• Location: Glassboro, NJ
• Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Science
• Degree Programs: B.S., M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Ph.D. in Engineering with specialization in Electrical & Computer Engineering, B.S., M.S. in Computer Science, M.S. in Data Analytics, etc.
• Key Contact: Jie Li (ECE); Chenxi Qiu (CS)
• Wikipedia Link: Rowan University
• Website: https://www.rowan.edu

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Rowan is a modern, innovative, hands-on project-based program, where we train and graduate proficient engineers who will be successful in solving not only today’s problems, but also tomorrow’s evolving and emerging engineering challenges. Through an innovative curricular structure that includes such unique elements as Engineering Clinics and Clinic Consulting in addition to core courses as well as a wide spectrum of technical electives on emerging topics, the department instills six core qualities that define and distinguish Rowan ECE graduates to be agile, contemporary, communicative, entrepreneurial, transdisciplinary, and competent.

The B.S. in ECE Program provides a strategic balance of depth and breadth in topics appropriate to the areas of Electrical and Computer Engineering as articulated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) in their program criteria developed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET: www.abet.org). Our program provides a foundation of mathematics, sciences, and the humanities, combined with engineering topics. However, what sets Rowan ECE program apart is its hands-on, real world project-based technical curriculum, where every class includes a laboratory component, with its hallmark Engineering Clinics.

The M.S. in ECE program offers two different Master of Science tracks, both leading to the MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering degree. The research track is designed for those who are interested in developing an expertise within a specific area of focus within Electrical and Computer Engineering. To develop such an expertise, students in Research Track perform a rigorous research, supervised by an advising professor, on a specific topic of interest to solve a previously unsolved problem. The outcome of this research culminates in an MS thesis. Students who would like to excel in one of the areas of electrical and computer engineering, or those who are considering pursuing a Ph.D., typically choose this track. The professional track is designed for those who are not interested in writing a thesis, but rather interested in expanding their breadth and depth of ECE knowledge by taking a larger number of courses in a wide spectrum of electrical and/or computer engineering fields.

The Ph.D. in Engineering with specialization in ECE Program consists of a unique and innovative curricular structure. Rowan’s Ph.D. program is a terminal degree program that is specifically designed to meet the changing needs of researchers, scholars, and scientists in academia, industry, and the government. The primary goal of this program is, therefore, to prepare students for careers in research and/or academics by providing an environment that closely reflects the realities and expectations encountered by today’s academicians, professional scientists, and research engineers. The program is designed to offer a highly flexible inter and multi-disciplinary curricular structure, allowing specialization in any (or multiple) of the traditional or emerging engineering disciplines. The primary strength of the program is involving students in activities that they are most likely to encounter in real-world academic or industrial settings.

The Computer Science Department is committed to ensuring a student-centered learning environment that promotes close student-faculty relationships and enhances intellectual development. In addition to many B.S., M.S., and combined B.S./M.S. programs offered in Rowan’s CS department, currently, the CS department is working on developing a M.S. in Cyber Security program.

The B.S. in CS is a well-established program, consisting of a traditional computer science curriculum, combining theory, practice, hardware, and software, which covers all ACM/IEEE knowledge areas. The program is designed to prepare students for employment, as well as continued study of computer science at the graduate level. The program has been accredited continuously by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) since 2002. Besides delivering basic knowledge in CS, the program also focuses on developing flexible professionals who are equipped to learn new technologies and principles that are essential for success in such a rapidly evolving field. Recently, the BS in CS curriculum was updated to increase focus on such topics as cyber security, data science, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, as well as blockchain technologies.

The M.S. in CS is designed for individuals who are looking to expand their knowledge and opportunities based on their B.S. degrees. As a student, you’ll learn how to apply advanced scientific and industrial methodologies to develop computing solutions and demonstrate these skills through presentations, written work and projects. Faculty members often involve students in their research and serve as mentors helping students develop career goals. The program aims to develop students’ lifetime learning and critical thinking skills, and the capability of applying their knowledge to real-world problems, which they will need to excel in a variety of cutting-edge technological fields.

The Bachelor of Arts in Computing and Informatics is a new degree designed for students who are interested in pursuing careers in information technology which requires a solid understanding of the principles of computing – but not the underpinnings of computer science theory and mathematics. Such careers include, but are not limited to programmers, system administrators, software QA / testing engineers, computer service coordinators, etc.

The M.S. in Data Analytics is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a STEM related field who are looking to expand their knowledge and opportunities in Data Science. The program has a strong focus on Data Mining, Modeling, as well as Statistical and Machine Learning. The program is based on industry needs as well as guidelines of the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Students will be prepared to use algorithms, statistics, and technology to make informed decisions from massive amounts of data, to manage streamed data or data stored in massive data warehouses, and to visually analyze and present information. Courses are designed to provide expertise in the data sciences and train students to solve problems with complex sets of structured and unstructured data commonly found in any industry.

To meet the demand of competent and highly motivated undergraduate students who wish to complete both a B.S. and an M.S. degree, Rowan’s CS now offers two combined B.S./M.S. programs. The Combined Advanced Degree Program (CADP) in Computer Science and the CADP in Data Analytics allow students to complete both degrees at Rowan in five years as opposed to the traditional period of six years (if both degrees were completed separately). Students begin taking graduate courses in their senior year accelerating their graduate studies while still at the undergraduate level and while paying undergraduate tuition and fees. These dual degree programs will allow Computer Science majors to quickly obtain advanced post- baccalaureate Computer Science training in preparation for careers in education, industry, research, business and government.

How does CS program prepare its graduates?

Computer scientists are employed as systems programmers, application programmers (business, scientific, industrial, etc.), systems analysts, programmer analysts, researchers, network specialists, computer system designers, educators, and computer sales. Opportunities exist in business, industry, government, education, and the military. Many graduates enter graduate school for further study of computer science.

This program prepares its graduates to pursue careers in computing, perform as effective team members, communicate effectively, and value the pursuit of continuing professional development through student learning outcomes on:

• effective oral, written, technical, and team communication;
• ethical and professional training;
• algorithms and data structures;
• software development;
• proficiency in programming and software development;
• exposure to multiple languages and platforms;
• foundations of theoretical computing;
• hardware and operating systems;
• working in teams and producing effective teamwork;
• analysis and design;
• researching and writing technical papers.