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computer engineering graduate courses

Mercer offers a variety of courses designed to provide you with advanced study in computer engineering. Computer engineers are required to take three ECE courses and three SSE courses to fulfill part of their 30 required credit hours. Click on a course to view more information. Note: Course descriptions reflect those outlined in the Mercer University Macon Campus Catalog.

Click on Graduate Course to access the schedule.

ECE 601. Filter Synthesis	ECE 657. Radar Fundamentals
ECE 604. Engineering Analysis	ECE 661. Linear Control Systems
ECE 623. Computer Architecture	ECE 662. Fuzzy Logic Control
ECE 631. Special Topics in Digital Signal Processing	ECE 669. Special Topics in Contro
ECE 632. Adaptive Signal Processing	SSE 553. Accelerated C++ Design
ECE 633. Image Processing	SSE 556. Java Design I
ECE 634. Statistical Signal Processing	SSE 570. Software Engineering
ECE 635. Detection and Estimation	SSE 571. Java Design II
ECE 641. Applied Electromagnetic Fields I	SSE 572. Disciplined Software Development
ECE 642. Applied Electromagnetic Fields II	SSE 581. Structures, Algorithms and Timing
ECE 643. Microwaves	SSE 635. Advanced Computational Techniques
ECE 651. Digital Communication Systems Design I	SSE 657. Object-Oriented Project Methods
ECE 652. Digital Communication Systems Design II	SSE 658. Design Patterns
ECE 653. Linear Block Codes	SSE 659. Refactoring
ECE 654. Convolutional Codes	SSE 660. Software Test
ECE 655. Computer and Data Networks	SSE 673. Software Processes
ECE 656. Wireless Networking Communications	SSE 674. Software Risk Management

Electrical Courses

ECE 601. Filter Synthesis (3 hours)
Synthesis of active and passive continuous filters and switched capacitor filters. Methods of approximation in the time and frequency domain. Sensitivity and optimization.

ECE 604. Engineering Analysis (3 hours)
Prerequisites: MAT 293 or equivalent, MAT 330 or equivalent.
Topics from linear algebra, complex analysis, and numerical methods. Emphasis on engineering applications.

ECE 623. Computer Architecture (3 hours)
Advanced topics in computer architecture: pipelining, principles, superscalar techniques, vector processors, SIMD computers, MIMD computers, multiprogramming.

ECE 631. Special Topics in Digital Signal Processing (3 hours)
Topics of current interest in DSP. Topics chosen based on student and instructor interest: Implementation considerations for digital filters, hardware structures for DSP, two-dimensional signal processing, digital speech processing, radar signal processing.

ECE 632. Adaptive Signal Processing (3 hours)
Analysis, design, and implementation of adaptive filters: steepest descent algorithms, least squares, Kalman filter, LMS.

ECE 633. Image Processing (3 hours)
Introduction to image processing: perception, imaging, image transforms, image enhancement, restoration, encoding, segmentation, and representation.

ECE 634. Statistical Signal Processing (3 hours)
Random signals and noise, random processes, optimal filters, linear prediction, and spectral estimation.

ECE 635. Detection and Estimation (3 hours)
Methods of parameter estimation of systems: least-squares estimation, properties of estimators, maximum likelihood estimation, maximum a posteriori estimation, state estimation.

ECE 641. Applied Electromagnetic Fields I (3 hours)
Advanced Electromagnetic theory. Time-varying and time-harmonic electromagnetic fields. Electrical properties of matter. Wave equation and its solutions. Analysis, synthesis, and boundary conditions. Bessel functions and Green's function.

ECE 642. Applied Electromagnetic Fields II (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ECE 641.
A continuation of ECE 641.

ECE 643. Microwaves (3 hours)
Microwave waveguides and reflection amplifier. Equivalent circuit theory of microwave systems. Microwave oscillator circuits. Optical fiber waveguides and light modulation. Dielectric planar waveguides. Microwave measurements and evaluations.

ECE 651. Digital Communication Systems Design I (3 hours)
Elements of digital communication systems design, review of random signal theory, Shannon =s channel coding and channel capacity theorem, Gaussian and fading channel models, baseband signaling, Nyquist criterion and pulse shaping, channel equalization, binary modulation schemes, coherent and noncoherent detection of binary signals in Gaussian noise.

ECE 652. Digital Communication Systems Design II (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ECE 651 or consent of instructor.
Quantenary modulation schemes, M-ary mutilation schemes, detection of M-ary signals in Gaussian noise, Continuous phase mutilation, digital signaling over fading multipath channels, direct sequence and frequency hopping spread spectrum signaling, CDMA and its applications in mobile/secure communications.

ECE 653. Linear Block Codes (3 hours)
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.
Galois field theory, linear block codes, algebraic structure of linear cyclic codes, erasures and soft decoding, BCH and Reed-Solomon codes, Berlekamp-Massy algorithm, code modification and concatenation, burst error correction with Reed-Solomon codes.

ECE 654. Convolutional Codes (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ECE 653.
Linear convolutional codes, structural properties of convolutional codes, the Viterbi algorithm, sequential decoding of convolutional codes, punctured convolutional codes trellis coded modulation, turbo codes, performance evaluation of coded signals.

ECE 655. Computer and Data Networks (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ECE Graduate Standing.
Data characterization and encoding, flow control error control, HDLC protocols, circuit switched networks, packet switched networks, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks, OSI protocols and architecture, TCP/IP protocols, internetworking and the internet.

