Computer Engineering

This is an archived copy of the 2023-24 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.

Sample Program Guide 

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: A Sample Program Guide provides an unofficial guide of program requirements and should be used by prospective students who are considering attending NDSU in the future. It is NOT an official curriculum and should NOT be used by current NDSU students for official degree planning purposes. Note that the official curriculum used by current NDSU students can vary from the Sample Program Guide due to a variety of factors such as, but not limited to, start year, education goals, transfer credit, and course availability.

To ensure proper program completion, enrolled students should utilize Degree Map and Schedule Planner in Campus Connection and consult regularly with their academic advisor to ensure requirements are being met.

Freshman
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 16514MATH 16614
ENGL 1103CHEM 1213
CSCI 1604ENGL 1203
ECE 1113CSCI 1614
GEN ED Humanities/Fine Arts3GEN ED Science Lab (CHEM 121L or PHYS 251L)1
 GEN ED Wellness2
 17 17
Sophomore
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 26514MATH 26613
EE 20614COMM 1103
ECE 27514ECE 3753
MATH 12913ECE 3114
 PHYS 2514
 15 17
Junior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECE 3413ECE 3434
ENGR 327 (Fulfills Gen Ed Humanities & Fine Arts (A)3ECE 3764
ECE 3744ECE 4011
ECE 3203CPE Core43
CSCI 2223 
 16 12
Senior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECE 4032ECE 4053
ENGL/Upper Level Writing23ECE Elective3
ECE Elective3CPE Core43
Tech Elective33CPE Core43
GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science and Global Perspectives 3CPE Core44
 GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science and Cultural Diversity 3
 14 19
Total Credits: 127
1

This course requires the student to earn a "C" or better, in order to take upper level ECE courses.

2

Choose from ENGL 320, 321, 324 or 459

3

Choose from the approved Tech Elective list

4

CpE Core Options:

  1. ECE 474 Computer Architecture (prereq: ECE 374)
  2. ECE 477 Hardware design for Machine Learning (prereqs: ECE 374 and ECE 375)
  3. ECE 423 VLSI Design (prereqs: ECE 311 and ECE 321)
  4. ECE 425 Intro to Semiconductors (prereqs: ECE 320)
  5. CSCI 474 Operating System Concepts (prereqs: CSCI 374)
  6. CSCI 467 Algorithm Analysis (prereqs MATH 166, CSCI 161 and CSCI 222 or MATH 270) 
First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 09813MATH 10313
ENGL 1103CHEM 1213
COMM 1103ENGL 1203
GEN ED Wellness2ECE 1113
GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science and Global Perspective3 
 14 12
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 10513MATH 16514
MATH 12913CSCI 1614
CSCI 16014CSCI 2223
GEN ED Humanities/Fine Arts and Cultural Diversity3ECE 27514
 GEN ED Science Lab (CHEM 121L or PHYS 251L)1
 13 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 16614MATH 26514
EE 20614PHYS 2514
ECE 3753ECE 3203
ENGR 3273ECE 3114
GEN ED Upper Level English3 
 17 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 26613ECE 4032
ECE 3764ECE 3413
ECE 3744CpE Core33
ECE 3434CpE Core33
ECE 4011ECE Elective3
ECE Elective3 
 19 14
Fifth Year
FallCredits 
ECE 4053 
CpE Core33 
CpE Core33 
Tech Elective23 
GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science3 
 15
Total Credits: 135
1

1. This course requires the student to earn a "C" or better, in order to take upper level ECE courses.

2

Choose from the approved Tech Elective List.

3

CpE Core Options:

  1. ECE 474 Computer Architecture (prereq: ECE 374)
  2. ECE 477 Hardware design for Machine Learning (prereqs: ECE 374 and ECE 375)
  3. ECE 423 VLSI Design (prereqs: ECE 311 and ECE 321)
  4. ECE 425 Intro to Semiconductors (prereqs: ECE 320)
  5. CSCI 474 Operating System Concepts (prereqs: CSCI 374)
  6. CSCI 467 Algorithm Analysis (prereqs: MATH 166, CSCI 161 and CSCI 222 or MATH 270) 
First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 10313MATH 10513
CHEM 1213ECE 1113
ENGL 1103ENGL 1203
COMM 1103GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science and Global Perspective3
GEN ED Wellness2GEN ED Science Lab (CHEM 121L or PHYS 251L)1
 14 13
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 16514MATH 16614
MATH 12913EE 20614
CSCI 16014CSCI 1614
ECE 27514ECE 3753
CSCI 2223GEN ED Humanities/Fine Arts and Cultural Diversity3
 18 18
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 26514ECE 4011
PHYS 2514MATH 2663
ECE 3114ECE 3203
Tech Elective23ECE 3434
GEN ED Upper Level English3GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science3
 18 14
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECE 4032ECE 4053
ECE 3764ECE 3413
ECE 3744CpE Core33
ENGR 3273CpE Core33
ECE Elective3CpE Core33
CpE Core33ECE Elective3
 19 18
Total Credits: 132
1

This course requires the student earn a "C" or better, in order to take upper level ECE courses.

2

Choose from the approved Technical Elective List.

3

CpE Core Options:

  1. ECE 474 Computer Architecture (prereq: ECE 374)
  2. ECE 477 Hardware design for Machine Learning (prereqs: ECE 374 and ECE 375)
  3. ECE 423 VLSI Design (prereqs: ECE 311 and ECE 321)
  4. ECE 425 Intro to Semiconductors (prereqs: ECE 320)
  5. CSCI 474 Operating System Concepts (prereqs: CSCI 374)
  6. CSCI 467 Algorithm Analysis (prereqs MATH 166, CSCI 161 and CSCI 222 or MATH 270) 
First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 10513MATH 16514
CSCI 16014MATH 12913
CHEM 1213CSCI 1614
COMM 1103ECE 1113
ENGL 1103ENGL 1203
 16 17
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 16614MATH 26514
EE 20614PHYS 2514
ECE 27514CSCI 2223
GEN ED Wellness2ECE 3114
GEN ED Science Lab (CHEM 121L or PHYS 251L)1GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science and Global Perspective3
 15 18
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 26613ECE 4011
ECE 3203ECE 3744
ECE 3764ECE 3434
ECE 3753CpE Core33
GEN ED Humanities/Fine Arts and Cultural Diversity3Tech Elective23
 16 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECE 4032ECE 4053
ECE 3413CpE Core33
ENGR 3273CpE Core33
CpE Core33ECE Elective3
ECE Elective3GEN ED Social/Behavioral Science3
GEN ED Upper Level English3 
 17 15
Total Credits: 129
1

This course requires a student to earn a "C" or better, in order to take upper level ECE courses.

2

Choose from the approved Tech Elective List.

3

CpE Core Options:

  1. ECE 474 Computer Architecture (prereq: ECE 374)
  2. ECE 477 Hardware design for Machine Learning (prereqs: ECE 374 and ECE 375)
  3. ECE 423 VLSI Design (prereqs: ECE 311 and ECE 321)
  4. ECE 425 Intro to Semiconductors (prereqs: ECE 320)
  5. CSCI 474 Operating System Concepts (prereqs: CSCI 374)
  6. CSCI 467 Algorithm Analysis (prereqs MATH 166, CSCI 161 and CSCI 222 or MATH 270)