems
An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
A knowledge of electrical engineering safety issues
An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs
a. An ability to collaborate effectively with others
b. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice, including familiarity with computer programming and information technology
An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
a. An ability to communicate effectively in writing
b. An ability to communicate effectively in speech
c. An ability to communicate effectively with visual means
The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context
A recognition of the need for, and the ability to engage in, lifelong learning
A knowledge of contemporary issues

The Undergraduate Programs

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers undergraduate programs leading to the B.S. degree in electrical engineering, engineering physics, and computer engineering. Each of these programs can be tailored to provide preparation for graduate study or employment in a wide range of fields. The Electrical Engineering Program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

The Electrical Engineering Program has a common lower-division and a very flexible structure in the upper-division. After the lower-division core, all students take six breadth courses during the junior year. They must then satisfy a depth requirement which can be met with five courses focused on some speciality, and a design requirement of at least one project course. The remainder of the program consists of six electives which may range as widely or as narrowly as needed.

The Engineering Physics Program is conducted in cooperation with the Department of Physics. Its structure is very similar to that of electrical engineering except the depth requirement includes seven courses and there are only four electives.

The Computer Engineering Program is conducted jointly with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. It has a more prescribed structure. The program encompasses the study of hardware design, data storage, computer architecture, assembly languages, and the design of computers for engineering, information retrieval, and scientific research.

For information about admission to the program and about academic advising, students are referred to the section on ECE departmental regulations. In order to complete the programs in a timely fashion, students must plan their courses carefully, starting in their freshman year. Students should have sufficient background in high school mathematics so that they can take freshman calculus in the first quarter.

For graduation, each student must also satisfy general-education requirements determined by the student’s college. The six colleges at UCSD require widely different numbers of general-education courses. Students should choose their college carefully, considering the special nature of the college and the breadth of education required. They should realize that some colleges require considerably more courses than others. Students wishing to transfer to another college should see their college adviser.

Graduates of community colleges may enter ECE programs in the junior year. However, transfer students should be particularly mindful of the freshman and sophomore course requirements when planning their programs.

These programs have strong components in laboratory experiments and in the use of computers throughout the curricula. In addition, the department is committed to exposing students to the nature of engineering design. This is accomplished throughout the curricula by use of open-ended homework problems, by exposure to engineering problems in lectures, by courses which emphasize student-initiated projects in both laboratory and computer courses, and finally by senior design-project courses in which teams of students work to solve an engineering design problem, often brought in from industry.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT STUDENTS DISCUSS THEIR CURRICULUM WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTAL ADVISER IMMEDIATELY UPON ENTRANCE TO UCSD, AND THEN AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR UNTIL GRADUATION.

B.S. Electrical Engineering Program

Students must complete 180 units for graduation, including the general-education requirements (GER). Note that 144 units (excluding GER) are required.

Lower-Division Requirements (total of 68 units)

Mathematics (24 units): Math. 20A-B-C-D-E-F.

Physics (16 units): Phys. 2A-B-C-D or Phys. 4A-B-C-D-E. Math. 20A is a prerequisite for Phys. 2A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with Math. 20B or higher may take Phys. 2A in the fall quarter of the freshman year.

Chemistry (4 units): Chem. 6A.

Programming Course (4 units): ECE 15.

Electrical engineering (20 units): ECE 25, 30, 35, 45, and 65.

Additional Notes:

Students with AP math credit are strongly advised to take Math. 20B in the fall quarter, leaving room for a GER in the winter quarter.
The ECE undergraduate Web site shows several scheduling options. Please refer to the Web site and consult with the staff advisers in the undergraduate offices, rooms 2705 and 2707 in EBU1.

Upper-Division Requirements (total of 76 units)

a. Electrical Engineering BREADTH Courses (24 units)

Courses required of all electrical engineering majors:

The six courses, ECE 101, 102, 103, 107, 108, and 109 are required of all electrical engineering majors and they are an assumed prerequisite for senior-level courses, even if they are not explicitly required. Although the courses are largely independent, there are some prerequisites. ECE 102 is a prerequisite for ECE 108. Students who delay some of the breadth courses into the spring should be careful that it does not delay their depth sequence.

b. Electrical Engineering DESIGN Course (4 units)

Note: In order to fulfill the design requirement, students must complete one of the following courses with a grade C– or better. Graduation will not be approved until a written copy of the design project is submitted to the ECE undergraduate office.

The electrical engineering design requirement can be fulfilled in any of the following three ways:

Take ECE 191: Engineering Group Design Project
Take ECE 192: Engineering Design This course requires the department stamp. Specifications and enrollment forms are available in the undergraduate office.
Take one of the following courses:

ECE 111: Advanced Digital Design Project
ECE 118: Computer Interfacing
ECE 155B or 155C: Digital Recording Projects
Phys. 121: Experimental Techniques

Students who wish to take one of these courses to satisfy the design requirement must fill out an enrollment form and have departmental approval for the design credit prior to taking the course. The project must meet the same specifications as ECE 192.

c. Eletrical Engineering ELECTIVES (28 units)

Four engineering, mathematics, or physics courses, three of which must be upper division.
Three additional electives which students may use to broaden their professional goals.

(For additional information, please refer to the section on “Elective Policy for Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics Majors.”)

d. Electrical Engineering Depth Requirement (20 units)

Students must complete a “depth requirement” of at least five quarter courses to provide a focus for their studies. This set must include a clear chain of study of at least three courses which depend on the “breadth” courses. Students may choose one of the approved depth sequences listed below, or propose another with the approval of their faculty adviser. Some of the approved sequences have lower-division prerequisites and thus list six courses. Students choosing one of these sequences will have to complete only two “professional” electives. Guidelines for meeting the depth requirement can be obtained from the undergraduate office.

Electronics Circuits and Systems: ECE 163, 164, 165, and any two of ECE 111, 118, 161A, 161B, 161C, and 166.

Electronic Devices and Materials: ECE 135A, ECE 135B, 136L, 139, and 183.

Controls and Systems Theory: ECE 171A, 171B, 174, 118, and 173.

Machine Intelligence: ECE 173, 174, 172A and any two of ECE 175, 161A, 187, 253A, 285, and COGS 108F.

Photonics: ECE 181, 182, 183, 184, and 185.

Communications Systems: ECE 161A, 153, 154A-B-C.

Networks: ECE 153, 159A, 159B, 158A-B.

Queuing Systems: ECE 171A, 174, 159A-B, and Math. 181A.

Signal and Image Processing: ECE 161A, 161B, 161C, 153, and ECE 172A or 174.

Computer Design: CSE 12, 21, and 141, ECE 158A, 111 or 118, and 165.

Software Systems: CSE 12, 21, 100, 101, 141, and 120.

B.S. Engineering Physics

Students must complete a total of 180 units for graduation, including the general-education requirements. Note that 146 units (excluding GER) are required.

All students will initially be placed in pre-major status. Upon successful completion of the following courses (with a minimum 2.0 GPA by the end of the first three quarters if a transfer student, six quarters if an incoming freshman), students will be admitted into full Engineering-Physics major status.

Math. 20A-B-C
Physics 2A-B
ECE 15, 25, and 35

To initiate the change from pre-major status to full major status, transfer students must see the ECE undergraduate adviser by the end of their third quarter at UCSD; incoming freshmen by the end of their sixth quarter.

