Computer Engineering

Degree:Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (B.S.C.E.)
Major:Computer Engineering
Minor:Computer Engineering
Department:Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Building 4, Room 323
850-474-2963
http://uwf.edu/ECE
College:Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering
CIP Code:14.0901
Semester Hours Required For Degree: 127

The mission of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is to offer undergraduate and graduate programs of excellence in engineering that serve the needs of the West Florida region, the state, and the nation. The goal of these programs is to prepare students for a successful professional career in their respective chosen discipline of study. 

The Computer Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.  ABET is the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology and is among the most respected

The program’s educational objectives are to ensure:

  • Graduates of the program will be successful in the professional practice of engineering or related fields and will advance in their chosen careers.
  • Graduates of the program will be successful in pursuing advanced degrees in engineering or related fields. 

The program provides students with a strong theoretical and practical background in computer hardware and software, along with the engineering analysis, design, and implementation skills necessary to work between the two. A computer engineer is someone with the ability to design a complete computer system—from its circuits to its operating system to the algorithms that run on it. Although it is valid to look at software and hardware separately, a computer engineer must take a more holistic approach. If an electronic device can be called a computer, it must produce mathematically meaningful results. Similarly, any useful theory of computing must be physically realizable. The synthesis of theory and algorithms, which must take place before any useful computing can be achieved, is the job of the computer engineer. To produce such engineers is the mission of this program. 

Computer engineering deals with the body of knowledge that forms the theoretical and practical basis for the storage, retrieval, processing, analysis, recognition, and display of information. This area also includes the design and implementation of computer systems and peripheral devices for information handling and engineering applications. The computer engineering curriculum provides a balance of hardware, software, and computer theory and applications with a basic background in electrical engineering. Nine credits of electives are included to permit a student to delve deeply into selected subject matter. Computer engineers find career opportunities in a wide variety of companies or organizations involving the design, development, building, testing, and operation of computer systems. Computer engineers deal with both hardware and software (programming) problems. In designing a computer system, computer engineers must decide how much of the computer logic to put into hardware and how much to put into software. The work of computer engineers and computer scientists overlap and the two are often confused. Computer engineers tend to be more involved with the computer hardware, whereas computer scientists tend to be more involved with the computer software, with less emphasis on hardware.

Program Requirements

Students are required to have a laptop or tablet PC. Please visit our department website for information about minimum hardware configuration, department scholarships and other useful information.

In addition to the University’s general requirements, students seeking the B.S. in Computer Engineering must meet the requirements listed below:

A minimum course grade of “C” or better is required in the Computer Engineering core courses and all courses that serve as prerequisites to other required courses in the Computer Engineering program. A grade of "C-" is acceptable in math, science, and Computer Science prerequisite courses.  Please see required courses section below for a list of courses that require a minimum grade of a "C" or "C-".

The Computer Engineering curriculum is designed to yield a set of outcomes. Each upper division course within the curriculum contributes to at least one of these outcomes.  A list of our current outcomes and how they map to our program can be found on the Institutional Effectiveness website.

All seniors must complete an exit interview and submit a copy of their senior design report before graduating.

General Education

In addition to the General Education requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "University Requirements" section of this catalog.

General Education Curriculum:

In order to minimize the number of courses required, students should consult with their academic advisor for courses which will satisfy both the General Education requirements and common prerequisites. For example, students can take MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I  or MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II  to complete the Mathematics requirement. The sciences listed in the Common Prerequisites section will also fulfill the General Education Natural Science requirement. To maximize the overlap, one of the two General Education Electives should be taken in the Natural Sciences, specifically CHM 2045 General Chemistry IPHY 2048 Calculus-Based Physics I , or PHY 2049 Calculus-Based Physics II.

Multicultural Requirement

Civic Literacy Requirement

The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. As a result, there are three cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.

Students Included in Cohort Civic Literacy Competency Requirement
Cohort 1: Students first entering the SUS or FCS prior to fall 2018 None
Cohort 2: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2018 – summer A 2021 Complete a course or exam
Cohort 3: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in summer B 2021 (on or after July 1, 2021) and thereafter Complete both a course and exam

Additionally, the 2021 Legislature made two additional exceptions: approving the use of accelerated mechanisms for meeting the course competency requirement and exempting high school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school from the postsecondary exam requirement. These two changes are in effect for Cohort 3.

There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan. 

Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website.

*BOG 8.006s.1007.25(4,a-b)

Common Prerequisites

State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.

The following courses and labs require a minimum grade of a "C-".

CHM 2045+LGeneral Chemistry I (+Lab) *4
MAC 2311Analytic Geometry and Calculus I *4
MAC 2312Analytic Geometry and Calculus II *4
MAC 2313Analytic Geometry and Calculus III4
MAP 2302Differential Equations3
PHY 2048+LCalculus-Based Physics I (+Lab) *4
PHY 2049+LCalculus-Based Physics II (+Lab) *4
Total Hours27
*

 Indicates common prerequisites which can be used to satisfy General Education requirements.

