FAMU–FSU College of Engineering

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 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.

The mission of the College is to provide an innovative academic program of excellence at the graduate and undergraduate 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.

The College offers professional programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Science, the Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy 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. The College also offers interdisciplinary specializations in bioengineering, biomedical, environmental, and materials engineering. More complete information can be found at the College Web site (http://www.eng.fsu.edu/) and in the department sections of this General Bulletin.

The College occupies over 200,000 sq. ft. of classroom, office, and laboratory space in a building complex especially designed for engineering education. It is located off the main campus of the university, in an area adjacent to Innovation Park, which also houses the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the Center for Advanced Power Systems, the High Performance Materials Institute, and other University, public and private organizations engaged in research, development, and clean industry operations. Each department of the College operates specialized laboratories for teaching and research that are listed in the College description of programs. The College operates a computing facility, a library and reading room, as well as a machine shop for the common use of all programs.

Libraries

The main book and journal collections for engineering are housed in the Dirac Science Library at Florida State University and in the Coleman Library at Florida A&M University. The College also maintains an engineering library resource and reading room (also referred to as the engineering reading room or the College library) that functions as a satellite to the two university libraries relative to engineering needs. Collections at the College library include monographs, texts, and reference works that directly support instruction and research at the College. Library computer facilities enable extensive electronic literature search throughout the university libraries and other sources. Library services include literature search training sessions for students and faculty. The College library is headed by a full-time librarian who is also a staff member of one of the two university libraries. Other College library personnel include assistants supported by the College.

Computing Facilities

Students have access to 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 2,000 computing devices connected to its local network, managed by the College's Communication and Multimedia Services (CMS) unit. Computers connect to the College's network via 1Gbps and 100Mbps Ethernet connections. Over 200 high-end Intel-compatible workstations are provided for general student use. These computers are housed in four labs: one of the computer labs is open 24 hours a day when classes are in session, while the other three are used primarily as classrooms. The College also provides workstations in public areas that are available to students 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A cluster of Sun servers backed by a Storage Area Network, as well as a number of independent Solaris, Windows, and Linux server platforms, provide a range of computing services to the College user community. CMS continues to evaluate and upgrade computer capabilities as computational needs grow. Additionally, both universities provide on-campus facilities that are available to all students. To support the instructional and research missions of the College, a variety of software packages is provided, including major general-purpose packages, as well as special applications oriented toward particular disciplines. The College's research labs contain dozens of computational systems to provide enhanced research capabilities including complex number crunching for simulations. College researchers also take advantage of shared computational clusters located at the College and at each university. The College's computing infrastructure uses high-end core router/switches interconnected to edge switching via gigabit fiber. The College Internet connection is a gigabit link connecting through the Florida State University backbone (Florida State University acts as the Internet services provider for the College) allowing for fast access to the Internet2 and the new LambdaRail network. Florida A&M University's computing facilities also are connected to the Tallahassee MAN, thus providing a link to the College for its students. In addition to the local wired network, the College provides wireless LAN services throughout the facility 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 and is linked to the PC at the instructor's console. Multiple rooms are used for distance learning and the Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS); these rooms have two studio cameras and one document camera connected to a desktop PC with a scan converter to display Web pages. A two-way videoconferencing link to the FSU-Panama City campus provides distance delivery of classes to those students, and distance-learning collaborations with other universities are frequent. Live and recorded programs, classes, and events are streamed via the Internet to authorized viewers. Multi-point IP videoconferencing is also available.

Supporting Facilities

Other nearby resources include the Office of Technology Integration (OTI); the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (the 'Mag Lab'); the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS); the High Performance Materials Institute (HPMI), the Challenger Learning Center in downtown Tallahassee that houses a 3-D IMAX theatre, planetarium, and a Challenger Space Mission and Control Center; Northwest Regional Data Center (NWRDC); Florida Department of Transportation research facilities; and WFSU Public Broadcasting television and radio stations as well as FAMU Computing Services.

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 Web site at http://www.eng.fsu.edu/index.php?page=schol_main.

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 opportunity, 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.

The College of Engineering offers honors in the major in several departmental programs. For requirements and other information, see the "University Honors Office and Honor Societies" chapter of this General Bulletin.

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 ABET, Inc. (the recognized accreditor for College and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology), 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, make progress toward satisfying engineering major degree requirements, and are reviewed and revised as needed by the College of Engineering.

Pre-Engineering Requirements

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

1. Students must achieve a grade of "C" or better in EGN 1004L First Year Engineering Laboratory (1 hour), Calculus I, Calculus II, General Chemistry I, and General Physics from any institution attended. 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. 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. Contact the Office of the Dean for details. Any student who needs three or more 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. A transfer student may be eligible for a waiver to complete EGN-1004L First-Year Engineering Laboratory. Contact the Office of the Dean for more details.
2. Once a pre-engineering student satisfies all the pre-engineering requirements, he/she may visit the Office of 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 such course; and
3. A student who is failing a course cannot receive a grade of Incomplete (I). The student must complete all course requirements during the next term of the student's enrollment.

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 the engineering dean and Council of Academic Program Coordinators (CAPS).

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 Council of Student Affairs and Curriculum

The College of Engineering Council of Student Affairs and Curriculum has been assigned the responsibility to ensure that these academic requirements are equitably and consistently applied to all engineering students.

