Sem. I and 2, Class 1, lab. 2
Variable credit up to 2 hours/semester
ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER ENGINEERING CREDIT

Prerequisite: Senior standing in Engineering

At least the core curriculum for the BSEE degree if EE 490 is to be used to fulfill the Senior Design requirement for the BSEE degree.

At least the core curriculum for the BSCmpE degree if EE 490 is to be used to fulfill the Senior Design requirement for the BSCmpE degree.

Engineering Science: 0.0 credits
Engineering Design: 1 or 2 credits

Course Description: Together, the courses EPICS courses (EE 290, EE 390, and EE 490 in ECE and corresponding courses in other participating departments) create a vertical project track under which students work in multidisciplinary teams on long-term engineering projects. Each team consists of a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Projects of at least one-year in duration are intended to solve real problems that are defined in consultation with "customers" from community service and education organizations. Students are encouraged to participate in an EPICS project team for two or more semesters via enrollment in EE 290 while a sophomore, EE 390 while a junior, and EE 490 while a senior.

Course Outcomes: A student who successfully fulfills-the course requirements associated with at least 3 credits of EPICS taken over 2 or more semesters will have demonstrated:

(i) an ability to apply technical material from their discipline to the design of engineering products (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, a, b, c, i, k)

(ii) an understanding of design as a start-to-finish process (3, 4, b, c, e, k);

(iii) an ability to identify and acquire new knowledge as a part of the problem-solving/design process ( 1, 3, 4, 5, a, b, c, e, 1, k)

(iv) an awareness of the customer in engineering design (6, 7, c, f, g, h, j);

(v) an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams and an appreciation for the
contributions from individuals from other disciplines (6, d, f, g, h);

(vi) an ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences (6, d, g);

(vii) demonstrates an awareness of engineering ethics and professional responsibility (6,7, f);

(viii) an appreciation of the role that engineering can play in social contexts (3, 6, 7, f, h,j).

Course Outline:
Lectures: All EPICS students have a common lecture hour. Lecture topics include the design process, verbal and written communication, project management and planning, ethical and legal issues in engineering design, entrepreneurship, and community involvement. Lectures are supplemented with sessions on specific technical topics relevant to the projects.

Principal course milestones: Major course milestones include:
(Week, milestone)
Week 2
Semester Project Plan
Week 3
Personal Semester Goals
Week 4
Project Proposal (new projects); Project Demonstration (continuing projects);Review of Design Notebooks
Week 7
Progress report; oral or poster presentation
Week 8
Peer evaluation and self assessment
Weeks 8-12
Project Design Review; Review of Design
Notebooks
Week 15
Team Report; Review of Design Notebooks; Peer evaluation and self assessment
Exam
Team Presentation

Assessment Methods for Course Outcomes:

EPICS students are evaluated based on their individual contributions and on the overall performance of their team. Evaluation is based on the design notebook, lecture attendance, the team's and student