Admission Requirements
Applicants for graduate work in electrical and computer engineering must apply for admission to the Graduate School. Each applicant must submit a statement of purpose. Regular admission may be granted to an applicant who has an electrical engineering degree from an ABET-accredited program and an overall GPA above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Electrical engineering graduates from non-ABET accredited programs can be awarded regular admission if they have overall GPAs of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and an acceptable general test score on the Graduate Record Examination. Conditional admission may be granted to applicants who do not meet these requirements, such as those who have degrees in related fields or GPAs below 3.0. International students must have minimum TOEFL scores of 585 for the M.S. degree program and 620 for the Ph.D. program.


 
Degree Requirements

Master of Science. The department offers M.S. degrees with a thesis (Plan I) and a nonthesis (Plan II) option. Plan I requires 32 credit hours with at least 24 at the graduate level (i.e., at the 500 or 600 level). These credit hours must include at least 12 hours in a major electrical engineering field, 6 hours in mathematics, 6 hours in an approved elective area, 2 hours of seminar, and 6 hours of thesis research. Majoring in some areas of specialization may require specific courses in that area. The student must pass a final examination, which typically is a presentation and defense of the thesis. In addition, the student must satisfy all the University and College of Engineering requirements defined elsewhere in this catalog.
 
Doctor of Philosophy. In the electrical and computer engineering department, the Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 48 credit hours of coursework. This must include 24 credit hours of closely related coursework in the major area with at least 18 at the 500- or 600-level. In addition, each student's program must include 12 hours in a minor field of electrical engineering or other approved area, 12 hours in mathematics, 2 hours of seminar at the 600 level, and 24 hours of dissertation research. All candidates must pass a qualifying examination, usually administered after the student completes most of his or her coursework, and a final examination, which generally is a presentation and defense of the dissertation. In addition, the student must satisfy all the University and College of Engineering requirements defined elsewhere in this catalog.


 
Course Descriptions
With permission, master's degree students may earn graduate credit for six hours of 400-level credit.

ECE 406 Computer Communications and Networks. (3-0) Three hours. Same as CS 613.
Prerequisites: CS 325, CS 357, and CS 426.
For description, see CS 613.

ECE 407 Communications I. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 370.
Corequisite: MATH 355.
Introduction to baseband and passband digital communication systems. Students develop the skills necessary to analyze system performance in the presence of noise and learn to determine methods for improving system performance.

ECE 408 Communications II. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 370, ECE 407, and MATH 355.
Introduction to analog communications systems. Students analyze system performance in the presence of noise; examine advanced analog-to-digital encoding techniques and advanced digital modulation techniques; and develop data compression and error-control codes.

ECE 409 Communications Systems Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Corequisite: ECE 407.
Modeling communication systems; familiarization with specialized communications equipment and techniques; and theory of laboratory instruments.

ECE 430 Digital Integrated Circuit Design. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 333 and ECE 383.
Corequisites: ECE 431 and either MATH 237 or GES 451.
Introduction to digital integrated circuit design, analysis, and layout, and use of tools for creating VLSI circuits and subsystems.

ECE 431 Digital Integrated Circuit Design Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisites: ECE 333 and ECE 383.
Corequisites: ECE 430 and either MATH 237 or GES 451.
Assignments and design projects provide hands-on experience with digital integrated circuit design, analysis, and layout. VLSI design tools and graphics workstations are used.

ECE 432 Analog Integrated Circuit Design. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 433.
Study of analog integrated circuit design, analysis, and layout. Topics include bipolar and CMOS layout, fabrications, design methodologies, and software tools.

ECE 433 Analog Integrated Circuit Design Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 432.
A laboratory experience with bipolar and CMOS layout, fabrication, software layout, and simulation tools.

ECE 434 High-Frequency Electronics. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 435.
Introduces the concepts of RF/microwave electronics system design. Topics include amplifier design, matching, filter design, oscillator and mixer design, modulation techniques, and receivers.

ECE 435 High-Frequency Electronics Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 434.
Introduces the concepts of RF and microwave electronics system design through device measurement and simulation. Laboratory topics include amplifier design, matching, filter design, oscillator and mixer design, modulation, and receivers.

ECE 438 Integrated Circuit Fabrication Principles. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 333, MTE 271, or permission of the instructor.
Study of the processing tools used in semiconductor device fabrication. Topics include semiconductor fundamentals, semiconductor device fabrication processes, interconnections and contacts, integrated circuit packaging, and chip yield.

ECE 445 Antennas. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
Transmission and reception of power and information in free space; antennas as interface elements; impedance and radiation characteristics of modern antennas.

ECE 446 Microwave Engineering. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
Guided waves; scattering matrix description of microwave circuit elements; computer analysis and optimization of cascaded two-ports; and microwave integrated circuits.

