<p>Reading through these posts, it seems so many here know which colleges offer great programs. How do you know this?</p>
<p>DS16 is considering Electrical & Computer Engineering, . Is there a particular way to research this, short of looking at all the majors at every college?</p>
<p>When googling this, I get a lot of the colleges that offer either program, not the combined one. I can certainly go through them all, just wondering if there is some quicker method that I don't know about? </p>
<p>You can first find two sets of schools in the accreditation listings at <a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx”>http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx</a> :</p>
<p>E = schools with electrical engineering
C = schools with computer engineering</p>
<p>Then find the intersection of the two sets E ∩ C.</p>
<p>Then go through the curricula of E ∩ C to check for dual accreditation in electrical engineering and computer engineering in <a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx”>http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx</a> .</p>
<p>However, this result may be unnecessarily restrictive, in that many electrical engineering programs have computer engineering as a subarea option, rather than as a separate accreditation. Similarly, computer engineering programs may also have enough electrical engineering courses in their curricula to cover those parts of electrical engineering of relevance to those designing computer hardware (e.g. device electronics and integrated circuits).</p>
<p>Well, thanks for the info, but that is the site I ended up with, but still a lot of slogging through the data to find the schools that offer the BSECE degree, specifically.</p>
<p>Just thought there might be an easier way, guess not. 
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<p>why not tell us more and we can suggest schools. </p>
<p>do you need/qualify for need-based aid? (if so, does your child have a NCP?)</p>
<p>do you need merit scholarships?</p>
<p>what are your child’s stats?</p>
<p>what is your home state?</p>
<p>Very confusing. In my house, “ECE” means Early Childhood Education (something that is also offered by a number of colleges, but not always the same ones that offer BSECE degrees.</p>
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Many colleges offer study in this field that do not have a major with the name “electrical & computer engineering.” For example, Stanford offers an EE major with depth concentrations in a choice of Computer Hardware, Computer Software, and many other areas. One could study electrical & computer engineering and easily pursue a career in that field, even if they don’t have a major called “electrical & computer engineering.” I’d expect the same could be said for most colleges that offer a quality electrical engineering program. </p>
<p>One of the earlier posts mentioned searching the ABET lists. While that is helpful for colleges with unfamiliar programs, there are quality programs that are not ABET accredited. USNWR ranks Stanford tied for #1 in this field, yet Stanford chooses not to be restricted by ABET in most of their engineering programs, so they do not apply for ABET accreditation. Most the top ranked CS programs do not have ABET accreditation. </p>
<p>Some schools offer electrical engineering degree with a masters in computer engineering. </p>
<p>Does he know why he wants an electrical and computer engineering degree. What does he want to do?</p>
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<p>Stanford has ABET accreditation in chemical, civil, environmental, and mechanical engineering.
<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=420”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=420</a></p>
<p>The non-ABET accredited engineering majors at Stanford are (dates are historical ABET accreditation listed at <a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsHistoricallyDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=420”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsHistoricallyDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=420</a> ):
<p>What changed in Stanford’s electrical engineering major in 2013 that would make them no longer want to have ABET accreditation?</p>
<p>Stanford does appear to be quite unusual with electrical engineering, as electrical engineering is almost always ABET accredited, seeking ABET accreditation, or part of a general ABET accredited engineering program, unlike some other subjects like bioengineering, computer engineering, and computer science that are often offered but not ABET accredited.</p>
<p>It would be silly to eliminate colleges just because they have a different name for what is for all purposed the same set of courses. You might do better to just identify which engineering schools fit your profile. (Scores, grades, desired location) and then check them individually. </p>
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It’s likely, the trigger was more what changed in ABET restrictions that caused the related departments to prefer to no longer have those restrictions? Stanford EE planned to stop seeking ABET many years in advance and sent out appropriate notices. If I remember correctly, one of the few remaining engineering departments that has ABET is planning to drop it in ~2016. </p>
<p>we need to know the stats for this student. May or may not be competitive for schools like S,</p>
<p>FA is very important, and they are PA residents, so some schools wouldnt likely be affordable (like Cal)</p>
<p>Given the current structure for ABET accreditation, ABET isn’t restricting much of anyone for anything. Programs set their own educational objectives and student outcomes, and the assessment process for same.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.abet.org/accreditation-step-by-step/”>http://www.abet.org/accreditation-step-by-step/</a></p>
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<p>What particular change in ABET accreditation criteria was this? It does not seem to have deterred other schools with EE from seeking or maintaining ABET accreditation in that major.</p>
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<p>It is unlikely that civil or environmental engineering would drop ABET accreditation (unless the entire major itself is dropped), due to it being common for civil engineering graduates to eventually seek PE licensing (where ABET accreditation is helpful). So if that is the case, it would likely be chemical or mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>Is it also the case that Stanford engineering graduates tend not to have much interest in the patent exam (the other place besides PE licensing where ABET accreditation matters)?</p>
