ECE Objectives.

To achieve our mission, the department puts forth the following educational objectives for the extremely capable students entering the ECE program. These objectives anticipate formal courses in both the Pratt School and Trinity College and the experience of living among a set of select, highly intelligent, undergraduates in a residential liberal-arts university:

1. Provide a solid foundation in mathematics, physical and life sciences, and computer programming to enable successful completion of the ECE undergraduate program, future professional growth in fact-based reasoning and analysis, adaptation to new technologies, and life-long learning in an increasingly technology-dependent society.

2. Build a broad engineering core competence to enable our students to approach problems systematically, to communicate and interact effectively with engineers in different areas of specialization, to assess the reasonableness of new ideas and the value of new technology, and to make technology decisions with confidence.

3. Develop in-depth knowledge and experience in specific ECE topic areas to prepare our students for their first job or for entry into a graduate engineering program or a professional school.

4. Develop an understanding and through experience practical skills in the application of, the broad elements essential to successful engineering design: technical knowledge; multi-discipline teamwork; engineering standards; realistic constraints; and a systematic engineering process incorporating market needs, clear objectives, and manufacturability.

5. Instill a curiosity for learning in breadth or depth by encouraging students to pursue a) second majors in other engineering fields or the liberal arts, b) a semester-long study abroad, c) an intensive research experience.

6. Imbue in our students an active curiosity about the world. Ensure a breadth of learning in the social sciences and humanities, so that they will be informed citizens sensitive to the impact of business and technical decisions, including their own, on contemporary social, political, ethical and environmental issues.

7. Instill in our students an optimistic self confidence, a high degree of personal integrity, and the belief that they can each make a difference. Bolster this self confidence by developing the professional competence outlined above, by developing persuasive communication skills in a variety of media (including written reports and oral presentations with visual or aural aids), by engaging them in team-based activities, and by strengthening their interpersonal skills.