Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Program Learning Outcomes for the Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering, students will be able to demonstrate:
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering must complete:
- A minimum of 21-23 courses (62 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 8 courses (24 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- The requirements for one area of specialization (see below for areas of specialization). When students declare the major in Electrical and Computer Engineering, students must additionally identify and declare one of four areas of specialization, either in:
- Computer Engineering: provides a broad background in computer systems engineering, including computer architecture, digital hardware engineering, software engineering, and computer systems performance analysis, or
- Data Science/Systems: integrates the foundations, tools and techniques involving data acquisition, data analytics, data storage and computing infrastructure in order to enable meaningful extraction of actionable information from diverse and potentially massive data sources. Applications include wireless communication systems, digital signal processing, image processing, and networking, or
- Neuroengineering: exploits engineering techniques to understand, repair, manipulate, or treat the diseases of human neural systems and networks, or
- Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices: encompasses studies of electronic materials, including nanomaterials, semiconductor and optoelectronic devices, lasers and their applications.
Because of the common core requirements, it is possible for students to change their area of specialization at any time, even after initially declaring the major. To do so, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
The BA degree provides a basic technical foundation in electrical and computer engineering through a subset of the core and specialization courses offered by the department. The program leading to the BA degree is not accredited by the EAC of ABET and is often pursued by students as a component of a double major or dual degree program. A course can satisfy only one program requirement within the major. Students who place out of required courses without transcript credit must substitute other approved courses in the same area.
Planning sheets and degree plan forms may be found on the Electrical and Computer Engineering website.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 62 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Mathematics and Science Courses | ||
| ELEC 261 | INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS I | 3 |
| ELEC 303 | RANDOM SIGNALS IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SYSTEMS | 3 |
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| MATH 102 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II | 3 |
| or MATH 106 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II | |
| MATH 212 | MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | 3 |
| or MATH 221 | HONORS CALCULUS III | |
| or MATH 232 | HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| MATRIX ANALYSIS | ||
| MATRIX ANALYSIS FOR DATA SCIENCE | ||
| LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| Select 1 from the following: | 4 | |
| MECHANICS (WITH LAB) and MECHANICS DISCUSSION 1 | ||
| HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB) 1 | ||
| Select 1 from the following: | 4 | |
| ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION 1 | ||
| HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) 1 | ||
| Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Core Courses | ||
| ELEC 220 | FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER ENGINEERING | 3 |
| ELEC 241 & ELEC 240 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING I and FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING I LABORATORY | 4 |
| ELEC 242 & ELEC 244 | SIGNALS, SYSTEMS, AND TRANSFORMS and ANALOG CIRCUITS LABORATORY | 4 |
| ELEC 305 | INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS II | 3 |
| ELEC 326 / COMP 326 | DIGITAL LOGIC DESIGN | 3 |
| Computation Course | ||
| COMP 140 | COMPUTATIONAL THINKING | 4 |
| Design Laboratory 2 | ||
| ELEC 327 | IMPLEMENTATION OF DIGITAL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| or ELEC 364 | PHOTONICS MEASUREMENTS: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE | |
| Area of Specialization | ||
| Select 1 from the following Areas of Specialization (see Areas of Specialization below): | 12 | |
Computer Engineering | ||
Data Science/Systems | ||
Neuroengineering | ||
Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 62 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 27 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | The Electrical and Computer Engineering department has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 141 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I and credit awarded for PHYS 142 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II are not eligible for meeting the requirements of the Electrical and Computer Engineering major. |
| 2 | Design Laboratory is typically taken in the junior year. The required Design Laboratory does not count as an area of specialization course. It is important to consult a departmental advisor when choosing the Design Laboratory course or if interested in taking a second one. Any Design Laboratory course taken above the one required course will count as a General Elective, not as an area of specialization course. |
Areas of Specialization
Students must complete the requirements as listed for one of the following areas of specialization as offered by the Electrical and Computer Engineering major. A total of 4 courses (minimum of 12 credit hours) must be taken from at least two areas of specialization, including a minimum of 2 courses from one area of specialization, 1 course from an area of specialization outside of the student's chosen specialization, and 1 course from any area of specialization. In addition, ELEC graduate coursework at the 500-level may be used to satisfy specialization requirements with permission. Consult departmental advisors and the Electrical and Computer Engineering website for the latest information.