Please refer to the sections “Undergraduate Regulations and Requirements” and “Acceptance to the Jacobs School of Engineering” for important details.

Lower-Division Requirements (total of 70 units)

Mathematics (24 units): Math. 20A-B-C-D-E-F.

Physics Lab (2 units): Phys. 2DL is required.

Chemistry (4 units): Chem. 6A.

Programming Course (4 units): ECE 15.

Electrical engineering (20 units): ECE 25, 30, 35, 45, and 65.

Additional Notes:

Students with AP math credit are strongly advised to take Math. 20B in the fall quarter, leaving room for a GER in the winter quarter.
The ECE undergraduate Web site shows several scheduling options. Please refer to the Web site and consult with the staff advisers in the undergraduate offices, rooms 2705 and 2707 in EBU1.

Upper-Division Requirements (76 units)

a. Engineering Physics BREADTH Courses (24 units)

The electrical engineering breadth courses ECE 101, 102, 103, 107, 108, and 109, are also required of engineering physics majors. However, because of the scheduling of Math. 110, Phys. 110A and 130A, they can only be taken in a specific order (please consult the ECE Web site).

b. Engineering Physics DESIGN Course (4 units)

The engineering physics design requirement can be fulfilled in any of the following three ways:

Take ECE 191: Engineering Group Design Project
Take ECE 192: Engineering Design This course requires the department stamp. Specifications and enrollment forms are available in the undergraduate office.
Take one of the following courses:

ECE 111: Advanced Digital Design Project
ECE 118: Computer Interfacing
ECE 155B or 155C: Digital Recording Projects
Physics 121: Experimental Techniques

c. Engineering Physics ELECTIVES (20 units)

Two engineering, mathematics, or physics courses, one of which must be upper division.
Three additional electives which students may use to broaden their professional goals.

(For additional information, please refer to the section on Elective Policy for Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics Majors.)

d. Engineering Physics DEPTH Courses (28 Units)

All B.S. engineering physics students are required to take Phys. 110A, 130A-B, 140A, Math. 110, ECE 123 and 166; or ECE 135A and 135B; or ECE 182 and (181 or 183).

Elective Policy for Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics Majors

1. Technical Electives:

Technical electives must be upper-division engineering, math or physics courses (except for the bioengineering track). Certain courses listed below are not allowed as electives because of overlap with ECE courses.

Physics: Students may not receive upper-division elective credit for any lower-division physics courses. Students may not receive credit for both Phys. 100A and ECE 107, Phys. 100B and ECE 107, Phys. 100C and ECE 123.

Mathematics: Math. 180A overlaps ECE 109 and 153, and therefore will not qualify for elective credit of either type. Math. 183 will not be allowed as an elective. Math. 163 will only be allowed as a professional elective. All lower- division mathematics is excluded from elective credit of either type.

Bioengineering: The following series of courses will provide “core” preparation in bioengineering and will satisfy five of the ECE technical elective requirements:

• BILD 1, BILD 2, BE 100, BE 140A-B.

The bioengineering department will guarantee admission to these courses for ECE students on a space available basis.

CSE: The following courses are excluded as electives: CSE 1, 2, 5A-B, 8A-B, 11, 123A (duplicates ECE 158A), 140 (duplicates ECE 25), 140L (duplicates ECE 36), 143 (duplicates ECE 165). CSE 12, 20, and 21 will count toward the three professional electives ONLY.

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE): Credit will not be allowed for MAE 105, 139, 140, 143B, or 170.

Special Studies Courses 195–199: At most four units of 195–199 may be used for elective credit.

2. Professional Electives:

Normally these will be upper-division courses in engineering, mathematics, or physics. Students may also choose upper-division courses from other departments provided that they fit into a coherent professional program. In such cases, a lower-division prerequisite may be included in the electives. Courses other than upper-division engineering, mathematics, or physics must be justified in terms of such a program, and must be approved by a faculty adviser.

Biology and Chemistry: Of the three electives intended to allow for the professional diversity, one lower-division biology or chemistry course from BILD 1, 2, Chem. 6B-C may be counted for credit in combination with two upper-division biology or chemistry courses. Furthermore, this will count only if the student can demonstrate to a faculty adviser that they constitute part of a coherent plan for professional/career development.

Upper-division biology and chemistry courses will count toward the three professional electives but not the three math/physics/engineering electives.

Economics: Suitable electives would include:

Economics 1 followed by courses in one of the following tracks:

Public and Environmental Economics: Select 2—Economics 118A-B, 130, 131, 132, 137.
Labor and Human Resources: Select 2—Economics 136, 137, 138A-B, 139.
Microeconomics: Economics 100A-B or 170A-B.
Finance Track (MBA) I: Must complete all 3—Economics 4, 173, and another upper-division Economics elective.
Finance Track (MBA) II: Economics 1, 100A or 170A, and 175.
Operations Research: Must complete 172 A—Economics 172A and (172B or 172C).

Economics 3 followed by courses in one of the following tracks:

Monetary Economics: Economics 111 and another upper-division Economics Elective.
Macroeconomics: Economics 110A-B.

Note: Economics 120A, and 158A-B will not be allowed as professional electives.

B.S. Computer Engineering

Students wishing to pursue the computer engineering curriculum must be admitted to either the ECE or CSE department. The set of required courses and allowed electives is the same in both departments; please note that the curriculum requires twenty upper-division courses. The Computer Engineering Program requires a total of 147 units (not including the general-education requirements).

The Computer Engineering Program offers a strong emphasis on engineering mathematics and other basic engineering science as well as a firm grounding in computer science. Students should have sufficient background in high school mathematics so that they can take freshman calculus in their first quarter. Courses in high school physics and computer programming, although helpful, are not required for admission to the program.

Lower-Division Requirements (total of 70 units)

Mathematics (20 units): Math. 20A-B-C-D-F.

Physics (16 units): Phys. 2A-B-C-D, or Phys. 4A-B-C-D. Math. 20A is a prerequisite for Phys. 2A. Students whose performance on the mathematics placement test permits them to start with Math. 20B or higher may take Phys. 2A in the fall quarter of the freshman year.

Physics lab (2 units): Phys. 2BL or 2CL or 2DL. The lab course should be taken concurrently with the Phys. 2 or Phys. 4 sequence.

Computer Science (21 units): CSE 11 or 8B*, 12, CSE 20 or Math. 15A, CSE 21 or Math. 15B, CSE 30, and CSE 91.

* CSE 8A and CSE 8B are not required if a student completes CSE 11. CSE 11 is a faster paced version of CSE 8A and CSE 8B. Students will self-select which course they wish to take. Students without programming experience in a compiled language are advised to take CSE 8A and then CSE 8B instead of CSE 11.

Electrical Engineering (12 units): ECE 53A-B, ECE 109.

Upper-Division Requirements (total of 76 units)

a. All B.S. computer engineering students are required to take CSE 100 or Math. 176, CSE 101 or Math. 188, CSE 105 or Math. 166, CSE 120, 131A-B, 140, 140L (CSE 140 and 140L must be taken concurrently), 141, 141L (CSE 141 and 141L must be taken concurrently).

b. In addition, all B.S. Computer engineering students must fulfill the following upper-division ECE requirements:

Engineering Probability and Statistics ECE 109. This course can be taken in the sophomore year.
Electronic Circuits and Systems ECE 102 and 108. The department recommends that these courses be taken in the junior year.
Linear systems ECE 101 and 171A or 161A.

c. Technical electives: All B.S. Computer engineering majors are required to take six technical electives.

