IIT BSCPE Self Study 2008 - Illinois Institute of Technology

and systems, electronic circuits, and power engineering; and a suite of computer science
courses including programming, data structures and algorithms, systems programming,
and discrete structures. Students in the program have exposure to engineering science
outside the area of computer engineering through the curricular requirement either of a
course in thermodynamics (MMAE 320) or in mechanics (MMAE 200), and also
through two required interprofessional projects (IPRO). These components support
program outcomes (a), (k), and (l).
Depth is provided by advanced courses at the senior level. Four courses are required:
operating systems, microcomputers, computer organization and design, and software
engineering. These courses combine a rigorous theoretical base that provides an
understanding of the fundamentals of computer hardware and the relationship between
hardware and software in both design and implementation. Adding to the laboratory
experience in the microcomputers course is the requirement for another design-oriented
laboratory via the hardware-design elective, chosen from courses in VLSI design,
advanced logic design, or the design of computer processors. Two more professional
elective courses are chosen from a range of advanced topics in electrical engineering or
computer science. These curricular components support outcomes (a), (b), (c), (e), (g),
(k), (l), and (m).
Engineering design and engineering science are distributed throughout the curriculum
under the rationale that students can perform in-depth engineering design only after they
have learned the engineering science fundamentals of their field. Thus, the curriculum
includes its most meaningful major design experience in the senior year, after the
student has completed the suite of engineering science electives in the curriculum.
However, there is value in exposing students to engineering design before the senior
year. First of all, previous exposure to engineering design serves to motivate and
interest students in the technical problems of their field. Second, exposure to
engineering design provides a context for engineering science courses. For example,
coverage of a theoretical topic such as circuit analysis will have more meaning if
students have designed, built, and debugged simple circuits in the laboratory. For this
reason, the curriculum includes exposure to engineering design starting in the freshman
year, increasing in the sophomore and junior years, and culminating in a design-oriented
senior year.
As noted above, the curriculum requires two three credit hour Interprofessional Project
(IPRO) courses. Nominally the two IPRO courses are taken in the junior and senior
years. An IPRO project course is a team-based learning environment in which students
from various concentrations and disciplines work together to solve a real-world
problem. Through the experience of working on this problem, students have the
opportunity to apply and develop their teamwork, project management, communication,
and ethical behavior skills. There is a wide range of topics proposed by sponsors,
faculty and students that includes all of IIT’s disciplines and professional programs. The
IPRO projects offered each semester are constantly changing to reflect emerging trends
in technology and the needs of society.
Each IPRO course is organized as a team of 5-15 students from sophomore to graduate
level. All projects are designed with goals that can be completed in one semester.
However, many projects continue over multiple semesters and years, with continuing
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