PURPOSE

A large percentage of all engineering degree holders are found in leadership positions in a wide variety of industrial settings. Although an education in engineering is generally considered to be one of the best technical educations, it also provides an opportunity for the development of many additional attributes, including ethical and professional characteristics. In this era of rapid technological change, an engineering education serves our society well as a truly liberal education. Society’s needs in the decades ahead call for engineering contributions on a scale not previously experienced. The well-being of our civilization as we know it may depend upon how effectively this resource is developed.

Students studying engineering at ASU are expected to acquire a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of mathematics and the sciences and their applications to the solution of problems in the various engineering fields. The program is designed to develop a balance between science and engineering and an understanding of the economic and social consequences of engineering activity. The goals include the promotion of the general welfare of the engineering profession.

The courses offered are designed to meet the needs of the following students:

1. those who wish to pursue a career in engineering;
2. those who wish to do graduate work in engineering;
3. those who wish to have one or two years of training in mathematics, applied science, and engineering in preparation for some other technical career;
4. those who desire pre-engineering for the purpose of deciding which program to undertake or those who desire to transfer to another college or university; and
5. those who wish to take certain electives in engineering while pursuing another program in the university.

ADMISSION

See “Undergraduate Admission,” “Admission,” and “Academic Standards” for information regarding requirements for admission, transfer, retention, disqualification, and reinstatement.

Individuals who are beginning their initial college work in the School of Engineering should have completed certain secondary school units in addition to the minimum university requirements. Four units are required in mathematics. A course with trigonometry should be included. The laboratory sciences chosen must include at least one unit in physics and one unit in chemistry. Calculus, biology, and computer programming are recommended. Students who do not meet the college’s subject matter requirements may be required to complete additional university course work that may not apply toward an engineering degree. One or more of the courses—CHM 113 General Chemistry, CSE 181 Applied Problem Solving with BASIC, MAT 170 Precalculus, and PHY 105 Basic Physics—may be required to satisfy omissions or deficiencies.

DEGREES

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.) degree consists of three parts:

1. university requirements (e.g., General Studies, First-Year Composition);
2. an engineering core; and
3. a major.

The courses identified for each of these parts are intended to meet requirements imposed by the university and by the professional accrediting agency, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET), for programs in engineering.

The B.S. degree in Computer Science consists of two parts:

1. university requirements (e.g., General Studies, First-Year Composition); and
2. a major.

The courses identified for each of these parts are intended to meet requirements imposed by the university and by the professional accrediting agency, the Computer Science Accreditation Board (CSAB), for programs in computing science.

In addition to First-Year Composition, the university requires, under the heading of General Studies, courses in literacy and critical inquiry, humanities and fine arts, social and behavioral sciences, numeracy, and natural sciences (see “General Studies”). There are also requirements in historical awareness, global awareness, and cultural diversity in the United States. ABET and CSAB impose additional requirements, particularly in mathematics and the basic sciences and in the courses for the major.

The engineering core is an organized body of knowledge that serves as a foundation to engineering and for further specialized studies in a particular engineering major.

The courses included in the engineering core are taught in such a manner that they serve as basic background material: (1) for all engineering students who will be taking subsequent work in the same and related subject areas; and (2) for those students who may not desire to pursue additional studies in a particular subject area. Thus, subjects within the engineering core are taught with an integrity and quality appropriately relevant to the particular discipline but always with an attitude and concern for both engineering in general and for the particular major(s).

The majors available are of two types: (1) those associated with a particular department within the School of Engineering (for example, Electrical Engineering and Civil Engineering) and (2) those offered as options in Engineering Special Studies (for example, manufacturing engineering and premedical engineering). With the exception of the Computer Science major, all curricula are extensions beyond the engineering core and cover a wide variety of subject areas within each field. Some of the credits in the major are reserved for the student’s use as an area of emphasis. These credits are traditionally referred to as technical electives.

