BSE Degree Planning
In the handbook, Duke ECE undergraduate students will find typical course sequences that outline the degree requirements semester by semester. More checksheets and degree flowcharts may be found below along with archived copies of the Undergraduate Handbook. Other useful pages include:
Students contemplating second majors or other special goals should carefully choose courses that meet the minimum ECE requirements and the academic and scheduling requirements for any special goals.
Questions about prerequisites, AP/IPC Credits, and course sequencing should be discussed with the student’s academic advisor, the ECE Director of Undergraduate Studies, or the student’s academic dean.
-
The general requirements and departmental requirements for a BSE with the electrical and computer engineering major require the completion of 34 distinct courses:
- All BSE students must take WRITING 101 or 120, EGR 101L, a computing course (see NOTE 1), five mathematics courses, three natural science courses, and 5 liberal arts courses – see https://pratt.duke.edu/academics/undergrad/requirements/ for more information on these general requirements and restrictions.
- In addition, students pursuing an ECE major must take:
- An additional approved course in statistics or mathematics,
- COMPSCI 201
- 5 foundation courses in electrical engineering: ECE 110L, 230L, 250D, 270DL, and 280L
- 4 approved ECE Area Electives, in two different areas with at least two courses in one of the elected areas
- 1 Elective ECE Course at the 300-level or above
- 1 ECE Extension Elective course selected from: a 300-level (or above) course as follows
- Any upper-level (300+) regular course in ECE, BME, MEMS, or CEE, or
- An upper-level (300+) independent study in ECE, or
- BIOLOGY 201L, 202L, 203L, 275A, CHEM 201DL, 202DL, or 210DL, or PHYS 264L, or,
- An upper-level (300+) course as follows:
- Summer 2025 matriculants and before may choose an upper-level (300+) course from the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Evolutionary Anthropology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology & Neuroscience, or Statistical Science that has an NS and/or QS code (and does not have an SS code)
- Fall 2025 matriculants and after may choose an upper-level (300+) course that has an NW and/or QC code
- Neither Independent Study courses from other departments nor AP/IPC credits can be used to satisfy the ECE Extension Elective requirement.
- An approved ECE Design Elective (note: all pre-requisites must be completed before enrolling in this course!)
- 4 Free Electives
An elective course that belongs to more than one requirement category may be counted only once.
NOTE 1: Students who place into COMPSCI 201 are not required to take EGR 105L – it may be replaced with a free elective.
-
The following links provide sample 4-year programs of study, checksheets, and (in some cases) flowcharts in PDF format for an ECE major and for an ECE major in combination with various second majors or other credentials. The checksheets list the courses required for the named program. Students should use these checksheets and the sample programs, in consultation with their ECE Faculty Advisor, to plan and track a viable sequence of courses that will ensure that all course requirements are met.
Suggestion: Use the printed checksheet to record which requirements are met by AP credits, by placing “AP” in the Semester column of the checksheet for example, and the past or expected future semesters for the other requirements. Then review this page with your faculty advisor during one of your scheduled advising meetings.
- Students matriculating Fall of 2025 or after:
- Students matriculating Summer of 2025 or before:
Program Sample Program Checksheet Flowchart ECE PDF PDF X ECE w/ ML Concentration PDF PDF X ECE and COMPSCI PDF PDF X ECE w/ ML Concentration and COMPSCI PDF PDF X ECE and BME PDF PDF X ECE and Physics PDF PDF X ECE w/ Minor in Energy Engineering PDF PDF X
-
With careful planning, motivated undergraduates matriculating with Advanced Placement credits and with summer courses as necessary may use program flexibility to take up to two graduate courses in the spring of their senior year to structure an accelerated program leading to a BSE degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the end of four years and a Master’s degree at the end of a fifth year. Interested students should work with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Director of Graduate Studies to develop an appropriate academic plan.
-
- Students matriculating Fall of 2025 or after:
- Students matriculating Summer of 2025 or earlier:
- Fall 2026: ECE Undergraduate Handbook (2026-2027 Academic Year, Fall) for students matriculating Summer 2025 or Earlier (TBA)
- Fall 2025: ECE Undergraduate Handbook (2025-2026 Academic Year, Fall) for students matriculating Summer 2025 or Earlier
- Fall 2024: ECE Undergraduate Handbook (2024-2025 Academic Year, Fall)
- Fall 2023: ECE Undergraduate Handbook (2023-2024 Academic Year, Fall)
- Fall 2022: ECE Undergraduate Handbook (2022-2023 Academic Year, Fall)
- Fall 2021: ECE Undergraduate Handbook (2021-2022 Academic Year, Fall)
Michael Richard Gustafson
ECE Director of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Professor of the Practice
Rabih Younes
Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Professor of the Practice in the Department of ECE