Capstone Sequence
CEN UG Program
CEN Curriculum Sub-committee
Manuel Bermudez, Doug Dankel, Karl Gugel,
Herman Lam, Mark Schmalz, Eric Schwartz
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Current State of Capstone Courses
 CEN students have vastly different capstone design
experience
 Software track

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One senior-design course (CEN 4912), offered in CISE
Not all projects have to work in teams
External advisors (professors, IT managers, etc.)
Software-mostly project, no hardware laboratory equipment
available
 Hardware track
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Two-course sequence (Design 1 EEL 3923, Design 2 EEL
4914)
Must have teams of two students, minimal outside advisors
95% projects use microprocessor; must have analog content
Staff members and TAs for support of both classes/labs
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Proposed CEN Capstone Sequence
 CEN capstone sequence consists of 2 required
courses
 CEN Design 1: CEN 3923

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Prerequisite to CEN Design 2
Provides training and integration of skills
necessary for successful project in CEN Design 2
 CEN Design 2: CEN 4924
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
CEN 3923
Design 1
CEN 4924
Design 2
Capstone design class required for all CEN students
Design projects can range from one extreme (all software) to
the other extreme (all hardware), or have both
 From “What is Computer Engineering” slide:
With respect to our program, Computer Engineering falls within a
continuum between Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
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CEN Design 2: CEN 4924
 Class for capstone design project

CEN 4024 will have two sections
 CEN 4924 Section 1
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Directed toward projects with a software emphasis
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To be offered in the CISE Department
 CEN 4924 Section 2

Directed toward projects with a hardware emphasis
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To be offered in the ECE Department, co-listed with EEL 4924 opportunity to be part of project working with EE students if appropriate
 Common CEN 4924 requirements (both sections)
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Must involve knowledge learned from multiple courses
Requires team projects (exceptions approved by instructor)
Requires advisor (current CISE model), with default
advisor being instructor
Requires presentations and written final report
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CEN Design 1: CEN 3923
 Prerequisite to CEN 4924


Provides training and integration of skills
necessary for successful project in CEN 4924
CEN 3923 will also have two sections
 CEN 3923 Section 1
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General Design 1 course to prepare CEN students
for either CEN 4924 section
 CEN 3923 Section 2
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For CEN students who plan to perform a senior
project with heavy hardware emphasis
CEN 3923 will be co-listed with EEL 3923 and be
offered in the ECE department
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Summary and Conclusions
CEN 3923
Section 1
(new course)
A
B
B
CEN 4924
Section 1
CEN 4924
Section 2
C
CEN 3923
Section 2
co-list with
EEL 3923
A: CEN Software
skills
B: CEN Hardware
skills
C: EE skills
CEN 4924
Section 2
co-list with
EEL 4924
 Common capstone design experience


Design 1 course prepare students
Design 2 course capstone design project
 Flexible specialization

Similar to CEN curriculum, students have flexibility to select
projects relevant to their career choice
 Implementable:
 No significant disruption to existing course offerings
 CEN 3923 Section 1 is the only new course
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