Mar 28, 2024  
2015-2016 General Catalog 
    
2015-2016 General Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering


Dean: Yaw Yeboah

Associate Deans: Reginald Perry, Braketta Ritzenthaler

The accelerating pace of technological developments has created an ever-increasing demand for highly qualified, professional engineers. Expanding population and corresponding demands for new products, structures, designs, and improved services have posed new challenges to present and future engineers. Accordingly, the College of Engineering, through its curricula, strives to educate and train engineers to determine the best solutions to the challenges facing society today.

It is expected that students who conscientiously apply themselves and successfully complete one of the broad engineering programs will not only be technically trained, but also humanistically and socially educated, and thereby be well prepared to make a significant contribution to society.

An engineering student can pursue any one of several career plans, according to personal ambitions, interest, and abilities. The student may pursue the Bachelor of Science degree or an advanced research-oriented graduate program leading to the Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

History

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering was authorized by the 1982 legislature as a joint program between Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Florida State University. The joint nature of the college allows a student to register at either Florida A&M University or Florida State University and receive a degree in any of the college’s degree programs. A student entering the college applies for admission through one of the two universities and must satisfy the admission and general degree requirements of that university. The degree is granted through the College of Engineering by the university where the student is registered while completing upper-division studies. All College of Engineering classrooms and administrative and faculty offices are housed in a modern engineering complex located at 2525 Pottsdamer Street adjacent to Innovation Park.

Mission

The mission of the college is to provide an innovative academic program of excellence at the undergraduate and graduate levels judged by the highest standards in the field and recognized by national peers; to attract and produce greater numbers of women and minorities in professional engineering, engineering teaching, and research; and to attain national and international recognition of the college through the educational and research achievements and the professional service of its faculty and students.

Programs and Degrees

The College offers professional programs of study leading to the bachelor of science (B.S.), the master of science (M.S.), and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D). in chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering; a bachelor of science in computer engineering; and a master of science and doctor of philosophy in biomedical engineering. All undergraduate degree programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc http://www.abet.org. More complete information can be found at the College Web site and in the department sections of this Catalog.

Facilities

The college occupies over 200,000 square feet of classroom, offices, and laboratory space in a building complex especially designed for engineering education. It is located off the main campus of each university in an area adjacent to Innovation Park, which also houses the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL), the Center for Advanced Power Systems, and other university, public, and private organizations engaged in research, development, and clean industry operations. The college operates for the common use of all programs a computing facility, a library and reading room, and a machine shop. In addition, each department in the college operates specialized laboratories for teaching and research. Please refer to each department’s chapter for additional information on these specialized facilities.

Libraries

The main book and journal collections for FAMU engineering students are housed in the Coleman Library at Florida A&M University. The college also maintains an engineering library and reading room that functions as a satellite library for engineering students.

Computing Facilities

Students have access to many and various computing resources at the College of Engineering. Due to the unique requirements of engineering computing and the off-campus location of the college, the college is relatively autonomous in providing service to engineering students.

The college has over 2800 computing devices connected to its local network, managed by the college’s Communication and Multimedia Services (CMS) unit. CMS continues to evaluate and upgrade computer workstation hardware as the computational needs grow. Computers connect to the college’s gigabit fiber-optic backbone via 100Mbps Ethernet connections. One of the computer labs is open 24 hours a day when classes are in session; the other three are used as classrooms. The college also provides computing facilities in the public areas that are available to students 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Available software includes major general-purpose packages as well as special applications oriented toward particular engineering disciplines.

In addition to local Ethernet network, the college provides wireless LAN services with access points throughout the facilities for students who may want to use their own laptops to connect to the college’s computing resources.

The college has state-of-the-art instructional classrooms. The multimedia equipment in every classroom generally includes LCD projector, overhead projector and/or document camera, VCR, and sound system. The ceiling-mounted LCD projector is used for large-scale projection, linked to the PC at the instructor’s console. Multiple rooms are used for distance learning and the Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS). Multi-point IP videoconferencing is also available.

Scholarships

Thanks to the donations from industry partners, educational programs, and private donors, the College of Engineering is able to offer a limited number of scholarships to qualified engineering students. Students can obtain scholarship information from the Office of Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Curriculum or by visiting the college’s web site.

Career Services

The College provides a Career Center Office for students to obtain career related services. In addition, the University maintains a satellite office in the College Career Center to assist students in career and employment advising, including resume, cover letter and personal statement writing, internship/co-op opportunities and permanent job searches nationwide. Career Center staff also aid in preparing engineering students for interviews and presentations at career expositions, such as Engineering Day.