Majors and areas of emphasis are offered by the six departments: Chemical, Bio, and Materials Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Industrial and Management Systems Engineering; and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The major in Engineering Special Studies is administered by the Office of the Dean. Engineering Special Studies makes use of the general structure of the engineering curricula noted above and provides students with an opportunity for study in engineering options not available in the traditional engineering curricula at ASU.

The first two years of study are concerned primarily with general education requirements, English proficiency, and the engineering core. The final two years of study are concerned with the engineering core and the major, with a considerable part of the time being spent on the major.

The semester-by-semester selection of courses may vary from one field to another, particularly at the upper-division level, and is determined by the student in consultation with a faculty advisor. An example of a typical full-time freshman schedule is shown below; depending on a particular student’s circumstances, many other examples are possible.

First Semester

CHM 114	General Chemistry for Engineers S1/S2 (4)
ECE 100	Introduction to Engineering Design N3 (4)
ECN 111	Macroeconomic Principles SB (3)
	or ECN 112 Microeconomic Principles SB (3)
ENG 101	First-Year Composition (3)
ENG 102	First-Year Composition (3)
MAT 270	Calculus with Analytic Geometry I N1 (4)
MAT 271	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II (4)
PHY 121	University Physics I: Mechanics S1/S2* (3)
PHY 122	University Physics Laboratory I S1/S2* (1)
HU, SB, and awareness area course (3)
	Total: 32

__________________

*	Both PHY 121 and 122 must be taken to secure S1 or S2 credit.

Well-prepared students who have no outside commitments can usually complete the program of study leading to an undergraduate degree in engineering in four years (eight semesters at 16 semester hours per semester). Many students, however, find it advantageous or necessary to devote more than four years to the undergraduate program by pursuing, in any semester, fewer studies than are regularly prescribed. Where omissions or deficiencies exist, e.g., in chemistry, computer programming, English, mathematics, and physics, the student must complete more than the minimum of 128 semester hours. Therefore, in cases of inadequate secondary preparation, poor health, or financial necessity requiring considerable time for outside work, the undergraduate program is extended beyond four years.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The degree programs in engineering at ASU are intended to develop habits of quantitative thought having equal utility for both the practice of engineering and other professional fields. In response to the opportunities provided by changing technology, educational research, and industrial input, possible improvements of various aspects of these programs are routinely considered. It is the intent of the faculty that all students be appropriately prepared in the four areas described below.

1. Oral and written English. Communication skills are an essential component of an engineering education. All engineering students must complete the university First-Year Composition requirement (see “First-Year Composition Requirement”) and the literacy and critical inquiry component (see “Literacy and Critical Inquiry (L1 and L2)”) of the General Studies requirement, which involves two courses beyond First-Year Composition.
2. Selected nonengineering topics. This area ensures that the engineering student acquires a satisfactory level of basic knowledge in the humanities and fine arts, social and behavioral sciences, numeracy, and the natural sciences. Courses in these subjects give engineers an increased awareness of their social responsibilities, provide an understanding of related factors in the decision-making process, and also provide a foundation for the study of engineering. Required courses go toward fulfilling the General Studies requirement. Additional courses in mathematics and the basic sciences are selected to meet ABET requirements.

   Because of accreditation requirements, aerospace studies (AES) and military science (MIS) courses are not acceptable for engineering degree credit in fulfilling the humanities and fine arts and social and behavioral science portions of the General Studies requirement.

3. Selected engineering topics. This area involves courses in engineering science and engineering design. The courses further develop the foundation for the study of engineering and provide the base for specialized studies in a particular engineering discipline. The specific courses are included in the engineering core and in the major. While some departmental choices are allowed, all students are required to take ECE 100 Introduction to Engineering Design and ECE 300 Intermediate Engineering Design as part of the engineering core. These courses, together with other experiences in the engineering core and in the major, serve to integrate the study of design, the “process of devising a system, component, or process to meet desired needs” (ABET), throughout the engineering curricula.
4. Specific engineering discipline. This area provides a depth of understanding of a more definitive body of knowledge that is appropriate for a specific engineering discipline. Courses build upon the background provided by the earlier completed portions of the curriculum and include a major design experience as well as technical electives that may be selected by the student with the assistance of an advisor. The catalog material for the individual engineering majors describes specific departmental requirements.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A summary of the degree requirements is as follows:

First-Year Composition (3–6)
General Studies/School Requirements (58)
Engineering core (15–19)
Major (including area of emphasis) (45–49) The requirements for each of the majors offered are described on the following pages.
	Total: 128

The specific course requirements for the B.S. and B.S.E. degrees follow.

