Student Handbook - Electives

Calculus I and II
If for any reason you do not complete Calculus I and II by the end of your Freshman year, you should arrange to take these course(s) during the summer before returning to Clarkson. Calculus II is a prerequisite to most of the courses in the Sophomore EE and Computer Engineering curricula. It will be difficult for you to schedule your courses so that you can graduate on time if you have not passed Calculus II before beginning your Sophomore year.

Computer Engineering Senior Laboratory
Notice that EE464 (Digital Systems Design) and EE416 (Computer Engineering Senior Laboratory) form an integrated pair of courses; each is co-requisite with the other. These courses are only taught in the Fall, and it is important to plan your schedule so that they are included then.

ES250 - Electrical Science
Electrical Science is a prerequisite for two required courses that are offered only the Spring semester but not in the Fall semester: EE211, EE221. EE211 and EE221 are prerequisites for other required courses. If for any reason you do not complete ES250 and EE221 by the end of your Sophomore year, you should consider taking ES250 and/or EE221 during the summer before Junior Year. Your choice of professional electives could be restricted if you have not completed EE221 before the beginning of your Junior year.

Area Elective
There are five Area Electives in the EE curriculum. The area electives must be selected as follows:

• 3 from a single area of electrical and computer engineering, and
• 1 from each of two other areas of electrical and computer engineering.

Here are the areas and the courses in thoses areas:

• Electronics (Depth and Breadth):
  • EE345, EE365, EE441, EE446, EE447
• Power (Depth and Breadth):
  • EE333, EE430, EE431, EE436, EE438, EE439
• Computers (Depth Only):
  • EE360, EE361, EE363, EE365, EE368, EE407, EE408, EE410, EE427, EE462, EE465, EE466, EE468
• Computer Hardware (Breadth Only):
  • EE360, EE365, EE407, EE466
• Computer Software (Breadth Only):
  • EE361, EE363, EE368, EE408, EE410, EE427, EE462, EE465, EE468
• Communication and Control (Depth Only):
  • EE370, EE401, EE407, EE427, EE450, EE451, EE471
• Communication (Breadth Only):
  • EE370, EE401, EE407, EE 427, EE471
• Control (Breadth Only):
  • EE450, EE451
• Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering (Breadth Only):
  • BR400

Breadth Only Areas can be selected only if the corresponding Depth Only Area is not selected. For example, Computer Software can be used as a Breadth Area only if Computers is not used as a Depth Area.

There are other ways of selecting Area Electives to achieve depth and breadth. An Area Elective Plan must be submitted for a plan that does not conform to the above organization of EE electives. No Area Elective Plan needs to be submitted for plans that conform to the above organization of EE electives.

Business Elective
Management Elective are identified by the Bus designator in the course description. The Managment Electives offered during a particular semester are listed in the "Course Offerings" booklet that is included in the Course Selection Materials for that semester. The Management Electives offered during a particular academic year are listed in the Register of Course Descriptions.

Notice that some of School of Business courses have a prerequisite like "Junior standing". These prerequisites have been enforced by the registrar. Students who did not satisfy the prerequisistes were removed from the course during the semester. Very inconvenient.

Computer Engineering - Computer Science Elective
A computer science course (any course with the CS designation) numbered 200 or higher, except CS241.

Electrical Science Elective
ES221 - Statics, ES223 - Rigid Body Dynamics, ES340 - Thermodynamics, or ES431 - Engineering Reliability will satisfy the required ES elective.

KA/UC Elective
There are a total of five courses which must be taken to cover six knowledge areas. At least one of these courses must be a University course. University courses are interdisciplinary courses that cover two or more knowledge areas. One of the knowledge area electives must be an economics course, EC350 is recommended.

Liberal Studies Electives
Two Freshman liberal studies courses (LS195 and LS196) and four other liberal studies courses are required. At least one of the four must be an economics course (EC350 recommended) and at least one must be a humanities (Hum) course. Liberal Studies Electives are identified by the designators Soc (social science), Hum (humanities), or H/S (either) in the course description. This should always be checked. (LW 270 Law and Society is NOT a Liberal Studies Elective.)

The LS Electives offered during a particular semester are listed in the "Course Offerings" booklet that is included in the Course Selection Materials for that semester. The LS Electives offered during a particular academic year are listed in the Register of Course Descriptions.

Mathematics Elective
Math electives are 300 or 400 level mathematics courses. If you think you may be taking electives in the communications area later on, you should plan to take MA381 (Probability), which is offered only in the Fall. You should not take both MA381 and MA383, since there is a significant overlap between the two courses.

Professional Elective
The professional electives are any EE300+, MS300+, or AS300+ courses or BR400.

Software Engineering Restricted Elective
The Restricted Elective must be a course numbered 300 or higher from ECE or CS or from a list of courses in Business or Technical Communications maintained in the ECE and CS department offices, or from Aerospace Studies or Military Science.

Software Engineering Restricted Business Elective
The Restricted Business Elective must be selected from a list of Business School Courses maintained in the ECE and CS department offices.

Undesignated Elective
These electives may be used for additional technical courses, technical communications courses, management courses (in preparation for an MBA), or any other college level coursework that may interest you. These electives may not repeat material you have already studied in some other course.

ROTC courses beyond the Freshman level may be used for this requirement.

Combinations of one-credit courses such as liberal studies mini-courses may also be used for undesignated elective credit.