Requirements for Admission and Retention in an Engineering Major

Engineering is a demanding discipline, and students majoring in engineering must follow a required sequence of courses and achieve a high level of proficiency. In accordance with criteria of the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., http://www.abet.org, all engineering students are subject to a uniform set of academic requirements agreed to by both FAMU and FSU, in addition to any other academic requirements stated in the respective university catalog and bulletin. These requirements have been established to ensure that program graduates receive a quality education, while making progress toward satisfying engineering major degree requirements. They are reviewed and revised as needed by the College of Engineering.

Pre-Engineering Program Requirements

All first-year engineering students (first year in college or first-year transfer students) are initially coded as pre-engineering students until they satisfy the following set of pre-engineering requirements:

Students must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better and achieve a grade of ‘C’ or better, from any institution attended, in First Year Engineering Laboratory, Calculus I, Calculus II, General Chemistry I and General Physics I to be admitted to an engineering major. Intended chemical engineering students shall replace General Physics I with General Chemistry II. A single repeated attempt in only one of the five (5) courses listed above with no more than one grade of “C-” is allowed. Transfer students may receive an exemption from First-Year Engineering Laboratory if they have completed all of the other courses listed above prior to their matriculation to the college. Students should contact the College of Engineering if they feel they qualify for an exemption.

Any student who needs two repeated attempts to complete the five courses or has two or more grades of ‘C-” may be considered for continuation in engineering if additional grade and coursework requirements are satisfied. Any student who needs more than two repeated attempts to complete the five courses listed above does not satisfy this requirement and will not be allowed to continue in the engineering program. There are NO exceptions. Grades of “W” are not considered as a repeated attempt.

Pre-engineering students are strongly encouraged to contact an academic advisor prior to enrolling in any of the five retention courses to ensure they have completed the proper course prerequisites. Once a pre-engineering student satisfies all the pre-engineering requirements, he/she may visit the Office of Associate Dean to initiate the transfer process to his/her intended engineering major prior to the beginning of the following semester.

Course Grade Requirement and Practice

  1. It is the practice of the college not to use “plus and minus ( /-)” grading for any undergraduate engineering course;
  2. Engineering majors must earn a grade of “C” or better in all engineering courses that apply toward the degree. This requirement may be waived by the academic dean upon recommendation from the department chair for no more than one (1) such course; and
  3. A student who is failing a course cannot receive a grade of Incomplete (I). The student receiving an “I” must complete all course requirements during the next term of his enrollment.
  4. The College of Engineering does not allow students to use “Grade Forgiveness.” Students transferring to the College from another major may be required to relinquish grade forgiveness prior to the transfer. Any “Grade Forgiveness” incorrectly applied will be removed prior to graduation.

Repeated Course Attempts Policy

A student who fails to earn a grade of “C” or better after a second attempt in the same engineering course or who has an excessive number of repeated engineering course attempts may be transferred from his/her current engineering major to the pre-engineering major. The student may be reinstated back to his/her original engineering major only upon the approval of his/her academic department.

Engineering Course Prerequisites Policy

It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the prerequisites of an engineering course prior to enrollment in that course. A student may contact the engineering dean or department chair for additional information concerning course prerequisites and this policy. Failure to fulfill course prerequisites may result in the removal of the course from the student’s enrollment at any time during the semester with no refund of tuition or fees.

College of Engineering Course Withdrawal Policy

For accreditation reasons, the Course Withdrawal policy at the College of Engineering is different from the policy used at Florida A&M University. Undergraduate engineering students may withdraw from or “drop” any course in the current semester for any reason up to and including the 7th week of classes. There may be financial aid and other implications withdrawing from a course, so you should always contact with your academic advisor before withdrawing. The time period between weeks 7 and 10 of each semester is considered the Engineering “Late Drop” Period. The late drop deadline varies each semester, but generally occurs at the 10th week of classes. Depending on your academic classification, there are restrictions on the number of times you will be permitted to “late drop” a course during this period.

These restrictions are as follows: (a) all pre-engineering students are limited to a total of two (2) “late drops” during their tenure in the pre-engineering program. Students who reach their “two late drops” limit will NOT be permitted another late drop until they enter their intended engineering major. Students who are coded in a degree granting engineering major are permitted an unlimited number of “late drops” between the 7th week and the late drop deadline of the semester.

No course drops for any engineering student will be permitted after the late drop deadline of classes except in documented cases of administrative error, death in the immediate family, personal illness, or a military service obligation. The withdrawal deadlines are posted on the College of Engineering (http://www.famu.edu/engineering) webpage each semester and provided in an email sent to all engineering accounts. Students will be responsible for the grades they receive in all courses enrolled in the semester after the course withdrawal deadline.

College of Engineering Council of Academic Program Coordinators

The College of Engineering Council of Academic Program Coordinators (CAPC) has been assigned the responsibility to ensure that these academic requirements are equitably and consistently applied to all engineering students.

