The  Phillip M. Drayer Department of  Electrical Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about

ELEN4206/4207 Senior Projects Design

What is "EE Content"?

EE Content refers to the technical level of a senior project that is produced in the projects course: ELEN4206/4207. Many students are unclear as to what a senior project entails and think that it might be not far removed from what you might produce for a science fair. Although many science fair projects meet a fair assessment as engineering endeavors, they rarely include the level of project management and design that go into a senior project. EE Content of a project proposal is determined by the faculty and basically says that the design of the project is such that one would not expect a student in a discipline other than EE to be able to produce the project.

What is "Project Management"?

Project management may be defined as "The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities to meet the requirements of a particular project."† We (the LUEE faculty) want you to apply what you have learned. You have amassed quite a bit of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques and now you need to use them to produce your project.

What is "Design"?

Design, or the ability to design, is what characterizes an engineer as opposed to other technologists. One good definition that you can find on the web for design is as follows:

plan: make or work out a plan for; devise; "They contrived to murder their boss"; "design a new sales strategy"; "plan an attack"

This definition is a bit extreme, but the word engineer has roots in the Medieval Latin word ingenia're, which means contriver or to contrive. We like to think of it in a more positive sense and talk in terms of designing a device. Since we are electrical engineers, it is only natural for us to design electrical, electronic or photonic devices. By taking the courses in the LUEE undergraduate curriculum, you have learned how to design circuits and software and you also should have a sense of how systems work, what power is and what sensors are. Now, we want to see you put all of that knowledge to work and actually design something unique.

Where do project ideas come from?

That is a tough question. There are many sources for project ideasÑthe department posts a list every year of ideas that you might want to pursue. The other place for ideas is your coursework. Was there an area of study that you really enjoyed? That would be a good place to start in finding a topic. Did you have a favorite professor? They can be an excellent source of ideas. Another place to look is the Internet and IEEE publications. Some of the very best projects attempt to solve a problem. Is there something in your life that you wish was remote controlled (other than your roomate)?

How am I graded?

The projects course is by nature a team effort. One thing that is an essential element of the course is the fact that a team develops projects. It is very important that you learn how to accomplish engineering results as a team. This may seem to contradict the way things have been since you have had to do the bulk of your collegiate work alone. The course instructor will be looking to see that everyone is contributing and your grade will reflect your effort, the team's effort and the success or failure of the project.

Why is this called a capstone course?

A capstone course ties a lot of loose ends together and gives you an opportunity to show the faculty what you can do with all the engineering coursework that you have spent the last few years learning. It also gives the faculty the chance to make minor corrections and give you help before sending you off, degree in hand, to practice electrical engineering. Here are the electrical engineering program outcomes that will be tested in the projects course:

• apply knowledge of the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering fundamentals to the solution of electrical engineering problems.

• design and conduct experiments in electrical engineering, and to analyze and interpret the data generated by those experiments.

• design components, devices, and systems to meet specific needs in electrical engineering.

• work effectively on multi-disciplinary teams involving people from diverse backgrounds.

• identify and define problems in electrical and computer engineering, and to generate and evaluate solutions to those problems.

• communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in the field of electrical engineering.

• use the techniques, skills, and tools of modern engineering, including the use of computer-based technologies such as programming, use of engineering and business applications, and the use of electronic media, effectively in the practice of electrical engineering.