Area of Specialization: Computer Engineering
To fulfill the remaining Electrical and Computer Engineering major requirements, students pursuing the Computer Engineering area of specialization must complete:
- a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the Computer Engineering area of specialization
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization outside Computer Engineering (from Data Science/Systems, Neuroengineering, or Photonics, Electronics, or Nano-devices)
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization (including Computer Engineering)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 2 from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SYSTEMS 2 | ||
| REASONING ABOUT ALGORITHMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE SYSTEMS | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF PARALLEL PROGRAMMING | ||
| SECURE AND CLOUD COMPUTING | ||
| MICROWAVE ENGINEERING | ||
| WIRELESS INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS | ||
| OPERATING SYSTEMS AND CONCURRENT PROGRAMMING 2 | ||
| VLSI SYSTEMS DESIGN | ||
| DIGITAL INTEGRATED CIRCUITS | ||
| MOBILE AND EMBEDDED SYSTEM DESIGN AND APPLICATION | ||
| COMPUTER SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE | ||
| ADVANCED DIGITAL INTEGRATED CIRCUITS DESIGN | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER NETWORKS 2 | ||
| ADVANCED HIGH-SPEED SYSTEM DESIGN | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION NETWORKS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ANALOG INTEGRATED CIRCUITS | ||
| ALGORITHMIC ROBOTICS 2 | ||
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization outside Computer Engineering (from Data Science/Systems, Neuroengineering, or Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices) | 3 | |
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization (including Computer Engineering) | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | The sequence of COMP 140, COMP 182, and COMP 215 is recommended in addition for the Computer Engineering area of specialization as these courses are prerequisites for many of the Computer Science courses. |
| 2 | COMP 222 is a recommended prerequisite for these courses. |
Area of Specialization: Data Science/Systems
To fulfill the remaining Electrical and Computer Engineering major requirements, students pursuing the Data Science/Systems area of specialization must complete:
- a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the Data Science/Systems area of specialization
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization outside Data Science/Systems (from Computer Engineering, Neuroengineering, or Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices)
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization (including Data Science/Systems)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 2 from the following: | 6 | |
| TOOLS AND MODELS FOR DATA SCIENCE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO DATA SCIENCE TOOLS AND MODELS | ||
| MACHINE LEARNING: CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES | ||
| LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR DATA SCIENCE | ||
| MODERN COMMUNICATION THEORY AND PRACTICE | ||
| DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING | ||
| ADVANCED HIGH-SPEED SYSTEM DESIGN | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF CONTROL SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION NETWORKS | ||
| DATA SCIENCE AND DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER VISION | ||
| 3D VISION: FROM AUTONOMOUS CARS TO THE METAVERSE | ||
| LEARNING FROM SENSOR DATA | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MACHINE LEARNING | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS | ||
| DESIGN OF MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL MACHINE LEARNING | ||
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization outside Data Science/Systems (from Computer Engineering, Neuroengineering, or Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices) | 3 | |
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization (including Data Science/Systems) | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Area of Specialization: Neuroengineering
To fulfill the remaining Electrical and Computer Engineering major requirements, students pursuing the Neuroengineering area of specialization must complete:
- a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the Neuroengineering area of specialization
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization outside Neuroengineering (from Computer Engineering, Data Science/Systems, or Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices)
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization (including Neuroengineering)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 2 from the following: | 6 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO NEUROENGINEERING: MEASURING AND MANIPULATING NEURAL ACTIVITY | ||
| NEURAL INTERFACE ENGINEERING LABORATORY | ||
| BIOMEDICAL OPTICS II: IMAGING | ||
| ELECTROMAGNETISM AND THE BRAIN | ||
| MACHINE LEARNING AND SIGNAL PROCESSING FOR NEURO ENGINEERING | ||
| IMAGING OPTICS | ||
| THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE: FROM CELLS TO LEARNING SYSTEMS | ||
| NEURAL COMPUTATION | ||
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization outside Neuroengineering (from Computer Engineering, Data Science/Systems, or Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices) | 3 | |
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization (including Neuroengineering) | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Area of Specialization: Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices
To fulfill the remaining Electrical and Computer Engineering major requirements, students pursuing the Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices area of specialization must complete:
- a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices area of specialization
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization outside Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices (from Computer Engineering, Data Science/Systems, or Neuroengineering)
- 1 course (3 credit hours) from any area of specialization (including Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 2 from the following: | 6 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO WAVES AND PHOTONICS | ||
| QUANTUM MECHANICS FOR ENGINEERS | ||
or PHYS 311 | INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM PHYSICS I | |
| PHYSICS OF SENSOR MATERIALS AND NANOSENSOR TECHNOLOGY | ||
| QUANTUM MECHANICS AND REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS | ||
or PHYS 412 | SOLID STATE PHYSICS | |
| OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM COMPUTING WITH QISKIT | ||
| INTERMEDIATE ELECTRODYNAMICS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS | ||
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization outside Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices (from Computer Engineering, Data Science/Systems, or Neuroengineering) | 3 | |
| Select 1 course from any Area of Specialization (including Photonics, Electronics, and Nano-devices) | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Advising
Rice University provides multiple avenues for undergraduate advising through the Office of Academic Advising, the Rice Residential College system, and academic departments. Although students may consult with their Divisional Advisors in their College during the first and second years, they are welcome and encouraged to meet with a major advisor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. In particular, ECE students are required to meet with a major advisor in ECE at least during their junior and senior years to discuss their ECE Area of Specialization course selection and Design Courses. The ECE Undergraduate Committee currently has several faculty members who serve as major advisors.
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering may not additionally pursue the Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (BSECE) Degree.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Electrical and Computer Engineering website: https://www.ece.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students
In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.
Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
- should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
- more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.
Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering (MECE) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MECE program director.
Independent Research
The ECE Department encourages our undergraduates to pursue research projects with the faculty. The ECE Department has several opportunities including the multi-year, team-oriented Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) program through the ELEC 491 course and individual independent research with a faculty member through the ELEC 490 course. For information on taking an undergraduate summer research course tuition free, see: https://registrar.rice.edu/students/summersessions. Also, there are often summer research opportunities through the NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, through individual ECE faculty grants, or through the Smalley-Curl Institute REU Sites program.
Study Abroad
A semester of study abroad is a valuable experience to enhance an individual's perspective on engineering and technology. The ECE Department encourages students to explore this option particularly for the spring semester of the sophomore or junior year. The ECE Department and the University Study Abroad office coordinate to review programs and courses appropriate for Rice engineering students.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Electrical and Computer Engineering website: https://www.ece.rice.edu/.