Transfer Students

Students who plan to enroll in another institution for the first two years and then transfer into the College of Engineering should use great care in selecting freshman and sophomore course work. To be admitted to an engineering major, transfer students must have satisfied the same set of pre-engineering requirements as students who take all their course work at FAMU. Additionally, transfer students who will earn an AA or have 60 or more hours of transfer credit prior to enrollment must have successfully completed Calculus I and at least one other pre-engineering course (excluding First-Year Engineering Laboratory). We prefer that AA transfer students have the majority of the pre-engineering courses completed prior to enrollment. Students are advised to consult with the college as early as possible concerning their first two years of study. Students who transfer out of the engineering program and then desire to transfer back may be subject to additional academic requirements before their request to transfer is considered. Please consult with the office of the associate dean for more information.

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements

A student who has taken a college preparatory curriculum in high school including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, physics, and chemistry can complete the requirements for the bachelor of science (BS) degree in four years and one summer with an average load of sixteen (16) hours per semester. A student with superior high school training may take advantage of opportunities for advanced placement through the University’s programs for acceleration. In order to satisfy the State of Florida, Division of Colleges and Universities’ requirement of summer attendance, it is recommended that students enroll in the summer session at the end of the first year. Students who are not prepared to begin with calculus I (MAC 2311) will be required to complete the necessary prerequisite mathematics course. This may require one or two additional semesters of coursework.

General Education Component

Engineering students must take a total of twenty-four semester hours in the areas of English, history, humanities, and social sciences.

First-Year Engineering Laboratory

All engineering students must complete the one-hour laboratory (or its equivalent) EGN 1004L. Students who enter the engineering program having completed all of the requirements listed under “Pre-engineering Requirements” except for completion of EGN 1004L may receive a waiver of this requirement if they attend the New Engineering Student Orientation. Students who are pursuing a second baccalaureate degree in engineering may also receive a waiver with permission of the engineering dean. Any student who transfers out of engineering and then desires to transfer back to engineering must complete the course or its equivalent.

Mathematics and Basic Science Core

All graduates of the college must master a common body of knowledge in mathematics and basic science. This has been addressed by the adoption of a mathematics and basic science core for all students seeking the BS in engineering. Some of these courses may be completed at a community college. The required courses are listed below:

Course Credit Hours
*CHM 1045 General Chemistry I (3)  4
*CHM 1045L General Chemistry Laboratory I (1)   0
*MAC 2311 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (4)   4
*MAC 2312 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II (4)   4
*MAC 2313 Calculus with Analytic Geometry III (5)   5
*MAP 2302 Differential Equations (3) 
or Equivalent
3
*PHY 2048C Gen Phys I W/ Lab   5
*PHY 2049C Gen Physics B   5

* This is a state common prerequisite. Substitutes indicated in the State Common Prerequisite Manual at www.facts.org will be accepted.

State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites

The State of Florida has identified common program prerequisites for this University degree program. Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites, but may not be admitted into the program. Students are strongly encouraged to select required lower division electives that will enhance their general education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.

The following lists the common program prerequisites or their substitutions necessary for admission into this upper-division degree program:

  1. MAC X311 or MAC X281
  2. MAC X312 or MAC X282
  3. MAC X313 or MAC X283
  4. MAP X302 or MAC X305
  5. CHM X045/X045L or CHMX045C or CHS X440
  6. CHMX046/X046L or CHMX046C*
  7. PHY X048/X048L or PHYX048C or PHYX043/X048L
  8. PHY X049/X049L or PHYX049C or PHYX044/X049L

Common Program Prerequisites can also be found at http://www.facts.org

Engineering Major Area

Course requirements for engineering major areas consist of additional mathematics and basic science courses, engineering core courses (e.g. thermodynamics, engineering mechanics, electrical circuit analysis), engineering required courses, and engineering technical courses. A current statement of requirements for engineering major areas is available as advising materials in the academic departments.

Definition of Prefixes

EEL-Electrical Engineering
EGM-Engineering Mechanics
EGN-General Engineering
EML-Mechanical Engineering

Graduate Admission Requirements

A candidate must fulfill the following minimum requirements for admission into the graduate program:

  1. A Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or a closely allied field from an accredited institution of higher learning;
  2. Score of at least 1000 on Graduate Records Examinations (GRE), quantitative and verbal portions combined. All candidates must submit official exam scores prior to being admitted as a regular graduate student;
  3. A grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale on all works while registered as an upper-division student;
  4. A minimum of 550 on the TOEFL examination (for international students only);
  5. Any admission requirements of the department.

For additional information, refer to the degree requirements under each department.

Graduate Financial Assistance Opportunities

Many graduate students in the College of Engineering are being supported through teaching or research assistantships. Fellowships are available for exceptionally qualified students. Interested students should contact the department of their selected major for detailed information and application materials.

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Graduate Programs

Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Industrial Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Courses

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