ECE 499

• Undergraduate Project, Seminar, and Thesis

No graduate credit for this course.

No graduate credit for this course.

ECE 496 and consent of instructor.

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

The purpose of ECE 499 is to complete the individual research project begun (and perhaps completed) in ECE 496 and compose, to high academic standards, a thesis reporting on the project. Since this is a capstone course that, in tandem with ECE 496, brings 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), with particular emphasis on Outcomes 3 (Communication), 4 (Professionalism), 6 (Analysis), and 7 (Learning).

ABET Program 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 completes the two progress reports required in weeks 3 and 6 they should:

• Have completed all, or nearly all, of the technical, theoretical, and scholarly research required for the thesis (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
• Have preliminary understanding of the project's results and their significance (1,2,6,7)
• Have effectively reported results, challenges, and future work to adviser and other research group members (3,4,5)

By the time the student completes the thesis draft due in week 11 they should have:

• Strong command of the project's results and their significance (1,2,6,7)
• Continued developing both their technical/scientific and their scholarly/writing skills (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

By the time the student presents their research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in the final weeks of the semester they should have:

• Thorough command of the project's results and their significance (1,2,6,7)
• Developed their speaking and data presentation skills to a high level (3,4)

By the time the student deposits the final thesis to the Undergraduate Advising Office in week 16 they should have:

• Polished their technical engineering and research skills to meet or exceed the standards of graduate school or a professional research unit in the private or public sector (1,2,5,6,7)
• Polished their writing, data presentation, and scholarly skills to meet or exceed the standards of graduate school or a professional research unit in the private or public sector (3,4,7)