BS Computer Engineering Program

This page updated May 20, 2013.

Four-Year Plan for Students Admitted Fall 2011 to Present

• Plan for Students Admitted 2007 - 2010
• Plan for Students Admitted Prior to Fall 2006

The lower division requirements (72 units) are designed to provide a strong foundation in mathematics, physics, electrical engineering, methodology and skills, and computer programming and organizational skills.

The upper division core courses  (36 units) deal with the theory and design of algorithms, computer hardware, and computer software. Students can gain additional breadth and/or depth in computer science and engineering by an appropriate selection of technical electives (28 units).

The program encompasses the study of hardware design, data storage, computer architecture, assembly languages, and the design of computers for engineering, information retrieval, and scientific research.

Many graduates in this degree program go on to graduate school or choose careers that involve the design of computer hardware and software systems in diverse areas such as: computer graphics, computer-aided design, multimedia systems, databases, parallel computation, distributed computation, artificial intelligence, optical computing, very-large-scale-integration design, and fabrication.

Four-Year Plan

Tracking your progress - Use the following worksheet to design your plan. 

• Academic Planning Sheet (Quarterly Plan) pdf
• Academic Tracking Sheet (Quarterly Plan) excel spreadsheet

Our four-year plans are designed for students with no advanced placement credit.  Some students will begin with CSE 3, CSE 8A/L or CSE 11, therefore, it is imperative that each student draw up a suitable schedule based on her/his specific circumstances.  Please read CSE Course Placement Advice to figure out which coures to take first.  To assist you with planning your schedule, consult our Courses page.

Major Requirements

Print Checklist

CSE Academic Advising

The CSE Department has three major academic advisors to assist students. Contact advisors via the Virtual Advising Center or call 858-534-8872 or visit the CSE Building (EBU3B), room 1236.

Students with last names between A-J will contact Viera Kair.

Students with last names between K-P will contact Ivonne Avila.

Students with last names between Q-Z will contact Pat Raczka.

CSE 91 - Perspective in CSE

• Transfer Students do not need to take CSE 91, this course is waived for you.
• Students admitted as Freshman Students must complete CSE 91 or an approved alternative.

ECE 35, ECE 45, and ECE 65

• ECE 35, Introduction to Analog Design: Prerequisites: Math 20A, Math 20B and concurrent enrollment in PHYS 2B.
• ECE 45,  Circuits and Systems: Prerequisites: ECE 35
• ECE 65, Components & Circuits Lab:  Prerequisites: ECE 35.  
• Please note: ECE 15 and ECE 25 are no longer prerequisites for any of these courses. 

Technical Elective Requirements

• The B.S. Computer Engineering major requires SEVEN upper division technical electives for a total of 28 units.
• Design Requirement: Students must also take either ECE 111 or ECE 118 to meet the technical elective design requirement.
• The remaining six technical electives may be either CSE or ECE upper division courses.
• Students may also use a CSE or ECE graduate course for technical elective credit with approval. Once a CSE or ECE graduate course is used for an undergraduate degree that course may not be reused for a graduate degree.
• Only 4 units of either a CSE 197 may be used toward technical elective credit.
• In addition, 8 units of CSE 198 or CSE 199 may be also be used toward technical elective credit.
• One of the seven technical elective courses can from the list of courses under the section titled Electives. This section also lists other restrictions in the selection of technical electives. Any deviation from this list of approved electives requires a petition with a CSE Academic Advisor.
• Please note: You will not receive unit credit for Math 183 or ECON 120A as technical elective credit after completing ECE 109.

Degree Policies

The BS Computer Engineering program is jointly administered by the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Departments.

• CSE 91, CSE 197, CSE 198, CSE 199 are the only classes that may be taken for a pass/no pass grade.
• All major requirements and technical electives, except CSE 91, CSE 197, CSE 198, CSE 199 must be taken for a letter.
• CSE 91 (Perspectives in CSE) is waived for all Transfer Students. 
• To graduate, a grade point average of 2.0 is required in the upper division major requirements, including the upper division technical electives.