Undergraduate Degree Programs

ECSE Undergraduate Programs

The ECSE undergraduate cohort spans the full breadth of this dynamic and exciting field. Young researchers are encouraged to creatively apply computer technologies and mathematics to the design, development, testing and implementation of a wide range of products.

Students can explore areas in wireless communications and computer networking, internet of things (IOT), robotics and automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), electronics and photonics, imaging science, power electronics, and power systems through engaging coursework and research opportunities.

Many students who successfully complete undergraduate programs in the ECSE go on to graduate programs at some the top engineering research schools such as RPI, MIT, Harvard, Princeton University, Rice University, Carnegie Mellon, and Stanford, among others. 

"Students in ECSE majors have a lot of freedom to take advantage of all aspects of our expansive curriculum offerings. Students can choose for themselves what best matches their interests and abilities." - Dr. Agung Julius, ECSE undergraduate curriculum committee chair. 

To discuss the curriculum and your degree progress, schedule a meeting with Dr. Rama Hamarneh in ECSE Undergraduate Student Services, here.

Basic and Core Courses by Major

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Electrical Engineering CurriculumComputer and Systems Engineering Curriculum

Choosing Electives

Depending on your major, electives (Restricted, Lab, Technical, and Free) are used to:

  1. Gain a breadth of knowledge across different sub-disciplines (concentrations) of Electrical Engineering or Computer and Systems Engineering, OR
  2. Gain depth of knowledge within a particular sub-discipline (concentrations) of Electrical Engineering or Computer and Systems Engineering, OR
  3. Fulfill the course requirements of a dual major.

Though Focus Areas are provided here to provide guidance to courses a student may wish to take to develop a focus in a particular area, they are not required. Please see Program Templates for specific information toward your major regarding concentrations.

Focus Areas

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Computer Vision and Image Processing

Communications and Computer Networks

Control Systems

Robotics and Automation

Computer Systems Design

Electric Power and Energy

Micro/Nano-electronics and Photonics

Mixed Signal Electronics

ECSE Concentration Areas

 

Focus Areas are optional, however if you complete and declare a concentration you will be awarded a certificate upon graduation. You may complete and declare more than one Focus Area, with up to 2 of the 3 courses required counting towards multiple Focus Areas. Special topics courses, 6000-level courses or other relevant courses may be used with prior approval (to begin the approval process, please email Dr. Rama Hamarneh (ramah@rpi.edu). 

 A form will be emailed to senior students to declare their Focus Area during the semester that they are graduating.

 

Basic and Core Courses

 

Electrical Engineering Majors

Science Credits

  • CSCI 1100 - Computer Science 1
  • Science Electives* (choose one)
    • BIOL 1010 - Introduction to Biology
    • BIOL 2120 - Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology
    • CHEM 1100 - Chemistry 1
  • PHYS 1100 - Physics 1
  • PHYS 1200 - Physics 2

Mathematics Credits

  • MATH 1010 - Calculus 1
  • MATH 1020 - Calculus 2
  • MATH 2400 - Introduction to Differential Equations
  • MATH 2010 - Multivariable Calculus & Matrix Algebra
Basic

Core Engineering Credits

  • ENGR 1200 - Engineering Graphics & CAD
  • ENGR 2350 - Embedded Control
  • ENGR 2050 - Introduction to Engineering Design
  • ENGR 4010 - Professional Development 3

Core ECSE Credits

  • ECSE 1010- Introduction to ECSE
  • ECSE 2610 - Computer Components and Operations
  • ECSE 2010 - Electrics Circuits
  • ECSE 2050 - Introduction to Electronics
  • ECSE 2410 - Signals & Systems
  • ECSE 2500 - Engineering Probability
  • ECSE 2100 - Fields and Waves
  • ECSE 2110 - Electrical Energy Systems
  • ECSE 2210 - Microelectronics Technology
  • ECSE 2900 - ECSE Enrichment Seminar
  • ECSE 4900 - Multidisciplinary Capstone
Core
Computer Systems Majors

Science Credits

  • CSCI 1100 - Computer Science 1
  • CSCI 1200 – Data Structures
  • Science Electives* (choose one)
    • BIOL 1010 - Introduction to Biology
    • BIOL 2120 - Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology
    • CHEM 1100 - Chemistry 1
  • PHYS 1100 - Physics 1
  • PHYS 1200 - Physics 2

Mathematics Credits

  • MATH 1010 - Calculus 1
  • MATH 1020 - Calculus 2
  • MATH 2400 - Introduction to Differential Equations
  • MATH 2010 - Multivariable Calculus & Matrix Algebra
Basic

Core Engineering Credits

  • ENGR 1200 - Engineering Graphics & CAD
  • ENGR 2350 - Embedded Control
  • ENGR 2050 - Introduction to Engineering Design
  • ENGR 4010 - Professional Development 3

Core ECSE/CS Credits

  • ECSE 1010- Introduction to ECSE
  • ECSE 2610 - Computer Components and Operations
  • ECSE 2660 – Computer Architecture, Networks, and Operating Systems
  • ECSE 2010 - Electrics Circuits
  • ECSE 2050 - Introduction to Electronics
  • ECSE 2410 - Signals & Systems
  • ECSE 2500 - Engineering Probability
  • ECSE 2900 - ECSE Enrichment Seminar
  • CSCI 2200 – Foundations of Computer Science
  • CSCI 2300 – Introductions to Algorithms
  • ECSE 4900 - Multidisciplinary Capstone
Core

