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Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department Chair: Dr. Reza Adhami Director of Graduate Program: Dr. N. F. Audeh The Program The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) offers a variety of specializations leading to the degrees of Master of Science in Engineering (MSE), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Electrical Engineering, Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, MSE with concentration in Software Engineering, and an MSE in Optics and Photonics Technology. Students may also pursue the Ph.D. in Optical Science and Engineering, an interdisciplinary program offered in cooperation with the Department of Physics. A Software Engineering Certificate may be earned by completing 18 semester hours of software engineering courses. The objectives of the ECE Department are to educate individuals for professional practice in the proper fields of engineering, cultivate the capabilities for creative and dynamic thinking, and to conduct research and services responsive to the needs of the Huntsville technical community, the State of Alabama and the nation. Many of our graduates work in teams which may include individuals from other disciplines, we believe, therefore, that a broad education is useful and beneficial in a rapidly changing technology. The faculty is the principal resource of the department. Our faculty has excellent educational credentials, broad technical interests, considerable industrial experience, and impressive research productivity. Extramural support, already more than $2,000,000 per year, is growing steadily, complemented by funding through research centers and labs, such as the Laboratory for Integrated Computing and Optoelectronic Systems (LICOS), the Center for Applied Optics (CAO), the Center for Microgravity and Materials Research (CMMR), and the Johnson Research Center (JRC) which conducts energy-related studies. The majority of our full-time graduate students work closely with faculty members as graduate research assistants and graduate teaching assistants. The department is continuing to develop its laboratories for research and advanced instruction. In 1998, a new research laboratory, Laboratory for Integrated Computing and Optoelectronic Systems (LICOS) was established, and a new Satellite Communications Laboratory was implemented. The major facilities include Computer Design, Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits, Microcomputer, Operating Systems and Parallel Programming, Optical Computing, Optical Information Processing, Aero-optics, Nonlinear Optics, Real-Time Systems Laboratory, Thin Film Research Equipment in Solid State, Signal Processing, Communications, Controls, and Microfabrication. In addition to the ECE laboratories listed above, other major optics-related facilities are housed in the Optics Building, an outstanding facility, which serves as the focus for interdisciplinary research, education, and technology transfer. The Center for Applied Optics (CAO) and the Department of Physics maintain laboratories devoted to optical fabrication, measurement and testing, nonlinear optical materials, polarimetry, a large laser facility, a four-story tall experiment shaft, and a rooftop experimental area for such activities as calibration of atmospheric optical apparatus. Other recourses include Detector Fabrication and Evaluation, Optical Fabrication, Holography Applications, Fiber Optics Sensor, Infrared Spectropolarimetry, and Laboratory for Materials and Surface Science. In all laboratories, graduate students perform research related to their theses and dissertations. Admission Requirements For unconditional admission to the graduate program,
a student must hold a bachelor's degree from an ABET accredited program,
have a grade point average of at least a 3.0 and a GRE score of at least
1500. Outstanding (3.5 GPA) students from other technical fields may
gain admittance to the graduate program by completing certain undergraduate
courses. Please contact the department for further details. |
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