One technical elective must be either ECE 111 or ECE 118.
Of the remaining five technical electives, four must be ECE or CSE upper-division or graduate courses.
The remaining course can be any upper-division course listed under the non-CSE/ECE electives. (See the section on electives below.)

Electives

The discipline of computer engineering interacts with a number of other disciplines in a mutually beneficial way. These disciplines include mathematics, computer science, and cognitive science. The following is a list of upper-division courses from these and other disciplines that can be counted as technical electives.

At most four units of 197, 198, or 199 may be used towards technical elective requirements. ECE/CSE 195 cannot be used towards course requirements. Undergraduate students must get instructor’s permission and departmental stamp to enroll in a graduate course.

Students may not get duplicate credit for equivalent courses. The UCSD General Catalog should be consulted for equivalency information and any restrictions placed on the courses. Additional restrictions are noted below. Any deviation from this list must be petitioned.

Mathematics: All upper-division courses except Math. 168A-B, 179A-B, 183, 184A-B, 189A-B, and 195–199. If a student has completed CSE 167, then he or she cannot get elective credit for Math. 155A. Students may receive elective credit for only one of the following courses: CSE 164A, Math. 174, Math. 173, Phys. 105A-B, MAE 107, CENG 100. No credit for any of these courses will be given if Math. 170A-B-C is taken. Students will receive credit for either Math. 166 or CSE 105 (but not both), either Math. 188 or CSE 101 (but not both), and either Math. 176 or CSE 100 (but not both).

Computer Science and Engineering: All CSE upper-division courses except CSE 195. Students will receive credit for either CSE 123A or ECE 158A (but not both).

Cognitive Science: Sensation and Perception 101A, Learning, Memory, and Attention 101B, Language 101C, Distributed Cognition 102A, Cognitive Ethnography 102B, Cognitive Engineering 102C, Neuroanatomy and Physiology 107A, Systems Neuroscience 107B, Cognitive Neuroscience 107C, Programming Methods for Cognitive Science 108D, Neural Networks Models of Cognitive I 108E, Advanced Programming Methods for Cognitive Science 108F, Human Computer Interaction 120, Human Computer Interaction Programming 121, Semantics 150, Language Comprehension 153, Natural and Artificial Symbolic Representational Systems 170, Neural Network Models of Cognition II 181, Artificial Intelligence Modeling II 182.

Students may not get credit for both CSE 150 and Advanced Programming Methods for Cognitive Science 108F or for both CSE 151 and Artificial Intelligence Modeling II 182.

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE): All upper-division MAE courses except MAE 140, and MAE 195-199.

Students may receive elective credit for only one of the following courses: CSE 164A, Math. 174, Math. 173, Phys. 105A-B, CENG 100, MAE 107. Students may only get credit for one of the two courses, CSE 167 or MAE 152.

Economics: Microeconomics 100A-B, Game Theory 109, Macroeconomics 110A-B, Mathematical Economics 113, Econometrics 120B-C, Applied Econometrics 121, Management Science Microeconomics 170A-B, Decisions Under Uncertainty 171, Introduction to Operations Research 172A-B-C, Economic and Business Forecasting 178.

Students cannot take Economics 120A since it duplicates ECE 109.

Linguistics: Phonetics 110, Phonology I 111, Phonology II 115, Morphology 120, Syntax I 121, Syntax II 125, Semantics 130, Mathematical Analysis of Languages 160, Computers and Language 163, Computational Linguistics 165, Psycholinguistics 170, Language and the Brain 172, and Sociolinguistics 175.

Engineering: Team Engineering 101 (see course description under the Jacobs School of Engineering section).

Music: Computer Music II 172, Audio Production: Mixing and Editing 173.

Psyschology: Engineering Psychology 161.

Minor Curricula

ECE offers three minors in accord with the general university policy that a minor requires five upper-division courses. Students must realize that these upper-division courses have extensive lower-division prerequisites (please consult the ECE undergraduate office). Students should also consult their college provost’s office concerning the rules governing minors and programs of concentration.

Electrical Engineering: 20 units chosen from the breadth courses ECE 101, 102, 103, 107, 108, 109.

Engineering Physics: 20 units chosen from the junior year courses Phys. 110A, 130A, Math. 110, ECE 101, 102, 103, 107, 108, 109.

Computer Engineering: 20 units chosen from the junior year courses ECE 102, 108, CSE 100, 101, 105, 120, 140, 140L, 141, 141L.

The department will consider other mixtures of upper-division ECE, CSE, physics, and mathematics courses by petition.

Undergraduate Admissions, Policies, and Procedures

Freshman eligibility:

Computer Engineering majors:

Admission to the computer engineering major is currently restricted as described in the section “Admission to the School of Engineering.” The only way to become a computer engineering (CE) major is to be directly admitted as an entering freshman or as an entering transfer (Transfer students, see TRANSFER STUDENTS section below).

The electrical and computer engineering department may periodically grant admission to the computer engineering (CE) major to a small number of academically exceptional UCSD undergraduate students who were not admitted to this major as entering students. Exceptional admission will be considered for students having an overall UCSD GPA of 3.5 or better who have taken at least two CSE, math, or science courses demonstrating special aptitude for the CE curriculum. Applications for exceptional admission must include submission of a course plan demonstrating ability to satisfy graduation requirements and a personal statement addressing the applicant’s motivation to join the CE major, in addition to other criteria established by the department.
Electrical Engineering:

Freshmen students who have excelled in high school and have declared electrical engineering on their application will be directly admitted by the dean of the School of Engineering into their major. The only way to become an electrical engineering major is to be directly admitted as an entering freshman (transfer students see Transfer Students section below). These students will be notified directly of their status.

Because of heavy student interest in departmental programs and the limited resources available to accommodate this demand, maintenance of a high quality program makes it necessary to limit enrollment to the most qualified students.

Admission to the department as a major, transfer, or minor is in accordance with the general requirements established by the School of Engineering.

The electrical and computer engineering department may periodically grant admission to the electrical engineering (EE) major to a small number of academically exceptional UCSD undergraduate students who were not admitted to this major as entering students. Exceptional admission will be considered for students having an overall UCSD GPA of 3.5 or better who have taken at least two CSE, math, or science courses demonstrating special aptitude for the EE curriculum. Applications for exceptional admission must include submission of a course plan demonstrating ability to satisfy graduation requirements and a personal statement addressing the applicant’s motivation to join the EE major, in addition to other criteria established by the department.
Engineering Physics:

All students will initially be placed in pre-major status. Upon successful completion of the following courses (with a minimum 2.0 GPA by the end of the first three quarters if a transfer student, six quarters if an incoming freshman), students will be admitted into full Engineering-Physics major status.
1. Math. 20A-B-C
2. Physics 2A-B
3. ECE 15, 25, and 35
To initiate the change from pre-major status to full major status, transfer students must see the ECE undergraduate adviser by the end of their third quarter at UCSD; incoming freshmen by the end of their sixth quarter.
Please refer to the sections “Undergraduate Regulations and Requirements” and “Acceptance to the Jacobs School of Engineering” for important details.

