MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING /
MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY / MECHANICAL ENGINEERING / SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROCJRAMS IN INIORMATION SECURITY /
NETWORK TECHNOLOGY ' WKB A I' I' LIC AT I ON DEVELOPMENT
Fairfield University
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
School of Engineering
2006-2007
Information Directory
Telephone No.
Fairfield University Switchboard (203) 254-4000
Athletic Tickets (203) 254-4103
Bookstore (203) 254-4262
Box Office - Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts (203) 254-4010
Bursar's Office (student accounts) (203) 254-4102
Career Planning Center (203) 254-4081
Computing and Network Services Help Desk (StagWeb) (203) 254-4069
DiMenna-Nyselius Library (203) 254-4044
Health Center (203) 254-4000. ext. 2241
Housing (203)254-4215
Information Desk - John A. Barone Campus Center (203) 254-4222
Leslie C. Quick Jr. Recreation Complex (203) 254-4140
Public Safety (campus safety, parking) (203) 254-4090
Registrar's Office (registration, transcripts) (203) 254-4288
StagCard (203)254-4009
Study Abroad Office (203) 254-4332
The School of Engineering Graduate Programs
School of Engineering
Fairfield University
McAuliffe Hall. Room 106
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
Telephone: (203) 254-4147
Facsimile: (203) 254-4013
E-mail: acastelot@mail.fairfield.edu
Website: www.fairfield.edu/engineering
Applications available from:
Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies Admission
Fairfield University
Canisius Hall, Room 302
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
Telephone: (203) 254-4184
Facsimile: (203) 254-4073
E-mail: gradadmis@mail.fairfield.edu
Website: www.fairfield.edu
The Fairfield University School of Engineering Graduate Programs catalog is printed annually.
However, updates to programs, policies, and courses may be made after the catalog has been pub-
lished. For current information, please refer to the University's website, www.fairfield.edu/engineering.
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Master of Science in Management of Technology
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Master of Science in Software Engineering
Master of Science in
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Graduate Certificate Programs in
Web Application Development
Information Security
Network Technology
2006-2007
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
Academic Calendar 5
Message from the Dean 6
Mission 7
Overview 8
Campus Services 8
Accreditation 10
Campus Map Inside Back Cover
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND GENERAL REGULATIONS
Academic Advising; Curriculum Planning 1
Student Programs of Study 1
Academic Freedom 1
Academic Honesty 1
Honor Code 1
Academic Dishonesty 1
University Course Numbering System 12
Normal Academic Progress
Academic Load 12
Academic Standards 12
Auditing 12
Time to Complete Degree 12
Applications for and Awarding of Degrees 12
Graduation and Commencement 12
Grading System
Grades; Academic Average 12
Incompletes 13
Transfer of Credits 13
Scholastic Honors 13
Disruption of Academic Progress
Academic Probation/Dismissal 13
Withdrawal 13
Readmission 13
Academic Grievance Procedures 14
Informal Procedure 14
Formal Procedure 14
Transcripts 15
Student Records 15
Table of Contents
THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
School of Engineering Mission Overview 20
The Master of Science in Management of Technology
Introduction and Overview 21
Degree Requirements 22
The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Introduction and Overview 23
Required Courses 24
The Master of Science in Software Engineering
Introduction and Overview 25
Degree Requirements 26
Graduate Certificate Programs 28
The Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Introduction and Overview 30
Required Courses 31
Course Descriptions 32
ADMISSION
Admission Policies and Procedures 16
Certificate Programs in Software Engineering 17
The StagCard 17
Compliance Statements and Notifications 47
TUITION, FEES, AND FINANCIAL AID
Tuition and Fees 48
Deferred Payment 48
Reimbursement by Employer 48
Refund of Tuition 48
Financial Aid 48
Federal Stafford Loans 49
Sallie Mae Signature Student Loan 49
Tax Deductions 49
Veterans 49
Administration and Faculty 50
Calendar
Calendar
School of Engineering
2006-07 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
Classes are offered on weeknights and Saturdays to accommodate those in the program who are employed full time.
Refer to the schedules that are distributed each semester for calendar changes.
Summer 2006
May 29 Memorial Day - University holiday
May 30 - Aug. 10 Summer Session
July 3-4 Independence Day - University holiday
July 5 Degree cards due for August graduation
Fall 2006
Aug. 22 Back to Campus Day
Sept. 6 Classes begin
Oct. 20 Degree cards due for January graduation
Nov. 22 - Nov. 26 Thanksgiving recess
Nov. 27 Classes resume
Dec. 21 Last day of classes for graduate students
Winter 2007 Intersession
Jan. 2 - Jan. 13 Intersession classes
Spring 2007
Jan. 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day - University holiday
Jan. 16 Classes begin
Feb. 16 Degree cards due for May graduation
March 12 - March 16 Spring recess
March 19 Classes resume
April 5 - April 8 Easter recess
May 7 Last day of classes
May 20 57th Commencement
Summer 2007
May 28 Memorial Day - University holiday
May 29- Aug. 9 Summer Session
July 4 Independence Day - University holiday
July 5 Degree cards due for August graduation
6
A Message from the Dean
A Message from the Dean
1
^
t
!
The four graduate programs in the School of Engineering, mas-
ter of science in r\/lanagement of Technology (MSMOT), in
Software Engineering (MSSE) in Electrical and Computer
Engineering (MSECE), and in Mechanical Engineering (MSME),
are driven by the needs of the School's constituencies, the stu-
dents and their employers, who establish multifaceted require-
ments for current knowledge and skills at the workplace. Hence,
the programs are inherently dynamic and responsive to industry
and business. Their capacity to change, and so remain current,
originates with the faculty in the School of Engineering who are
leading-edge professionals in their areas of expertise and in
instruction and mentoring. It is also prompted by the administra-
tion team, which is entrepreneurial in delivering graduate education and in maintaining close contacts and
open lines of communication with the industry and business sectors that are the main beneficiaries of
the School's graduates. Located in Fairfield County, Fairfield University is in the middle of a high-density
concentration of hardware and software industries and businesses; nearly 40 Fortune 500 companies are
headquartered within 50 miles of the campus. This environment provides opportunities for studies of
real-world problems in courses and in the final professional project required by the graduate programs,
and for advancement and employment of Fairfield graduates. The degree to which established learning
goals and program objectives are achieved by our students is measured through the Assessment and
Continuous Quality Improvement process (ACQIP) - a three-year cycle of outcomes assessment and
quality management - that is in effect in the School of Engineering. ACQIP embodies the philosophical
and operational principles that are the foundation for the high quality of graduate and undergraduate
engineering education at Fairfield University. This paradigm makes it possible for the School to continue
satisfying graduate students' educational expectations.
The Management of Technology program is offered in conjunction with the AACSB-accredited MBA
program in the Charles F Dolan School of Business. Several of its courses are derived from the MBA pro-
gram. As this catalog illustrates, the hallmark of the curricula of the four master's programs is currency and
relevancy. These programs offer many opportunities to our students to pursue their special interests and
grow professionally and personally.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all who choose to enter the exciting adventure of graduate edu-
cation in the School of Engineering at Fairfield University.
iliU
'jAdL__^^
Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael
Dean. School of Engineering
Fairfield University l\/lission
7
Fairfield University Mission
Fairfield University, founded by tfie Society of Jesus, is a
coeducational institution of hiigfier learning whiose pri-
mary objectives are to develop tfie creative intellectual
potential of its students and to foster in tliem etiiical and
religious values and a sense of social responsibility.
Jesuit education, wtiicfi began in 1547, is committed
today to thie service of faitti, of wfiich tfie promotion of
justice is an absolute requirement.
Fairfield is Catliolic in bothi tradition and spirit. It cele-
brates tfie God-given dignity of every liuman person. As
a Cattiolic university it welcomes thiose of all beliefs and
traditions wfio sfiare its concerns for scliolarsfiip, justice,
truth), and freedom, and it values tfie diversity tfiat tlieir
membersfiip brings to tfie University community.
Fairfield educates its students through a variety of schol-
arly and professional disciplines. All of its schools share
a liberal and humanistic perspective and a commitment
to excellence. Fairfield encourages a respect for all the
disciplines - their similarities, their differences, and their
interrelationships. In particular, in its undergraduate
schools it provides all students with a broadly based
general education curriculum with a special emphasis on
the traditional humanities as a complement to the more
specialized preparation in disciplines and professions
provided by the major programs. Fairfield is also com-
mitted to the needs of society for liberally educated pro-
fessionals. It meets the needs of its students to assume
positions in this society through its undergraduate and
graduate professional schools and programs.
