New Baccalaureate Degree With A Concentration In Industrial And Enterprise Networking

The curriculum and details concerning specific courses and course content are described for this innovative program which was developed by faculty from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology and Computer Science departments. The concentration in industrial and enterprise networking requires courses in programming languages, application programming, local and wide area networking, networking security, and wireless networking. Also required are hands-on laboratories that can be used by students for programming, development, and configuration of networks using different operating systems and hardware configurations. Similar programs, in Indiana and nationwide, are compared and contrasted. Also discussed are national, regional, and state demand and employment factors that provided justification for the new degree. Background Indiana-Purdue University, Fort Wayne 1 (IPFW) offers over 175 degree programs, is located in the 2 nd largest city, and is the 5 th largest university in Indiana. The new Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Technology (CPET) degree, which was approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education in October 2003, has an initial concentration in industrial and enterprise networking. The program is designed to be accreditable by the Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology 2 (ABET) and to attract students who desire to pursue a career in the computer networking, automation, telecommunications, or other computer-electronics fields. The degree is a collaborative effort between the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) and Computer Science (CS) departments. The program is designed to provide training in modern, industry based areas that are experiencing growth in the northeast Indiana region, which has experienced considerable job loss in the manufacturing sector. The term, industrial, is used to mean business-related services. Some specific objectives considered while designing the curriculum were to: 1. Provide the industrial/manufacturing community with the technically trained manpower base to support manufacturing and commerce in the region; 2. Provide an educational center for retraining of workers with needed skills; 3. Provide graduates with desired skills in electronics and networking; 4. Fill a need for trained professionals in the computer networking, manufacturing, information technology, and telecommunication industries. Page 942.1 Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education The B.S. in CPET program is focused on applications and application packages in technology work areas. This can be contrasted with Computer Engineering programs where the focus is on the theory and design of processors, computers, and computerbased systems. The initial degree focus on computer networking can be converted to other computer based application areas in reaction to market trends and employment opportunities. The adoption and integration of evolving technologies to meet changing needs is a priority in the program. A graduate of this program will have the training and skills encompassed by a combination of CPET, ECET, CS, and supporting science, mathematics, general education, and other technical courses. CPET courses generally focus on software strongly related to hardware, while ECET courses focus on hardware and related software, and CS courses focus on computer program design topics such as programming languages and structure, Internet languages, and database structures and systems. A strong feature of this program is the adaptability of the curriculum to concentrate on technical applications similar to those being developed and implemented for use in industry such as: industrial networking, web-based control, electronic devices, web services, and other aspects of enterprise networking. Curriculum Core courses in the curriculum provide basic instruction in analog and digital circuit analysis with hands-on laboratory work. The fundamentals of computer systems, programming, and applications using word processors, spreadsheets, and high and low level computer languages are also introduced. The area of specialization provides indepth knowledge about networking and the requisite hardware and software. Other required courses provide mathematical and communication skills, and sufficient knowledge of the industrial environment to perform effectively in the workplace. Current A.S. and B.S. programs in EET, also in the ECET department, are accredited by TAC/ABET and are scheduled for a TAC/ABET visit during Fall 04. The B.S. in CS program recently underwent an initial accreditation visit by the Computer Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET. Students in the CPET program have the option of obtaining a minor in Computer Science if they choose the requisite electives. Accreditation of the B.S. CPET will be sought after there are program graduates. Preparation for TC2K accreditation includes extension of the current departmental assessment and continuous improvement plan and use of course and curriculum outcomes that focus on development and implementation of computer systems as specified in the IEEE program criteria. A sample curriculum is shown in Appendix A and a semester hour breakdown, by area, is provided in Table 1.