Transfer Students Eligibility

Effective fall 2004, it is strongly recommended that transfer students complete the following course preparation for engineering majors*:

Calculus I—for Science and Engineering (Math. 20A)
Calculus II—for Science and Engineering (Math. 20B)
Calculus and Analytic Geometry (Math. 20C)
Differential Equations (Math. 20D)
Linear Algebra (Math. 20F)
Complete calculus-based physics series with lab experience (Physics 2A-B-C)
Chemistry 6A (except computer science and computer engineering majors)
Highest level of introductory computer programming language course offerings at the community college**

*Effective fall 2006, these courses will be required preparation for all engineering transfer students.
**Refer to the UCSD General Catalog to select major prerequisite requirement for computer language courses.

Computer Engineering:

The B.S. in Computer Engineering is a heavily impacted major and admission is limited to applicants who have demonstrated a high level of achievement commensurate with the prospect of success in this major. Successful applicants must have completed substantial training at the community college and must have achieved a high level of academic performance there. For example, the required minimum of ninety quarter transfer units must include eighteen quarter units of calculus, twelve quarter units of calculus-based physics, and the highest level computer science course offered at their community college. Although the actual required GPA cutoff depends on the number of openings, at least a 3.2 GPA in the community college transfer courses, and a 3.4 GPA in math, physics and computer science courses, are likely to be needed to gain admission.

When planning their programs, students should be mindful of lower-division prerequisites necessary for admission to upper-division courses.

Effective fall 2004 applicants seeking admission as transfer students will be considered for direct admission into the Computer Engineering (CE) major in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The only way to become a Computer Engineering (CE) major is to be directly admitted as an entering transfer student.
Electrical Engineering:

The B.S. In Electrical Engineering is heavily impacted and admission is limited to applicants who have demonstrated a high level of achievement commensurate with the prospect of success in these majors. Successful applicants must have completed substantial training at the community college and must have achieved a high level of academic performance there. For example, the required minimum of 90 quarter transfer units must include 18 quarter units of calculus, 12 quarter units of calculus-based physics, and the highest level computer science course offered at their community college.

Effective fall 2004, applicants seeking admission as transfer students will be considered for direct admission into the electrical engineering major in the Department of Electrical Engineering. The only way to become an electrical engineering major is to be directly admitted as an entering transfer student. Although the actual required GPA cutoff depends on the number of openings, at least a 3.2 GPA in the community college transfer courses, and a 3.4 GPA in math, physics, and computer science courses, are likely to be needed to gain admission. Transfer students who have declared pre-electrical engineering will be considered for direct admission to the major.

There will be no pre-major admissions to Electrical Engineering.

The electrical engineering department may periodically grant admission to the electrical engineering major to a small number of academically exceptional UCSD undergraduate students who were not admitted to these majors as entering students. Exceptional admission will be considered for students having an overall UCSD GPA of 3.5 or better who have taken at least two ECE, math, or science courses demonstrating special aptitude for the EE curriculum. Applications for exceptional admission must include submission of a course plan demonstrating ability to satisfy graduation requirements and a personal statement addressing the applicant’s motivation to join the electrical engineering major, in addition to other criteria established by the department.
Engineering Physics:

Students are accepted into the pre-major and must complete the following courses in order to be accepted into the engineering physics major: Math. 20A-B-C, Phys. 2A-B, ECE 15, 25, and 35. Students who wish to enter in the engineering physics major must contact the department before the beginning of the fall quarter, submitting course descriptions and transcripts for courses used to satisfy their lower-division requirements. Normally, admission will be for the fall quarter; students entering in the winter or spring quarter should be aware that scheduling difficulties may occur because upper-division sequences normally begin in the fall quarter.

Grade Requirement in the Major

Courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade. All major courses must be completed with a grade of C– or better.

A GPA of 2.0 is required in all upper-division courses in the major, including technical electives. The grade of D will not be considered an adequate prerequisite for any ECE course and will not be allowed for graduation. The engineering design requirement must be completed with a grade of C– or better.

Advising

Students are required to complete an academic planning form and to discuss their curriculum with the appropriate departmental adviser immediately upon entrance to UCSD, and then every year until graduation. This is intended to help students in: a) their choice of depth sequence, b) their choice of electives, c) keeping up with changes in departmental requirements. A faculty adviser will be assigned by the ECE department undergraduate office.

New Transfer Students in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics

The entire curriculum is predicated on the idea of actively involving students in engineering from the time they enter as freshmen. The freshman course “Introduction to Engineering” has been carefully crafted to provide an overview of the engineering mindset with its interrelationships among physics, mathematics, problem solving, and computation. All later courses are specifically designed to build on this foundation. All transfer students should understand that the lower-division curriculum is demanding. Transfer students will be required to take all lower-division requirements or their equivalent.

Transfer students should start with ECE 20A in the fall quarter. Transfer students will be allowed to take ECE 20B and 60A concurrently. The recommended schedule for the lower-division ECE course is as follows:

Recommended Schedule

FALL

WINTER

SPRING

ECE 20A

ECE 20B

ECE 60B

MAE 9 or (CSE 11 or 8B)*

ECE 60A

ECE 60L

* Please note that engineering physics students cannot take CSE 11 or 8A in the fall quarter of the freshman year. (The fall quarter enrollment in CSE courses is reserved for computer science and computer engineering majors.) CSE 8A and CSE 8B are not required if a student completes CSE 11. CSE 11 is a faster paced version of CSE 8A and CSE 8B. Students will self-select which course they wish to take. Students without programming experience in a compiled language are advised to take CSE 8A and the CSE 8B instead of CSE 11.

Note: ECE 30 requires MAE 9 or (CSE 11 or 8B) and ECE 20B as a prerequisite and thus should be taken in the spring quarter of the sophomore year, or in the fall quarter of the junior year, concurrently with two upper-division breadth courses.

New Transfer Students in Computer Engineering

Recommended Schedules

FALL

WINTER

SPRING

First year*

CSE 11

CSE 12

CSE 30

CSE 20 (or Math. 15A)

CSE 21 (or Math. 15B)

ECE 109

CSE 91

ECE 53A

ECE 53B

First year**

CSE 8A

CSE 8B

CSE 20 (or Math. 15A)

ECE 53A

ECE 53B

CSE 30

CSE 12

ECE 109

* Recommended schedule for students with programming experience. This schedule will require students to get clearance from the CSE department to take CSE 8B and CSE 20 concurrently

** Recommended schedule for students with no programming experience. This schedule will require students to get clearance from the CSE department to take CSE 8B and CSE 12 in the winter quarter, and CSE 20 and CSE 30 concurrently in the spring quarter. CSE 21 should then be taken during the summer sessions or the following fall quarter.

Students who do not have any programming experience are encouraged to take the CSE 8A-B sequence instead of CSE 11. Experience has shown that most students who are not familiar with programming and take CSE 11 have to retake the class because the accelerated pace makes it difficult to learn the new material.

Note: Transfer students are encouraged to consult with the ECE undergraduate office for academic planning upon entrance to UCSD.

ECE Honors Program

The ECE Undergraduate Honors Program is intended to give eligible students the opportunity to work closely with faculty in a project, and to honor the top graduating undergraduate students.

