Electrical and Computer Engineering, Honors (BSECE)
Electrical and Computer Engineering Honors Program
The Electrical and Computer Engineering Honors program is a curriculum program. Students admitted to, and who complete the program and all its requirements, receive a Bachelors of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering with the ECE Honors transcript distinction. Students entering the University as first time in college applicant may apply to the ECE Honors program by completing a separate online application available through the Office of Admissions. The ECE Honor’s committee considers and reviews all supplemental material required in the online application for the ECE Honors program. All admission decisions must be made by the UT Austin Office of Admissions, with the ECE Honors Selection Committee providing recommendations. Students may also apply and be admitted into the ECE Honors Program after matriculating to The University of Texas at Austin. External transfer students are required to complete the separate online application process. The internal application process for internal transfer students requires a copy of the student’s record at UT Austin; a transcript of high school courses and grades; a resume detailing relevant accomplishments, experience, and activities; and written statements. The ECE Honors Selection Committee will consider these applications, and on that basis, will decide admission to the ECE Honors Program. In order to remain in the program, ECE Honors Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.3 in their ECE courses (honors and non-honors), and must be in good standing according to current policies of the ECE department.
Total Hours Required: 125
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| ECE 302H | Introduction to Electrical Engineering: Honors | 3 |
| ECE 306 | Introduction to Computing | 3 |
| UGS 016 | First-Year Interest Group Seminar | 0 |
| M 408D | Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ECE 319H | Introduction to Embedded Systems: Honors | 3 |
| ECE 312H | Software Design and Implementation I: Honors | 3 |
| ECE 107H | Engineering Leadership: Honors | 1 |
| M 427J | Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| PHY X03K & PHY X05M |
Engineering Physics I and Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K |
4 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| ECE 411H | Circuit Theory: Honors | 4 |
| M 340L | Matrices and Matrix Calculations | 3 |
| PHY X03L & PHY X05N |
Engineering Physics II and Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L |
4 |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| E 316L | British Literature | 3 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ECE 313H | Linear Systems and Signals: Honors | 3 |
| ECE 351H | Probability and Random Processes: Honors | 3 |
| Advanced Tech Component: Math | 4 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| ECE 333T | Engineering Communication | 3 |
| Advanced Technical Component | 4 | |
| Advanced Technical Component | 3 | |
| Free Elective (advanced math or basic science course) | 4 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ECE 316 | Digital Logic Design | 3 |
| Advanced Technical Component | 3 | |
| Advanced Technical Component | 3 | |
| Advanced Tech Component: Lab | 4 | |
| GOV 310L | American and Texas Government | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| ECE 364D | Introduction to Engineering Design | 3 |
| Advanced Technical Component | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ECE 464H | Honors Senior Design Project | 4 |
| Advanced Tech Component | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| GOV 312L | Issues and Policies in American Government | 3 |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 125 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Year 1 Courses | ||
| Lower-division Honors ECE course | 1 | |
| ECE 302H | Introduction to Electrical Engineering: Honors | 3 |
| ECE 312H | Software Design and Implementation I: Honors | 3 |
| ECE 319H | Introduction to Embedded Systems: Honors | 3 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 7 | |
| Circuit Theory: Honors | ||
| Linear Systems and Signals: Honors | ||
| Probability and Random Processes: Honors | ||
| Introduction to Engineering Design | ||
| Honors Senior Design Project | ||
| Subtotal | 17 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 61 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 20 | |
| Subtotal | 81 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 27 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 27 | |
| College Requirements - Engineering | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 125 | |
Degree-Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Courses | ||
| ECE 302 | Introduction to Electrical Engineering (part II science and technology) | 3 |
| or ECE 302H | Introduction to Electrical Engineering: Honors | |
| ECE 306 | Introduction to Computing | 3 |
| ECE 411 | Circuit Theory | 4 |
| ECE 312 | Software Design and Implementation I | 3 |
| or ECE 312H | Software Design and Implementation I: Honors | |
| ECE 313 | Linear Systems and Signals | 3 |
| ECE 319K | Introduction to Embedded Systems | 3 |
| or ECE 319H | Introduction to Embedded Systems: Honors | |
| ECE 333T | Engineering Communication | 3 |
| ECE 351K | Probability and Random Processes | 3 |
| ECE 364D | Introduction to Engineering Design | 3 |
| or ECE 364E | Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship | |
| Hours chosen from: senior design project | 4 | |
| Multidisciplinary Senior Design Project | ||
| Honors Senior Design Project | ||
| Senior Design Project | ||
| Research Senior Design Project | ||
| Start-Up Senior Design Project | ||
| Advanced Technical Elective: Within Any Core of Electrical Engineering | ||
| Within any core of Electrical Engineering, Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
One upper-division electrical engineering course | ||
| Digital Logic Design | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 8 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Differential and Integral Calculus | ||
| Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| Differential Calculus | ||
| Integral Calculus | ||
| Multivariable Calculus | ||
| M 427J | Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| M 340L | Matrices and Matrix Calculations | 3 |
| Physics | ||
| PHY 303K | Engineering Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 105M | Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | 1 |
| PHY 303L | Engineering Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 105N | Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L | 1 |
| Rhetoric and Writing | ||
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Total Hours | 61 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
Enrollment in ECE 333T, ECE 160, ECE 260, ECE 360, ECE 460, and ECE 379K requires completion of ECE 312 or ECE 313 with a grade of at least C-.