ECE 656. Wireless Networking Communications (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ECE 451 or Graduate Standing.
The cellular concept and the first generation cellular networks, characterization of mobile communication channels, slow fading and link budget analysis for wireless communications, multipath padding and Doppler effect, modulation for wireless communications, channel coding and CDPD system, 2G and GSM architecture, multiple access technologies, introduction to CDMA and 3G.

ECE 657. Radar Fundamentals (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ECE Graduate Standing.
Generation, detection, and processing of radar signals. Transmitter and receiver characteristics and performance measurement; antenna considerations; range, azimuth, doppler detection; performance in noise.

ECE 661. Linear Control Systems (3 hours)
Foundations of control systems theory. State space theory. State transformations, Canonical forms. Observability and controllability. State variable feedback and state observers.

ECE 662. Fuzzy Logic Control (3 hours)
Introduction to fuzzy logic. Fuzzy inference engines, fuzzifiers, defuzzifiers. Adaptive fuzzy controllers. Stability analysis.

ECE 669. Special Topics in Control (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ECE 661 or permission of the instructor.
One or more of the following topics: Discrete time control, optimal control, robust control, and nonlinear control.

SPECIAL COURSES: ECE 691, 692, 693, 699 may be taken for variable credit and may be repeated for credit with permission of advisor.

ECE 691, 692, 693. Special Topics (1-6 hours)
ECE 698. Professional Seminar (1-6 hours)
ECE 699. Thesis Research (1-6 hours)\

A maximum of 6 hours of research may be counted toward the degree. Only grades of satisfactory or unsatisfactory will be assigned.

Software Courses

SSE 553. Accelerated C++ Design (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 556
An accelerated course in design for proficient Java developers using the C++ language.

SSE 556. Java Design I (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE graduate standing or permission of the program director.
The use of a modern object-oriented programming (OOP) language (Java) to develop software including applications and applets, object oriented programming, basic data types and control structures, methods, graphic displays, and simple graphic user interfaces. Introduction to software testing. Introduction to a modern system modeling language such as Unified Modeling Language (UML). May include topics such as simple exception handling and file I/O.

SSE 570. Software Engineering (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE graduate standing or permission of the program director.
Software engineering overview, including software processes and software project management. Software requirements, requirements engineering processes, system models, prototyping, and formal specification. Software design, distributed systems architectures, object-oriented design, real-time software design, reuse and user interface design. Critical systems, dependability, specification, and development. Verification and validation, software testing, and critical systems validation. Software management, cost estimation, quality management, and process improvement. Software evolution, change, re-engineering, and configuration management.

SSE 571. Java Design II (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 556.
A continuation of SSE 556, with greater breadth and depth. Additional Java APIs are introduced. Use of peer reviews such as pair programming, agile software development, or software inspections. May include topics such as simple exception handling and file I/O and interfaces to HTML.

SSE 572. Disciplined Software Development (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 556.
Individual software development practices for estimating, measuring, and controlling process schedule and product quality. May include the Personal Software Process (PSP).

SSE 581. Structures, Algorithms and Timing (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 556.
Object oriented data structures and algorithms for processing them. Timing considerations and timing specification in UML. May include programming with relevant APIs.

SPECIAL COURSES: 591, 592, 593 for variable credit. May be repeated for credit with permission of the advisor.

SSE 591, 592, 593. Special Topics (1-6 hours)

SSE 635. Advanced Computational Techniques (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 571.
Topics covered may include genetic algorithms, artificial intelligence, and/or neural networks.

SSE 657. Object-Oriented Project Methods (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 556.
Covers the software development life cycle. General object oriented analysis techniques (OOA) for software and system specifications are presented and applied to develop application domain models and requirements specifications. Techniques for transforming the requirements specifications into designs are presented and applied to develop language independent object oriented designs (OOD). A modern specification language such as UML will be used. Iterative and incremental software processes.

SSE 658. Design Patterns (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 571.
Advanced topics in object oriented design (OOD), emphasizing the reuse of successful designs via design patterns.

SSE 659. Refactoring (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 556.
Software maintenance and the improvement of the design of existing code. Incremental development, adding new features with support from refactoring.

SSE 660. Software Test (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE 556.
Software testing at several levels and at several stages of development, including acceptance testing.

SSE 673. Software Processes (3 hours)
Prerequisite: SSE graduate standing or permission of the program director.
This course explores the nature of the software development process and means for controlling the process so as to improve the product and control development costs and risks. Issues including development organization, project planning, configuration management, quality assurance, standards, validation and verification, and process monitoring and process improvement are presented and explored. Techniques for improving the level of maturity of the software development process are considered. Standards such as ISO or CMM may be used.

SSE 674. Software Risk Management (3 hours)
Prerequisite: Permission of the program director.
Risk is inherent in virtually every software engineering project. Two kinds of risk are opportunity risk, which is the loss from avoiding risk, and failure risk, which is the loss from taking a risk, but failing to achieve the corresponding goal. The loss may be financial, or it may be competitiveness in a market, or the development and acquisition of reusable software components, or many other valuable things. This course covers topics such as people, process, infrastructure, and implementation in software risk management.

SPECIAL COURSES: 691, 692, 693, 698, 699 for variable credit. May be repeated for credit with permission of the advisor.

SSE 691, 692, 693. Special Topics (1-6 hours)
SSE 698. Professional Seminar (1-6 hours)
SSE 699. Thesis Research (1-6 hours)

A maximum of 6 hours of research may be counted toward the degree. Only grades of satisfactory or unsatisfactory will be assigned.