Eligibility for Admission to the Honors Program:

Students with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the major and 3.25 overall will be eligible to apply. Students may apply at the end of the winter quarter of their junior year and no later than the end of the second week of fall quarter of their senior year. No late applications will be accepted.
Students must submit a project proposal (sponsored by an ECE faculty member) to the honors program committee at the time of application.
The major GPA will include ALL lower-division required for the major and all upper-division required for the major that are completed at the time of application (a minimum of twenty-four units of upper-division course work).

Requirements for Award of Honors:

Completion of all ECE requirements with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the major based on grades through winter quarter of the senior year.
Formal participation (i.e., registration and attendance) in the ECE 290 graduate seminar program in the fall quarter of their senior year.
Completion of an eight-unit approved honors project (ECE 193H: Honors Project) and submission of a written report by the first day of spring quarter of the senior year. This project must contain enough design to satisfy the ECE B.S.four-unit design requirement.
The ECE honors committee will review each project final report and certify the projects which have been successfully completed at the honors level.

Procedure for Application to the Honors Program:

Between the end of the winter quarter of their junior year and the second week of the fall quarter of their senior year, interested students must advise the department of their intention to participate by submitting a proposal for the honors project sponsored by an ECE faculty member. Admission to the honors program will be formally approved by the ECE honors committee based on GPA and the proposal.

Unit Considerations

Except for the two-unit graduate seminar, this honors program does not increase a participant’s total unit requirements. The honors project will satisfy the departmental design requirement and students may use four units of their honors project course as a technical elective.

Five-Year B.S./M. Eng. Program

Undergraduates in the ECE department who have maintained a good academic record in both departmental and overall course work are encouraged to participate in the five-year B.S./M. Eng. program offered by the department. Participation in the program will permit students to complete the requirements for the M. Eng. degree within one year following receipt of the B.S. Degree Complete details regarding admission to and participation in the program are available from the ECE Undergraduate Affairs office.

Admission to the Program

Students should submit an application for the B.S./M. Eng. program, including three letters of recommendation, by the program deadline during the spring quarter of their junior year. Applications are available from the ECE Undergraduate Affairs office. No GRE’s are required for application to the B.S./M. Eng. program. A GPA of at least 3.0 both overall and in the major and strong letters of recommendation are required to be considered for program admission.

In the winter quarter of the senior year, applications of students admitted to the program will be forwarded by the department to the UCSD Office of Graduate Studies and Research. Each student must submit the regular graduate application fee prior to the application deadline for their application to be processed. Students who have been accepted into the B.S./M. Eng. program will automatically be admitted for graduate study beginning the following fall provided they maintain an overall GPA through the winter quarter of the senior year of at least 3.0. Upper-division (up to twelve units) or graduate courses taken during the senior year that are not used to satisfy undergraduate course requirements may be counted towards the forty-eight units required for the M. Eng. degree.

Continuation in the Program

Once admitted to the B.S./M. Eng. program, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all courses through the winter quarter of the senior year and in addition must at all times maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in their graduate course work. Students not satisfying these requirements may be re-evaluated for continuation in the program.

Admission for graduate study through the B.S./M. Eng. program will be for the M. Eng. degree only. Undergraduate students wishing to continue towards the Ph.D. Degree must apply and be evaluated according to the usual procedures and criteria for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Curriculum

Students in the five-year B.S./M. Eng. program must complete the same requirements as those in the regular M. Eng. program. Completion of the M. Eng. degree requirements within one year following receipt of the B.S. Degree will generally require that students begin graduate course work in their senior year. All requirements for the B.S. Degree should be completed by the end of the senior (fourth) year, and the B.S. Degree awarded prior to the start of the fifth year. Courses taken in the senior year may be counted toward the B.S. requirements or the M. Eng. degree requirements, but not both. Students must have received their B.S. Degree before they will be eligible to enroll as graduate students in the department.

The Graduate Programs

The department offers two distinct graduate programs, the Ph.D. and the M. Eng. The Ph.D. Program is strongly research oriented and is for students whose final degree objective is the Ph.D. If a student with a B.S. is admitted to this program, he or she will be expected to complete the requirements for the M.S. degree (outlined below) before beginning doctoral research. By contrast, the M. Eng. is intended to be a terminal professional degree, for those not planning to pursue the Ph.D. The M. Eng. has only a coursework requirement. Graduate applicants are admitted directly into the M. Eng. or the Ph.D. programs only.

In addition, the department offers M.S. and Ph.D. Programs in Computer Engineering jointly with CSE, and a Ph.D. Program in Applied Ocean Science jointly with MAE and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Admission to an ECE graduate program is in accordance with the general requirements of the UCSD graduate division, and requires at least a B.S. Degree in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics with a minimum upper division GPA of 3.0. Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation and recent GRE General Test scores. TOEFL scores are required from international applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants should be aware that the University does not permit duplication of degrees.

Support: The department makes every effort to provide financial support for Ph.D. students who are making satisfactory progress. Support may take the form of a fellowship, teaching assistantship, research assistantship, or some combination thereof. International students will not be admitted unless there is reasonable assurance that support can be provided for the duration of their Ph.D. Program Students in the M.Eng. Programs may also obtain support through teaching or research assistantships, but this is less certain.

Advising: Students should seek advice on requirements and procedures from the departmental graduate office and/or the departmental Web site http://www.ece.ucsd.edu. All students will be assigned a faculty academic adviser upon admission and are strongly encouraged to discuss their academic program with their adviser immediately upon arrival and subsequently at least once per academic year.

Master of Engineering

The Master of Engineering (M. Eng.) program is intended primarily for engineers who desire Master’s level work but do not intend to continue with Ph.D. level research. Salient features of the M. Eng. program include the following: It can be completed in four quarters at full-time or eight quarters at half time; it does not require a thesis, a research project, or a comprehensive exam; and it has an option of three courses in business, management, and finance.

Course Requirements:

The total course requirements are forty-eight units (twelve quarter courses). The choice of courses is subject to general focus and breadth requirements. Students will be assigned a faculty adviser who will help select courses.

The Focus Requirement: (five courses) The M. Eng. Program should reflect, among other things, a continuity and focus in one subject area. The course selection must therefore include at least twenty units (five quarter courses) in closely related courses leading to the state of the art in that area. The requirement may be met by selecting five courses from within one of the focus areas listed below. In some cases it may be appropriate to select five closely related courses from two of the areas listed below. Such cases must be approved by a faculty adviser and the ECE Graduate Affairs Committee.
The Breadth Requirement: (two courses) A graduate student often cannot be certain of his or her future professional career activities and may benefit from exposure to interesting opportunities in other subject areas. The breadth requirement is intended to provide protection against technical obsolescence, open up new areas of interest, and provide for future self-education and interaction with people from related and sometime disparate disciplines. The minimum breadth requirement is eight units (two quarter courses) of ECE/CSE graduate courses selected from among the courses listed below, in an area distinctly different from that of the focus requirement.
Technical Electives: (two courses) Two technical electives may be any graduate courses in ECE, CSE, Physics, or Mathematics. Other technical courses may be selected with the approval of the faculty adviser and the ECE Graduate Affairs Committee. Technical electives may include a maximum of four units of ECE 298 (Independent Study), or ECE 299 (Research).
Professional Electives: (three courses) The three professional electives may be used in several ways: for the IP/Core 401, 420, 421 series in business, management, and finance; for upper-division undergraduate technical courses specified as prerequisites for graduate-level focus, breadth, or technical elective courses taken to satisfy the M.Eng. Degree requirements; or for additional graduate technical electives. Use of other courses to satisfy the Professional Elective requirement must be approved by the faculty adviser.