First-Year Composition

ENG 101, 102	First-Year Composition (6)
	or ENG 105 Advanced First-Year Composition (3)
	or ENG 107, 108 English for Foreign Students (6)
	Total: 6

General Studies/School Requirements

Humanities and Fine Arts/Social and Behavioral Sciences

Engineering students may not use aerospace studies (AES) or military science (MIS) courses to fulfill HU or SB requirements.

ECN 111	Macroeconomic Principles SB (3)
	or ECN 112 Microeconomic Principles SB (3)
HU course(s) (6 or 10)
SB course(s) (7 or 3)
	Total: 16

Literacy and Critical Inquiry

ECE 300	Intermediate Engineering Design L1 (3)
ECE 400	Engineering Communications L2 (3)
	or approved department L2 course (3)
	Total: 6

Natural Sciences/Basic Sciences

CHM 114	General Chemistry for Engineers S1/S2 (4)
	or CHM 116 General Chemistry S1/S2 (4)
PHY 121	University Physics I: Mechanics S1/S21 (3)
PHY 122	University Physics Laboratory I S1/S21 (1)
PHY 131	University Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism S1/S22 (3)
PHY 132	University Physics Laboratory II S1/S22 (1)
Department basic science elective (3)
	Total: 15

Numeracy/Mathematics

ECE 100	Introduction to Engineering Design N3 (4)
MAT 270	Calculus with Analytic Geometry I N1 (4)
MAT 271	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II (4)
MAT 272	Calculus with Analytic Geometry III (4)
MAT 274	Elementary Differential Equations (3)
Department mathematics elective (2)
	Total: 21
	General Studies/school requirements total: 58

__________________

1	Both PHY 121 and 122 must be taken to secure S1 or S2 credit.
2	Both PHY 131 and 132 must be taken to secure S1 or S2 credit.

Engineering Core

A minimum of five of the following eight courses are required, totaling 15 to 19 semester hours. Courses selected are subject to departmental approval. See department requirements.

ECE 210	Engineering Mechanics I: Statics (3)
ECE 301	Electrical Networks I (4)
ECE 312	Engineering Mechanics II: Dynamics (3)
ECE 313	Introduction to Deformable Solids (3)
ECE 334	Electronic Devices and Instrumentation (4)
ECE 340	Thermodynamics (3)
	or CHM 441 General Physical Chemistry (3)
	or MSE 430 Thermodynamics of Materials (3)
ECE 350	Structure and Properties of Materials (3)
	or CHM 442 General Physical Chemistry (3)
	or ECE 351 Engineering Materials (3)
	or ECE 352 Properties ofElectronic Materials (4)
Choose from one of the microcomputer/microprocessor courses below (3–4)
	BME 470 Microcomputer Applications in Bioengineering (4)
	CHE 461 Process Control N3 (4)
	CSE/EEE 225 Assembly Language Programming and Microprocessors (Motorola) (4)
	CSE/EEE 226 Assembly Language Programming and Microprocessors (Intel) (4)
	IEE 463 Computer-Aided Manufacturing and Control N3 (3)
	Engineering core minimum tota: 15

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for graduation from the School of Engineering, a student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in addition to having a GPA of at least 2.00 for the courses in the major field.

PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION

The undergraduate programs in Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Engineering Special Studies are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET), 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202–4012, 410/347–7700. The Bachelor of Science program in Computer Science is accredited by the Computer Science Accreditation Commission (CSAC) of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB).

Analysis and Systems (ASE) Courses

Engineering Core (ECE) Courses

Society, Values, and Technology (STE) Courses

Omnibus Courses: See omnibus courses that may be offered.

1998–99 General Catalog Table of Contents

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