Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
SELF-STUDY
QUESTIONNAIRE
(Excerpted)
Computer Engineering
College of Engineering & Technology
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Engineering Accreditation Commission
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
111 Market Place, Suite 1050
Baltimore, Maryland 21202-4012
Phone: 410-347-7700
Fax: 410-625-2238
e-mail: eac@abet.org
www: http://www.abet.org/
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Table of Contents
Engineering Accreditation Commission ............................................................................................................................ i
A
Accreditation Summary.......................................................................................................................................................... 1
A.1 PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................ 1
A.1.1
Department Mission ............................................................................................................................... 1
A.1.2
Statement of Program Objectives .......................................................................................................... 1
A.1.3
Implementing the Program Objectives .................................................................................................. 2
Courses and Activities Contributing to the Outcome ........................................................................................... 3
A.2 PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 4
A.2.1
Statement of Program Outcomes ........................................................................................................... 4
A.2.2 Mapping Outcomes to Objectives and ABET 2005-2006 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering
Programs.............................................................................................................................................................. 5
A.2.3
Outcomes-Level SPAR Procedures ........................................................................................................ 5
A.3 PROFESSIONAL COMPONENT ............................................................................................................................ 5
A.3.1
Design Experience ................................................................................................................................. 6
A.3.1.1
Software Design Experience ............................................................................................................................. 6
A.3.1.2
Hardware Design Experience ............................................................................................................................ 6
A.3.1.3
Integrated Design Experience ........................................................................................................................... 8
A.3.2
Curricular Components ......................................................................................................................... 9
A.4 FACULTY.......................................................................................................................................................... 9
A.5 PROGRAM CRITERIA....................................................................................................................................... 10
Computer Engineering Technical Electives .................................................................................................................................... 15
Humanities & Social Sciences ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
Required are at least................................................................................................................................................... 16
Recent CSCE 496 Special Topics ................................................................................................................................................... 16
Title
Area ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
Formal Admission .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Typical Eight Semester Schedule ................................................................................................................................................... 17
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Program Self-Study Report
for Computer Engineering
A Accreditation Summary
A.1 Program Educational Objectives
This section defines and motivates the Program Educational Objectives, in the context of the
departmental mission statement. It also identifies the program constituencies and the process by
which their input into the objectives is obtained.
A.1.1
Department Mission
The CSE Department embraces its unique role in the land-grant mission of the University of
Nebraska—Lincoln (UNL). The Department shares in UNL’s three missions of teaching,
research, and service; mirrors its comprehensiveness in spanning both computer science and
computer engineering and in offering BS, MS, and PhD degrees; focuses its commitment to the
pursuit of new, basic and applied knowledge; and contributes to the dissemination of knowledge
throughout the state and beyond.
In the baccalaureate degree programs, our mission is to educate our graduates with the skill,
knowledge, creativity, and vision to be nationally competitive for professional practice in the
commercial, industrial, and governmental sectors and for post-graduate education leading to
careers in research and academia.
A.1.2
Statement of Program Objectives
The Computer Engineering baccalaureate degree program at the University of Nebraska –
Lincoln is designed to prepare graduates for professional practice in commerce, industry, and
government and for post-graduate education to enter careers in research and academia.
The focus of the program is integrated hardware/software system design. Increasingly, diverse
systems, products, and processes depend on computers for design, control, data acquisition and
other functions. The computer engineer is the one person with the range of expertise to view a
computer-based system as a complete, integrated system and to make the necessary global design
decisions. To prepare our graduates to take their place in this environment, and consistent with
this focus, the following educational objectives have been established for the Computer
Engineering baccalaureate program.
1. A graduate must be able to view the computer systems as an integrated continuum of
technologies and to engage in integrated system-level design.
Therefore, graduates shall demonstrate mastery in the areas of mathematics, logic design,
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
computer organization and architecture, operating system kernels, systems programming,
and systems design.
2. A graduate must be able to work with professionals in related fields over the spectrum of
system design.
Therefore, graduates shall have a broad foundation in computer science, physical sciences,
engineering principles, and digital electronics.
3. A graduate must be able to quickly adapt to new work environments, assimilate new
information, and solve new problems.
