Program Overview

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Computer Science and Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) program in computer science and engineering combines the technical content of a computer science degree and a computer engineering degree in a single degree program. The program curriculum is jointly taught by faculty from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). The program provides students with a strong theoretical and conceptual understanding of the principles underlying computer software and hardware along with the engineering analysis, design, and multidisciplinary teamwork skills needed to develop large and complex systems containing both software and hardware components.

The computer science and engineering program encompasses the technical rigor of a Bachelor of Science program in computer science and a Bachelor of Science program in computer engineering. This major is jointly accredited in computer science and computer engineering by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Graduates gain the foundational knowledge provided by a computer science education together with the critical thinking, problem-solving, and system design skills at the heart of a computer engineering curriculum.

The major provides technical depth and breadth as well as flexibility and the opportunity for students to customize their programs according to their own goals and interests. Students choose one of several focus areas according to the type of job or research they plan to pursue; students also have the opportunity to work with their academic advisor to build a focus area plan that adheres to their goals and interests. Students select a focus area to personalize their curriculum and to prepare them for certain jobs or research studies they intend to seek.

In their senior year, students complete a two-semester capstone design sequence culminating in the development and implementation of a significant, original project. The capstone design experience emphasizes teamwork, professionalism, open-ended problem solving, and the ability to work within real-world constraints and engineering standards.

Educational Objectives

Graduates of the computer science and engineering program will:

• exhibit leadership and vision in contributing to the computing-related technical and policy decisions of industry, government, and research enterprises;
• demonstrate computing skills and problem-solving abilities that permit them to contribute in a variety of technical, business, and academic careers;
• thrive in diverse, global, and multidisciplinary environments;
• possess the ability to communicate effectively and participate collaboratively in interactions with other computing and engineering professionals; and
• understand the importance of participating in lifelong learning activities that enhance their professional and personal development.

Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) with a major in computer science and engineering requires a minimum of 128 s.h. of credits. At the time of graduation, students must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00 in all college work used to complete degree requirements and in all UI coursework in order to be awarded the BSE.

All BSE students are required to take the same collegiate curriculum. For information about these collegiate requirements, see the Bachelor of Science in Engineering, BSE in the catalog. 6 s.h. of a student's major courses fulfill the basic science or college-level math collegiate requirement. Students completing the major in computer science and engineering fulfill the collegiate statistics requirement by completing STAT:2020 Probability and Statistics for the Engineering and Physical Sciences.

The major in computer science and engineering includes ECE:3000 Electrical and Computer Engineering Professional Seminar, typically taken in the third year.

The BSE with a major in computer science and engineering requires the following coursework.

Major Requirements

Major requirements include a set of common courses (52 s.h.) and two capstone design courses (6 s.h.).

Common Courses

• ECE:2400 Linear Systems I
• ECE:2410 Principles of Electronic Instrumentation
• ECE:3320 Introduction to Digital Design
• ECE:3330 Introduction to Software Design
• ECE:3350 Computer Architecture and Organization
• ECE:3360 Embedded Systems
• ECE:3540 Communication Networks
• CS:1210 Computer Science I: Fundamentals
• CS:2210 Discrete Structures
• CS:2230 Computer Science II: Data Structures
• CS:3330 Algorithms
• CS:3620 Operating Systems
• CS:3820 Programming Language Concepts
• ENGR:2120 Electrical Circuits
• ENGR:2730 Computers in Engineering
• PHYS:1612 Introductory Physics II (with lab)

Capstone Design Courses

In their senior year, students complete a two-semester capstone design sequence culminating in the development and implementation of a significant, original project.

• ECE:4880 Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Design 1
• ECE:4890 Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Design 2

Focus Area

Students must select focus area courses according to guidelines established by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. A number of established focus areas are available, and students may also work with their academic advisor to create a customized plan tailored to their goals and interests.

Students complete a minimum of 21 s.h. in electives, including at least one complementary theory elective course (3 s.h.). Carefully selected elective and general education courses may contribute to earning a minor and/or certificate, including the Certificate in Sustainability (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) or the Certificate in Technological Entrepreneurship.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Electives

Students choose two focus area electives from electrical and computer engineering courses (prefix ECE) not already required for the major. Students must consult an academic advisor and gain approval from the undergraduate curriculum chair to count ECE:5998 Individual Investigations: Electrical and Computer Engineering toward this requirement.

• Technical course in electrical and computer engineering (prefix ECE) numbered 3400 or above, excluding ECE:3998, ECE:5000, and ECE:5999
• Advanced course in electrical and computer engineering (prefix ECE) numbered

Computer Science Electives

Students choose two focus area electives (at least 6 s.h.) from computer science courses (prefix CS) not already required for the major. At least one course must be numbered 4000 or above.

