Bachelor of Wireless Engineering Program at Auburn University

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Bachelor of Wireless Engineering Programat
Auburn University

• Victor P. Nelson
• Electrical Computer Engineering
• Auburn University
• nelson_at_eng.auburn.edu

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Outline

• History of wireless engineering at Auburn
• Motivation for creating the program
• The program development process
• The Wireless EE curriculum
• The Wireless SWE curriculum
• Program Status

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Wireless Engineering at Auburn Background

• Wireless technology and networks has been a focus
  of research in ECE and CSSE, particularly in the
  Information Technology Peak of Excellence
• 25M gift to AU from Dr. Sam Ginn in Feb. 2001,
  most of which will support wireless engineering
• Dr. Ginns vision for wireless engineering at AU
• Unique baccalaureate program in wireless
• Excellence in graduate programs and research
• AU Wireless Engineering Research and Education
  Center (WEREC) Established (Director Dr. Richard
  Jaeger)

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Wireless Engineering at Auburn(background -
continued)

• Baccalaureate Wireless Engineering curriculum
  developed
• ECE and CSSE Departments
• AU joined the Global Wireless Education
  Consortium -
• GWEC Points of Knowledge considered in
  curriculum
• Wireless Technical Advisory Board created
• Met with AU faculty on campus and at their sites
• Sam Ginn Professorship in Wireless Engineering
  created
• Planning for graduate programs and extension
  activities in Wireless

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Wireless Advisory Board

• Sam Ginn, Chairman (ret.), Vodaphone
• Donal OConnell, VP RD, Nokia
• William Keever, President, Vodaphone
• Al Javed, VP Wireless Networks, Nortel Networks
• Hakan Eriksson, VP Research, Ericsson
• Ted Hoffman, VP Tech Dev, Verizon Wireless
• Richard DeMillo, Chief Tech Officer, HP
• Edgar Reynolds, Pres. Network Ops, Cingular
• Bill Krenik, Wireless Adv Arch Mgr, T.I.

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Bachelor of Wireless Engineering Program
Constituents

• Wireless equipment manufacturers
• ICs
• Handsets
• Networking equipment
• Wireless service providers
• Network integration
• Network operation
• Network planning

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Wireless Engineering Job Market

• Dr. Sam Ginn, Retired Chairman of Vodaphone, made
  gift to create a program to support the needs of
  the wireless industry, based on his experience
• Donal OConnell, VP of RD at Nokia, estimates
  300-400,000 jobs in the wireless industry, with
  many of these in engineering
• Edgar Reynolds, Pres. Network Operations at
  Cingular, estimates 1,000 jobs per year in the
  Southeast U.S.
• Letters from the A.U. Wireless Advisory Board
  indicate their keen desire to hire BWE graduates

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The Wireless Engineering ProgramDevelopment
Process

• Initial curriculum focused on RF design, wireless
  communication wireless networks
• Intended to be a formal option within EE
• Wireless option within SW Engineering added
• Wireless industry needs software engineers who
  understand the EE aspects of wireless
  communication, technology and networks
• Networking emphasis added to both options
• To address needs of wireless service providers
• Program redesignated Bachelor of Wireless
  Engineering
• Dr. Ginns desire to emphasize program uniqueness
• Supported by AU Wireless Technical Advisory Board

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Wireless Engineering Program Educational
Objectives

• Produce graduates with a basic foundation in
  electrical or software engineering,
  telecommunication network design and operation,
  and wireless technology that will provide the
  technical proficiency needed for the professional
  practice of engineering in the wireless
  telecommunications industry.
• Objectives shared with EE, CPE, SWE
• ability to communicate
• prepared for lifelong learning
• responsible citizens highest ethical
  standards

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Baachelor of Wireless EngineeringProgram
Organization
Wireless Electrical Engineering Option
Wireless Software Engineering Option
EE Core
SWE Core
Wireless Core
Wireless Core
Hardware Design
Software Design
Network Design
(Areas of Specialization)
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BWE Degree Requirements

• 128 Credit Hours (AU constraint)
• 30 credits general studies (AU core)
• 32-33 credits math and science
• 7 credits general engineering
• 26 credits common EE/SWE core
• 29-30 credits EE or SWE wireless courses
• (6-9 credits specialization-specific)
• 3 credits free elective

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BWE (EE Option) vs. BEECommon EE Courses

• Circuits, Signals Systems
• Digital Circuits, Computer Organization
• Digital Electronics, Analog Electronics
• Electromagnetics I II
• Probability, Communications
• EE Labs I, II, III (radio)
• Senior Design Project

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BEE Courses Dropped from BWE (EE Option)

• Power Systems
• Control Systems
• EE Lab IV (Robot)
• Two general engineering courses
• Statics/Dynamics/Strength of Materials
• Thermo/Heat Transfer/Fluid Flow
• One technical elective

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Courses Unique to BWE (EE Option)

• Wireless Core Courses
• Wireless Communications Systems
• Wireless Networks
• Wireless Communication Lab
• Computer Programming (C)

• Network Specialization
• Data Networks
• Telecom. Networks
• Network Optimization

• Hardware Specialization
• RF Electronics
• Digital Signal Processing

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BWE (SWE Option) vs. BSWECommon COMP Courses

• Computer Science I II (including labs)
• Discrete Structures, Algorithms
• Digital Circuits (EE)
• Computer Organization
• Computer Networks
• Computer Ethics
• Senior Design Project

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BSWE Courses Dropped from BWE (SWE Option)

• Operating Systems
• (replaced by Embedded Systems Software)
• Software Modeling Design
• (replaced by Wireless Software Development)
• Programming Language Principles
• Computer Architecture
• Intelligent Interactive Systems
• General engineering course
• One technical elective

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EE Courses Included in BWE (SWE Option) not in
BSWE

• Circuits
• Signals Systems
• Probability
• Communications
• EE Lab I
• Wireless Communications Lab

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Wireless Courses Unique to BWE (SWE Option)

• Wireless Core Courses
• Embedded Systems Software
• Wireless Software Development
• Wireless Mobile Networks

• Network Specialization
• Telecom. Networks
• Network Optimization
• Network Quality Assurance

• Software Specialization
• (Also in BSWE)
• Software Processes
• Software Quality Assurance

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Wireless Engineering Elective Courses(new and
existing)

• ECE
• Wireless information security
• RF Microwave Engineering
• Design of Antennas Antenna Systems
• CSSE
• Computer network security
• Interface design for wireless applications
• Personal area networks
• 3G and 4G wireless

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BWE Accreditation Issues

• Since wireless engineering criteria do not
  exist, the BWE program will be reviewed under
  ABET EC2000 Nontraditional Program Criteria
• BWE must satisfy EC2000 general criteria.
• (common to all engineering programs)
• We must define program-specific outcomes and
  demonstrate achievement by BWE graduates
• (EE/SWE plus wireless-specific outcomes)
• 15 programs required to define ABET
  program-specific criteria

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Status of the BWE Program

• Approved through Auburn University channels
• ECE and CSSE Curriculum Committees
• Wireless Technical Advisory Board
• College of Engineering Curriculum Committee
• University Curriculum Committee
• A.U. Board of Trustees
• Submitted to Alabama Commission on Higher
  Education (decision expected in May, 2002)
• Planned start date Fall 2002
• Advisors now working with prospective and current
  students interested in the BWE program

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Further Information

• For further information, visit
• http//www.eng.auburn.edu/ece
• Or email
• nelson_at_eng.auburn.edu