Therefore, graduates shall be adept in the areas of communication, teamwork, and problem
solving and develop breadth of expertise.
4. A graduate must have the background and perspective necessary to pursue post-graduate
education.
Therefore, graduates shall possess a depth of knowledge in some focus area and the critical
thinking skills necessary to pursue advanced research, and develop a foundation for life-long
learning.
5. A graduate must understand the social, political, and environmental aspects of professional
practice.
Therefore, graduates shall have a broad educational background in professional ethics, the
humanities, and the social sciences, to enable them to function as informed, responsible, and
ethical members of the profession and society.
6. A graduate must be integrated into the world of practicing professionals for collaborations,
mutual support, and representing the profession to government and society.
Therefore, graduates shall have a continued and varied participation in professional
organizations such as ACM and IEEE.
A.1.3
Implementing the Program Objectives
To ensure that Program Objectives are achieved, the SPAR procedure establishes a direct
mapping from Program Objectives to Program Outcomes and from Program Outcomes to the
curriculum. The Program Outcomes (defined Section B.3.1) are thus the pivotal elements in the
SPAR process. Because the Program Outcomes are more concrete than the Program Objectives,
they are easier to map into specific course topics.
As shown in Table 2, each Program Outcome maps directly to one or more Program Objectives,
as well as to ABET 2005-2006 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs 3, 4, and 8.
Similarly, individual courses and activities are mapped directly to Program Outcomes. Thus,
Program Outcomes are the link between the curriculum and the Program Objectives. Table 2
summarizes these relationships.
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Table 1: Relationships between Outcomes, Objectives, ABET Criteria, and Curriculum [4]
Outcome1
2
2
ABET
Criteria
Courses and Activities Contributing to the Outcome
1.a
1
4(a), 8
MATH 106, 107, 208, 221, 314, 380; CSCE 235
1.b
2
4(a), 8
CHEM 111; PHYS 211, 212/222
1.c
2
4(b), 8
PHYS 212/222; ELEC 121, 215/233, 216/234, 316, 361/307
2.a
1
4(b), 8
CSCE 230/230L, ELEC 370
2.b
1, 2
4(b), 8
CSCE 155, 156, 230/230L, 251, 310, 351
2.c
1
4(b), 8
CSCE 230/230L, 351, 430, ELEC 478
3.a
3, 4
3(a, e)
CSCE 488, 489
3.b
3, 4
3(b, e)
CSCE 310, 488; ELEC 307
3.c
3
3(e, k)
CSCE 230L, 430, 488, 489; ELEC 307, 478
3.d
1, 3
3(c, e), 4(b) CSCE 488, 489
4.
4
3(j)
Technical Elective Tracks (12 hrs, 3 or 4 areas)
5.
3
3(g)
JGEN 200/300; CSCE 230, 310, 488, 489
6.a
5
3(h, j), 4(c)
Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements (18 hrs)
6.b
5
3(f)
ENGR 400; CSCE 488
6.c
3
3(d)
CSCE 230L, 488, 489
3(i)
CSCE 488, CSE departmental research colloquiums, Undergraduate
research experiences through UNL’s UCARE (Undergraduate Creative
Activities and Research Experiences) program, ACM/IEEE membership,
Annual ACM Programming Contests, and ACM sponsored research
competitions.
6.d
1
Prog.
Object
4
Program Outcomes are enumerated in Section B.3.1 of this Self-Study Report.
Program Objectives are enumerated in Section B.2.3 of this Self-Study Report.
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
A.2 Program Outcomes and Assessment
Program Outcomes are specific academic achievements derived from the Program Objectives.
Thus, the Program Outcomes act as a link between Program Objectives and the curriculum, and
provide a means for assessing accomplishment of the Program Objectives and ABET criteria.
A.2.1
Statement of Program Outcomes
1. Graduates will demonstrate mastery of the mathematical foundations and familiarity with
the scientific foundations of computer engineering. These include:
a) Mastery of discrete mathematics, differential and integral calculus, differential equations,
probability and statistics, linear algebra, and numerical analysis;
b) Familiarity with the fundamentals of inorganic chemistry, along with classical and
modern physics, including electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic theory, optics, and
solid-state semiconductor physics; and
c) Familiarity with electrical circuits, electronic circuits, and solid-state electronic devices.
2. Graduates will possess depth of knowledge in topics critical to system-level design,
including both hardware and software design and hardware/software tradeoffs. These
include:
a) Mastery of digital logic design, including logic families and contemporary digital
technology;
b) Mastery of computer programming, including data structures, algorithms, and proficiency
with representative programming languages; and
c) Mastery of the topics necessary to design combined hardware/software systems,
including computer organization and architecture, systems programming, operating
system kernels, and the interdependencies between these topics.
3. Graduates will be able to identify, formulate, and solve computer engineering problems,
and shall demonstrate:
a) The capacity to apply theoretical knowledge in solving advanced, practical problems;
b) The ability to design and conduct experiments and to analyze and interpret data;
c) Proficiency with current tools and techniques for both hardware and software design; and
d) The ability to design, implement, and document integrated hardware/software solutions to
realistic computer engineering problems.
4. Graduates will possess a depth of knowledge in one selected area of more advanced
computer engineering topics, such as system-level architectures, software systems, hardware
design implementation, communications and distributed systems, or computer engineering
applications.
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
5. Graduates will demonstrate proficiency at communicating their technical knowledge and
accomplishments in both written and oral forms and in styles consistent with industry norms.
6. Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of contemporary social, political, cultural,
organizational and ethical issues and the demands they place upon a computer engineer over
his/her professional lifetime. These include:
a) A broad education in the humanities and social sciences, in order to understand the
impacts of his/her professional activities in the broader societal context;
b) An understanding of the range of ethical, legal, environmental, and safety issues relevant
to computer engineering;
c) The ability to work with others, including interdisciplinary teams; and
d) An understanding of the importance of and opportunities to engage in life-long learning.
A.2.2
Mapping Outcomes to Objectives and ABET 2005-2006 Criteria for
Accrediting Engineering Programs
Table 2 (Section B.2.6) shows the relationships between the Program Outcomes and other
program requirements. The table shows how each Program Outcome listed in Section B.3.1
serves to implement one or more of the Program Objectives listed in Section B.2.3. The table
also shows how each outcome fulfills the ABET 2005-2006 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering
Programs 3(a)–3(k), 4(a)–4(c), and 8.
A.2.3