• ECE:5320/CS:5610 High Performance Computer Architecture
• ECE:5800/CS:5800 Fundamentals of Software Engineering
• ECE:5810/CS:5810 Formal Methods in Software Engineering
• ECE:5820/CS:5820 Software Engineering Languages and Tools
• ECE:5830/CS:5830 Software Engineering Project
• CS:3700/MATH:3800 Introduction to Numerical Methods
• CS:3980 Topics in Computer Science I
• CS:4330 Theory of Computation
• CS:4350 Logic in Computer Science
• CS:4400 Database Systems
• CS:4420 Artificial Intelligence
• CS:4440 Web Mining
• CS:4470 Health Data Analytics
• CS:4500 Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction
• CS:4630 Mobile Computing
• CS:4640 Computer Security
• CS:4700/MATH:4860 High Performance and Parallel Computing
• CS:4720/MATH:4820 Optimization Techniques
• CS:4740/IGPI:4740/MATH:4740/STAT:4740 Large Data Analysis
• CS:4980 Topics in Computer Science II
• CS:5340 Limits of Computation
• CS:5350 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
• CS:5360 Randomized Algorithms
• CS:5370 Computational Geometry
• CS:5430 Machine Learning
• CS:5620 Distributed Systems and Algorithms
• CS:5630 Cloud Computing Technology
• CS:5710/MATH:5800 Numerical Methods I
• CS:5720/MATH:5810 Numerical Methods II
• CS:5850 Programming Language Foundations
• CS:5860 Lambda Calculus and Applications
• CS:5980 Topics in Computer Science III

Additional Electives

Students select an additional 6 s.h. in courses to reach a minimum of 18 s.h. in focus area electives. Courses may be from the electrical and computer engineering (prefix ECE) or computer science (prefix CS) categories in the previous lists, or they may be chosen from outside of those lists with the approval of an academic advisor.

Theory Elective

• ECE:5330/IGPI:5331 Graph Algorithms and Combinatorial Optimization
• ECE:5450/IGPI:5450 Machine Learning
• ECE:5520 Introduction to Information and Coding Theories
• ECE:5525 Cryptography
• ECE:5810/CS:5810 Formal Methods in Software Engineering
• CS:4330 Theory of Computation
• CS:4350 Logic in Computer Science
• CS:4720/MATH:4820 Optimization Techniques
• CS:5340 Limits of Computation
• CS:5360 Randomized Algorithms
• CS:5370 Computational Geometry
• CS:5430 Machine Learning
• CS:5620 Distributed Systems and Algorithms
• CS:5850 Programming Language Foundations
• CS:5860 Lambda Calculus and Applications

Double Major in Computer Science and Engineering/Electrical Engineering

Students may earn a double major in computer science and engineering (CSE) and electrical engineering (EE). They must satisfy all requirements of the electrical track of the EE major and all requirements of the CSE major.

BSE/MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering

The College of Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Master of Science for computer science and engineering undergraduate students who intend to earn an MS in electrical and computer engineering. BSE/MS students may take up to 12 s.h. of graduate-level coursework and do thesis-level research while they are still undergraduates. They may count 9 s.h. of graduate coursework toward both degrees. Once students complete the requirements for the bachelor's degree, they are granted the BSE, and they normally complete the MS one year later.

To be admitted to the degree program, students must have completed at least 80 s.h., have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.25, and submit a letter of application to the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

BSE/MCS

The College of Engineering and the Department of Computer Science (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) offer a combined Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Master of Computer Science for computer science and engineering undergraduate students.

The combined degree program allows students to count a limited amount of credit toward both degrees.

Career Advancement

Students who earn a major in computer science and engineering work in research, design, development, manufacturing, sales, market analysis, consulting, field service, and management. They are employed in computer, semiconductor, software, aerospace, telecommunication, medical, radio, TV, and power industries, and many graduates pursue entrepreneurial ventures.

The major also prepares students for further study in many areas demanding computational and engineering skill sets.

Sample Plan of Study

Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor.

Computer Science and Engineering, BSE

Plan of Study Grid (Manual) Academic Career

• First Year
  • Fall
    • MATH:1550 Engineering Calculus I
    • CHEM:1110 Principles of Chemistry I
    • ENGR:1100 Introduction to Engineering Problem Solving
    • ENGR:1300 Introduction to Engineering Computing
    • CSI:1600 Success at Iowa
  • Spring
    • RHET:1030 Rhetoric: Writing and Communication
    • PHYS:1611 Introductory Physics I
    • MATH:1560 Engineering Calculus II
    • MATH:2550 Engineering Matrix Algebra
    • CS:1210 Computer Science I: Fundamentals
• Second Year
  • Fall
    • GE: Approved Course Subjects
    • MATH:2560 Engineering Differential Equations
    • PHYS:1612 Introductory Physics II
    • ENGR:2120 Electrical Circuits
    • ENGR:2730 Computers in Engineering
  • Spring
    • GE: Cultural Perspectives, Values, and Society
    • CS:2210 Discrete Structures
    • CS:2230 Computer Science II: Data Structures
    • ECE:2400 Linear Systems I
    • ECE:2410 Principles of Electronic Instrumentation
• Third Year
  • Fall
    • GE: Engineering Be Creative
    • STAT:2020 Probability and Statistics for the Engineering and Physical Sciences
    • ECE:3320 Introduction to Digital Design
    • ECE:3330 Introduction to Software Design
    • Focus Area: computer science elective
    • ECE:3000 Electrical and Computer Engineering Professional Seminar
  • Spring
    • GE: Approved Course Subjects
    • CS:3330 Algorithms
    • CS:3820 Programming Language Concepts
    • ECE:3350 Computer Architecture and Organization
    • ECE:3360 Embedded Systems
    • Focus Area: additional elective
• Fourth Year
  • Fall
    • CS:3620 Operating Systems
    • ECE:3540 Communication Networks
    • ECE:4880 Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Design 1
    • Focus Area: ECE elective
    • Focus Area: additional elective
  • Spring
    • GE: Approved Course Subjects
    • ECE:4890 Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Design 2
    • Focus Area: theory elective
    • Focus Area: advanced computer science elective
    • Focus Area: Advance ECE Course
    • Degree Application: apply on MyUI before deadline (typically in February for spring, September for fall)