ECE 447 Electromagnetics Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
Electrical measurements of electromagnetic waves and phenomena in the microwave region; slotted line techniques; and measurement of frequency, wavelength, power, impedance, VSWR, and antenna radiation patterns.

ECE 448 Radar Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
The radar equation; detection of radar signals in noise; extraction of information and waveform design, CW, MTI, and pulse Doppler radar; and tracking radar.

ECE 453 Electric Machines and Drives. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 326 and ECE 350.
Detailed study of the theory and operation of rotating electric machines. Introduction to power electronics and machine drives.

ECE 455 Power/Machines Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 350.
Test and analysis of power/machines devices; and design of systems using these devices.

ECE 456 Power Systems I. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 350.
Corequisite: GES 451 or MATH 237.
Basic power system concepts and per-unit quantities; transmission line, transformer, and rotating machine modeling; and power flow.

ECE 457 Power Systems II. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 456.
Economic operation, fault analysis, symmetrical components, and system protection.

ECE 467 Engineering Optics. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 340 or PH 332 and either GES 451 or MATH 237.
Corequisite: ECE 370.
Principles of laser holography, optical communication, and image processing and their engineering applications (including propagation, polarization, diffraction, coherence and interference, and spatial Fourier transformation of light waves).

ECE 475 Control Systems Analysis. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 326.
Classical and modern feedback control system methods; stability; and Bode, root locus, state variable, and computer analysis.

ECE 476 Control Systems Laboratory. (0-3) One hour. Same as AEM 476.
Corequisite: ECE 475.
Practical analysis and design of feedback control systems and components; and electrical, mechanical, and electromechanical systems.

ECE 479 Digital Control Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 370, ECE 475, and either GES 451 or MATH 237.
Frequency and time methods in discrete time control systems; sampling of continuous-time signals, stability, transform design techniques, and state variable analysis and design techniques.

ECE 480 Digital Systems Design. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 481.
Digital systems design with hardware description languages, programmable implementation technologies, electronic design automation design flows, design considerations and constraints, design for test, system on a chip designs, IP cores, reconfigurable computing, digital system design examples and applications.

ECE 481 Digital Systems Design Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 480.
Logic design and simulation via hardware description languages, use of electronic design automation tools, and CPU design.

ECE 482 Computer Vision and Digital Image Processing. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MATH 355 and CS 124, or permission of the instructor.
Introduction to computer vision and digital image processing with an emphasis on image representation, transforms, filtering, compression, boundary detection, and pattern matching.

ECE 483 Computer Graphics Design. (3-0) Three hours. Same as CS 435.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Selected topics in computer graphics and graphics algorithms; design projects.

ECE 484 Computer Architecture. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 480.
Computer architectures, computer design, memory systems design, parallel processing concepts, supercomputers, networks, and multiprocessing systems.

ECE 486 Embedded Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 383
Corequisite: ECE 487
Integration of microprocessors into digital systems. Includes hardware interfacing, bus protocols and peripheral systems, embedded and real-time operating systems, real-time constraints, networking and distributed process control.

ECE 487 Embedded Systems Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 383
Corequisite: ECE 486
Design and implementation experience with microcontrollers, interfacing, digital control systems, bus protocols and peripheral systems, real-time constraints, embedded and real-time operating systems, distribution process control.

ECE 488 Microcontrollers. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 489.
Microcontrollers, digital control systems, hardware interfacing, networking, distributed process control, and robotics.

ECE 489 Microcontrollers Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 488.
Design and implementation experience with microcontrollers, digital control systems, interfacing, operating systems, automated manufacturing processes, robotics, and networking.

ECE 491 Special Problems. One to eight hours.
Investigations usually involving research with a staff member. Credit awarded is based on the individual problem assignment.

ECE 493 Selected Topics (Area). Variable credit.
Special course offerings in all areas of electrical engineering, made as the need arises. Credit awarded is based on the course requirements.

ECE 502 Digital Communication Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 370 and MATH 355.
Analyze performance of binary and M-ary digital communication systems in the presence of noise. Examine advanced analog-to-digital encoding techniques, data-compression techniques, and error-control codes.

ECE 506 Computer Communications and Networks. (3-0) Three hours. Same as CS 613.
Prerequisites: CS 325, CS 357, and CS 426.
For description, see CS 613.

ECE 530 Digital Integrated Circuit Design. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 333 and ECE 383.
Corequisites: ECE 531 and either GES 451 or MATH 237.
Introduction to digital integrated circuit design, analysis, and layout and use of tools for creating VLSI circuits and subsystems.

ECE 531 Digital Integrated Circuit Design Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisites: ECE 333 and ECE 383.
Corequisites: ECE 530 and either GES 451 or MATH 237.
Assignments and design projects provide hands-on digital integrated circuit design, analysis, and layout experience with VLSI design tools and graphics workstations.