A Fairfield education is a liberal education, characterized
by its breadth and depth. It offers opportunities for indi-
vidual and common reflection, and it provides training in
such essential human skills as analysis, synthesis, and
communication. The liberally educated person is able to
assimilate and organize facts, to evaluate knowledge, to
identify issues, to use appropriate methods of reasoning,
and to convey conclusions persuasively in written and
spoken word. Equally essential to liberal education is the
development of the aesthetic dimension of human
nature, the power to imagine, to intuit, to create, and to
appreciate. In its fullest sense liberal education initiates
students at a mature level into their culture, its past, its
present, and its future.
Fairfield recognizes that learning is a lifelong process
and sees the education that it provides as a foundation
upon which its students may continue to build within
their chosen areas of scholarly study or professional
development. It also seeks to foster in its students a con-
tinuing intellectual curiosity and a desire for self-educa-
tion that will extend to the broad range of areas to which
they have been introduced in their studies.
As a community of scholars, Fairfield gladly joins in the
broader task of expanding human knowledge and deep-
ening human understanding, and to this end it encour-
ages and supports the scholarly research and artistic
production of its faculty and students.
Fairfield has a further obligation to the wider community
of which it is a part, to share with its neighbors its
resources and its special expertise for the betterment of
the community as a whole. Faculty and students are
encouraged to participate in the larger community
through service and academic activities. But most of all,
Fairfield serves the wider community by educating its
students to be socially aware and morally responsible
persons.
Fairfield University values each of its students as indi-
viduals with unique abilities and potentials, and it
respects the personal and academic freedom of all its
members. At the same time, it seeks to develop a
greater sense of community within itself, a sense that all
of its members belong to and are involved in the
University, sharing common goals and a common com-
mitment to truth and justice, and manifesting in their
lives the common concern for others which is the obli-
gation of all educated, mature human beings.
8
Fairfield University
Fairfield University
A comprehensive liberal arts university built upon the
450-year-olci Jesuit traditions of scholarship and serv-
ice, Fairfield University is distinguished by sound aca-
demics, collegiality among faculty and students, and a
beautiful, 200-acre campus with views of Long Island
Sound.
Since its founding in 1942 by the Society of Jesus (the
Jesuits), the University has grown from an all-male
school serving 300 to a competitively ranked coeduca-
tional institution serving 3,300 undergraduate students
and more than 1 ,000 graduate students, plus non-tradi-
tional students enrolled in University College.
In addition to 34 undergraduate majors, Fairfield offers
full- and part-time graduate programs through its
College of Arts and Sciences, its Charles R Dolan
School of Business, and its schools of Engineering,
Graduate Education and Allied Professions, and
Nursing. Graduate students earn credentials tor profes-
sional advancement while benefiting from small class
sizes, opportunities for real-world application, and the
resources and reputation of a school consistently
ranked among the top regional universities in the North
by U.S. News & World Report.
In the past decade, more than two dozen Fairfield stu-
dents have been named Fulbright scholars, and the
University is among the 12 percent of four-year colleges
and universities with membership in Phi Beta Kappa,
the nation's oldest and most prestigious academic
honor society.
Undergraduate students represent 35 states and more
than 30 countries.
Fairfield is located one hour north of New York City at
the center of a dynamic corridor populated by colleges
and universities, cultural and recreational resources,
and leading corporate employers. Its recently renovated
and expanded facilities include the Rudolph F Bannow
Science Center, the John A. Barone Campus Center,
and the DiMenna-Nyselius Library.
The third youngest of the 28 Jesuit universities in the
United States, Fairfield has emerged as an academic
leader well positioned to meet the needs of modern stu-
dents. More than 60 years after its founding, the
University's mission remains the same: To educate the
whole person, challenging the intellectual, spiritual, and
physical potential of all students.
In the spirit of its Jesuit founders, Fairfield University
extends to its graduate students myriad resources and
services designed to foster their intellectual, spiritual,
and physical development.
CAMPUS SERVICES
The DiMenna-Nyselius Library combines the best of
the traditional academic library with the latest access
to print and electronic resources, it is the intellectual
heart of Fairfield's campus and its signature academic
building.
Carrels, leisure seating, and research tables provide
study space for up to 900 individual students, while
groups meet in team rooms or study areas, or convene
for conversation in the 24-hour cyber cafe. Other
resources include a 24-hour, open-access computer lab
with Macintosh and Intel-based computers; a second
computer lab featuring Windows-based computers only;
two dozen multimedia workstations; an electronic class-
room; a 90-seat multimedia auditorium; an Information
Technology Center for large and small group training;
the Center for Academic Excellence; photocopiers,
microform readers, and pnnters; and audiovisual hard-
ware and software. Workstations for the physically dis-
abled are available throughout the library.
The library's collection includes more than 330,000
bound volumes, 1,800 journals and newspapers,
1 2,000 audiovisual items, and the equivalent of 1 01 ,000
volumes in microform. To borrow library materials, stu-
dents must present a StagCard at the Circulation Desk.
Students can search for materials using an integrated
library system and online catalog. Library resources
may also be accessed from any desktop on or off cam-
pus at http://wvw.fairfield.edu/library.html. From this
site, students use their StagCard number and a pin
code to access their accounts, read full-text journal arti-
cles from more than 100 databases, submit interlibrary
loan forms electronically, or contact a reference librari-
an around the clock via e-mail or "live" chat.
During the academic year, the library is open Monday
through Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to midnight; Friday,
7:45 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and
Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to midnight.
The Rudolph F. Bannow Science Center's 44,000-
square-foot addition, completed in 2002, houses
advanced instructional and research facilities that foster
the development of science learning communities,
engage students in experiential learning, and invite col-
laborative faculty and student research in biology,
chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics,
and psychology. The original building underwent com-
plementary renovations.
The John A. Barone Campus Center which was
extensively renovated in 2001 , is the social focal point
of University activities and offers students a place to
relax, socialize, or study during the day. Students can
sip cappuccino at Jazzman's CyberCafe, shop at the
University bookstore, watch deejays for the campus
radio station, WVOF-FM 88.5, at work in their new
Fairfield University
glass-enclosed studio, or grab meals at one of two din-
ing facilities. The center is open 24 hours from Sunday
through Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays
and Saturdays. Call the Campus Center between 9 a.m.
and 9 p.m. for bookstore and dining hall hours.
The Career Planning Center located in the Aloysius P.
Kelley, S.J., Administrative Center, is open to graduate
students and offers career information, on-line job list-
ings, and career counseling services. Counselors work
with students to help facilitate personal and vocational
discovery, career exploration, and assist in developing
personal job search strategies.
The Center also invites leading employers to recruit on
campus. Graduate students who wish to leverage their
master's degrees in a career transition should meet with
the director of career planning one year prior to gradu-
ation. Graduate students enrolled in the Charles F.
Dolan School of Business should first consult with the
business school's assistant dean.
The Campus Ministry team nourishes a faith commu-
nity on campus, taking seriously its unique role in
expressing the University's Catholic and Jesuit identity.
The team, composed of pastoral ministers, laypeople,
and a council of 18 student leaders, provides counsel-
ing and spiritual direction, fosters prayer life, conducts
liturgies and retreats, trains students as lectors and
Eucharistic ministers, and coordinates interfaith and
ecumenical events.
Service learning opportunities give students a chance
for reflection as they work and live alongside people of
different backgrounds. Students may apply for immer-
sion experiences in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Mexico, and
Haiti, as well as trips closer to home in Kentucky, Maine,
and Connecticut. Each year, hundreds of students par-
ticipate in Campus Ministry or community service
events.
Campus Ministry is housed in the Rev. Pedro Arrupe,
S.J., Campus Ministry Center on the lower level of the
Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola. Mass is held daily
in the chapel during the lunch hour, on some week-
nights, and twice on Sundays.
Fairfield's Computing Services are state-of-the-art.
High-speed fiber-optic cable, with transmission capabil-
ities of 100 megabits per second, connects classrooms,
residence hall rooms, and faculty and administrative
offices, providing access to the library collection, e-mail,
various databases, and other on-campus resources.
Nineteen computer labs, supported by knowledgeable
lab assistants and open 14 hours a day for walk-in and
classroom use, offer hardware and software for the
Windows and Macintosh environments. All campus
buildings are connected to the Internet, and all resi-
dence hall rooms have Internet connections, cable tele-
vision, and voicemail. Students are issued individual
accounts in StagWeb, a secure website where they can
check e-mail, register for courses, review their academ-
ic and financial records, and stay tuned to campus-wide
announcements.
Administrative Computing (SunGard SCT) is
located in Dolan 110 East and provides support for
the integrated administrative system. Banner.
