Computer Engineering (CMPE)

Program Admission Requirements
Facilities and Special Resources
Financial Assistance
Programs and Courses

GARY M. CARTER, Chair
MOHAMED YOUNIS, Graduate Program Director

Degrees Offered

M.S., Ph.D. (Degree Types )

Faculty

PROFESSORS

MENYUK, CURTIS Ph.D. University of California Los Angeles; Computational and theoretical modeling of optical and electronic systems, Short-pulse laser systems, Nonlinear optics, Optical fiber communications systems, Optical fiber technology, highperformance clocks and oscillators.
PINKSTON, JOHN PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Information Assurance, Superconducting Electronics, Digital Signal Processing, Coding Theory, Antennas.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS

PHATAK, DHANANJAY Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Mobile and high-performance computer networks; computer arithmetic algorithms and their VLSI implementations; signal processing; neural networks, their applications and efficient implementations; digital and analog VLSI design; and CAD.
YOUNIS, MOHAMED Ph.D., New Jersey Institute of Technology; Fault-tolerant computing, operating systems, real-time systems, distributed systems, embedded computer systems, compile-time analysis, engineering of complex computer systems, programming languages, systems integration, reliability modeling, analysis and formal methods in software engineering.

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

PATEL, CHINTAN Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County; VLSI design and test.
TINOOSH MOHSENIN Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2010. Algorithms, architectures and VLSI design for high performance and energy-efficient computation that support communication, signal processing and biomedical applications.
ROBUCCI, RYAN PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology; analog and mixed-signal VLSI; CMOS image sensors; programmable and reconfigurable circuits; sensor interfacing and networking; image processing; real-time, mixed-mode signal processing; biologically-inspired systems; information theory; and computer-aided design and analysis of complex mixed-signal processing systems.
GYMAMA SLAUGHTER Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005. Sensor-processor integration, wireless network and communications, biological system, bioelectronics design and theory, and the design of implantable biosensor systems.

PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE

E.F. CHARLES LABERGE Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2002. Communication and Signal Processing.

Program Description

The department offers a graduate program leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Engineering. The program provides advanced instruction and research opportunities in a broad range of computer engineering areas and is focused on both the theoretical and practical aspects of the state of the art in computer engineering. The doctoral program emphasizes research as a major element of its degree requirements. Fields of specialization in computer engineering supported within the department include:

VLSI design and test, including mixed-signal analog and digital design
Computing system architecture, design, implementation, and testing/verification
VLSI design and test, including mixed-signal (analog and digital) design
Sensor technology, systems, and networks
Arithmetic and DSP algorithm implementations
FPGA and Multi-technologies implementations

A departmental brochure that describes the department, its graduate programs, degree requirements and the research interests of the faculty can be obtained from the graduate program specialist or can be viewed at www.umbc.edu/engineering/csee/csee_grad.html.

Research Specialties

Ongoing research in the department provides a source of project, thesis and dissertation topics for students. The following illustrates some of the current research areas: VLSI design and test, low-power design, mixedsignal design, SoC design and test, computer arithmetic algorithms and implementations, MEMs, optoelectronic circuits and networks. The department encourages interdisciplinary research and invites students to take advantage of resources in related departments, including education, geography and environmental systems, information systems, mathematics and statistics, physics, visual arts and other departments within the College of Engineering and Information Technology or at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Medical School. In addition, opportunities exist for joint research projects with local research laboratories, companies and government agencies.

Program Admission Requirements

When seeking admission to the graduate program, applicants must satisfy all entrance requirements of the Graduate School at UMBC. All original application materials must be sent directly to the Graduate School, not to graduate program. Applications are not processed until all documents and fees are received. All applicants must submit official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, Graduate Record Examination (GRE General Test) scores and, for inter-national students, scores for the TOEFL. Application deadlines are specified by the Graduate School. The application review process will begin by February 15 for admission in the fall semester and by October 1 for admission in the following spring semester. Early application is recommended.

An applicant to a graduate program in Computer Engineering is expected to have a strong background in computer engineering and mathematics courses. This includes Calculus I and II, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations and Probability & Statistics in Mathematics. Applicants are expected to have taken the equivalent of the following UMBC courses:

CMPE 212: Principles of Digital Design
CMPE 306: Basic Circuit Theory
CMPE 310: Systems Design and Programming
CMPE 314: Electronic Circuits
CMPE 315: Principles of VLSI Design
CMSC 341: Data Structures
CMSC 411: Computer Architecture

The Application Process

Apply online through UMBC’s Graduate School Website. Applicants must also submit:

An Official Transcript
Three Letters of Recommendation
Statement of purpose
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores or GRE Waiver Form
TOEFL scores (International students only)

Application Deadlines

International Students

Fall: January 1st
Spring: June 1st

Domestic Students

Fall: January 1st (for financial consideration), June 1st
Spring: June 1st (for financial consideration), November 1st

Students may apply for admission to either the M.S. or the Ph.D. program. However, admission to the Ph.D. program is highly selective, and only students with exceptional backgrounds will be accepted. Students who plan to pursue the Ph.D. degree but who do not already have a master’s in computer science are advised to apply for admission to the M.S. program. New students will be assigned an academic advisor who can provide advice on choosing courses, degree requirements and other important matters during the first year. By the end of the first year, students are expected to have located a faculty member to serve as the research advisor for master’s or doctoral. research. Consideration for continued financial assistance depends on locating a research advisor. Admission to the M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs are separate.

Facilities and Special Resources

The CMPE program facilities include dedicated computer engineering laboratories that provide computers and test and measurement equipment. The department also provides dedicated servers that allow students to use commercial design software, and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) has more than 400 workstations for general student use and several high-end computing systems.

Financial Assistance

Financial aid is available on a competitive basis to a limited number of qualified graduate students in the form of graduate teaching assistantships (TAs), graduate research assistantships (RAs), work-study positions and hourly employment as graders. Graduate RAs are often available to students actively engaged in their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation research and are awarded and renewed subject to availability of funds and satisfactory research progress. Students are encouraged to apply directly to nationally awarded fellowship programs.

Course Listing

For CMPE (also CMSC and ENEE) course descriptions, and current year special topic course listings and descriptions, see the CSEE Graduate Program(s) website www.cs.umbc.edu/programs/graduate/ or CSEE Department website www.csee.umbc.edu. The set of CMPE 691 courses address specialized computer engineering topics representing the research focus of the faculty, and are scheduled according to student and faculty interests.

Programs

Courses

Computer Engineering