Scholarship Requirement: The forty-eight units of required course work must be taken for a letter grade (A-F), except for ECE 298 or 299, for which only S/U grades are allowed. Courses for which a D or F is received may not be counted. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 overall.

Master of Engineering Program Focus Courses

Please consult the ECE graduate office or the ECE Web site http://www.ece.ucsd.edu for the current list of focus areas and courses.

Applied Physics
Allied Ph.D. research areas: Applied Physics—Applied Optics, Applied Physics—Electronic Devices and Materials, Photonics, Radio Space Science, and Magnetic Recording.
ECE 222A-B-C. Electromagnetic Theory
ECE 230A-B-C. Solid State Electronics
ECE 236A-B-C-D. Semiconductors
ECE 238A-B. Materials Science
MS 201A-B-C. Materials Science
ECE 240A-B-C. Optics
ECE 241A-B-C. Optics
Communications and Signal Analysis
Allied Ph.D. Research areas: Communication Theory and Systems, Intelligent Systems, Robotics, and Control, Magnetic Recording, Signal and Image Processing.
ECE 153. Random Processes
ECE 250. Random Processes
ECE 251AN-BN-CN-DN. Digital Signal Processing
ECE 252A-B. Speech Compression and Recognition
ECE 253A-B. Digital Image Analysis
ECE 254. Detection Theory
ECE 255A. Information Theory
ECE 255B-C. Source Coding
ECE 256A-B. Time Series Analysis
ECE 257A-B. Wireless Communications
ECE 258A-B. Digital Communications
ECE 259AN-BN-CN. Channel Coding
ECE 273A-B-C. Optimization in Linear Vector Spaces
ECE 275A-B. Statistical Parameter Estimation
ECE 285. Special Topic: Computer Vision; Pattern Recognition (offerings vary annually)
Electronic Circuits and Systems
Allied Ph.D. Research areas: Computer Engineering, Electronic Circuits and Systems.
ECE 222A-B-C. Applied Electromagnetic Theory
ECE 230A-B-C. Solid State Electronics
ECE 236A-B-C. Semiconductor Hetero-structure Materials
ECE 250. Random Processes
ECE 260A-B-C. VLSI Circuits
ECE 263A-B-C. Fault Tolerant Computing
ECE 264A-B-C. Analog IC Design
ECE 265A-B. Wireless Circuit Design CSE 240A, 240B. Computer Architecture
CSE 242A, 243A. Computer Aided Design

Transferring to the Ph.D. Program

Although the M. Eng. is intended as a terminal degree, the department recognizes that degree goals can change, including the possibility that a student admitted to the M. Eng. may wish to obtain a Ph.D. To this end, we outline below the procedure that must be followed to effect such a change. At the outset, however, we stress that this option should not be used in an attempt to circumvent the normal Ph.D. admissions process. Students who fail to meet the standards for the Ph.D. Program at the time of admission have little chance of being allowed into the Ph.D. Program at a later date.

Students in the M. Eng. program wishing to be considered for admission to the Ph.D. Program should consult their academic adviser as soon as possible. Transfer from M. Eng. to the Ph.D. Program is possible provided that the student satisfies the following requirements:

Satisfy all requirements for initial admission to the Ph.D program, including submission of GRE General Test Scores, and be approved for consideration for transfer to the Ph.D program by the ECE Graduate Admissions Committee.
Identify a faculty member who agrees, in writing, to serve as that student’s academic and Ph.D. Research adviser.
In consultation with the academic adviser, design and complete a program of coursework that satisfies all course requirements and constraints for a Ph.D. discipline appropriate to their research. All students in the Ph.D. Programs are required to satisfy all Ph.D. Degree requirements as described below. Should the student not be admitted to the Ph.D. Program, this program of coursework will serve, with the approval of the academic adviser and the ECE Graduate Affairs Committee, to satisfy the coursework requirements for the M. Eng. degree.
Pass the comprehensive examination (Ph.D. Preliminary) at the level required for continuation in the Ph.D. Program A student failing to pass the comprehensive exam at this required level will not be admitted to the Ph.D. Program, and will instead continue in the M. Eng. degree program.
Maintain a GPA of at least 3.4 in the appropriate core graduate courses.

A student who has fulfilled all of the above requirements should, after passing the departmental comprehensive exam, submit a petition to change their degree objective from M. Eng. to Ph.D.

Master of Science

The ECE department offers an M.S. programs in electrical and computer engineering. The M.S. program in computer engineering is jointly administered with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The MS programs are research oriented, are intended to provide the intensive technical preparation necessary for subsequent pursuit of a Ph.D. It is stressed that the M.S. degree is offered only to students who have been admitted to the Ph.D. Program The M.S. degree may be earned either with a thesis (Plan 1) or with a research project followed by a comprehensive examination (Plan 2). However, continuation in the Ph.D. Program requires a comprehensive examination so most students opt for Plan 2.

Course Requirements:

The total course requirements for the master of science degrees in electrical engineering and in computer engineering are forty-eight units (twelve quarter courses) and forty-nine units, respectively, of which at least thirty-six units must be in graduate courses. Note that this is greater than the minimum requirements of the university. The department maintains a list of core courses for each disciplinary area from which the thirty-six graduate course units must be selected. The current list may be obtained from the department graduate office or the official Web site of the department. Students in interdisciplinary programs may select other core courses with the approval of their academic adviser. The course requirements must be completed within two years of full-time study. Students will be assigned a faculty adviser who will help select courses and approve their overall academic curriculum.

Scholarship Requirement: The forty-eight units of required course work must be taken for a letter grade (AF), except for graduate research (e.g. ECE 298, 299) for which only S/U grades are allowed. Courses for which a D or F is received may not be counted. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 overall.

Thesis and Comprehensive Requirements: The department offers both M.S. Plan 1 (thesis) and M.S. Plan 2 (comprehensive exam). Students in the M.S. program may elect either Plan 1 or Plan 2 any time. Students in the M.S. Plan 1 (thesis) must take twelve units of ECE 299 (Research) and must submit a thesis as described in the general requirements of the university. Students in the M.S. Plan 2 (comprehensive exam) must find a faculty member who will agree to supervise the student in a research project. This should be done before the start of the second year of study. They should complete at least four units of ECE 299 (Research) and must pass the departmental comprehensive examination by the end of their second year of study. This is an oral exam in which the student presents his or her research to a committee of three ECE faculty members, and is examined orally on a two-quarter core sequence in ECE. The outcome of the exam is based on the student’s research presentation, proficiency demonstrated in the student’s area of specialization, and overall academic record and performance in the graduate program.

Students in the computer engineering discipline may elect to take two written examinations in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, in accordance with the CSE guidelines, in place of the oral examination on a two-quarter sequence in ECE. They are then required to give a thirty- to forty-five minute research presentation in the ECE department.

