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4th year choosing courses

I'm an EE student and wondered what you think I should choose for 4th year courses. Although I have chosen the courses I can still make changes to the courses until May 27.

Courses for First Semester (Select 4 courses)

COMPUTER: Introduction to Operating Systems COE 518 COMPUTER: Computer Networks COE 768 ELECTRICAL: Simulation and Computation Techniques ELE 703 ELECTRICAL: Real-Time Computer Control Systems ELE 709 ELECTRICAL: Hardware/Software Co-design of Embedded Systems ELE 718 ELECTRICAL: Low-Power Digital Integrated Circuits ELE 734 ELECTRICAL: Electronics and Instrumentation ELE 744 ELECTRICAL: Digital Communications Systems ELE 745 ELECTRICAL: Power Electronics ELE 754 ELECTRICAL: Digital Signal Processing ELE 792

I have chosen up to now ELE718, ELE744, ELE754, ELE792

-------------------------------------------------------------- Courses for second semester(

COMPUTER: Computer Organization and Architecture COE 608 COMPUTER: Programming Languages COE 808 ELECTRICAL: Digital Control Systems Design **ELE 809 (ELE709 Recommended but not prerequisite) ELECTRICAL: Cellular Mobile Communications ELE 815 (ELE745 Prerequisite) ELECTRICAL: System Models and Identification ELE 829 ELECTRICAL: Power Systems ELE 846 ELECTRICAL: Advanced Electromechanical Systems ELE 847 ELECTRICAL: Microwave Engineering ELE 861 ELECTRICAL: VLSI Systems **ELE 863 (ELE734 Prerequisite) ELECTRICAL: Electric Drives **ELE 864 (ELE754 Prerequisite) ELECTRICAL: Advanced Computer Networks **COE 865 (COE768 Prerequisite) ELECTRICAL: Robotics ELE 869 ELECTRICAL: Optical Communication Systems ELE 885 ELECTRICAL: Intelligent Systems **ELE 888

**Students must select a minimum two of these courses(four courses in total for 2nd semester)

I have chosen up to now ELE809, ELE846, ELE847, ELE864

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I'm wondering whether I should switch choose the two networking courses instead of DSP course (ELE792) and Digital Control System course (ELE809). It seems like VoIP is going to replace the telephone and everything is going to be done by internet, it may even obliterate current cellular technology. It is not that I love networking, I like DSP more but wonder about its breadth of usage. I have chosen ELE809 just to fill up the required course load.

I have chosen four courses in power (ELE754, ELE846, ELE847, ELE864). Do you think it's a good idea? I chose those because they seemed more fundamental and less temporary than niches like microwave and cellular mobile courses. I like communications more than power, but I have to keep in mind which skills are in demand. It seems like communications changes so much that it would be hard to keep up.

What do you think of VLSI, is it niche or will disappear in a few years? I think the VLSI courses available have more to do with manufacturing gates and such.

Thank you in advance.

Reply to
student
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There are a couple of philosophies that come to mind.

  1. As an undergraduate engineer you shoul become "well rounded", in engineering disciplines (ME, CE, EE), differing EE disciplines (power, computer hardware, software, DSP, etc), and liberal arts.

  1. As an undergraduate engineer, by your senior (4th) year, you should be concentrating on one area of EE discipline.

I happened to fall into the 1st category in both philosophy and practice (although I have become an instrumentation engineer more than anything else over the years).

Based on the choices you have made, you seem to fall into category 1, also -- taking courses in many different EE disciplines.

If your grades are good in each of these classes, your opportunities for an EE job after graduation go up tremendously, if you are a "well rounded" engineer, versus a "specialized" engineer.

You are correct about the VLSI course -- they will teach you manufacturing techniques for making integrated circuits. Depending on where you are attending, they may even have a small "fab" lab, or access to a local foundry. You may even get to make your own small-scale-integration device. VLSI, that is the manufacturing of IC's, will *not* disappear anytime soon.

Reply to
tlbs

You want to know which road to take, but you don't know where you're going. That seems to be a fairly common dilemma. I think you need to resolve the where you want to be x years from now question first. By looking at courses to determine where they will put you, you may do yourself a disservice, masking what the *real* issue is. What do you *really* want to do? Why? What do you give up if you "settle for less"? What do you gain?

Not easy questions.

Ed

Reply to
ehsjr

Wisdom comes in Slowly., Slips in like The Breeze. Best Wishes };-) Roy Q.T.

Reply to
Roy Q.T.

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