CEN Program Focus Group

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CEN Program Focus Group

• TOPICS
• Suggestions for the CEN program.
• CEN program Overhaul

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Suggestions for the CEN program

• Advising ?
• Courses offered often enough ?
• Any courses should be dropped ?
• Any courses should be added/merged ?
• Any course with problems ?
• Content ? Emphasize more/less topics ?

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Joint CurriculumCEN UG ProgramCEN Curriculum
Committee Manuel Bermudez, Doug Dankel, Paul
Fishwick, Rob Fox, Ann Gordon-Ross, Herman Lam
(chair), Janise McNair
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Overview of Existing CEN Curriculum
Hardware Track 2
Software Track 1
1 http//cise.ufl.edu/academics/undergrad/cen/cen-
requirements-1999.pdf
2 http//www.ece.ufl.edu/academics/undergraduate/d
egrees/bscen2006.htm
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Issues with Existing Curriculum

• Too much emphasis on differences between HW and
  SW rather than on value of integrated HW/SW
  knowledge
• With respect to students
• Has to commit to SW or HW track too early
• Once committed, follows different study plans
• The further down the track, the more difficult
• to change to other track if desired
• Advising issues
• Limited advising to select a track
• student has to commit to a track before any real
  advising
• Advising is on committed track only little info
  about other track
• Inconsistency in curriculum
• Different study plans
• Inconsistent capstone senior design courses
• Different GPA requirements
• No major examination of CEN curriculum since 1999
• e.g., 2004 ACM Curriculum Guidelines for UG
  Program in CEN

Freshman Preview Orientation
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What is Computer Engineering?

• ACM Curriculum Guidelines for UG Degree Program
  in Computer Engineering (2004)
• http//www.acm.org/education/curric_vols/CE-Final-
  Report.pdf
• 160 pages, including appendix on Details of Body
  of Knowledge for Computer Engineering
• Every major university has its view (curriculum)
• No one size fits all definition of Computer
  Engineering
• With respect to our program, Computer Engineering
  falls within a continuum between Computer Science
  and Electrical Engineering

CS (CSE, CSC)
EE
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What is Computer Engineering?

• ACM Curriculum Guidelines for UG Degree Program
  in Computer Engineering (2004)
• http//www.acm.org/education/curric_vols/CE-Final-
  Report.pdf
• 160 pages, including appendix on Details of Body
  of Knowledge for Computer Engineering
• Every major university has its view (curriculum)
• No one size fits all definition of Computer
  Engineering
• With respect to our program, Computer Engineering
  falls within a continuum between Computer Science
  and Electrical Engineering
• Boundary and core of CEN is in the eyes of
  beholder

CS (CSE, CSC)
EE
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So, What is Our Core?
Hardware Track 2
Software Track 1

• CNT 4007
• MAS 3114 or equivalent
• COT 4501 or equivalent

• EEL 3105
• EEE 3396
• EEL 3112
• EEE 3308 or EEL 3135

Common required courses 102? hrs.
Also differences in computer programming and
capstone design
CNT 4007 Computer Networking EEE 3396 Solid
State Electronics MAS 3114 Linear Algebra EEL
3112 Circuits 2 COT 4501 Numerical Analysis EEE
3308 Electronic Circuits EEL 3105 Analytical
Methods EEL 3135 Signals and Systems
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Proposed Joint Curriculum
http//www.eng.ufl.edu/academics/undergraduate/deg
rees/xxx.htm

• CEN core competency
• Core courses common to existing SW and HW tracks
  (102? hrs)
• Changes (improvement) to core (6? hrs)
• Computer programming requirement
• Capstone design sequence
• CEN-specific courses (e.g., CEN-oriented
  electronics course)
• Flexible specialization
• YY hrs To be selected from an approved list of
  courses from either department (with constraints
  e.g., cannot take gt1 programming language courses
  as tech electives)
• Explicit and clear guidance and focus
• Certificate option each certificate orients
  toward a
• CEN career or graduate school research direction
• Officially recognized - must be approved by UCC
• (University Curriculum Committee)
• Must include at least three courses
• Certificates are noted on student transcript