Additionally, Administrative Computing supports
StagWeb, the campus portal that enables students
to access their e-mail, grades, calendars, course
schedules and other types of information that is
important to the adult learner. Administrative
Computing's Help Desk is located on the second
floor of Dolan Commons and can be reached by e-
mail (helpdesk@mail.fairfield.edu) or by phone
(203) 254-4357. The hours of operation are Mon.,
Weds., Thurs., and Fri. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
and on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Computing and Network Semces, located on the
second floor of Dolan Commons, provides lab sup-
port, technical advice, classroom technology appli-
cations, and personal Web page assistance. Office
hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The SCT Help
Desk, located on the second floor of Dolan
Commons, assists with questions related to
StagWeb (see above).
The Department of Public Safety is responsible for the
safety of people and property on campus. Officers patrol
campus by bike, foot, and vehicle 24 hours a day 365
days a year. The Department of Public Safety is author-
ized to prevent, investigate, and report violations of
State or Federal Law and University regulations. In addi-
tion, officers are trained to provide emergency first aid
and are supplemental first responders for the Town
of Fairfield. Public Safety officers also oversee the flow
of traffic on campus and enforce parking regulations.
Any student, faculty member, or employee of Fairfield
University should directly report any potential criminal
act or other emergency to any officer or representative
of the Department of Public Safety immediately, by call-
ing (203) 254-4090 or visiting us in Loyola Hall, Room 2.
The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts Arts serves
as a cultural hub and resource for the University and
surrounding towns, offering popular and classical music
programs, dance, theatre, and outreach events for
young audiences. The center consists of the 740-seat
Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Theatre, the smaller Lawrence A.
10
Fairfield University
Wien Experimental Theatre, and the Thomas J. Walsh
Art Gallery. Tickets to Quick Center events are available
to graduate students at a discounted price. For a calen-
dar of events, visit www.quickcenter.com.
In addition, various departments schedule exhibitions,
lectures, and dramatic programs throughout the aca-
demic year. These events are open to all members of
the University community and many are free of charge.
Athletics and Recreation
in athletics, Fairfield is a Division I member of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and
competes in conference championship play as a char-
ter member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
(MAAC). The men's and women's basketball teams play
at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard, considered one
of the top facilities in collegiate basketball. Discounted
tickets for Fairfield Stags games are available to gradu-
ate students. For tickets or other information, call the
athletic box office or visit www.fairfieldstags.com. In
addition, competitions in soccer, lacrosse, and other
sports are held on campus and are free of charge to
graduate students.
Ttie Leslie C. Quick Jr. Recreation Complex, a multi-
purpose facility also known as the RecPlex, features a
25-meter, eight-lane swimming pool; a field house for
various sports; a whirlpool; saunas in the men's and
women's locker rooms; and racquetball courts. Other
amenities are two cardio theatres, a weight room, and
group fitness courses. The Department of Recreation
also oversees the outdoor tennis, basketball, and sand
volleyball courts as well as two temporary, portable ice-
skating hnks. Graduate students may join the RecPlex
on a per semester basis by presenting a current
StagCard. For membership information and hours, call
the RecPlex office, and paying the appropnate fee.
Parking on Campus
All vehicles must be registered with the Department
of Public Safety and display a current vehicle regis-
tration sticker For graduate students, the fee for this
is included as part of tuition. However graduate stu-
dents must register their vehicle. To do so, students
complete and submit the online registration form
available on StagWeb (see page 17). Students
should then bring a copy of the submitted application
to Public Safety (Loyola Hall, Room 2) with proof
of enrollment and their state vehicle registration. A
pamphlet detailing traffic and parking regulations
will be provided with your registration sticker.
Unauthorized vehicles parked in fire lanes, handi-
capped, or service vehicle spaces are subject to
both fines and towing. Handicapped persons must
display an official state handicapped permit.
ACCREDITATION
Fairfield University is fully accredited by the New
England Association of Schools and Colleges, which
accredits schools and colleges in the six New England
states. Accreditation by one of the six regional accredit-
ing associations in the United States indicates that the
school or college has been carefully evaluated and
found to meet standards agreed upon by qualified edu-
cators.
Additional accreditations include:
AACSB International - The Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Electrical Engineering program
Mechanical Engineehng program
Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family
Therapy Education of the American Association for
Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
Marriage and Family Therapy program
Connecticut State Department of Higher Education
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related
Educational Programs (CACREP)
Counselor Education programs
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Undergraduate Nursing programs
Graduate Nursing programs
Program approvals include:
Connecticut State Department of Higher Education
Elementary and Secondary Teacher
certification programs
Graduate programs leading to certification
in specialized areas of education
School of Nursing programs
Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing
Undergraduate Nursing programs
Graduate Nursing programs
Nurse Anesthesia Council on Accreditation
The University holds memberships in:
AACSB International - The Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
American Association of Colleges for Teacher
Education
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Amencan Council for Higher Education
American Council on Education
ASEE - American Society for Engineering Education
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Connecticut Association of Colleges and Universities
for Teacher Education
Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges
Connecticut Council for Higher Education
National Association of Independent Colleges
and Universities
National Catholic Educational Association
New England Business and Economic Association
Academic Policies and General Regulations
11
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND
GENERAL REGULATIONS
Academic Advising and
Curriculum Planning
Students create their plan of study early in their gradu-
ate career, under the supervision and guidance of pro-
gram directors, so that they may meet their educational
and professional goals in a time-effective and intellectu-
ally satisfying manner.
Graduate courses are offered in evening classes and on
weekends to serve the needs of part-time graduate stu-
dents from the regional technology and business com-
munity, and the needs of full-time students. Class sizes
are small, 10-25 on average, with an emphasis on close
interaction between participants and faculty.
Student Programs of Study
All programs of study must be planned with an advisor.
In granting approval, the advisor will consider the stu-
dent's previous academic record and whether or not the
prerequisites set forth for the specific program have
been met. Should a student wish to change his or her
track or concentration, this request must be made in
writing and approved by the advisor and the dean.
Academic Freedom and
Responsibility
The statement on academic freedom, as formulated in
the 1 940 Statement of Principles endorsed by the AAUP
and incorporating the 1970 interpretive comments, is
the policy of Fairfield University. Academic freedom and
responsibility are here defined as the liberty and obliga-
tion to study, to investigate, to present and interpret, and
discuss facts and ideas concerning all branches and
fields of learning. Academic freedom is limited only by
generally accepted standards of responsible scholar-
ship and by respect for the Catholic commitment of the
institution as expressed in its mission statement, which
provides that Fairfield University "welcomes those of all
beliefs and traditions who share its concerns for schol-
arship, justice, truth, and freedom, and it values the
diversity which their membership brings to the universi-
ty community."
Academic Honesty
All members of the Fairfield University community share
responsibility for establishing and maintaining appropri-
ate standards of academic honesty and integrity. As
such, faculty members have an obligation to set high
standards of honesty and integrity through personal
example and the learning communities they create. It is
further expected that students will follow these stan-
dards and encourage others to do so.
Honor Code
Fairfield University's primary purpose is the pursuit of
academic excellence. This is possible only in an atmos-
phere where discovery and communication of knowl-
edge are marked by scrupulous, unqualified honesty.
Therefore, it is expected that all students taking classes
at the University adhere to the following Honor Code:
'1 understand that any violation of academic integrity
wounds the entire community and undermines the trust
upon which the discovery and communication of knowl-
edge depends. Therefore, as a member of the Fairfield
University community, I hereby pledge to uphold and
maintain these standards of academic honesty and
integrity."
Academic Dishonesty
Students are sometimes unsure of what constitutes aca-
demic dishonesty. In all academic work, students are
expected to submit materials that are their own and to
include attribution for any ideas or language that is not
their own. Examples of dishonest conduct include but
are not limited to:
• Cheating, such as copying examination answers from
materials such as crib notes or another student's
paper.
• Collusion, such as working with another person or per-
sons when independent work is prescribed.
• Inappropriate use of notes.
• Falsification or fabhcation of an assigned project,
data, results, or sources.
• Giving, receiving, offering, or soliciting information in
examinations.
• Using previously prepared materials in examinations,
tests, or quizzes.
• Destruction or alteration of another student's work.
• Submitting the same paper or report for assignments
in more than one course without the prior written per-
mission of each instructor.
• Appropriating information, ideas, or the language of
other people or writers and submitting it as one's own
to satisfy the requirements of a course - commonly
known as plagiarism. Plagiarism constitutes theft and
deceit. Assignments (compositions, term papers, com-
puter programs, etc.) acquired either in part or in
whole from commercial sources, publications,
12
Academic Policies and General Regulations
students, or other sources and submitted as one's own
original work will be considered plagiarism.
• Unauthorized recording, sale, or use of lectures and
other instructional materials.
In the event of such dishonesty, professors are to award
a grade of zero for the project, paper, or examination in
question, and may record an F for the course itself. When
appropriate, expulsion may be recommended. A notation
of the event is made in the student's file in the academic
dean's office. The student will receive a copy.