Note that all of the math and science common prerequisites do not have to be taken before students begin taking the major courses below. However, students do have to complete the specific math and science courses (with a minimum grade of a C-) that are listed as prerequisites for any engineering course they would like to take.

Major

COP 3014Algorithm and Program Design +, c-3
COP 3530Data Structures and Algorithms I +, c-3
COP 4534Data Structures and Algorithms II +, c-3
COP 4634Systems & Networks I +, c-3
COP 4635Systems & Networks II +3
COT 3100Discrete Structures +, c-3
EEE 3308+LElectronic Circuits I (+Lab) +, c4
EEL 3111+LCircuits I (+Lab) +, c4
EEL 3112Circuits II +, c3
EEL 3135Discrete-Time Signals and Systems +, c3
EEL 3701+LDigital Logic and Computer Systems (+Lab) +, c4
EEL 4712+LDigital Design (+Lab) +, c4
EEL 4713Digital Computer Architecture +3
EEL 4744+LMicroprocessor Applications (+Lab) +, c4
EGM 4313Intermediate Engineering Analysis +, c3
EGN 3204Engineering Software Tools +, c1
EGS 4032Professional Ethics +3
EGN 4950Capstone Design I 2, +, c1
EGN 4952LCapstone Design II 2, +, c2
Advisor approved EEL/EEE electives 1, +12
Choose one of the following +3
Solid-State Electronic Devices
VLSI Circuit Design
Total Hours72
1

EEL/EEE Elective restrictions: These electives must begin with the EEL or EEE prefix and cannot be otherwise required for the program. A limited set of preapproved Mechanical Engineering courses may also be used. See your advisor for details. A maximum of 3 sh in EEL 4949 Co-Op Work Experience, 3 sh in EEL 4905, and 3 sh of EEL 4940 Engineering Internship will be accepted as EEL/EEE elective credits. In addition, combined experiential learning credits (EEL 4940 Engineering Internship and EEL 4949 Co-Op Work Experience) are limited to a maximum of 3 credits toward electives. Consult the department for the current list of approved EEL/EEE Elective courses. The department feels that licensure is an important step in an Engineer's career. To encourage our students to pursue their professional license,  our students may take an FE review course toward their electives (3 credits maximum).

2

Note that EGN 4950 Capstone Design I and EGN 4952L Capstone Design II is the senior design project. This final project is the culmination of the engineering education. As such, this sequence of courses must be taken in the last 2 semesters of a student's program. Seniors must see an academic advisor in order to register for them. Note that even though they aren't prerequisites, we highly recommend that our students complete both EEL 4744 Microprocessor Applications and EEE 3308 Electronic Circuits I prior to taking EGN 4952L Capstone Design II.

Major-Related

EGS 3441Engineering Statistics 5,c-3
Advisor-approved Engineering or Computer Science Elective 3, +3
EGS 1006Introduction to Engineering 41
Total Hours7
3

It is recommended that students who have no programming experience take EEL 4834 Programming for Engineers or a lower division programming course prior to taking COP 3014 Algorithm and Program Design to fulfill this requirement. Please see your advisor for an updated list of acceptable courses to fulfill this elective. If a course is being used as an EEE/EEL elective, it cannot also be used here.

4

Transfer students or non-freshmen may choose to substitute a professional development elective. Work with your academic advisor to choose an elective that will aid you in your career objectives. Typical courses for this elective include, but are not limited to, professional writing courses, courses from STEM departments (not already required for our program), FE review or courses geared toward obtaining certifications, and additional EEL/EEE/EML/EGM elective credits beyond those specifically listed above. 

5

Other calculus-based statistics courses may also be acceptable. Please see your advisor.

c

Minimum grade of "C" is required in these courses. Note: C- is not acceptable. Other courses may also require a C if they are prerequisites to electives that you choose.

c-

Minimum grade of "C-" is required in these courses. 

+

Courses included in the major GPA.

Computer Engineering

A computer engineering minor provides an opportunity for students majoring in other areas to take a limited number of computer engineering courses to complement their majors. The minor in computer engineering is open to all UWF students with the exception of computer and electrical engineering majors. Students applying for the minor must have a declared major.

Students may not take a course and its prerequisite during the same semester.

Students must complete MAC 2311 with a grade of "C-" or better and the programming course with a minimum grade of "C".

Students seeking the Minor in computer engineering must have a minimum course grade of "C" or better in the required engineering courses.

Prerequisites

MAC 2311Analytic Geometry and Calculus I4
Choose one of the following:
COP 3014Algorithm and Program Design3
or EEL 4834 Programming for Engineers

Requirements

EEL 3701+LDigital Logic and Computer Systems (+Lab)4
EEL 4744+LMicroprocessor Applications (+Lab)4
EEL 4712+LDigital Design (+Lab)4
EEL 4713Digital Computer Architecture3
Total Hours15