Computer Systems and Computer Science Dual Majors

Science Credits

  • CSCI 1100 - Computer Science 1
  • CSCI 1200 – Data Structures
  • CSCI 2200 – Foundations of Computer Science
  • CSCI 2300 – Introductions to Algorithms
  • Science Electives* (choose one)
    • BIOL 1010 - Introduction to Biology
    • BIOL 2120 - Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology
  • PHYS 1100 - Physics 1
  • PHYS 1200 - Physics 2

Mathematics Credits

  • MATH 1010 - Calculus 1
  • MATH 1020 - Calculus 2
  • MATH 2400 - Introduction to Differential Equations
  • MATH 2010 - Multivariable Calculus & Matrix Algebra
Basic

Core Engineering Credits

  • ENGR 1200 - Engineering Graphics & CAD
  • ENGR 2350 - Embedded Control
  • ENGR 2050 - Introduction to Engineering Design
  • ENGR 4010 - Professional Development 3

Core ECSE/CS Credits

  • ECSE 1010– Introduction to ECSE
  • ECSE 2610 – Computer Components and Operations
  • ECSE 2660 – Computer Architecture, Networks, and Operating Systems
  • ECSE 2010 – Electric Circuits
  • ECSE 2050 - Introduction to Electronics
  • ECSE 2410 – Signals & Systems
  • ECSE 2500 – Engineering Probability
  • ECSE 2900 – ECSE Enrichment Seminar
  • CSCI-4430 – Programming Languages
  • CSCI 2600 – Principles of Software
  • CSCI 4210 – Operating Systems
  • ECSE 4900 – Multidisciplinary Capstone
Core

Focus Areas

 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

 

  • Required: 
    • ECSE 4840 - Introduction to Machine Learning
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4850 – Intro to Deep Learning
    • ECSE 4810 – Intro to Probabilistic Graphical Models
    • CSCI 4100 - Machine Learning from Data
    • ECSE 4760 – Real Time Control & Communication
    • ECSE 4962 (Spring 2022)/CSCI 4968 (Spring 2024) - Trustworthy Machine Learning
    • ECSE 4964 (Spring 2022) - Distributed Machine Learning

 

Computer Vision and Image Processing

 

  • ECSE Electives (take three from list)
    • ECSE 4540 – Introduction to Image Processing
    • ECSE 4620 – Computer Vision for Visual Effects
    • ECSE 4750 - Computer Graphics
    • ECSE 4850 - Intro to Deep Learning
    • ECSE 4961/6650 - Computer Vision

 

Communications and Computer Networks

 

  • Required:
    • ECSE 4660 – Internetworking of Things
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4670 – Computer Communication Networks
    • ECSE 4530 - Digital Signal Processing
    • ECSE 4560 - Modern Communication Systems

 

Control Systems

 

  • Required:
    • ECSE 4440 - Control Systems Engineering
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4760 - Real Time Control & Communication (Lab or CE Elective)
    • ECSE 4170 – Modeling & Simulation of Cyberphysical Systems
    • ECSE 4090 - Mechatronics (Lab or CE Elective)

 

Robotics and Automation

 

  • Required:
    • ECSE 4480 - Robotics I
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4490 - Robotics II
    • ECSE 4850 - Intro to Deep Learning
    • ECSE 4170 – Modeling & Simulation of Cyberphysical Systems
    • ENGR 4710 - Manufacturing Process and System Lab I (Lab Elective)

 

Computer Systems Design

 

  • Required:
    • ECSE 4770 – Computer Hardware Design
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4790 – Microprocessor Systems
    • ECSE 4040 – Digital Electronics
    • ECSE 4220 – VLSI Design
    • ECSE 4250 – IC Process & Design
    • ECSE 4320 – Advanced Computer Systems 
    • ECSE 4780 - Advanced Computer Hardware Design

 

Electric Power and Energy

 

  • Required:
    • ECSE 4130 – EPE Laboratory
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4080 – Semiconductor Power Electronics
    • ECSE 4110 – Power Engineering Analysis
    • ECSE 4120 – Electromechanics
    • ECSE 4141 – Renewable Power Generation
    • ECSE 4170 – Modeling & Simulation of Cyberphysical Systems

 

Micro/Nano-electronics and Photonics

 

  • Required:
    • ECSE 4220 – VLSI Design
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4040 - Digital Electronics OR ECSE 4030 - Analog Electronics
    • ECSE 4250 - IC Processing and Design
    • ECSE 4370 – Optoelectronics Technology
    • ECSE 4380 – Fundamentals of Solid State Lighting
    • ECSE 4080 - Semiconductor Power Electronics
    • ECSE 4720 – Solid State Physics

 

Mixed Signal Electronics

 

  • Required:
    • ECSE 4220 – VLSI Design
  • ECSE Electives (take two from list)
    • ECSE 4030 – Analog IC Design
    • ECSE 4040 – Digital Electronics
    • ECSE 4050 – Advanced Electronics
    • ECSE 4310/ECSE 630 - Fundamentals of RF/Microwave Engineering