Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Curriculum Reform Last major curriculum restructuring was before I was hired Study Group to Examine Curriculum over summer / fall –Chair - Law –Faculty - Arnold, Fox, Harris, Jordan, Lam, Nishida –External - Khargonekar, Hawkins –Students - Knauer, Sapp Reviewed issues with current curriculum and students Reviewed peer school curriculum Drafted a strawman proposal for feedback

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Current Issues Incoming student population is different from 20 years ago –Top Florida kids, UF is selective –No practical experience - no heathkit, soldering, tinkering –Internet savvy - google answers, social network, wiki –Tend to not read textbooks, don’t think linearly UF Population Experience –Retention is an issue, declining enrollment, poor attendance, motivation - students do not appear excited about the material –Curriculum has been static - some changes but mostly minor –Problems doing real senior design unless computers - theory first courses hurt senior design Graduation –Job market has changed, more engineering support jobs, more jobs require advanced degrees –More students headed to grad school - 30% in surveys

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Peer School Study Links on web - Looked at GaTech, Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, MIT, CMU, Duke, RPI, Olin Generally - more early curriculum courses Programs with recent change have added more freshmen / sophomore year courses Introductory courses with lab experience to help motivate students to learn rigor later Real courses, real content

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Principles of redesign Lower Division courses –Meaningful, important concepts covered and learned –Lab and project based learning –Math Level appropriate Focus less on required breadth and give more depth opportunity Provide more electives in and out of department for students to obtain career skills Spread out GenEd so the junior / senior years are less intense

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Overview  Soft skills and University general requirements  Ethics, Gen Ed requirements, Science  Statistics, Analysis  ECE Foundation courses  Computers, Electronics, Signals, E&M  ECE Science courses  Computing, Electronics, Devices, E&M, Signals, Applied Statistics  ECE Integrated courses  Courses that are electives covering 2 or more science areas  RF electronics, VLSI Design, Optical Devices and Systems, Communications Electronics (as examples)  ECE Depth courses  Required to take electives in one area  ECE Electives

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Major Changes / Features First Semester Freshmen start with EE Dropped Calc III, Physics II –Merge Calc III into E&M –Physics II curricula in E&M, Electronics Added Modern Physics Teach our own Statistics Gen Ed in all semesters

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering A Proposed Curriculum

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Comparison by credit Math and Science –Proposal (28) - Calc I (4), Calc II (4), Diff Eq (3), Chem (4), Phys I (4), Bio (3), Modern Phys (3), ECE Analysis (3) –Current (33) - Calc I (4), Calc II (4), Calc III (4), Diff Eq (3), Chem (4), Phys I (4), Phys II (4), Bio (3), ECE Analysis (3) General Education –Proposal (23) - Gen Ed (18), Tech Writing (3), Seminar (2) –Current (23) - Gen Ed (15), Tech Writing (3), Free Elective (3), Seminar (2) College Breadth –Proposal (6) –Current (9) Required ECE Core –Proposal (45) - Circuits and Electronics (8), Devices (3), Computing (10), E&M (7), Signals (8), Applied Stats (3), Design (6) –Current (36) - Circuits and Electronics (8), Devices (3), Computing (6), E&M (3), Signals (7), Statistics (3), Design (6) Technical Electives –Proposal (27) - Integrated (6), Tier 3 Depth (6), Other (15) –Current (29) - Technical Specialization (11-12), Other (17-18)