<p>The article at <a href=“http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Stanford-seeks-to-create-new-breed-of-engineer-3269485.php”>http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Stanford-seeks-to-create-new-breed-of-engineer-3269485.php</a> may provide some insight. They write:</p>
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<p>Hmmm, looks like the answer is that Stanford reduced the number of credit units of math/science and engineering courses for EE majors between 2012-2013 (last year of ABET accreditation) and 2013-2014.</p>
<p>ABET accreditation for engineering has a baseline of 1/4 of the total units in math/science and 3/8 of the total units in engineering. Stanford normally requires 180 quarter units total, so this means 45 quarter units in math/science and 68 quarter units in engineering. A comparison of the degree requirements shows the difference between EE 2012-2013 (45 units math/science and 68 units engineering) and EE 2013-2014 (40 units math/science and 60 units engineering).</p>
<p><a href=“SoE Undergrad Handbook”>SoE Undergrad Handbook;
<a href=“SoE Undergrad Handbook”>SoE Undergrad Handbook;
<p>Many engineering programs offer ECE type programs. However they may be differently named. Off the top of my head I’ve heard of:
EECS - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
CSE - Computer Science and Engineering
ECE - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Additionally there are some schools (other posters have mentioned Stanford) that offer CS concentrations in an EE major. </p>
<p>The change in course limits sounds like an effect, rather than a cause. If you look at the specific course requirements, they are essentially unchanged. For example, in math and science, they previously required a calculus sequence, linear algebra, differential equations, a probability course, and the physics sequence . As I recall, these were the same requirements when I was an EE student. These classes came to a total of approximately 40 units, with variation depending on the specific classes chosen (there are several course sequences that fulfill the above, with different numbers of credits). It’s probably a smaller portion of the graduation credits than at some schools because of the quarter system (a class that might be a semester or two trimesters elsewhere is done in a quarter.) If not required by ABET, why would they continue to require 45 credits for a course list that only comes to approximately 40 credits? Why not instead allow students the option to use those credits on classes in negotiation, entrepreneurship, working with business/law/medical schools, etc., as discussed in the earlier article?</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon’s most popular major is ECE :)</p>
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<p>Doubt it has anything to do with the quarter system. 20 quarter units of calculus, multivariable calculus, and differential equations at Stanford seems to be similar to what other schools take to cover the same topics.</p>
<p>Stanford may cover more material per credit unit than some schools, but that would not be because of the quarter system.</p>
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<p>Some students, looking toward PE licensing or the patent exam, may prefer an ABET accredited degree, and/or may have chosen to take the additional 5 units of math/science and 8 units of engineering (about 3 courses) anyway. Even 45 units of math/science and 68 units of engineering still leaves 67 units for everything else (required humanities and social studies plus free electives) – are students’ schedules under these conditions that packed that they could not take those courses of interest?</p>
<p>A question would be, did Stanford consider doing what Dartmouth does, which is to offer both a non-ABET accredited engineering major, and an ABET-accredited version with additional requirements? (Dartmouth does have the latter as more than a 12 quarter program, but Stanford would not have to, since its ABET accredited engineering majors fit into 12 quarters.)</p>
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I took a portion of the math sequence at SUNYA and the other at Stanford, so I’ll use these two colleges as an example. At SUNYA, all the math classes are semester length, so the course credits end up being a larger portion of the 25% ABET minimum that at Stanford. At SUNYA, it would take ~21/120 credits required for graduation to complete the full calc + linear algebra + differential equations + probability math courses and 6/120 for the physics requirement leading to the math + physics taking 22.5% of the graduation credits. If you include the extra science elective stanford requires, you meet the 25% required by ABET without additional courses. At Stanford the same courses are all on the quarter system, so 50% more credits are required for graduation. The same course list would give ~35 of the 180 credits for graduation, 19% of the graduation credits. The same course list sequence meets the ABET requirement if classes are taken at SUNYA and falls ~3 classes short of the ABET requirement if classes are taken at Stanford. That’s a significant difference.</p>
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Like I touched on earlier, I doubt the choice of not having ABET primarily relates to an ABET requiring an extra 3 classes beyond their current requirements. I’d expect it more relates to the benefit of having ABET generally not being worth the extra restrictions added by the program. For example, maybe they want to support electrical engineers with a music depth concentration that includes technical courses in the music department, which may not fit with the ABET standard program and/or engineering requirement. Maybe they want to support self designed programs, such as one focused on medical devices or nanotechnology, that involves interaction with the medical school. Maybe they have a lot of unique admits with passions to change the world, and being able to customize the program to these goals impacts more students than the number of future patent attorney needing to take the category B patent exam instead of category A. </p>
<p>The employment stats provided by the career center also do not suggest the lack of ABET in various programs is holding students back in terms of percent employment, salaries, and desired companies. Instead among Payscale members, both Stanford’s engineering and CS majors have the highest median starting salary among graduates from any non-military college in those fields. .The lack of ABET also doesn’t seem to be holding back Stanford’s reputation in these fields. Instead USNWR, Times World Rankings, and most others rank them among the top 2 in both engineering and CS. Stanford is obviously doing something right, which may or may not relate to their unique choices about having a more flexible program instead of the ABET default.</p>