Advanced Concentration Elective (ACE) courses are upper-level ECEN courses offered through the Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering Department that are not already core courses incorporated into the EE or ECE curriculum. These courses are intellectually rigorous and are meant to provide students the opportunity to explore a particular concentration area in more detail.

Courses that qualify as ACE

  • All 3000+ level ECEN courses not already specifically required for the student’s major, excluding ECEN 3840 and ECEN 4840. Please note that courses numbered 5000 or higher are considered graduate-level courses, but can also apply.
  • For ECE (Computer Engineering) students, at least one of the two required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.
  • For EE (Electrical Engineering) students, at least two of the four required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.

Exclusions (these courses are restricted from counting as ACE credits)
  • A class can be applied only once in the student’s major. For example, if a class is approved to count as an Advanced Analog Core course and an ACE course, it can count toward only one requirement, not both.
  • ECEN 3840/4840 Independent Study courses qualify as Technical Elective credits, not ACE credits. Students should rely on the list below to gain knowledge on key subject matter within the realm of electrical and computer engineering.

Fall 2024 ACE Course Offerings

  • ECEN 3170* Electromagnetic Energy Conversion 1
  • ECEN 3250* Microelectronics (can count for ECE students only)
  • ECEN 3300* Linear Systems (can count for ECE students only)
  • ECEN 3303* or CSCI 3302* Introduction to Robotics
  • ECEN 3400* Electromagnetic Fields and Waves (can count for ECE students only)
  • ECEN 3593* Computer Organization (can count for EE students only)
  • ECEN 3730* Practical Printed Circuit Board Design and Manufacture
  • ECEN 3915* Foundations of Quantum Engineering
  • ECEN 4000 or PHYS 4700 Special Topics: Quantum Forge 1
  • ECEN 4005 Special Topics: Semi Superconducting Quantum Computing
  • ECEN 4133 Fundamentals of Computer Security
  • ECEN 4138 Control Systems Analysis or MCEN 4138 Special Topics: Feedback Control
  • ECEN 4313 Concurrent Programming
  • ECEN 4632 Intro to Digital Filtering
  • ECEN 4634 Microwave and RF Laboratory
  • ECEN 4763 Embedded Software Algorithms
  • ECEN 4797 Intro to Power Electronics

*For ECE students, at least one of the two required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.
*For EE students, at least two of the four required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.

  • ECEN 3250* Microelectronics (can count for ECE students only)
  • ECEN 3300* Linear Systems (can count for ECE students only)
  • ECEN 3303* or CSCI 3302* Introduction to Robotics
  • ECEN 3320* Semiconductor Devices
  • ECEN 3400* Electromagnetic Fields and Waves (can count for ECE students only)
  • ECEN 3410* Electromagnetic Waves and Transmission
  • ECEN 3593* Computer Organization (can count for EE students only)
  • ECEN 3730* Practical Printed Circuit Board Design and Manufacture
  • ECEN 3753* Real-Time Operating Systems
  • ECEN 4006 Special Topics: Intro to Optoelectronic and Electronic Imaging
  • ECEN 4111 Engineering Applications in Biomedicine: Cardiovascular Devices and Systems
  • ECEN 4138 Control Systems Analysis or MCEN 4138 Special Topics: Feedback Control
  • ECEN 4224 High Speed Digital Design
  • ECEN 4322 Data and Network Science
  • ECEN 4341 Bioelectromagnetics
  • ECEN 4395 Organic Electronic Materials and Devices
  • ECEN 4517 Power Electronics and Photovoltaic Power Systems Laboratory
  • ECEN 4553 Compiler Construction
  • ECEN 4606 Undergraduate Optics Laboratory
  • ECEN 4638 Control Systems Laboratory
  • ECEN 4693 Advanced Computer Architecture
  • ECEN 4925 Foundations of Quantum Hardware (cannot also count toward the Quantum Engineering minor)

*For Computer Engineering students, at least one of the two required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.
*For Electrical Engineering students, at least two of the four required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.

As of November 2022, all 3000+ level ECEN courses not already specifically required for the student’s major (excluding ECEN 3840 and ECEN 4840) are approved to satisfy the ACE requirement for ECEE students. Please note that courses numbered 5000 or higher are considered graduate-level courses, but can also apply.

  • For ECE students, at least one of the two required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.
  • For EE students, at least two of the four required ACE courses must be taken at the 4000-level or higher.

Prior to November 2022, the following classes were approved to satisfy the ACE requirement for ECEE students.

  • ECEN 3002 Special Topics: Real-Time Operating Systems
  • ECEN 3002 Special Topics: FPGA/VLSI Design
  • ECEN 3170 Electromagnetic Energy Conversion 1
  • ECEN 3320 Semiconductor Devices
  • ECEN 3303 or CSCI 3302 Introduction to Robotics
  • ECEN 3410 Electromagnetic Waves and Transmission
  • ECEN 3753 Real-Time Operating Systems (only for students in the Fall 2019 catalog year and earlier)
  • ECEN 3763 FPGA Design and HDL
  • ECEN 4005 Special Topics: Organic Electronics
  • ECEN 4005 Special Topics: Foundations of Quantum Hardware
  • ECEN 4006 Special Topics: Ultrafast Photonics
  • ECEN 4011 Special Topics: Engr Appl in Biomed: Cardio
  • ECEN 4013 Special Topics: Advance Computer Architecture
  • ECEN 4021 Special Topics: Engr Appl in Biomed: Neuromod
  • ECEN 4133 Fundamentals of Computer Security or CSCI 4830 Special Topics: Computer Security
  • ECEN 4138 Control Systems Analysis or MCEN 4138 Special Topics: Feedback Control
  • ECEN 4167 Electromagnetic Energy Conversion 2
  • ECEN 4224 High Speed Digital Design
  • ECEN 4242 Communication Theory
  • ECEN 4033 Special Topics: Cryptocurrency Security
  • ECEN 4033 Special Topics: How to Build Quantum Computers
  • ECEN 4313 Concurrent Programming
  • ECEN 4322 Data and Network Science
  • ECEN 4341 Bioelectromagnetics
  • ECEN 4423 Chaotic Dynamics
  • ECEN 4517 Power Electronics and Photovoltaic Power Systems Laboratory
  • ECEN 4532 Digital Signal Processing Laboratory
  • ECEN 4553 Compiler Construction
  • ECEN 4555 Principles of Energy Systems and Devices
  • ECEN 4583 Software System Development
  • ECEN 4606 Undergraduate Optics Laboratory
  • ECEN 4616 Optoelectronic System Design
  • ECEN 4632 Introduction to Digital Filtering
  • ECEN 4634 Microwave and RF Laboratory
  • ECEN 4638 Control Systems Laboratory
  • ECEN 4652 Communication Laboratory
  • ECEN 4753 Computer Performance Modeling
  • ECEN 4763 Embedded Software Algorithms 
  • ECEN 4797 Introduction to Power Electronics
  • ECEN 4827 Analog IC Design
  • ECEN 4915 Foundations of Quantum Engineering

Advanced Concentration Electives Flowchart