University Course Numbering System
Undergraduate
01-99 Introductory courses
100-199 Intermediate courses without
prerequisites
200-299 Intermediate courses with
prerequisites
300-399 Advanced courses, normally limited
to juniors and seniors, and open to
graduate students with permission
Graduate
400-499
500-599
Graduate courses, open to
undergraduate students with
permission
Graduate courses
Normal Academic Progress
Academic Load
A full-time student will normally carry nine credits during
the fall or spring semester. Twelve credits is the maximum
load permitted. During summer sessions, full-time stu-
dents are permitted to carry a maximum load of 12 cred-
its. Students who work full-time or attend another school
may not be full-time students. Such individuals are ordi-
narily limited to six credits during the fall or spring semes-
ters and nine credits during the summer sessions..
Academic Standards
Students are required to maintain satisfactory academic
standards of scholastic performance. Candidates for a
master's degree or certificate must maintain a 3.00 grade
point average.
Auditing
A student who wishes to audit a graduate course may do
so only in consultation with the course instructor. A
Permission to Audit form, available at the dean's office,
must be completed and presented at registration during
the regular registration period. No academic credit is
awarded and a grade notation (AU) is recorded on the
official transcript under the appropriate semester and
course name. The tuition for auditing is one-half of the
credit tuition, except for those hands-on courses involving
the use of a computer workstation. In this case, the audit
tuition is the same as the credit tuition. Conversion from
audit to credit status will be permitted only before the third
class and with the permission of the course instructor.
Independent Study
The purpose of independent study at the graduate level
is to broaden student knowledge in a specific area of
interest. Students must submit a preliminary proposal
using the Independent Study Application form, which is
available in the dean's office, to the major advisor.
Frequent consultation with the major advisor is required.
Students may earn from one to six credits for an inde-
pendent study course.
Time to Complete Degree
Students are expected to complete all requirements
for the M.S. programs within five years after beginning
their course work. Students completing certificate pro-
grams must fulfill their requirements within three years of
beginning course work. Each student is expected to
make some annual progress toward the degree or certifi-
cate to remain in good standing. A student who elects to
take a leave of absence must submit a request, in writing,
to the dean.
Applications for and Awarding of Degrees
All students must file an application for the master's
degree and the certificate of advanced study in the
dean's office by the published deadline. Graduate stu-
dents must successfully complete all requirements for the
degree in order to participate in commencement exercis-
es. Refer to the calendar for the degree application dead-
line.
Graduation and Commencement
Diplomas are awarded in January, May, and August (see
calendar for application deadlines). Students who have
been awarded diplomas in the previous August and
January, and those who have completed all degree
requirements for May graduation, are invited to partici-
pate in the May commencement ceremony. Graduate
students must successfully complete all requirements for
the degree in order to participate in commencement.
Grading System
Grades; Academic Average
The work of each student is graded on the following
basis:
A
Excellent
B
Good
C
Fair
F
Failed
1
Incomplete
P
Pass
W
Withdrew without penalty
The symbol + suffixed to the grades of B and C indicates
the upper ranges covered by those grades. The symbol -
suffixed to the grades A, B, and C indicates the lower
ranges covered by those grades.
Academic Policies and General Regulations
13
The grade of incomplete is given at the discretion of indi-
vidual professors. All coursework must be completed
within 30 days after the last class in the course for which
a student has received an incomplete grade, after which
the 1" becomes an F. Pass or Fail grades are used in a
limited number of courses.
No change of grade will be processed after a student has
graduated. Any request for the change of an earned letter
grade is at the discretion of the original teacher of the
course and must be recommended in writing to the dean
by the professor of record within one calendar year of the
final class of the course or before graduation, whichever
comes first.
A student may request an extension of the one-year
deadline from the dean of their school if he or she can
provide documentation that extenuating circumstances
warrant an extension of the one-year deadline. Such an
extension may be approved only if the professor of record
agrees to the extension and an explicit date is stipulated
by which the additional work must be submitted.
A change of an incomplete grade follows the established
policy.
A student who elects to withdraw from a course must
obtain written approval from the dean. Refunds will not
be granted without written notice. The amount of tuition
refund will be based upon the date the notice is received.
Fees are not refundable unless a course is canceled.
Each grade has a numerical value as follows:
A
4.00
A-
3.67
B+
3.33
B
3.00
B-
2.67
C+
2.33
C
2.00
C-
1.67
D
1.00
F
0.00
Multiplying a grade's numerical value by the credit value
of a course produces the number of quality points earned
by a student. The student's grade point average is com-
puted by dividing the number of quality points earned by
the total number of credits completed, including failed
courses. The average is rounded to the nearest second
decimal place.
Incomplete
An incomplete grade is issued in the rare case when, due
to an emergency, a student makes arrangements - in
advance and with the professor's and the dean's
permission - to complete some of the course require-
ments after the semester ends. All course work must be
completed within 30 days of the end of the term. Any "I"
still outstanding after the 30-day extension will become an
F and the student will be excluded from the program.
Transfer of Credit
Transfer of credit from another approved institution of
higher learning will be allowed if it is graduate work done
after the completion of a bachelor's program and com-
pleted pnor to entenng Fairfield University.
No more than six credits may be transferred. Transfer
credit will be considered for graduate coursework earned
with a grade of B or better. An official transcript of the
work done must be received before a decision will be
made on approving the transfer.
Scholastic Honors
Alpha Sigma Nu
Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor society,
serves to reward and encourage scholarship, loyalty, and
service to the ideals of Jesuit higher education. To be
nominated for membership, graduate students must have
scholastic rank in the top 15 percent of their class,
demonstrate a proven concern for others, and manifest a
true concern and commitment to the values and goals of
the society. The Fairfield chapter was reactivated in 1981
and includes outstanding undergraduate and graduate
students who are encouraged to promote service to the
University and provide greater understanding of the
Jesuit ideals of education.
Disruption of Academic Progress
Academic Probation/Dismissal
A student whose overall grade point average falls below
3.00 in any semester is placed on probation for the fol-
lowing semester. If the overall grade point average is
again below 3.00 at the end of that semester, the student
may be dropped from the School. Any student who
receives two course grades below 2.67 or B- will be
excluded from the program.
Withdrawal
Students who wish to withdraw from a 14-15-week
course before its sixth scheduled class must do so in writ-
ing or in person at the Registrar's Office. Written with-
drawals are effective as of the date received or post-
marked. In-person withdrawals are made in the
Registrar's Office by completing and submitting a
Change of Registration form.
Those who wish to withdraw from a course after the sixth
scheduled class must submit a written statement of their
intention to the dean for approval to withdraw without
academic penalty. Failure to attend class or merely giving
notice to an instructor does not constitute an official with-
drawal and may result in a penalty grade being recorded
for the course. In general, course withdrawals are not
approved after the sixth scheduled class. In extreme
cases, exceptions may be approved by the dean.
Readmission
All students who interrupt their education for more than
14
Academic Policies and General Regulations
two successive terms must be reinstated. Requests for
reinstatement may be made by letter to the associate
dean at least one month pnor to enrollment in courses.
If a student has been inactive for 12 months or longer,
it will be necessary to submit a new application for
admission to graduate programs. A review of past work
will determine the terms of readmission
Students who receive a master's degree from Fairfield
University and who want to begin programs leading to a
certificate of advanced study are required to file a new
application of admission.
Academic Grievance Procedures
Purpose
Procedures for review of academic grievances protect
the nghts of students, faculty, and the University by pro-
viding mechanisms for equitable problem solving.
Types of Grievances
A grievance is defined as a complaint of unfair treat-
ment for which a specific remedy is sought. It excludes
circumstances that may give rise to a complaint for
which explicit redress is neither called for nor sought, or
for which other structures within the University serve as
an agency for resolution.
Academic grievances relate to procedural appeals or to
academic competence appeals, or to issues of aca-
demic dishonesty. Procedural appeals are defined as
those seeking a remedy where no issue of the quality of
the student's work is involved. For example, a student
might contend that the professor failed to follow previ-
ously announced mechanisms of evaluation.
Academic competence appeals are defined as those
seeking a remedy because the evaluation of the quality
of a student's work in a course is disputed. Remedies
would include but not be limited to awarded grade
changes, such as permission to take make-up exami-
nations or to repeat courses without penalty.
Academic dishonesty appeals are defined as those
seeking a remedy because of a dispute over whether
plagiarism or cheating occurred. Remedies would
include but not limited to removal of file letter, change of
grade, or submitting new or revised work.
Time Limits
The procedures defined here must be initiated within
one semester after the event that is the subject of the
grievance.
INFORMAL PROCEDURE
Step one: The student attempts to resolve any aca-
demic grievance with the faculty member, department
chair, or other individual or agency involved. If, following
this initial attempt at resolution, the student remains
convinced that a gnevance exists, she or he advances
to step two.
