Electrical and computer engineering is a broadly based engineering discipline dealing with the processing, control, and transmission of information and energy by making extensive use of electrical and electromagnetic phenomena, systems theory, and computational hardware and software. The Department also encourages students and faculty to develop synergies with disciplines outside of engineering, such as medicine and the life sciences. Duke undergraduates participate in independent study, a semester abroad, and a degree program with a second major. Electrical engineers complete second majors in biomedical engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, economics, and public policy studies. Additional interests such as pre-medicine, pre-law, business, other engineering disciplines, art, music, psychology, and social sciences can be accommodated.

The mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to facilitate the development of well rounded, educated, productive, and ethical individuals who are well versed in technology and in social, political, and environmental issues. Our goals are to develop within each student a robust repertoire of professional skills, to provide each with avenues for exploring diverse interests, and to launch each successfully into one of a variety of careers offering lifelong learning, service, and leadership within their own local, national and global communities. 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.

Leslie M. Collins
Professor and Chair
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering