2009-2010 Undergraduate Studies Bulletin [Archived Catalog]
College of Engineering and Computing
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| Harry J. Ploehn, Interim Dean |
| Michael Perkins, Assistant Dean |
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The College of Engineering and Computing offers a broad range of opportunities for ambitious men and women who seek a challenging technical career in engineering or computer science. Due to the increasing influence of technology on our society, there is a growing need for graduates who have not only high technical competence but also an increased understanding of, and responsibility for, the impact that their work will have on our society.
The College curricula have been developed to provide students with the opportunities to develop problem-solving strategies. Students learn to apply science, mathematics, and creativity to solve problems. Increasingly, engineers and computer scientists must develop the interpersonal skills to work effectively in dealing with modern enterprises. They must also understand the economic, environmental, and ethical implications of their work.
The college is composed of five departments: Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. In addition, Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering collaborate to offer the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. Within the departments there is flexibility that allows students the opportunity to pursue specializations within these basic programs.
Any freshman applicant who is admitted to the baccalaureate degree program of the University of South Carolina is eligible to be admitted to any of the degree programs of the College. Transfer students with above-average records at other accredited colleges may apply for admission to the College of Engineering and Computing. Transfer students must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours, including at least half of the hours of work in the major, in residence.
Qualified students outside of this college may enroll in engineering and computing courses through the Student Services Office on a space-available basis.
Cooperative Education
The Cooperative Education Program in the college is an optional program designed to provide career-related work experiences alternating with academic semesters. The purpose of the co-op experience is to give direction and enrichment to the student’s education, to help the student in career decision making, to improve after-graduation job prospects, and to enable students to pay for a significant portion of their college expenses.
To qualify for the co-op program, students must have completed 30 semester hours, maintain at least a 2.50 grade point average, and participate in at least two work experiences, each equal to one academic semester. Students are encouraged to enroll with the Engineering and Computing Career Services Office during their freshman year.
In addition to the general University requirements for a bachelor’s degree, engineering and computing students must have a GPA on all engineering and computing courses attempted of at least 2.00, including repeated grades, and a GPA of 2.00 on all major courses, including repeated grades.
Students with a grade point average of less than 2.00 are considered to be on probation. Suspension from the University is described in the “Academic Regulations ” section of this bulletin.
Repetition of Course Work
A student can repeat no more than five courses from the college in order to satisfy the requirements for a degree from the College of Engineering and Computing. Regardless of other satisfactory work, a student may not repeat a course a third time. For this purpose, withdrawal from a course with a grade of W is not regarded as enrollment in that course.
Sophomore Year. A student must earn an overall GPA of at least 2.20 on the first 30 semester hours of course work to continue in the College of Engineering and Computing.
Upper Division. To be admitted to the upper division and to be eligible to enroll in upper-division classes, a student must have at least a 2.00 GPA on all lower-division courses required in the degree program. A listing of lower- and upper-division courses for all degree programs is maintained in the Student Services Office. The GPA computation will include repeated grades. (See “Repetition of Course Work,” above.) A student not meeting these requirements must transfer out of the College of Engineering and Computing.
At the time of admission to the upper division, those students with a GPA of at least 3.40 on the lower-division courses attempted may select the special Plan “M.” Selection of Plan “M” declares the student’s objective is a master’s degree and allows a sequencing of courses to meet that goal in an optimal time period. The student may plan a schedule, time of graduation, and finances accordingly. Students in Plan “M” would earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree and would be eligible for graduate assistantships upon admission to The Graduate School. Students in Plan “M” must maintain a GPA of 3.40.
Students not in Plan “M” may, of course, apply to graduate school in the customary fashion, and those in Plan “M” may opt out and become candidates for the bachelor’s degree only. Those not eligible (or who do not apply) for Plan “M” at the time of upper-division admission may do so later, if eligible.
The College of Engineering and Computing and the Moore School of Business support the B.S./I.M.B.A. program for undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and Computing. Under this program, undergraduate students with appropriate co-op or work experience and a GPA of 3.40, both overall and in their major field of study, may first submit an application to The Graduate School for acceptance to the accelerated program during the semester in which they will have 90 undergraduate credit hours. Generally, the equivalent of at least one year of full-time professional experience is required for acceptance to the accelerated B.S./I.M.B.A. program.
Students must also apply to the Moore School of Business for acceptance to the I.M.B.A. program. Satisfactory scores on the GMAT are required. Students will generally officially start taking I.M.B.A. core courses during the summer after they are within 30 hours of completing the undergraduate degree. The following year will be spent taking elective courses in the I.M.B.A. program. The first year of the I.M.B.A. program is tightly structured and provides little flexibility in scheduling, including the required internship. Courses remaining to complete the requirements for both programs will be taken during the second year of the I.M.B.A. program. Up to 9 hours of graduate courses may be used for dual credit in both programs. The specific courses must be approved by both programs for dual credit.
Certain majors within the college offer accelerated degree programs in accordance with the procedures given under the “Academic Regulations ” section of this bulletin.
Curricula
The College of Engineering and Computing offers programs leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and Bachelor of Science with a major in computer information systems. Majors for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering are chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering science, and mechanical engineering. The Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering is an interdisciplinary degree offered jointly by mechanical and chemical engineering. For biomedical engineering course information, please see the section below.
The curricula for all baccalaureate programs include a set of courses that fulfill the general education requirements of the University and a set of courses that are specific to the major. Elective courses within the major permit further specialization.
Second Baccalaureate Degree
At times the University confers a second baccalaureate degree upon candidates who have completed all requirements for the second degree, provided that the additional requirements for the second degree include a minimum of 32 semester hours beyond those required for the first degree and a minimum of 144 semester hours total. The College of Engineering and Computing cooperates with other colleges in this option.
Minors
A student in the College of Engineering and Computing may choose a minor from a field consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. The minor is intended to develop a coherent program in a second area of study. Descriptions of specific minor programs are available in the Student Services Office.
General Education Requirements
ENGL 101, 102 (6 hours)
Liberal Arts (12 hours)
MATH 141, 142 (8 hours)
A grade of C or better is required in ENGL 101 and 102 and MATH 141 and 142.
The liberal arts courses must, at a minimum, include one 3-hour course in history and one 3-hour course in the fine arts. Students should select liberal arts courses to complement the technical content of their curricula.
The natural science requirement of the University’s general education requirements is met by the science requirements of each degree program.
Foreign Languages: Students shall demonstrate in one foreign language the ability to comprehend the topic and main ideas in written and, with the exception of Latin and Ancient Greek, spoken texts on familiar subjects. This ability can be demonstrated by achieving a score of two or better on a USC foreign language test. Those failing to do so must satisfactorily complete equivalent study of foreign language at USC.
Individual programs may have additional requirements that could be considered as contributing to the general education requirements.
Departments and Programs
Click the links below to view departments and programs.
Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Computer Science and Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Science
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering and Computing (ENCP) Courses
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