Step two: The student consults the chair, or other indi-
viduals when appropriate, bringing written documenta-
tion of the process up to this point. If the student con-
tinues to assert that a grievance exists after attempted
reconciliation, he or she advances to step three.
Step three: The student presents the grievance to the
dean of the school in which the course was offered,
bringing to this meeting documentation of steps one
and two. If the dean's attempts at mediation prove
unsuccessful, the student is informed of the right to ini-
tiate formal review procedures.
FORMAL PROCEDURE
Step one: If the student still believes that the grievance
remains unresolved following informal procedures, she
or he initiates the formal review procedure by making a
written request through the dean of the school in which
the course was offered for a formal hearing in the aca-
demic vice president's office. Such a request should
define the grievance and be accompanied by documen-
tation of completion of the informal process. It should
also be accompanied by the dean's opinion of the griev-
ance.
Step two: The academic vice president determines
whether the grievance merits further attention. If not,
the student is so informed.
If, however, the grievance does merit further attention,
the academic vice president determines whether it is a
procedural, competence, or academic dishonesty
appeal.
• If it relates to a procedural matter, the academic vice
president selects a dean (other than the dean of the
involved school) to chair a grievance committee.
• If it relates to an academic competence matter, the
academic vice president requests from the dean
involved the names of two outside experts to serve as
a consultant panel in determining the merit of the stu-
dent's grievance.
• If it relates to academic dishonesty, the academic vice
president will convene a committee comprised of a
dean and two faculty from outside the department in
which the course was offered to review the material
and the sanctions.
In addition, in some instances it may be possible for the
academic vice president to settle the grievance.
Step three: For procedural appeals, the grievance com-
mittee takes whatever steps are deemed appropriate to
render a recommendation for resolving the grievance.
The committee adheres to due process procedures
analogous to those in the Faculty Handbook.
For competence appeals, the academic vice president
contacts the outside panel members and requests that
they review the case in relation to its content validity.
For academic honesty appeals, the academic vice pres-
ident will request that the committee present a written
report of their findings relating to the validity of the
charge and the sanctions.
Academic Policies and General Regulations
15
Step four: The recommendation from eitfier the griev-
ance committee or the panel is forwarded to the aca-
demic vice president in written form, accompanied, if
necessary, by any supporting data that formed the basis
of the recommendation.
Step five: The academic vice president renders a final
and binding judgment, notifying all involved parties. If
the grievance involves a dispute over a course grade
given by a faculty member, the academic vice president
is the only University official empowered to change that
grade, and then only at the recommendation of the
committee or panel.
Structure of the Grievance Committee
The structure of the Grievance Committee is the same
as the existing Academic Honesty Committee, as fol-
lows:
• Two faculty members are selected from a standing
panel of eight faculty members elected by the gener-
al faculty. The faculty member against whom the
grievance has been directed proposes four names
from that panel; the student strikes two of those
names, and the two remaining faculty members
serve.
• Two students are selected from a standing panel of
eight students elected by the student government.
The student(s) (grievant(s) propose four names from
that panel; the faculty strike two of those names; the
two remaining students serve.
• In the event that a faculty member or student select-
ed through the foregoing process is unable to meet,
another elected member of the panel serves as an
alternate.
• The committee is chaired by a dean (other than the
dean of the school in which the course was offered) to
be selected by the academic vice president. The dean
so selected has no vote except in the event of a tie,
and is responsible for overseeing the selection of the
review committee, convening and conducting the
committee meetings, and preparing the committee's
report(s) and other appropriate documentation.
• The election of committee members should take into
account the possible need for response on 24-hour
notice (particularly at the time of Commencement),
and availability should, in such instances, be a prime
consideration in committee member selection.
Due Process Procedure
a. Both the student and the faculty member have the
right to be present and to be accompanied by a per-
sonal advisor or counsel throughout the hearing.
b. Both the student and the faculty member have the
right to present and to examine and cross-examine
witnesses.
c. The administration makes available to the student
and the faculty member such authority as it may
possess to require the presence of witnesses.
d. The hearing committee promptly and forthrightly
adjudicates the issues.
e. The full text of the findings and conclusions of the
hearing committee are made available in identical
form and at the same time to the student and the
faculty member. The cost is met by the University.
f. In the absence of a defect in procedure, recommen-
dations shall be made to the Academic Vice
President by the committee as to possible action in
the case.
g. At any time should the basis for an informal hearing
appear, the procedure may become informal in
nature.
Transcripts
Graduate transcript requests should be made in writing
to the University Registrar's Office. There is a $4 fee for
each copy (faxed transcripts are $6). Students should
include the program and dates that they attended in
their requests. In accordance with the general practices
of colleges and universities, official transcripts with the
University seal are sent directly by the University.
Requests should be made one week in advance of the
date needed. Requests are not processed during exam-
ination and registration periods.
Student Records
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
passed by Congress in 1974, legitimate access to stu-
dent records has been defined. A student at Fairfield
University, who has not waived that right, may see any
records that directly pertain to the student. Excluded by
statute from inspection is the parents' confidential state-
ment given to the financial aid office and medical
records supplied by a physician.
A listing of records maintained, their location, and the
means of reviewing them is available in the dean's
office. Information contained in student files is available
to others using the guidelines below:
1. Confirmation of directory information is available
to recognized organizations and agencies. Such
information includes name, date of birth, dates of
attendance, address.
2. Copies of transcripts will be provided to anyone
upon written request of the student. Cost of
providing such information must be assumed by the
student.
3. All other information, excluding medical records, is
available to staff members of the University on a
need-to-know basis; prior to the release of addition-
al information, a staff member must prove his or her
need to know information to the office responsible
for maintaining the records.
16
Admission
ADMISSION
Admission Policies
In carrying out its mission, the School of Engineering
admits graduate students in the master of science in
management of technology, master of science in soft-
ware engineering, master of science in electrical and
computer engineering, and master of science in
mechanical engineering programs, who have the requi-
site bachelor's degree, three or more years of profes-
sional experience, and knowledge and skills in certain
areas such as computer programming, statistics, and
financial accounting (in the case of the MSMOT pro-
gram). Students with gaps in those areas are expected
to complete bridge courses soon after they enter the
program. Students create their plan of study early in
their graduate career, under the supervision and guid-
ance of program directors, so that they may meet their
educational and professional goals in a time-effective
and intellectually satisfying manner. Graduate courses
are offered in evening classes and on weekends to
serve the needs of part-time graduate students from the
regional technology and business community, as well
as the needs of full-time students. Class sizes are
small, 10-25 on average, with an emphasis on close
interaction between participants and faculty.
International Students
In addition to the above criteria, international students
must provide a certificate of finances (evidence of ade-
quate financial resources in U.S. dollars) and must sub-
mit certified English translations and course-by-course
evaluations, done by an approved evaluator from the
list on file in the dean's office, of all academic records.
All international students whose native language is not
English must demonstrate proficiency in the English
language. A TOEFL composite score of 550 for the
paper test or 213 for the computer-based test is strong-
ly recommended for admission to the graduate school.
TOEFL may be waived for those international students
who have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree
from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
Inter-national students should apply well in advance of
the beginning of the term in which they intend to begin
graduate studies.
Students with Disabilities
Fairfield University is committed to providing qualified
students with disabilities with an equal opportunity to
access the benefits, rights, and privileges of its servic-
es, programs, and activities in an accessible setting.
Furthermore, in compliance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act,
and Connecticut laws, the University provides reason-
able accommodations to qualified students to reduce
the impact of disabilities on academic functioning or
upon other major life activities. It is important to note
that the University will not alter the essential elements
of its courses or programs.
If a student with a disability would like to be considered
for accommodations, he or she must make this request
in writing and send the supporting documentation to the
assistant director of student support services. This
should be done prior to the start of the academic
semester and is strictly voluntary. However, if a student
with a disability chooses not to self-identify and provide
the necessary documentation, accommodations need
not be provided. All information concerning disabilities is
confidential and will only be shared with a student's per-
mission. Fairfield University uses the guidelines sug-
gested by CT AHEAD to determine disabilities and rea-
sonable accommodations.
Send letters requesting accommodations to: David
Ryan-Soderlund, assistant director of student support
services, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road,
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195.
Admission Criteria and Procedure
Management of Technology, MSMOT
Admission will be granted to applicants with a bachelor
of science degree in science or engineering, or the
equivalent, or to applicants with extensive experience in
a technology environment, whose academic and pro-
fessional records suggest the likelihood of success in a
demanding graduate program. Applicants will have
completed one course in introductory probability and
statistics, one course in computer programming that
uses a high-level language and includes applications,
and one course in financial accounting, or demonstrate
aptitude in these subjects. Applicants who have not
completed these courses and who are unable to
demonstrate aptitude in these subjects must begin their
studies by registering for one or more of the bridge
courses (undergraduate level) offered in these subjects.