ECE 532 Analog Integrated Circuit Design. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 533.
Study of analog integrated circuit design, analysis, and layout. Topics include bipolar and CMOS layout, fabrication, design methodologies, and software tools.

ECE 533 Analog Integrated Circuit Design Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 532. A laboratory experience with bipolar and CMOS integrated circuit design. Topics include bipolar and CMOS layout, fabrication, and software layout and simulation tools.

ECE 534 High-Frequency Electronics. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 535.
Introduces the concepts of RF/microwave electronic system design. Topics include amplifier design, matching, filter design, oscillator and mixer design, modulation techniques, and receivers.

ECE 535 High-Frequency Electronics Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 333.
Corequisite: ECE 534.
Introduces the concepts of RF and microwave electronic system design through device measurement and simulation. Laboratory topics include amplifier design, matching, filter design, oscillator and mixer design, modulation, and receivers.

ECE 538 Integrated Circuit Fabrication Principles. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 333, MTE 271, or permission of the instructor.
Study of the processing tools used in semiconductor device fabrication. Topics include semiconductor fundamentals, semiconductor device fabrication processes, interconnections and contacts, integrated circuit packaging, and chip yield. Oral presentation and advance analytical work required.

ECE 545 Antennas. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
Transmission and reception of power and information in free space; antennas as interface elements; impedance and radiation characteristics of modern antennas.

ECE 546 Microwave Engineering. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
Guided waves, scattering matrix description of microwave circuit elements, computer analysis, and optimization of cascaded two-ports microwave integrated circuits.

ECE 547 Electromagnetic Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
Electrical measurements of electromagnetic waves and phenomena in the microwave region; slotted line techniques; and measurement of frequency, wavelength, power, impedance, VSWR, and antenna radiation patterns.

ECE 548 Radar Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
The radar equation; detection of radar signals in noise; extraction of information and waveform design, CW, MTI, and pulse Doppler radar; and tracking radar.

ECE 553 Electric Machines and Drives. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 326 and ECE 350.
Detailed study on the theory and operation of rotating electric machines. Introduction to power electronics and machine drives.

ECE 557 Power Systems II. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 456. Not open to students who have earned credit for ECE 457.
Economic operation, fault analysis, symmetrical components, system protection. Special projects are required.

ECE 561 Quantum Electronics. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 or PH 332.
Matrix formulation of quantum mechanics; quantization of lattice vibrations and electromagnetic radiation; diamagnetism and paramagnetism; paramagnetic resonance and paramagnetism in crystals; and interaction of radiation and atoms.

ECE 575 Stochastic Processes.(3-0) Three hours. Same as GES 575.
Prerequisite: GES 500.
Engineering applications of probability theory. Problems on sequences of random variables, convergence, stochastic processes, stationarity, ergodicity, correlation function, spectral densities, linear systems with random inputs, design of filters and predictors, and Markov processes.

ECE 577 Advanced Linear Control. (3-0) Three hours. Same as AEM/ME 577.
Prerequisite: ECE 475.
Modern techniques for the analysis and design of linear control systems. Matrix formulation; multivariable control systems; state-variable concepts; discrete-time systems; optimization; and statistical design methods.

ECE 579 Digital Control Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 370, ECE 475, and either GES 451 or MATH 237.
Frequency and time domain methods in discrete time control systems; sampling of continuous-time signals, stability, transform design techniques, state variable analysis, and design techniques.

ECE 580 Digital Systems Design. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 581.
Digital systems design with hardware description languages, programmable implementation technologies, electronic design automation design flows, design considerations and constraints, design for test, system on a chip designs, IP cores, reconfigurable computing, digital system design examples and applications.

ECE 581 Digital Systems Design Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 580.
Logic design and simulation via hardware description languages, use of electronic design automation tools, and CPU design.

ECE 582 Computer Vision and Digital Image Processing. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MATH 355 and CS 124, or permission of the instructor.
Introduction to computer vision and digital image processing with an emphasis on image representation, transforms, filtering, compression, boundary detection, and pattern matching.

ECE 583 Computer Graphics Design. (3-0) Three hours. Same as CS 535.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Selected topics in computer graphics and graphics algorithms. Design projects.

ECE 584 Advanced Computer Architecture. (3-0) Three hours. Same as CS 567.
Prerequisite: ECE 480.
Computer architectures, computer design, memory systems design, parallel processing concepts, supercomputers, networks, and multiprocessing systems.

ECE 586 Embedded Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 383
Coerequisite: ECE 487
Integration of microprocessors into digital systems. Includes hardware interfacing, bus protocols and peripheral systems, embedded and real-time operating systems, real-time constraints, networking and distributed process control.

ECE 587 Embedded Systems Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 383
Corequisite: ECE 486
Design and implementation experience with microcontrollers, interfacing, digital control systems, bus protocols and peripheral systems, real-time constraints, embedded and real-time operating systems, distributed process control.