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Sample Certificate Areas

• Artificial Intelligence
• CAP 4053 AI for Comp. Games
• CAP 4621 AI Heuristics
• CAP 4680 Knowledge-based Sys.
• Computer Architecture
• EEL 4712 Digital Design
• EEL 4713 Digital Computer Architecture
• CDA 4102 Computer Architecture
• Data Computer Communications Network
• EEL 4713 or CDA 4102 Comp. Arch.
• CNT 4007 Computer Network
• EEL 4598 is Data Comp. Communications
• Database Management
• ???
• CIS 4301 DB Sys I
• CIS 4720 DB Sys II

• Reconfigurable Computing
• EEL 4712 Digital Design
• EEL 4713 Digital Computer Architecture
• EEL 4930 Reconfigurable Computing
• Software System Development
• CEN 3031 Software Engineering
• CEN 4012 SW System Development
• CEN 4072 SW Testing Verification
• This is just a starter set of certificate areas
  that I made up looking through the course
  descriptions. The real set should be developed
  by the faculty members from each area.
  .

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Sample Study Plans
One Certificate (SW emphasis)
One Certificate (HW emphasis)

• Certificate in Database Management
• ???
• CIS 4301 DB Sys I
• CIS 4720 DB Sys II
• Other tech electives
• CEN 4012 SW System Dev.
• CNT 4007 Comp. Network
• CAP 4053 AI for Comp. Games

• Certificate in Reconfigurable Computing
• EEL 4712 Digital Design
• EEL 4713 Digital Comp. Arch.
• EEL 4930 Reconfig. Computing
• Other tech electives
• EEE 4310 Digital IC
• EEL 4598 Data Comp. Com.
• CNT 4007 Comp. Network

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Sample Study Plans
Two Certificates (SW/HW emphases)
Two Certificates (SW emphasis)

• Certificate in Reconfigurable Computing
• EEL 4712 Digital Design
• EEL 4713 Digital Comp. Arch.
• EEL 4930 Reconfig. Computing
• Certificate in Software System Development
• CEN 3031 Software Engineering
• CEN 4012 SW System Dev.
• CEN 4072 SW Testing Verif.

• Certificate in Artificial Intelligence
• CAP 4053 AI for Comp. Games
• CAP 4621 AI Heuristics
• CAP 4680 Knowledge-based Sys.
• Certificate in Database Mgt.
• ???
• CIS 4301 DB Sys I
• CIS 4720 DB Sys II

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Sample Study Plans
One Certificate (SW/HW emphasis)
No Certificate

• Certificate in Data Computer Communications
  Network
• CDA 4102 Computer Arch.
• CNT 4007 Computer Network
• EEL 4598 is Data Computer Communications
• Other tech electives
• CEN 4012 SW System Dev.
• EEL 4930 Reconfig. Computing
• CAP 4053 AI for Comp. Games

• Tech electives
• EEL 4713 Digital Comp. Arch.
• EEL 4930 Reconfig. Computing
• CAP 4410 Digital Image Proc.
• CAP 4800 System Simulation
• CNT 4007C Comp. Network
• EEL 4665 Intel. Machine Design

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Proposed CEN Capstone Sequence

• CEN capstone sequence consists of 2 required
  courses
• CEN Design 1 CEN 3923
• Prerequisite to CEN Design 2
• Provides training and integration of skills
• necessary for successful project in CEN Design 2
• CEN Design 2 CEN 4924
• Capstone design class required for all CEN
  students
• Design projects can range from one extreme (all
  software) to the other extreme (all hardware), or
  have both
• From What is Computer Engineering slide
• With respect to our program, Computer Engineering
  falls within a continuum between Computer Science
  and Electrical Engineering

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Proposed Programming Requirements
A Student without prior programming experience
in Java B Student with prior programming
experience in Java
A
B

• Summary and Conclusions
• COP 2502 beginning programming course
• Java-based
• COP 3503 advanced programming course
• C based
• Similar to existing CISE sequence, but
  streamlined
• Satisfies C recommendation (from IABs)

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Discussion