Software Engineering, MSSE
Admission will be granted to applicants with a bache-
lor's degree and adequate experience as a profession-
al software developer or programmer, whose academic
and professional records suggest the likelihood of
success in a demanding graduate program. Potential
students with an undergraduate degree in an area other
than software engineering, computer science, or the
equivalent, may need to take bridge courses, e.g.,
CS 131, CS 132, computer programming I and II, and to
develop the required background for the program.
Admission
17
Electrical and Computer Engineering, MSP>CE
Admission will be granted to applicants with a bache-
lor's degree in science or engineering or its equivalent,
or to those with work experience in a technology envi-
ronment, whose academic and professional record sug-
gest the likelihood of success in a demanding graduate
program in the electrical or computer engineering disci-
plines. Furthermore, applicants should demonstrate
aptitude in the subject matter of such bridge courses as
EE 213, electric circuits, and EE 231, electronic circuits
and devices, or begin their studies by registering for one
or more of the bridge courses.
Mechanical Engineering, MSME
Admission will be granted to applicants with a bache-
lor's degree in science or engineering, or its equivalent,
in the general area of mechanical engineering, or to
those with work experience in a technology environ-
ment, whose academic and professional record suggest
the likelihood of success in a demanding graduate pro-
gram. Furthermore, applicants should demonstrate apti-
tude in the subject matter of engineering design, mate-
rials and thermodynamics, or begin their studies by reg-
istering for one or more bridge courses in these areas.
Certificate Programs in Software
Engineering
Applicants interested in earning a certificate of
advanced study and those interested in taking selected
courses may be admitted on a non-matriculating basis
to the School of Engineering as special-status students.
Special-status students must have a minimum of three
years experience as a professional software developer
or programmer, and academic and professional records
that suggest the likelihood of success in demanding
graduate courses. Special-status students are admitted
to courses on a seating-available basis only.
Matriculated students are given preference for course
offerings, especially for required and core courses.
Special-status students who subsequently apply for
admission to the Master's program must submit all
required documentation and a $55 application fee.
Application Materials
Applicants for admission in all programs must submit
the following materials for consideration:
• A completed Application for Admission form
• Official transcripts from all previously attended col-
leges or universities
• Two letters of recommendation
• Proof of immunization against measles and rubella
(required by Connecticut regulations for students born
after Dec. 31, 1956).
Other Student Requirements
The StagCard
All students are required to obtain a StagCard, the
University's official identification card. With the
StagCard, graduate students can gain access to the
University's computer labs, the library, StagPrint, and
much more. Graduate students can also purchase a
membership to the Quick Recreational Complex, which
requires a valid StagCard for entry.
To obtain a StagCard you will need a valid, government-
issued photo identification card. Also, proof of course
registration will quicken the processing your card, but is
not required. Please note: returning students can use
their existing card.
The StagCard Office is located in Gonzaga Hall, room
10. Office hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday from
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. NOTE: Office is scheduled to move
in summer 2006. Please call for location. Summer
hours may vary from those listed in this catalog.
For more information, you may check the website:
www.fairfield.edu/stagcard, e-mail the office at
stagcard@mail.fairfield.edu or call (203) 254-4009.
StagWeb (http://stagweb.fairfield.edu)
All graduate students are issued individual accounts
for StagWeb, a secure website where you can check
e-mail, register for parking, review your academic and
financial records including course schedules and unoffi-
cial transcripts, and stay tuned to campus-wide
announcements.
Your new StagWeb account will be available within 24
hours of registering for classes for the first time. To log
in you will need your Fairfield ID number (an eight-digit
number which can be found on your course schedule)
and your date of birth (in MMDDYY format). For more
information or for assistance with StagWeb, please
contact the StagWeb helpdesk at (203) 254-HELP or by
e-mail at helpdesk@mail.fairfield.edu.
18
Admission
School of
Engineering
20
School of Engineering Overview
THE SCHOOL OF
ENGINEERING OVERVIEW
Mission Statement and Goals
of the School of Engineering
Headquartered in McAuliffe Hall, the School of
Engineering has laboratory and instructional facilities in
this building as well as in the Rudolph F, Bannow
Science Center. Among these resources are several
computer laboratories and network and Internet servic-
es completely dedicated to the instructional purposes
of the School. In addition, the School of Engineering
operates a separate network linking all its classrooms
and laboratories.
The School continuously measures the outcomes of its
educational enterprise through the Assessment and
Continuous Quality Improvement Process (ACQIP), a
three-year cycle of quality management. This process
includes identifying the constituencies and stakeholders
of the engineering programs, determining which learn-
ing goals and program objectives are compatible with
the needs of those constituencies, crafting curriculum
content, and developing resources to satisfy student
learning and development in accord with those needs.
ACQIP leads to two concrete results: It assesses the
degree to which student learning goals are achieved,
and it identifies opportunities for improving program
design and implementation.
The School of Engineering maintains an appropriate
balance of faculty in each discipline within the School,
and strives to create an environment conducive to
faculty development and consistent with achieving
excellence in pedagogy and professional advancement.
The School also maintains a close working relationship
with industry, through its Advisory Board, to better
understand its needs, and draws from its network of
practitioners in the engineering disciplines for assis-
tance in program development and assessment.
Mission
In keeping with the mission of Fairfield University, the
School of Engineering is committed to preparing stu-
dents for leadership and success in their personal and
professional lives, and to educating the whole person,
one who is socially responsible and prepared to sen/e
others and contribute to his/her discipline.
Objectives
The programs and curricula of the School of
Engineering are directed to a diverse student popula-
tion. Through innovation and an integration of
disciplines in the arts and sciences with those of
engineering, technology, and business, the programs
provide the interdisciplinary knowledge, personal skills,
and technical competencies necessary in our increas-
ingly complex and sophisticated world.
Specifically, the engineering programs have adopted
four major program objectives:
• to provide students with knowledge in the discipline
• to teach students the skills necessary in exercising
the discipline, problem solving, and aptitude for inno-
vation as well as communication skills
• to encourage students to adopt life-long learning
practices across the spectrum of human knowledge
• to convey to students a sense of social responsibility
The key to educating students in their chosen disci-
plines rests on curricula and instructional practices
designed to promote the students' ability to design solu-
tions to complex problems, assess the effectiveness of
the design from a variety of perspectives, including
economy and reliability, and proceed to implementation,
testing and validation of design.
The School of Engineering emphasizes excellence in
the classroom, in research and development, and in the
application of ideas to the world of technology and busi-
ness. It fosters currency, relevance, and excellence in
the curricula, and devotes resources to its facilities and
programs, and to the professional development of fac-
ulty and staff.
The Master of Science in Management of Tectinology (MSMOT)
21
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN MANAGEMENT OF
TECHNOLOGY (MSMOT)
This degree is offered by the School of Engineering in
conjunction with the MBA curriculum in the Charles F.
Dolan School of Business.
Introduction
The MSMOT program at Fairfield University serves the
needs of professional technologists and engineers, and
the needs of industry and business in Connecticut and
elsewhere. The program instructs and trains engineers
and scientists, and those with extensive experience in a
technology environment, in the management of such
functions as technology research and development,
product design and manufacturing, management of
human and physical resources, and information and
data analysis, as required by modern, technology-
dependent enterprises.
The program is intended for experienced technologists
who aspire to favorably position their companies in fast-
paced markets, influence crucial decision-making, and
improve the likelihood of corporate success. Graduates
of the program are able to help their organizations
embrace technology innovation in a timely fashion,
focusing their companies' energies on translating
research and development efforts rapidly and effective-
ly into manufacturing strategies and products that satis-
fy market needs.
Program Overview
MSMOT graduates become effective leaders in small
and large companies, providing creative guidance to the
development and/or adoption and marketing of technol-
ogy products and services. Specific program objectives
are:
• To train the technically proficient by adding to their
skills a deeper comprehension of business planning
and finance, plus an understanding of global markets,
thereby empowering them to develop entrepreneurial
skills. Technologists who are, or aspire to be
employed as managers or supervisors and who cur-
rently engage in technology planning and develop-
ment will be immersed in an educational program that
integrates studies in technology management with
modern management principles.
• To provide technology-dependent business and
industry enterprises in Connecticut with a manpower
resource skilled in the management of technology and
capable of enhancing the strength and competitive-
ness of those businesses. The outcome will serve to
enrich the entrepreneurial climate in the state.
To enhance the skills of technologists in the design
and manufacturing disciplines, in the management
and effective use of information resources, and in the
developing strategies that are crucial to effective lead-
ership in technological enterprises.
To provide undergraduate students in engineering
and science with the opportunity to pursue, upon com-
pletion of their undergraduate studies, a graduate pro-
gram that expands their career paths and ultimately
leads to leadership roles in the management of tech-
nology-dependent businesses.