The Doctoral Programs

The ECE department offers graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. Degree in ten disciplines within electrical and computer engineering, as described in detail below. The Ph.D. Is a research degree requiring completion of the Ph.D. Program course requirements, satisfactory performance on the comprehensive (Ph.D. Preliminary) examination and University Qualifying Examination, and submission and defense of a doctoral thesis (as described under the “Graduate Studies” section of this catalog). Students in the Ph.D. Program must pass the comprehensive exam (Ph.D. Preliminary) before the beginning of the third year of graduate study. To ensure timely progress in their research, students are strongly encouraged to identify a faculty member willing to supervise their doctoral research by the end of their first year of study.

Students should begin defining and preparing for their thesis research as soon as they have passed the comprehensive exam (Ph.D. Preliminary). They should plan on taking the University Qualifying Examination about one year later. The University does not permit students to continue in graduate study for more than four years without passing this examination. At the Qualifying Examination the student will give an oral presentation on research accomplishments to date and the thesis proposal to a campus-wide committee. The committee will decide if the work and proposal has adequate content and reasonable chance for success. They may require that the student modify the proposal and may require a further review.

The final Ph.D. Requirements are the submission of a dissertation and the dissertation defense (as described under the “Graduate Studies” section of this catalog).

Course Requirements: The total course requirements for the Ph.D. Degree in electrical engineering are essentially the same as the M.S. degree and consists of forty-eight units (twelve quarter courses), of which at least thirty-six units must be in graduate courses. Note that this is greater than the minimum requirements of the university. The department maintains a list of core courses for each disciplinary area from which the thirty-six graduate course units must be selected. The current list may be obtained from the ECE department graduate office or the official Web site of the department. Students in the interdisciplinary programs may select other core courses with the approval of their academic adviser. The course requirements must be completed within two years of full-time study.

Students in the Ph.D programs may count no more than eight units of ECE 299 towards their course requirements.

Students who already hold an M.S. degree in electrical engineering must nevertheless satisfy the requirements for the core courses. However, graduate courses taken elsewhere can be substituted for specific courses with the approval of the academic adviser.

Scholarship Requirement: The forty-eight units of required courses must be taken for a letter grade (AF), except for eight units of ECE 299 (Research) for which only S/U grades are allowed. Courses for which a D or F is received may not be counted. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 overall. In addition, a GPA of 3.4 in the core graduate courses is generally expected.

Comprehensive Exam (Ph.D. Preliminary): Ph.D. Students must find a faculty member who will agree to supervise their thesis research. This should be done before the start of the second year of study. They should then devote at least half their time to research and must pass the comprehensive examination (Ph.D. Preliminary) by the end of their second year of study.* This is an oral exam in which the student presents his or her research to a committee of three ECE faculty members, and is examined orally for proficiency in his or her area of specialization. The outcome of the exam is based on the student’s research presentation, proficiency demonstrated in the student’s area of specialization, and overall academic record and performance in the graduate program. Successful completion of the comprehensive examination (Ph.D. Preliminary) will also satisfy the M.S. Plan 2 comprehensive exam requirement.

* Students in the computer engineering discipline may elect to take two written examinations in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, in accordance with the CSE guidelines, in place of the oral examination on a two-quarter sequence in ECE. They are then required to give a thirty to forty-five minute research presentation in the ECE department.

University Qualifying Exam: Students who have passed the comprehensive exam (Ph.D. Preliminary) should plan to take the University Qualifying Examination approximately a year after passing the comprehensive exam (Ph.D. Preliminary). The University does not permit students to continue in graduate study for more than four years without passing this examination. The University Qualifying Examination is an oral exam in which the student presents his or her thesis proposal to a university-wide committee. After passing this exam the student is “advanced to candidacy.”

Dissertation Defense: The final Ph.D. Requirements are the submission of a dissertation, and the dissertation defense (as described under the Graduate Studies section of this catalog). Students who are advanced to candidacy may register for any ECE course on an S/U basis.

Departmental Time Limits: Students who enter the Ph.D. Program with an M.S. degree from another institution are expected to complete their Ph.D. Requirements a year earlier than B.S. entrants. They must discuss their program with an academic adviser in their first quarter of residence. If their Ph.D. Program overlaps significantly with their earlier M.S. work, the time limits for the comprehensive and qualifying exams will also be reduced by one year. Specific time limits for the Ph.D. Program, assuming entry with a B.S. Degree, are as follows:

The Comprehensive Exam (Ph.D. Preliminary) must be completed before the start of the third year of full-time study.
The University Qualifying Exam must be completed before the start of the fifth year of full-time study.
Support Limit: Students may not receive financial support through the University for more than seven years of full-time study (six years with an M.S. degree).
Registered Time Limit: Students may not register as graduate students for more than eight years of full-time study (seven years with an M.S. degree).

Half-Time Study: Time limits are extended by one quarter for every two quarters of approved half-time status. Students on half-time status may not take more than 6 units each quarter.

Ph.D. Research Programs:

Applied Ocean Sciences: This program in applied science related to the oceans is interdepartmental with the Graduate Department of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). It is administered by SIO. All aspects of man’s purposeful and unusual intervention into the sea are included. The M.S. degree is not offered in this program.
Applied Physics—Applied Optics and Photonics: These programs encompass a broad range of interdisciplinary activities involving optical science and engineering, optical and optoelectronic materials and device technology, communications, computer engineering, and photonic systems engineering. Specific topics of interest include ultrafast optical processes, nonlinear optics, quantum cryptography and communications, optical image science, multidimensional optoelectronic I/O devices, spatial light modulators and photodetectors, artificial dielectrics, multifunctional diffractive and micro-optics, volume and computer-generated holography, optoelectronic and micromechanical devices and packaging, wave modulators and detectors, semiconductor-based optoelectronics, injection lasers, and photodetectors. Current research projects are focused on applications such as optical interconnects in high-speed digital systems, optical multidimensional signal and image processing, ultrahigh-speed optical networks, 3D optical memories and memory interfaces, 3D imaging and displays, and biophotonic systems. Facilities available for research in these areas include electron-beam and optical lithography, material growth, microfabrication, assembly, and packaging facilities, cw and femtosecond pulse laser systems, detection systems, optical and electro-optic components and devices, and electronic and optical characterization and testing equipment.
Communication Theory and Systems
Communications theory and systems concerns the transmission, processing, and storage of information. Topics covered by the group include wireless and wireline communications, spread-spectrum communication, multi-user communication, network protocols, error-correcting codes for transmission and magnetic recording, data compression, time-series analysis, and image and voice processing.
Computer Engineering consists of balanced programs of studies in both hardware and software, the premise being that knowledge and skill in both areas are essential both for the modern-day computer engineer to make the proper unbiased tradeoffs in design, and for researchers to consider all paths towards the solution of research questions and problems. Toward these ends, the programs emphasize studies (course work) and competency (comprehensive examinations, and dissertations or projects) in the areas of VLSI and logic design, and reliable computer and communication systems. Specific research areas include: computer systems, signal processing systems, multiprocessing and parallel and distributed computing, computer communications and networks, computer architecture, computer-aided design, fault-tolerance and reliability, and neurocomputing. The faculty is composed of interested members of the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), and related areas. The specialization is administered by both departments; the requirements are similar in both departments, with students taking the comprehensive exam, if necessary, given by the student’s respective department.
Electronic Circuits and Systems: This program involves the study and design of analog, mixed-signal (combined analog and digital), and digital electronic circuits and systems. Emphasis is on the development, analysis, and implementation of integrated circuits that perform analog and digital signal processing for applications such as wireless and wireline communication systems, test and measurement systems, and interfaces between computers and sensors. Particular areas of study currently include radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers, RF low noise amplifiers, RF mixers, fractional-N phase-locked loops (PLLs) for modulated and continuous-wave frequency synthesis, pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), delta-sigma ADCs and digital-to-analog converters (DACs), PLLs for clock recovery, adaptive and fixed continuous-time, switched-capacitor, and digital filters, echo cancellation circuits, adaptive equalization circuits, wireless receiver and transmitter linearization circuits, mixed-signal baseband processing circuits for wireless transmitters and receivers, high-speed digital circuits, and high-speed clock distribution circuits.
Applied Physics—Electronic Devices and Materials: This program addresses the synthesis and characterization of advanced electronic materials, including semiconductors, metals, and dielectrics, and their application in novel electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices. Emphasis is placed on exploration of techniques for high-quality epitaxial growth of semiconductors, including both molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD); fabrication and characterization of materials and devices at the nanoscale; development of novel materials processing and integration techniques; and high-performance electronic devices based on both Group IV (Si/SiGe) and III-V compound semiconductor materials. Areas of current interest include novel materials and high-speed devices for wireless communications; electronic and optoelectronic devices for high-speed optical networks; high-power microwave-frequency devices; nanoscale CMOS devices and circuits; heterogeneous materials integration; novel device structures for biological and chemical sensing; advanced tools for nanoscale characterization and metrology; and novel nanoscale electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices. Extensive facilities are available for research in this area, including several MBE and MOCVD systems; a complete microfabrication facility; electron-beam lithography and associated process tools for nanoscale fabrication; a Rutherford backscattering system; x-ray diffractometers; electron microscopy facilities; extensive scanning-probe instrumentation; cryogenic systems; and comprehensive facilities for DC to RF electrical device characterization and optical characterization of materials and devices.
Intelligent Systems, Robotics, and Control: This information sciences-based field is concerned with the design of human-interactive intelligent systems that can sense the world (defined as some specified domain of interest); represent or model the world; detect and identify states and events in the world; reason about and make decisions about the world; and/or act on the world, perhaps all in real-time. A sense of the type of systems and applications encountered in this discipline can be obtained by viewing the projects shown at the Web site http://swiftlet.ucsd.edu.

The development of such sophisticated systems is necessarily an interdiscipinary activity. To sense and succinctly represent events in the world requires knowledge of signal processing, computer vision, information theory, coding theory, and data-basing; to detect and reason about states of the world utilizes concepts from statistical detection theory, hypothesis testing, pattern recognition, time series analysis, and artificial intelligence; to make good decisions about highly complex systems requires knowledge of traditional mathematical optimization theory and contemporary near-optimal approaches such as evolutionary computation; and to act upon the world requires familiarity with concepts of control theory and robotics. Very often learning and adaptation are required as either critical aspects of the world are poorly known at the outset, and must be refined online, or the world is non-stationary and our system must constantly adapt to it as it evolves. In addition to the theoretical information and computer science aspects, many important hardware and software issues must be addressed in order to obtain an effective fusion of a complicated suite of sensors, computers, and problem dynamics into one integrated system.

Faculty affiliated with the ISRC subarea are involved in virtually all aspects of the field, including applications to intelligent communications systems; advanced human-computer interfacing; statistical signal- and image-processing; intelligent tracking and guidance systems; biomedical system identification and control; and control of teleoperated and autonomous multiagent robotic systems.
Magnetic Recording is an interdisciplinary field involving physics, material science, communications, and mechanical engineering. The physics of magnetic recording involves studying magnetic heads, recording media, and the process of transferring information between the heads and the medium. General areas of investigation include: nonlinear behavior of magnetic heads, very high frequency loss mechanisms in head materials, characterization of recording media by micromagnetic and many body interaction analysis, response of the medium to the application of spatially varying vectorial head fields, fundamental analysis of medium nonuniformities leading to media noise, and experimental studies of the channel transfer function emphasizing non-linearities, interferences, and noise. Current projects include numerical simulations of high density digital recording in metallic thin films, micromagnetic analysis of magnetic reversal in individual magnetic particles, theory of recorded transition phase noise and magnetization induced nonlinear bit shift in thin metallic films, and analysis of the thermal-temporal stability of interacting fine particles.

Research laboratories are housed in the Center for Magnetic Recording Research, a national center devoted to multidisciplinary teaching and research in the field.
Radio and Space Science: The Radio Science Program focuses on the study of radio waves propagating through turbulent media. The primary objectives are probing of otherwise inaccessible media such as the solar wind and interstellar plasma. Techniques for removing the effects of the turbulent medium to restore the intrinsic signals are also studied.

The Space Science Program is concerned with the nature of the sun, its ionized and supersonic outer atmosphere (the solar wind), and the interaction of the solar wind with various bodies in the solar system. Theoretical studies include: the interaction of the solar wind with the earth, planets, and comets; cosmic dusty-plasmas; waves in the ionosphere; and the physics of shocks. A major theoretical effort involves the use of supercomputers for modeling and simulation studies of both fluid and kinetic processes in space plasmas.

Students in radio science will take measurements at various radio observatories in the U.S. And elsewhere. This work involves a great deal of digital signal processing and statistical analysis. All students will need to become familiar with electromagnetic theory, plasma physics, and numerical analysis.
The Signal and Image Processing Program explores engineering issues related to the modeling of signals starting from the physics of the problem, developing and evaluating algorithms for extracting the necessary information from the signal, and the implementation of these algorithms on electronic and opto-electronic systems. Examples of research areas include filter design, fast transforms, adaptive filters, spectrum estimation and modeling, sensor array processing, image processing, image restoration, video processing, pattern recognition, and the implementation of signal processing algorithms using appropriate technologies. Signal and image processing techniques have found application in a number of areas such as sonar, radar, speech, geophysics, medical imaging, robotic vision, digital communications, and multimedia systems among others.

Research Facilities

Most of the research laboratories of the department are associated with individual faculty members or small informal groups of faculty. Larger instruments and facilities, such as those for electron microscopy and e-beam lithography are operated jointly. In addition the department operates several research centers and participates in various university wide organized research units.

The department-operated research centers are the NSF Industrial/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) for Ultra-High Speed Integrated Circuits and Systems (ICAS); Optoelectronics Technology Center (OTC) sponsored by the Advanced Project Research Agency; the Center for Wireless Communications which is a university-industry partnership; and the Institute for Neural Computation.

Department research is also associated with the Center for Astronomy and Space Science, the Center for Magnetic Recording Research, the California Space Institute, the Institute for Nonlinear Science, and Calit2 (http://www.calit2.net). Departmental researchers also use various national and international laboratories, such as the National Nanofabrication Facility and the National Radio Astronomy Laboratory.

The department emphasizes computational capability and maintains numerous computer laboratories for instruction and research. One of the NSF national supercomputer centers is located on the campus. This is particularly useful for those whose work requires high data bandwidths.

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)