Student Resources

ECE offers a variety of academic support services, encourages students to approach learning in new and innovative ways, and provides extensive academic advising services.

You're assigned an academic advisor in Academic Advising as a freshmen, and work with that advisor until declaring or being admitted into a major.

Once you've declared a major within the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, you will receive advisement through the CNSE Advisement Office.

Academic Advising: Please contact Academic Advising to speak with an academic advisor.

CNSE Advising: Please contact the CNSE Advisement Office at [email protected] and schedule an appointment today to speak with an advisor.

Meet Your Advisor: Todd Schnitzer

• Undergraduate Program Requirements
• Undergraduate Courses

The undergraduate program planning checklists allows students to plan and stay on track for graduation. These checklists include all of the required courses needed to complete the degree, course prerequisites, and general education and ECE program requirements. Please work with your academic advisor each semester to go over your plan.

• Electrical and Computer Engineering, BS
• Electrical and Computer Engineering: Alternate, BS

Laptops are required for in-class instructional purposes in many CNSE courses. Laptops will be used to solve problems, collaborate, discuss applications of engineering, and work on engineering projects. The College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering at the University at Albany has collaborated with the UAlbany Information Technology Services (ITS) in establishing academic purchase programs with Dell and Apple which allow students to purchase laptops at special savings.

Since laptops are required in many CNSE classes, our students need to factor the purchase cost of a laptop into the total educational expenses. Questions about financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid office. Please contact your department with any questions about the program.

• Technology Discounts for Computers: Sign in to your MyUAlbany portal. Scroll down to the Technology Resources menu on the left side of the screen. You will see links to Apple Store for Education, Dell University Laptop Program, as well as other technology resources.
• Minimum Configurations: CNSE suggests that a minimum configuration would consist of an i5 Intel processor, with 8 GB of main memory, and at least 500 GB HDD. A recommended configuration would include an i7 Intel processor, 16 GB of main memory and 1 TB HDD or 512GB SDD. Likewise, CEAS suggests you consider protecting your purchase with AppleCare (for Apple) or Accidental Damage Service (for Dell) for at least 3 years.
• Software Available to UAlbany Students: Also in the Technology Resources section of MyUAlbany is a link to software that is available to our University community (including Office365). MatLab Simulink is an example of software that CNSE students will need in some of their computer science or engineering classes. And all you have to do is download it! For more information about technology discounts, visit the Technology Resources section mentioned above or contact the ITS Help Desk at 518-442-3700.

For more information, please review the CNSE Laptop Program.

• How to Read Your Degree Audit
• Tutoring

Undergraduate Course Requirements for Admission to ECE Graduate Program

Students who wish to pursue graduate study within ECE typically hold an accredited bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline of engineering. In instances where a student does not meet the background requirements to pursue graduate studies, they may take courses in preparation for the degree. The background course requirements, as set by the ECE Department Graduate Curriculum Committee are as follows:

• Calculus through Differential Equations
• ECE 141 Programming for Engineers (or equivalent)
• ECE 231 Digital Systems (or equivalent)
• ECE 202 Introduction to Circuits (or equivalent)
• ECE 371 Signals and Systems (or equivalent)

Additional courses may be needed as prerequisites to take courses within the following program concentration areas

Signal Processing, Communications and Control:

• MAT 370 Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences (or equivalent)
• ECE 471 Communication Systems (or equivalent) 

Electronic Circuits and Systems:

• ECE 300 Introduction to Electronics (or equivalent)
• ECE 310 Engineering Electromagnetics (or equivalent)

Computing Systems:

• ECE 213 Data Structures (or equivalent)
• ECE 233 The Hardware/Software Interface (or equivalent) 

• Graduate Program Requirements
• Graduate Courses
• Graduate Courses by Concentration Area
• MS Course Recommendations

• Advisor Selection and Change Form
• MS Student Plan of Study
• MS Project Proposal
• MS Thesis Committee Nomination 

Note: These forms are intended to be completed online. Please open the form in SharePoint and select download to open the form in the PDF view to complete.

• Advisor Selection and Change Form
• Doctoral Dissertation Defense Examination Form
• Doctoral Student Plan of Study
• Doctoral Qualifying Examination Application
• Doctoral Qualifying Examination Results
• Doctoral Candidacy Examination Application
• Doctoral Candidacy Examination Results

Note: These forms are intended to be completed online. Please open the form in SharePoint and select download to open the form in the PDF view to complete.

The Graduate Handbook contains information about departmental policies, procedures and requirements as a reference for students in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department.