Students
The program is designed to accommodate students
who are fully employed and choose to complete their
MSMOT studies on a part-time basis, taking five to six
courses per year. It can also be pursued on a full-time
basis. The program is directed toward the following stu-
dent groups: (a) engineers and scientists who need
skills in critical thinking and decision-making to effec-
tively guide the technology that will enhance product
quality and their employer's business opportunities; (b)
manufacturing professionals who are charged with
implementing technology initiatives in order to effective-
ly compete in the 21st century with a lead over their
competitors; (c) managers of technical and business
activities responsible for creating strategic business
plans and overseeing their execution; (d) research and
development practitioners who require skills to recog-
nize relevant technologies developed outside their own
business organization and who must judge the merits of
investing in them; (e) engineers and scientists who
aspire to careers in management and require the knowl-
edge to systematically integrate technology into their
company's activity; (f) engineers and scientists interest-
ed in academic careers combining science, engineer-
ing, and management; and (g) technologists who
require broad management skills to provide leadership
in business.
22
The Master of Science in Management of Technology (MSMOT)
The MSMOT Curriculum
The MSMOT program has a curhculum of 27 courses
available to students. Of these, several are in the
School of Business MBA program*. Entering students
are required to have an adequate background in proba-
bility and statistics, computer programming using at
least one higher order language, and financial account-
ing. To be admitted to the MSMOT program, an appli-
cant's undergraduate transcript(s) must indicate knowl-
edge in the following areas:
BR 1 - probability and statistics
BR 2 - computer programming with a high-level
language and with applications
BR 3 - financial accounting
Students who have not completed courses in these
areas may be admitted to the program provisionally and
must complete these courses as early as possible in
their program.
Degree Requirements
Completion of a minimum of 1 2 three-credit courses (36
total credits), as indicated below, is the requirement for
earning the MSMOT degree. The designations (B) and
(E) following a course name indicate courses offered
through the School of Business and the School of
Engineering, respectively.
Required Courses - 24 credits
All MSMOT students are required to complete each of
the following three-credit courses.
AC 500 Accounting for Decision Making (B)
DM 460 Project Management (E)
GK 415 Information Systems (E)
MG 508 Strategic Management of Technology and
Innovation (B)
MG 584 Global Competitive Strategy (B)
RD 460 Leadership in Technological Enterprise (E)
CP 551 Capstone I Project Definition and Planning
(E)
CP 552 Capstone II Project Execution and Results
(E)
Of particular note among the required courses is the
sequence of CP 551 and CP 552 courses, which con-
stitute the MSMOT capstone, a team-driven effort to
define and design realizable solutions to real-world
technical/business projects. The capstone courses are
supervised by a team mentor.
Concentration Courses - nine credits
MSMOT students elect one of three concentrations:
Management of Design and Manufacturing, Strategic
Management of Resources, or Management of
Information Technology. In addition to the required
courses noted above, students take a minimum of three
courses from their chosen area of concentration.
Management of Design and Manufacturing
DM 405 Supply Chain Design
DM 407 Planning for Lean Manufactunng
DM 420 Design for Economy and Reliability
DM 430 Design for Automation
Management of Resources
DM 405 Supply Cham Design
RD 450 Planning Research & Development
RD 485 Management of Intellectual Property
MG 503 Legal and Ethical Environments of
Business
Management of Information Technology
IM 410 Software Engineenng Practices
IM 400 Database Concepts
RD 430 Strategic Management with Information
Technology
Elective Courses - three credits
MSMOT students complete their degree requirements
with one elective course. This may be chosen from
among any of the courses listed below or from any
graduate course offered through the University with the
program director's permission.
IM 400 Database Concepts
OM 400 Integrated Business Processes
MG 400 Organizational Behavior
MG 500 Managing People for Competitive
Advantage
MG 505 Human Resource Strategies
'Within the MSMOT program, a student may take no more
than 5 MSMOT-approved courses (15 credits) from the Dolan
School of Business.
The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)
23
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING (MSME)
Introduction
The MSME program is designed as a course of study to
provide graduate engineers with a deeper and broader
understanding of the methods and skills in the area of
mechanical engineering. For this purpose, the proposed
program will incorporate knowledge across three ME
domains, and will take advantage of the master's
degree programs in Electrical and Computer
Engineering, Software Engineering, and Management
of Technology in the School of Engineering.
The program outcomes are achieved through knowl-
edge and skills that students gain by virtue of expert
curhculum design, instruction in an effective learning
environment, and opportunities for inquiry and profes-
sional development. Students will have the option to
specialize in one of the following broad ME domains:
• Design, Dynamics and Control Systems: This domain
includes courses in vibrations, distributed systems,
advanced kinematics and dynamics and control sys-
tems.
• Materials, Mechanics, and Manufacturing: This
domain spans the topics of engineering materials,
design and manufacturing, structural analysis, finite
elements, material science, mechanical behavior of
materials, composite materials.
• Fluids and Thermal Sciences: This domain includes
instruction in fluid dynamics, heat transfer and ther-
modynamics, turbo machinery, heat exchangers, and
energy conversion
Students will be able to identify, formulate and solve
advanced mechanical engineering problems. They will
also be able to use the techniques, skills, and modern
analytical and software tools necessary for the mechan-
ical engineering practice. Sequences of electives, as
well as a Masters Project/Thesis, will assist in achieving
the program's learning goals.
Program Overview
The aim of the MSME program is to achieve the follow-
ing basic objectives:
• Students will be educated in methods of advanced
engineering analysis, including the mathematical and
computational skills required for advanced problem
solving. They will be trained to develop the skills and
the ability to formulate solutions to problems, to think
independently and creatively, to synthesize and inte-
grate information/data, and to work and communicate
effectively
Students will be provided with in-depth knowledge in
the domains of study that will allow them to apply
innovative techniques to problems and utilize the tools
they need to focus on new applications. Sequences of
electives, as well as a Master's thesis, will provide
depth in their learning experiences.
Students will avail themselves of a breadth of knowl-
edge that fosters an awareness of and skills for inter-
disciplinary approaches to engineering problems
Undergraduate students in mechanical engineering
and industrial and manufacturing engineering have
opportunity to pursue, upon completion of their under-
graduate studies, a graduate program that would
allow them broader career paths and leadership roles
in the ME area.
Students
Mechanical engineering is a highly diverse discipline
that ranges from the aesthetic aspects of design to
highly technical research and development. The stu-
dent population for the MSME program has several
origins. Typical examples are as follows:
• Engineers and scientists who, responding to the spe-
cific needs of their industry across the spectrum of
special domains listed above, need to acquire skills so
that they may effectively guide the development of
technologies which will enhance product quality and
business opportunities.
24
The Master of Science In Mechanical Engineering (MSME)
Engineers and scientists who wish to fulfill their need
for personal and professional growth in the ME
domain.
Engineers who aspire to academic careers and those
who wish to eventually continue their studies toward a
Ph.D. degree.
Engineers aspiring to a career change.
Current undergraduate engineering students and
alumni, who desire an opportunity to continue their
studies for an advanced engineering degree at
Fairfield University.
The MSME Curriculum
The MSME program offers two options for graduation:
(a) a thesis option which requires 33 credits including
the two-term thesis, and (b) the non-thesis option which
requires 36 credit hours.
Required Courses
'- '"''- options, the program entails five required cours-
nely.
In both
es, namely
SW408
MC400
ME 425
Computer programming with Java; cross
listed in MSSE and MSECE
Feedback and Control Systems
Applications of numerical methods to
engineering problems; cross listed as
ECE415
ME 491 Computer Aided Analysis and Design
ME 420 Readings in ME; students research
literature, identify and formulate problems
and methods of investigation, and identify
ethical issues related to engineering design
Thesis Option
Students may choose the thesis option provided they
earn an A- or better in the Readings class, ME 420, and
secure the approval of the program director.
In the event that a student in the thesis track wishes to
switch to the non-thesis option, the thesis courses that
were already taken will not count toward fulfilling the
graduation requirement.
Core Courses
The objective of the core courses selected from the
three domains of the MSME program, is to provide stu-
dents with areas of in-depth study, which are at the core
of their major interests and career objectives. These
major courses are recommended for setting the foun-
dations for specialization in a functional area of ME. The
core courses in each of the three domains are as fol-
lows:
1. Design, Dynamics and Control Systems: The
courses in this domain cover the broad areas of
mechanical systems, dynamic systems and control.