Outcomes-Level SPAR Procedures
Several changes to the curriculum and required courses, including:

ELEC121 Introduction to Electrical Engineering I has been added to the curriculum as a
required course to better prepare CE students for ELEC215/216 and CSCE230/230L,

Dropping ELEC362/363 Digital Electronics/Digital Electronics Lab, replacing it with
ELEC361/307 Advanced Electronics and Circuits/Electrical Engineering Lab. I,

The introduction of two new courses, one in Embedded Systems and one in File and
Storage Systems, which are in the process of being made into regular courses,

Dropping ELEC476/492 Introduction to Digital System Design/Digital System Design
Lab, and replacing and enhancing its function with ELEC478 Microprocessor Hardware,
Software, and Interfacing, ELEC307 Electrical Engineering Lab I, and CSCE230L.
A.3 Professional Component
In Appendix I.A, Table I-1 shows the basic-level curriculum in a semester-by-semester,
sequence. Table I-2 in Appendix I.A lists the courses with information about sections offered
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
during the 2004-05 academic year. Course specifications for required and technical elective
courses (with a syllabus of each class) are included in Appendix I.B.
The curriculum draws upon courses in both the Computer Science and Engineering Department
and the Electrical Engineering Department in order to provide a balanced view of hardware and
software in computer engineering, including hardware-software trade-offs and modeling
techniques for both hardware and software. The Program integrates studies in programming
languages, algorithms and data structures, circuits and digital systems, computer organization
and architecture, software design and testing, and operating systems. Elective courses in
engineering topics offer depth in system-level architecture, software systems, design
implementation, communications and distributed systems, and computer engineering
applications.
As described in this section, the curriculum builds a sequence of design experiences though
courses dealing in hardware and software that cover the fundamental elements of the design
process including establishing objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction, testing,
and evaluation. Capping the design component of the Program is the Senior Design Course, in
which students working in small groups undertake a major design project. This experience
requires the demonstration of creativity, open-ended problem solving in the face of realistic
constraints, the use of design theory and methodology, and the consideration of performance and
cost issues.
A.3.1
Design Experience
As shown in Table I-1 of Appendix I.A, hardware and software design experiences begin early in
the curriculum and grow in scope and complexity as the courses become more advanced. Lowerlevel courses lay the foundations of mathematics, the sciences, design theory, problem-solving
techniques, and documentation methods. Several required and elective upper-level courses build
on this foundation, providing hands-on design experiences that take into account the constraints
that professional designers encounter in real-life. The sequence of design experiences culminates
in the capstone design course CSCE489.
A.3.1.1
Software Design Experience
In CSCE351, students use assembly languages, OS (e.g., Linux and Windows) primitives and
system calls to do assignments that design and implement operating system kernels. These OS
kernels cover fundamental OS concepts such as user space management, concurrency
management, processes and threads control, I/O management, hardware and software interfacing.
Students implement their design in real systems or simulated environment.
A.3.1.2
Hardware Design Experience
Several courses involve hardware design and require students to design circuits, logic, and
systems of increasing complexity. These courses include ELEC121 Introduction to Electrical
Engineering I, CSCE230L Computer Organization Lab, ELEC 215/233 Electronics & Circuits
I/Lab, ELEC216/234 Electronics & Circuits II/Lab, ELEC316 Electronics & Circuits III,
ELEC361/307 Advanced Electronics & Circuits/EE Lab I, ELEC370 Digital Logic Design, and
ELEC478 Microprocessor Hardware, Software, and Interfacing.
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
The first meaningful hardware design experience for students occurs in their second semester in
CSCE230L Computer Organization Laboratory. As a result of the 1999 Outcomes-Level SPAR
process, a laboratory (CSCE230L) has replaced CSCE231 to reinforce logic design and assembly
programming. In this lab course, students conduct experiments involving the following three
essential aspects of computer hardware design: (1) Arithmetic and Logic Level Implementation:
Basic logic design of combinational and sequential logic, schematic capture, implementation of a
control-datapath design using the register-transfer-level (RTL) notation; (2) Assembler Language
Programming: assembling, loading, & linking in one assembler language, with simplified
applications involving flow of control, arrays, loops, procedure calls, parameter passing, and
floating point arithmetic; and (3) Introduction to team work and written & oral communication,
in the context of the design, implementation, and verification of a single-cycle RISC processor
realizing a substantial subset of the instruction set.
The initial hardware design experience is further reinforced in the following upper-division
required courses: ELEC307 Electrical Engineering Lab I, ELEC316 Electronics & Circuits III,
ELEC361/307 Advanced Electronics & Circuits/EE Lab I, ELEC370 Digital Logic Design, and
ELEC478 Microprocessor Hardware, Software, and Interfacing. The digital electronics lectures
and laboratory aim to provide an appreciation for the technological differences in design
implementation and to introduce the notion of precise timing analysis. Students design and
implement small logic and memory circuits in various technologies (CMOS, TTL, ECL, and
GaAs) and learn to measure their static and dynamic electrical parameters in the laboratory.
Interface circuitry design and layout design for power-line noise reductions also are introduced.
