ECE 496

• Undergraduate Project, Seminar, and Thesis

The grade for ECE 496 will be assigned upon completion of ECE 499. No graduate credit for this course.

The grade for ECE 496 will be assigned upon completion of ECE 499. No graduate credit for this course.

ECE 496 is the first course of a two course sequence of Senior Project + Senior Thesis (ECE 499) taken by high-achieving EE and CE majors as an alternative to ECE 445 - Senior Design.

The purpose of ECE 496 is to begin and substantially complete an individual research project, under the supervision of a faculty advisor and in collaboration with research group members, that contributes significantly to the field of electrical and computer engineering. Since this is a capstone course (in tandem with ECE 499, Senior Thesis) bringing to bear all the skills and knowledge gained in the student's undergraduate career, it satisfies all the Student Outcomes 1-7 specified by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET):

ABET Programs Outcomes and Assessment. ECE 496 and 499 address the following:

1. Principles: an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics (1)

This is an important attribute of successful senior thesis projects undertaken in ECE496 and ECE 499. Senior theses developed under ECE 496/499 span the full breadth of EE and CE disciplines and focus on research problems closely related to the research activities of ECE faculty who advise the students taking ECE 496/499. Projects include varying mixes of modeling studies and simulations, laboratory work and/or device fabrication, and analyses of laboratory and/or simulation data using state-of-the-art methodologies and tools.

2. Design: an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors (2)

The major focus of the senior project is to have the student explore complex problems in branches of electrical and computer engineering and provide innovative solutions that require consideration of realistic constraints and engineering standards and build upon knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work. Both laboratory work and measurements undertaken as a part of senior thesis projects, as well as associated modeling and simulation work and coding, involve the use of and comparisons of competing techniques and approaches, and the identification of best fitting solutions for problems under study.

3. Communication: an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences (3)

ECE 496 students complete three progress reports in weeks 9, 12, and 15, while ECE 499 students complete two additional progress reports before submitting a thesis at the end of the semester. The thesis draft completed by week 14 is checked by ECE Editorial Services for grammar, style, and format, and students make their final submission by week 16. Students present their research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in the final weeks of the semester. ECE 496/499 meets the campus Advanced Composition (Comp II) requirement.

4. Professionalism: an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts (4)

Teamwork and professionalism are natural components of ECE 496/499 as the students interact with graduate students in research groups of faculty advisors who oversee the Senior Thesis projects. Group meetings attended by the students expose them to the dynamics of advanced engineering research environments where many issues related to ethics and professionalism come up.

5. Teamwork: an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives (5)

Again, students taking ECE 496/499 work within the research group environment of the advising faculty and work very closely with graduate students who guide them through their projects.

6. Analysis: an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions (6)

Analysis of complex engineering problems is an essential aspect of all ECE 496/499 thesis projects. This includes problem analysis prior to proposing solutions and designs to address the main thesis questions as well as the analysis of data and measurements used in testing the proposed designs and solutions.

7. Learning: an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies (7)

ECE 496/499 projects provide an opportunity for the students to learn advanced research concepts and tools which build upon the knowledge acquired in earlier courses taken in related areas of ECE. Beyond the application of knowledge acquired in courses, the Senior Thesis requires a student to acquire and apply new knowledge in their chosen research area, as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. The job of a thesis advisor includes the task of guiding a student in the search for new knowledge in the research literature, and in the learning and application of the knowledge necessary for completion of the Senior Thesis. Additionally, the student appreciates the role research in the production of new knowledge.

By the time the student submits the topic proposal (week 3) they should:

• Understand the adviser's research group and where the project fits within it (3,4,5,7)
• Be able to offer a coherent idea of the need for and motivation behind the project (1,3,4,5,7)
• Be able to roughly outline a realistic timeline for the project including necessary contributors and facilities (1,2,3,4,5,7)

By the time the student conducts the literature search (week 6) they should:

• Have strong command of the need for and motivation behind the project (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
• Be thoroughly conversant in the published literature impinging on the project (1,3,4,7)
• Have an enhanced appreciation for research ethics and for good scholarly habits such as writing well, presenting data effectively, and using sources properly (3,4,7)

By the time the student completes the three progress reports required in weeks 9, 12, and 15 they should have:

• Completely or substantially finished the research work (1,2,4,5,7)
• Effectively reported results, challenges, and future work to adviser and other research group members (3,4,5)
• Clarified for themselves and others the significance of the project and its results such that the senior thesis (ECE 499) is ready to be written (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
• Developed both their technical/scientific and their scholarly/writing skills to a high level (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)