Course Withdrawal/Drop Policy

1. Engineering students who seek to withdraw from or drop a course should do so by the drop deadline established by the College of Engineering. Please note that the engineering drop deadline is generally several weeks before the university's late course-drop deadline. Engineering students will not be permitted to drop or withdraw from a course after the engineering deadline except for a medical emergency, military obligation, or administrative reason.
2. An engineering student with excessive course withdrawals/drops may be transferred from his/her current engineering major to the pre-engineering major until he/she has met with an academic adviser to determine what steps are needed to improve his/her academic performance. The student may be reinstated back to his/her original engineering major only upon the approval of his/her academic department, the engineering dean, and the Council of Academic Program Coordinators (CAPS).

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 pre-engineering requirements as students who take all their course work at FSU. Students are advised to consult with the College as early as possible concerning their first two years of study. Students who transfer out of 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 Student Services for more information.

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 degree in four years and one Summer with an average load of sixteen 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) may need to attend one additional Summer session.

The engineering curriculum is made up of five components: liberal studies, first-year engineering laboratory, engineering core, required courses in the engineering major area, and technical electives.

Liberal Studies

All students must meet University requirements for baccalaureate degrees stated in the "Undergraduate Degree Requirements" chapter of this General Bulletin. Of the thirty-six semester hours required in liberal studies, thirteen of these semester hours are automatically satisfied by the engineering core courses listed herein. The engineering student must take a total of twenty-four semester hours in the areas of English, history, humanities, and social sciences. Students unprepared to begin calculus at the university level must, of course, also complete the necessary mathematics course work preparatory to calculus. All prospective engineering students should select humanities and social science courses to meet the above requirements.

First-Year Engineering Laboratory

All engineering students must complete EGN 1004L, the one-hour laboratory or its equivalent. Students entering the engineering program having completed all of the requirements listed under "Pre-engineering Requirements" except for 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.

Engineering Core

All graduates of the College must master a common body of knowledge about their profession. This has been addressed by the adoption of an engineering core for all students seeking the BS in engineering. Some of these courses may be completed at a community college that offers a pre-engineering track. Others are only offered within the College.

The engineering core, which consists of basic science, mathematics, and professional courses, ensures that every student is provided with a solid background education regardless of his or her option. The required courses are listed below:

CHM 1045C General Chemistry I (4)

CHM 1045L General Chemistry I Laboratory (0)

EEL 3003 Introduction to Electrical Engineering*** (3)

EEL 3003L Introduction to Electrical Engineering Lab*** (1)

EGM 3512 Engineering Mechanics** (4)

EGN 2123 Computer Graphics for Engineers**** (2)

EGN 3613 Principles of Engineering Economy* (2)

EML 3100 Thermodynamics* (2)

MAC 2311 Calculus with Analytical Geometry I (4)

MAC 2312 Calculus with Analytical Geometry II (4)

MAC 2313 Calculus with Analytical Geometry III (5)

MAP 3305 Engineering Mathematics I (3)

PHY 2048C General Physics A (5)

PHY 2049C General Physics B (5)

State of Florida Common Program 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.

At the time this document was published, some common program prerequisites were undergoing revision. Please visit http://facts23.facts.org/navigation/detail_ext/cpp_intro.do?pageId=060304 for a current list of state-approved prerequisites.

The following lists the common program prerequisites or approved substitutions necessary for our engineering degree programs:

1. ENC X101
2. ENC X102
3. MAC X311*
4. MAC X312*
5. MAC X313*
6. MAC X302
7. CHM X045/X045L**
8. PHY X048/X048L
9. PHY X049/X049L
10. Six (6) semester hours of humanities
11. Six (6) semester hours of social sciences
12. Three (3) additional semester hours in humanities or social sciences

•  * or MAC X281, MAC X282, MAC X283
•  ** or CHS X440

Course requirements for engineering major areas consist of additional mathematics and basic science courses, engineering science courses, and engineering design courses. A current statement of requirements for engineering major areas is available as advising materials in the academic departments.

EEL—Electrical Engineering

EGM—Engineering Mechanics

EGN—General Engineering

EML—Mechanical Engineering

EEL 3003. Introduction to Electrical Engineering (3). Prerequisites: MAC 2312, PHY 2048. Corequisite: EEL 3003L. This course is an introduction to electrical engineering concepts for non-electrical engineering majors. It covers a broad range of topics, including basic circuit theory, semiconductor devices, microprocessors, instrumentation amplifiers, and machines.

EEL 3003L. Introduction to Electrical Engineering Laboratory (1). Prerequisites: MAC 2312, PHY 2048. Corequisite: EEL 3003. Laboratory in support of EEL 3003. Must be taken concurrently with first enrollment in EEL 3003. Must be dropped if EEL 3003 is dropped.

EGM 3512. Engineering Mechanics (4). Prerequisites: MAC 2312, PHY 2048. Corequisite: MAC 2313. Course topics include statics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies using vector analysis, free body diagrams, equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies, particle and general rigid body motion, work/energy, impulse and momentum methods.

EGN 1004L. First Year Engineering Laboratory (1). An emphasis on student time management, a variety of products and processes, and computer-aided problem solving. Product/process involves sketching and drawing pertinent diagrams by hand, and learning the history and engineering concepts involved.

EGN 2123. Computer Graphics for Engineers (2). Prerequisite: MAC 2311. Course covers principles of engineering graphics: visualization, spreadsheet applications, graphical calculus, and descriptive geometry. Also introduces the engineering design process and CAD systems.

EGN 3613. Principles of Engineering Economy (2). Prerequisite: MAC 2313. An emphasis on discrete cash flow diagrams, cash flow equivalence factors, standard criteria for comparing project proposals, special cash flow topics, special analysis, and case studies.

EML 3100. Thermodynamics (2). Prerequisites: MAC 2312, PHY 2049. An introduction to engineering thermodynamics; basic concepts, properties of pure substances, work and heat; first and second laws of thermodynamics, closed and open systems, formulations, engineering applications.