The digital logic design and digital system design courses form a sequence in logic design theory
and practice. The digital logic design course (ELEC370) builds on the basic knowledge of logic
design and Boolean algebra from computer organization (CSCE230/230L) to delve into the
design and analysis methods for combinational and synchronous and asynchronous sequential
circuits. The digital-systems design course extends this to the design and implementation of
finite state machines using PLD and FPGA components. It introduces the design and
implementation of a datapath and controller for a simple computer while addressing issues
involved in implementing a hardwired controller compared to a micro-programmable one.
Further, it provides basics of hardware description languages by illustrating state-machine
synthesis from register-transfer level descriptions. Modeling and simulation of digital systems
using VHDL and Mentor Graphics CAD tools provide challenging digital design projects for the
students.
The microprocessor hardware, software, and interfacing course (ELEC478) serves to combine
the elements of theory and techniques introduced in ELEC370 and CSCE230L with the practice
of design. In this course, students learn to appreciate the differences between various
microprocessor architectures and to carry out microprocessor-based designs involving a
combination of hardware and software components and interfacing between them.
Several elective courses allow students to explore hardware design in greater depth. Both of the
VLSI design courses, ELEC470 Digital and Analog VLSI Design and CSCE434 VLSI Design, are
heavily laboratory oriented. ELEC470 course emphasizes both digital and analog and cell-level
design using CAD tools. The CSCE course concentrates on system-level design issues. Students
undertake a substantial design as a group project and carry the implementation down to the mask
level, making tradeoffs between area and time. The implementation process is aided by use of
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
tools for high-level synthesis, design verification, testing, and design-for-testability. The newly
introduced courses in embedded systems and in file and storage systems add more systems level
design experiences to the curriculum.
A.3.1.3
Integrated Design Experience
The curriculum culminates in CSCE489 Senior Design Project, which provides a significant
design experience. For this project, students are organized into teams to undertake a substantial
design project supervised by the instructor. All teams undertake a broadly defined design
problem containing aspects of both software and hardware design. To ensure that the student has
achieved a sufficient level of background knowledge, the prerequisites to the course are
JGEN200 or 300 Technical Writing, ELEC361 Advanced Electronics & Circuits, ELEC478
Microprocessor Hardware (possible co-requisite if available only once a year), Software, and
Interfacing, CSCE430 Computer Architecture, and CSCE488 Computer Engineering
Professional Development.
CSCE489 projects are of sufficient complexity as to require team members to partition and
coordinate their efforts for successful completion. Each team is treated as a separate company
which is in competition with the other teams (companies). The instructor plays the role of Project
Manager. As such, s/he is not directly involved in the design or implementation of the project.
Rather, his/her role is purely managerial and advisory. Other faculty members may be asked to
play the roles of Customer Representatives at one or more points during the semester.
Written technical reports and oral presentations are essential parts of this course. Each team must
produce three written reports during the semester, in a writing style consistent with IEEE
journals. Each written report is accompanied by an oral presentation in which all team members
must participate.
1. The first report is a Project Proposal, presented to the Project Manager (instructor). In this
proposal, the team must show a clear understanding of the problem, describe their general
approach, and discuss specific design issues and solution options.
2. The second report is a Progress Report, also presented to the project manager and the
Customer Representatives. It describes progress to date, options selected, deviations from
the original proposal, and plans for completing and testing the project.
3. The third report is a Final Proposal presented to the Project Manager, the Customer
Representatives, and the rest of the class. This report details the design, testing, cost, and
performance of the project. A demonstration normally also is required.
In addition to technical issues, the students are exposed to wider issues relevant to professional
practice. Any attempt at sabotage, industrial espionage, or theft of intellectual property is
grounds for the immediate awarding of an “F” for the course and/or the filing of formal charges
with the Judicial Affairs office. Students are warned against plagiarizing designs from the
published literature. However, borrowing and adapting public domain ideas or concepts is
permitted as long as they properly credit the originators of those ideas. Students have had to
employ industry standards (e.g. IEEE Floating-Point Standard 754, and the GIF and BMP image
file conventions) and have in some cases had to deal with copyright permissions. Students also
have had to learn about project-specific safety limits, e.g. audible noise levels. Several teams in
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
the last few years have taken their projects to national contests, such as the Microsoft ChallengE
and IEEE CSIDC, with some advancing to the final rounds.
A.3.2
Curricular Components
The basic components of Criterion 4 are well satisfied in the curriculum. One full-year of study
in the Computer Engineering major is equivalent to 32 credit hours. Table I-1 in Appendix I.A
lists the details of the curriculum and the relationships of individual courses to the basic technical
components of Criterion 4.
(a) Engineering Topics: Students must take 66 credit hours (or 2.06 years) of
engineering topics courses:

28 credits of electrical engineering, including two 1-credit and one 2-credit
laboratories,

26 credits of computer science and engineering courses which qualify as
engineering topics, including 3 credits in the capstone design course, and

12 credits of technical electives from a specified list of engineering courses.
In CSCE489 Computer Engineering Senior Design, students are organized into teams to
undertake a substantial design project proposed and supervised by the instructor. The project
complexity is sufficient to require teamwork for successful completion. Written and oral
technical presentations are essential parts of this course. Specifically, each design team must
make three oral presentations and submit corresponding written reports. Each individual must
carry a proportionate share of the load for each presentation and report. In grading, the quality of
the design presentation is weighted equally with the quality and correctness of the design itself.
A.4 Faculty
The UNL baccalaureate computer engineering program draws upon both the Computer Science
and Engineering Department and the Electrical Engineering Department to give students a
balanced view of hardware and software in computer engineering.
The CSE Department faculty cover computer science theory and algorithms; software design,
programming, and testing; computer organization and architecture; operating systems; computer
communications, networking, and distributed systems; computer applications; and system-level
design. The CSE faculty is broadly competent in these areas, so that almost every faculty
member can teach almost every required course. Faculty members have individual interests that
make them especially qualified in specific areas.

Computer science theory and algorithms — Cohen, Deogun, Dwyer, Riedesel, Scott, and
Variyam

Software design, programming, and testing — Cohen, Dwyer, Elbaum, Goddard, Henninger,
and Rothermel

Operating systems — Daniel, Goddard, Samal, and Srisa-An
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report

Computer communications, networking, and distributed systems — Costello, Goddard, Jiang,
Lu, Ramamurthy, Wang, and Xu

System-level design and implementation —Jiang, Scott, Seth, and Srisa-An

Computer organization and architecture — Jiang, Seth, Srisa-An, and Wang

Computer applications —Choueiry, Reichenbach, Revesz, Samal, Sincovec, Soh, Swanson,
and Surkan
For the computer engineering baccalaureate program, the EE Department faculty cover electrical
engineering theory and design including electrical and electronic circuits, signals and systems;
semiconductor devices and waves; digital electronics and systems; and communications systems
and signal processing. The EE faculty is broadly competent in these areas and every faculty can
teach all the required courses in the program. Areas of faculty special expertise are listed below.

Electrical and electronic circuits — Boye and Balkir

Signals and systems —Asgarpoor and Varner

Semiconductor devices and waves — Bahar, Ianno, Lu, Snyder, Soukup, Williams, and
Woollam