Pre-approved courses are used to fulfill technical core, advanced math and/or science and core technical electives; other elective courses must be approved by the electrical and computer engineering faculty before the student enrolls in them.
Transfer Coursework: No more than 25 semester credit hours of transfer electrical and computer engineering coursework may be counted for credit toward the electrical and computer engineering degree.
Free Electives Policy
Must include at least one advanced mathematics or basic science course (three hours); no more than three hours of lower-division coursework; all coursework must count for a major in the offering department; all coursework must be taken in residence, except that up to three credit hours can be transferred with approval; no course can duplicate a course the student has taken or is required to take as part of the other Electrical and Computer Engineering coursework requirements.
Upper-Division Technical Component Areas
Electrical and computer engineering students must choose an advanced technical component area from the electrical engineering or computer engineering concentrations. Concentrations give students the flexibility to tailor their upper- division academic program to meet a variety of career goals, while ensuring that they graduate with a robust grounding in one or more selected technical or specialty areas.
For all concentrations, the student must complete all courses in the area on the letter-grade basis. Detailed guidelines for choosing areas and elective courses within each area are published on the electrical and computer engineering department website. Approved electives for each area may be subject to periodic change as needs arise.
Electrical Engineering Option
Advanced Technical Component (mathematics) is four hours and one Advanced Technical Component Requirement is three hours.
Computer Engineering Option
Advanced Technical Component (mathematics) is three hours and one Advanced Technical Component Elective is four hours.
Alternate Mathematics Courses
For students who choose an advanced technical component area in computer engineering:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M 427L | Advanced Calculus for Applications II | 4 |
| M 328K | Introduction to Number Theory | 3 |
| M 343K | Introduction to Algebraic Structures | 3 |
| M 344K | Intermediate Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| M 348 | Scientific Computation in Numerical Analysis | 3 |
| M 358K | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| M 374M | Mathematical Modeling in Science and Engineering | 3 |
| C S 341 | Automata Theory | 3 |
| C S 346 | Cryptography | 3 |
For students who choose an advanced technical component area in electrical engineering:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M 325K | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| M 328K | Introduction to Number Theory | 3 |
| M 346 | Applied Linear Algebra | 3 |
| M 348 | Scientific Computation in Numerical Analysis | 3 |
| M 358K | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| M 361 | Theory of Functions of a Complex Variable | 3 |
| M 362M | Introduction to Stochastic Processes | 3 |
| M 372K | Partial Differential Equations and Applications | 3 |
| M 374 | Fourier and Laplace Transforms | 3 |
| M 374M | Mathematical Modeling in Science and Engineering | 3 |
Additional Requirements and Policies
- Students must take and successfully complete at least 17 hours of ECE honors courses to be considered for graduation as an ECE Honors Student.
- Students who join the program in the first semester of their freshman year must take the following in their first year: one-hour lower-division ECE honors course, ECE 302H, ECE 312H, ECE 319H.
- Approved ECE graduate courses used as part of the ECE Undergraduate Degree may also be counted or substituted for ECE Honors credit. Note that this does not apply for graduate courses taken for graduate credit as part of a graduate or joint ECE BS/MS program.
- In order to remain in the program, ECE Honors Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.3 in their ECE courses (honors and non-honors), and must be in good standing according to current policies of the ECE department.