ECE 588 Microcontrollers. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 589.
Microcontrollers, digital control systems, hardware interfacing, networking, distributed process control, and robotics.

ECE 589 Microcontrollers Laboratory. (0-3) One hour.
Prerequisite: ECE 383.
Corequisite: ECE 588.
Design and implementation experience with microcontrollers, digital control systems, interfacing, operating systems, automated manufacturing processes, robotics, and networking.

ECE 593 Special Topics (Area). Variable credit.
Advanced topics of a specialized nature.

ECE 598 Research Not Related to Thesis. One to six hours.

ECE 599 Master's Thesis Research. One to twelve hours.

ECE 601 Digital Signal Processing. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 370 or equivalent.
Discrete-time signals and systems; discrete Fourier and transforms; basic network structures. Design of FIR and IIR filters using digital simulation programs.

ECE 602 Information Theory and Error Control Coding. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: GES 500 and ECE 502.
The principles of information theory relevant to the development and analysis of source (data compaction/compression) and channel (error control) codes.

ECE 640 Electromagnetic Field Theory I. (3-0) Three hours. Same as GES 640.
Prerequisite: ECE 340.
Application of Maxwell's equations to problems of electrical engineering; boundary-value problems, wave propagation, waveguides, radiation, and scattering; and surface waves.

ECE 641 Electromagnetic Field Theory II. (3-0) Three hours. Same as GES 641.
Prerequisite: ECE 640.
Plane, cylindrical, and spherical wave functions; scattering by wedges, cylinder, and spheres; radiation from apertures; perturbational and variational techniques; and microwave networks.

ECE 646 Microwave Circuits II. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 546.
Analysis and design of electromagnetic resonators, periodic structures, and filters; and advanced current topics in passive microwave devices and active circuits.

ECE 649 Numerical Methods in Electromagnetics. (3-0) Three hours. Same as GES 649.
Prerequisite: ECE 640 or PH 531.
Formulation and computer solution of electromagnetic boundary value problems and integral equations; moment method relation to finite-element method and variational techniques; and applications to radiation, scattering, and guided wave geometries.

ECE 650 Power System Stability. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 456.
Modeling of the transmission system, loads, generators, excites, and governors; prefault and postfault conditions; effect of system protection schemes on stability; computer solutions.

ECE 651 Power Systems in Steady State. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 456.
Strategies for the optimum steady-state operation of the system; economic commitment of generating units, economic allocation of generation of real and reactive power, and online computation of control signals; computational aspects of load-flow solutions; system security considerations.

ECE 652 Operation and Control of Power Systems. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: ECE 651 or equivalent.
State estimation in power systems; automatic generation control; load forecasting; economic dispatch; power pools and interchange evaluation; energy production costing; voltage collapse.

ECE 654 Large-Scale Network Simulation. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: ECE 326 and MATH 255; GES 451; or permission of the instructor.
Linear graph theory and operations research based algorithms for computer generation of the algebraic and differential equations describing large-scale networks; and multiple simulation algorithms.

ECE 674 Nonlinear Control Systems. (3-0) Three hours. Same as AEM/ME 578.
Prerequisite: ECE 475.
Classical and modern methods for the analysis and design of nonlinear automatic control systems. State variables, phase plane, describing functions, relay control, and optimal and adaptive control systems are covered.

ECE 678 Advanced Topics in Control. (3-0) Three hours. Same as AEM/ME 678.
Advanced topics in nonlinear, discrete-time, optimal, and learning systems.

ECE 679 Kalman Filtering and Stochastic Control. (3-0) Three hours. Same as AEM/ME 679.
Prerequisites: ECE 575 or GES 575 and AEM/ECE/ME 577.
Kalman filter, steady state theory, parameter estimation and extended Kalman filter; stochastic control; linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) problems; and loop transfer recovery (LQG/LTR).

ECE 684 Parallel and Distributed Processing. (3-0) Three hours. Same as CS 684.
Prerequisites: ECE 484 and either ECE 485 or ECE 584.
Architectures for parallel processing, parallel processing interconnection networks, hardware issues in parallel processing, and representative parallel systems.

ECE 693 Special Topics (Area). One to five hours.
Advanced topics of a specialized nature.

ECE 697 Seminar. (1-0) One hour.
The overall course objective is to introduce graduate students to current research topics in the field of electrical and computer engineering. Emphasis is on techniques of oral communication, to include use of audiovisual aids. Usually taken in the first semester of residence in the graduate program and taken in subsequent semesters to present thesis or dissertation research results.

ECE 698 Research Not Related to Dissertation. One to six hours.

ECE 699 Doctoral Dissertation Research. Three to twelve hours.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATE CATALOG

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Update: Sep. 2007