Digital electronics and systems — Nelson and Vakilzadian

Communications systems and signal processing — Hoffman, Perez, Sayood, and Varner
A.5 Program Criteria
As required by Criterion 8, the Computer Engineering degree program covers the breadth of
topics relevant to the degree. This is accomplished by combining the strengths and resources of
existing programs in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. As shown in Table 3, the
curriculum covers traditional computer science topics (algorithm, software, and programming),
traditional electrical engineering topics (electronics and hardware), and topics in
hardware/software integration. The integration of hardware and software in design and operation
is presented throughout the curriculum and culminates in a three-credit, capstone Computer
Engineering Senior Design Project (CSE489).
The program achieves depth by requiring 12 credit hours of study in specified technical
electives. These electives must be chosen from five elective “tracks”: System-Level
Architecture, Software Systems, Design Implementation, Computer Communication and
Distributed Systems, and Computer Engineering Applications.
The Program draws on faculty expertise in both the CSE and EE Departments to provide
comprehensive coverage of these topics. The faculty expertise in computer science topics
including computer theory and algorithms, software engineering, and programming, in electrical
engineering including electronics and hardware, and in hardware/software integration is outlined
in Section B.5 and documented in Tables I-3 and I-4 in Appendix I.A and Appendix I.C.
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Table 2: Computer Engineering Topics, Breadth of Coverage
Software and Programming
Electronics and Hardware
Hardware/Software Integration
CSCE155 Intro. to Comp. Sci. I
ELEC121 Intro. Elect. Engr. I
CSCE230 Computer Organization
CSCE156 Intro. to Comp. Sci. II
ELEC215/233 Elec &. Ckts I/Lab
CSCE230L Computer Org. Lab.
CSCE235 Discrete Structures
ELEC216/234 Elec.& Ckts II/Lab
CSCE430 Computer Architecture
CSCE310 Data Struct. & Algo.
ELEC304 Signals & Systems
CSCE351 O.S. Kernels
CSCE340 Numerical Analysis
ELEC316 Elec. & Ckts III
ELEC478 μProc HW/SW interface
ELEC361/307 Adv.Elec.&Ckts/Lab
CSCE489 Senior Design Project
ELEC370 Digital Logic Design
Mathematics and science are used extensively in required courses, for example in algorithm
analysis (e.g., CSCE310 Algorithms and Data Structures), circuit analysis (e.g., ELEC215,216
Electronic & Circuits I,II and EE 361 Advanced Electronics & Circuits), digital logic design
(e.g., ELEC370 Digital Logic Design and ELEC478 Microprocessor Hardware, Software, and
Interfacing), and systems analysis (e.g., CSCE351 Operating System Kernels). Probability and
statistics concepts are applied to engineering problems in many classes, including CSCE230
Computer Organization (e.g., yield equations, performance metrics, and cache hit-ratios),
CSCE310 Data Structures and Algorithms (e.g., algorithm performance), ELEC316 Electronics
& Circuits III (e.g., particle distributions and quantum mechanics), CSCE430 Computer
Architecture (e.g., instruction frequencies), and CSCE351 Operating System Kernels (e.g., page
fault analysis and queuing models). CSCE340 Numerical Analysis I provides valuable
perspectives on mathematical computing.
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Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Course No.
Title
No. of
Sections
Offered in
Avg. Section
Enrollment
Type of Class
Lecture
Laboratory Recitation
Other
Year 04/05
ELEC 121
Introduction to Electrical
Engineering I
2
46
80%
ELEC 215
Electronics and Circuits I
2
38
100%
ELEC 216
Electronics and Circuits II
2
39
100%
ELEC 233
Introductory Electrical Laboratory I
6
28
100%
ELEC 234
Introductory Electrical Laboratory II
5
38
100%
ELEC 304
Signals and Systems
2
46
90%
ELEC 306
Electromagnetic Field Theory
2
40
100%
ELEC 307
Electrical Engineering Laboratory I
4
34
ELEC 316
Electronics and Circuits III
2
45
100%
ELEC 361
Advanced Electronics and Circuits
1
14
100%
ELEC 370
Digital Logic Design
2
48
100%
ELEC 416
Materials and Devices for Computer
Memory, Logic, and Display
0
0
100%
ELEC 417
Integrated Circuits
0
0
100%
ELEC 462
Communication Systems
1
19
75%
25%
ELEC 463
Digital Signal Processing
1
16
75%
25%
ELEC 464
Digital Communication Systems
1
16
100%
ELEC 465
Introduction to Data Compression
1
16
100%
ELEC 469
Analog Integrated Circuits
1
15
75%
25%
ELEC 470
Digital and Analog VLSI Design
1
14
75%
25%
ELEC 476
Intro. to Digital System Design
1
18
100%
ELEC 478
Microproc. HW, SW, & Interfacing
1
10
100%
ELEC 479
Digital Systems Org. & Design
0
0
100%
20%
10%
100%
12
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Bachelor of Science in
Computer Engineering
Advising Brochure
for
2005-2006
Department of
Computer Science & Engineering
College of Engineering & Technology
256 Avery Hall
info@cse.unl.edu
http://cse.unl.edu
rev: Mar. 11, 2005
13
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Computer Engineering Program
Computer Science & Engineering Courses:
CSCE 155,156 Intro to Computer Science I,II
IS CSCE 230,230L Computer Organization / lab
CSCE 235
Introduction to Discrete Structures
CSCE 251
Unix Programming
IS CSCE 310
Data Structures & Algorithms
CSCE 340
Numerical Analysis I
CSCE 351
Operating System Kernels
CSCE 430
Computer Architecture
CSCE 488
Comp Eng Prof Dev
IS CSCE 489
Comp Eng Senior Design
Electrical Engineering Courses:
ELEC 121
Intro Elect. Engr. I
ELEC 215,233
Electronics & Circuits I / lab
ELEC 216,234
Electronics & Circuits II / lab
ELEC 304
Cont Time Signals & Systems
ELEC 316
Electronics & Circuits III
ELEC 361,307
Adv. Electronics & Circuits / lab
ELEC 370
Digital Logic Design
ELEC 478
Microprocessor Applications
hours
8
4
3
1
3
3
3
3
1
3
32
3
4
4
3
3
5
3
3
28
Mathematics Courses:
IS MATH 106,107,208
Anal Geom & Calculus I,II,III 14
IS MATH 221
Differential Equations
3
IS MATH 314
Appl Linear Alg (Matrix Th)
3
STAT 380
(or IMSE 321 or ELEC 305) Statistics 3
23
Other Supporting Courses:
PHYS 211,212,222 General Physics I,II & lab
9
IS CHEM 109
General Chemistry
4
IS JGEN 200 or 300
Technical Writing
3
CS/EE
Tech Electives (3 or 4 areas)
12
ENGR 400
Professional Ethics
1
ENGR 010,020
Frosh, Soph Eng Seminars
0
Humanities/Social Science
18
130
Double Major with Elec. Engr.: add ELEC 222, 306, 494,
and coordinate choice of ELEC 495 and CSCE 489.
-1-
14
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Computer Engineering Technical Electives
1-System-level Architecture:
CSCE:
ELEC:
432
496
476
479
High Performance Proc. Archs.
Cluster & Grid Computing
Intro Digital Systems Design
Digital System Org & Design
so
se
s
se
2-Software Systems:
CSCE: * 322
IS 361
IS 378
425
429
* 451
464
Programming Language Concepts
Software Engineering
Human Computer Interaction
Compiler Construction
Parallel Algorithms (& Distrib Prog)
Operating Systems Principles
Internet Prog & Sys
CSCE:
434
ELEC: + 306
416
417
469
470
VLSI Design
Electromagnetic Field Theory
Mat & Dev for Comp, Mem, Log, & Disp
Integrated Circuits
Analog Integrated Circuits
Digital & Analog VLSI Design
CSCE:
Communication Networks
Distributed Operating Systems
Cryptography & Computer Security
Communication Systems
Digital Signal Processing
Digital Communication Systems
Intro to Data Compression
f
fs
s
f
fo
s
s
3-Design Implementation:
fo
fs
?
?
?
s
4-Comm & Distributed Systems:
ELEC:
462
455
477
462
463
464
465
s
fe
f
f
f
s
so
5-Comp Eng Applications:
CSCE:
410
Information Retrieval Systems
se
413
Database Systems
fsu
421
Found. Of Constraint Proc
fo
470
Computer Graphics
s
472
Digital Image Processing
f
473
Computer Vision
so
IS 475
Multiagent Systems
fe
IS 476
Artificial Intelligence
s
IS 478
Machine Learning
fe
479
Intro to Neural Networks
s
* Deficiencies for the graduate program!
+ Needed for Elect Engr (double) major! (also ELEC 222, 494)
-2-
15
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Humanities & Social Sciences
Area C
Area E
Area F
Area G
Area H
Area I
Human Behavior, Culture & Social Orgs
Historical Studies
The Humanities
The Arts
Race, Ethnicity and Gender
Other (Approved in advance only!)
Required are at least





6 courses from the areas listed above
5 courses in areas C-H (max of 3 hrs in area I)
4 of the areas C-H represented (may skip one area)
2 courses in the same department (may be different areas)
1 Integrative Studies (IS) course (9 IS required in all, remaining 8 are already included in the
program)
Recent CSCE 496 Special Topics
Title
Area
Adv. Compiler Construct. (spring)
Algorithmics+
Clustered Computing (spring)
Data & Network Security (spring)
Data Mining
Distrib Storage Computing (spring)
Embedded Systems (spring)
File & Storage Systems
GIS and Document Imaging
Performance Anal. of OOP Systems (fall)
Queueing Models for Comp & Net
Semantic Web Technologies (spring)
VLSI Physical Design
Simulation Science
Steganography (summer)
Systems Administration (fall)
Software Sys
Applications
System Level Arch
Comm & Distrib Sys
Applications
Comm & Distrib Sys
Design Implem
System Level Arch
Applications
System Level Arch
System Level Arch
Software Sys
Design Implem
Applications
Applications
Software
Formal Admission
Required prior to taking upper level engineering courses!



43 – 61 hours applicable to the program completed
Cumulative and latest semester GPA at least 2.500
Grade of C+ or higher in
- MATH thru 208
- PHYS thru 212/222
- ELEC thru 215/233 - CSCE thru 156, 230, 235
-3-
16
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
Typical Eight Semester Schedule
Fall 1
CSCE 155 CS I
CSCE 251 Unix
MATH 106 Calc I
ELEC 121 Elec Engr 1
HumSoc
#1
ENGR 010 Seminar
Fall 2
CSCE 235 Discrete
MATH 208 Calc III
PHYS212/222 Gen Phys II
ELEC215/233 Circuit I
ENGR 020 Seminar
CSCE
STAT
ELEC
ELEC
JGEN
Fall 3
351 Op Sys Ker
380 Stat & Prob
370 Dig Elec
316 Circuit III
300 Tech Write
4
1
5
3
3
0
16
3
4
5
4
0
16
3
3
3
3
3
15
Fall 4
CSCE 340 Num Analy 3
CSCE 488 CE Prof Dev 1
ELEC 304 Sig & Sys 3
CS/EE
Techs
6
HumSoc
#5
3
16
Spring 1
CSCE 156 CS II
CSCE 230/L Comp Org
MATH 107 Calc II
PHYS 211 Gen Phys I
Spring 2
CSCE 310 Algos
MATH 221 Diff Eq
CHEM 109 Gen Chem I
ELEC216/234 Circuit II
HumSoc
#2
Spring 3
CSCE 430 Comp Arch
MATH 314 Linear Alg
ELEC 361 Adv Elec
ELEC 307 Elec Lab I
HumSoc
#3, #4
Spring 4
CSCE 489 Sr Design
ELEC 478 Micro Appl
ENGR 400 Prof Ethics
CS/EE
Techs
HumSoc
#6
4
4
5
4
17
3
3
4
4
3
17
3
3
3
2
6
17
3
3
1
6
3
16
For assistance with general college requirements, contact the
CET Student Programs, 114 Othmer Hall, 472-3181.
http://www.nuengr.unl.edu/cet/students/
-4-
17
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
The Computer Engineering Program Pre-requisite Chart for CSCE/ELEC Courses
18
Computer Engineering Program Self-Study Report
19