More specifically the focus includes, but is not limited
to, the dynamic behavior and control of mechanisms,
machines, mechanical systems, vibration analysis and
control, and machine dynamics. Research methods
include a blend of techniques involving mathematics
and computer simulation. The courses are:
ME 410 Vibration Analysis
ME 411 Advanced Kinematics
ME 412 Advanced Dynamics
2. Materials and Manufacturing: The courses in this
domain focus on solving problems in engineering mate-
rials and manufacturing, and include kinematics, mate-
rial behavior, computer integrated design and manufac-
turing, design for automation, applications in machinery
and mechanical systems design, development of new
manufacturing techniques, and operation of manufac-
turing facilities. These courses are:
ME 441 Advanced Materials Science
ME 442 Advanced Mechanics of Materials
ME 443 Design for Manufacturing
3. Fluids and Thermal Systems: This domain consid-
ers the broad areas of fluid dynamics and heat transfer,
and advanced energy conversion. It includes study of
conduction, convection, radiation, compressible and
heated flows, combustion, laminar and turbulent flow.
Application, to design and analysis, processes and
devices, high-speed combustion system, fuel cells, and
heat pipes. The courses offered are:
ME 451 Advanced Fluid Dynamics
ME 452 Advanced Heat Transfer
ME 453 Advanced Energy Conversion
Elective Courses
MSME students complete their degree requirements
with elective courses. These may be chosen from any of
the courses listed below or from any graduate courses
offered through the University with the program direc-
tor's permission.
ME 413 Road Vehicle Dynamics
ME 444 Mechanics of Composite Materials
ME 446 Advanced Computer Aided System Design
ME 470 Advanced Finite Element Analysis
ME 490 Advanced Engineering Analysis
ME 495 Independent Study
ME 496 Special Projects
ME 551 Thesis I
ME 552 Thesis II
The Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE)
25
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
(MSSE)
Introduction
The School of Engineering offers a nnaster's degree in
software engineering ([\/ISSE) as well as graduate-level
certificate programs in select areas of software engi-
neering. The MSSE program is intended to serve the
needs of network administrators, software designers,
and other information technology professionals.
Students who do not meet a minimum experience level
or who have other skill deficiencies will find a number of
bridge courses available to prepare them for the MSSE
curriculum demands.
The certificate programs allow software professionals
to upgrade their skills in selected areas. Certificate
program students enroll under "special student" status
and participate in courses offered through the MSSE
program, earning credits toward the MSSE degree,
should they choose to pursue it. Three certificate pro-
grams are available: Web Applications Development,
Information Security Technologies, and Network
Technologies.
Program Overview
Engineering education programs seek to impart
technical, mathematical, and engineering design knowl-
edge that can be applied to the creative development of
products, or solutions to problems, that are useful to
society. The MSSE program emphasizes software as
the product to be built, recognizing a transformation of
the national economy that embraces knowledge indus-
tries as well as traditional manufacturing.
Software Engineering Studio
The software engineering program is focused around a
team driven software engineering studio. In the studio,
the student experiences the various phases of the soft-
ware engineering development lifecycle while working
on a significant software development project. The proj-
ects are chosen by the faculty. Criteria for projects are
that they are complex, allow the students to experience
advanced software engineering topics, and require sev-
eral semesters for completion. During a student's work
in the software engineering program he/she must take
at least one semester in each of the four studio areas
that include:
• Requirements gathering and analysis
• Design and prototyping
• Implementation
• Testing and maintenance
The courses in the software engineering studio are the
following:
SW 400 Software Engineering Methods - an explo-
ration of requirements gathering and system analysis
and their application to a specific software project.
SW 401 Software Design Methods - an exploration of
software design methods and prototyping and their
application to a specific software project.
SW 550 Software Capstone Project I - an exploration
into the continuing implementation of a specific software
project.
SW 551 Software Capstone Project II - an exploration
into the deployment, testing and maintenance of soft-
ware and the application of these methods to a specific
software development project.
In these courses there is a combination of material
presented by lecture and team lead efforts focused on a
specific project.
Specialization Areas
The MSSE program emphasizes the integration of
design, implementation, and software engineering skills
to meet the challenges of developing software systems.
Specialization areas include:
• Enterprise Systems and and Web Architecture.
The focus of this specialization is on architectures
of software systems, software system design,
programming languages, system testing, operating
systems, algorithms, and engineering systems such
as graphics, image or voice processing.
• Enterprise Systems Database Architecture. The
focus of this specialization is on databases, database
access methods, database design, data mining,
data warehousing, performance optimization, and
advanced database topics.
• Software Development Management. The focus of
this specialization is on software project planning
26
The Master of Science in Software Engineering (l\/ISSE)
and control, risk identification and management,
networl< and computer capacity planning, customer/
client communication and requirement gathering,
software quality control and assurance techniques,
measurement and metrics, people and team skills, and
managing change.
• Information Security. Information security involves
the student in the analysis of potential security
violations, the design and implementation of counter-
measures necessary to ensure security, the study of
data transmission encryption schemes, and discus-
sions of the social impacts of security methodologies.
• Network Technology. Students focus on the design
and implementation of networks and the infra-
structure needed to support enterprise-level software
operations.
Additional Specializations
In addition, special design and technical program
courses are offered that focus on specific technical
needs of industrial and commercial companies in the
area. Typically these courses are designed to meet
specific needs of a company.
The MSSE Curriculum
MSSE students are required to complete the software
engineering studio consisting of four courses. They must
develop the skills necessary to pursue the studio
through their additional elective coursework.
In addition, students must be proficient in programming.
Students in the specializations of Software Development
Management and Network Technology must be profi-
cient in at least one programming language. Students in
the other specializations must be proficient in two pro-
gramming languages. In general this proficiency would
be in Visual Basic and one of the languages Java, C-i-i-,
or C#. The proficiencies would be at an advanced level.
This can be accomplished either through coursework or
through employment.
Students take elective courses in one or more of the
specializations in which they have an interest, namely:
system architecture, database architecture, software
development management, information security, and
network technology.
Students may also take elective courses offered in the
MSMOT and the MSECE programs.
Prerequisites and Foundation Competencies:
The MSSE degree requires students to have competen-
cies that will allow them to pursue graduate coursework.
Knowledge and/or experience in data structures,
applications programming, systems analysis and
design, and mathematics is required. Gaps in knowl-
edge and experience in these areas can be remedied by
bridge courses that are offered in the undergraduate
software engineering program. Before continuing with
graduate work, students must correct deficiencies suffi-
ciently to allow them to succeed.
Retraining - Special Students
Generally, students who wish to retrain to move from
a different discipline into software engineering are
welcome to enroll in the program. They may expect
to do at least 12 credits of work to catch up in the field.
For example: Students with no prior programming
experience would be required to take CS 131 Computer
Programming I. CS 132 Computer Programming II and
CS 232 Data Structures, under advisement from the
program director. The student may also be encouraged
to take additional non-credit courses during his/her
graduate work as needed. These additional prerequi-
sites will be determined on an individual basis.
The Master of Science in Software Engineering (IVISSE)
27
Degree Requirements
Completion of a minimum of eight three-credit courses
plus a four-semester, 12-credit software engineering
studio (36 total credits), as indicated below, comprise
the graduation requirements for the program.
Core Courses - Programming as needed
Students in the Software Development Management
and Network Technology specialization must be profi-
cient in one programming language. Students in the
other specializations must be proficient in two or more
programming languages. These proficiencies can be
accomplished either through coursework or through
employment or external work. The proficiencies must
be at a level that will allow the student to be successful
in the software engineering studio. Preparation success
will be determined by the advisor and the studio
instructors.
Software Engineering Studio - 12 credits
The studio covers the software development lifecycle of
requirements gathering, requirements analysis, design,
prototyping, implementation, testing, deployment and
maintenance. Students are typically organized into
teams that contribute to a significant software develop-
ment project. These projects are chosen to advance the
student's knowledge in topics related to the specializa-
tion areas. Topics are chosen by the faculty. Students
consult with their advisors and instructors to determine
which projects will contribute most to their education and
are assigned to specific projects. Students may also
suggest projects if they are of sufficient complexity and
will advance their knowledge in an area of interest.
The Studio consists of the following four courses:
SW 400 Software Engineering Methods
SW 401 Software Design Methods
SW 550 Capstone Project I
SW 551 Capstone Project II
The results of these projects provide a library of
case studies, designs, and tools that will be of general
interest to information technology professionals and
organizations in the area.
Specializations and Language Sl<ills - 24 credits
The technically focused specialization allows profes-
sionals to develop in-depth knowledge in a technical
area of interest. It also provides the technical basis for
work in the Software Engineering Studio.
Students who have opted for the Software Development
Management or the Network Technology specialization,
listed below, must be proficient in at least one program-
ming language. Students in other specializations will
be proficient in two programming languages. The
programming language courses are:
SW 403 Visual Basic.Net for Programmers I
SW 408 Java for Programmers I
SW 409 Java for Programmers II
SW 427 Object-Oriented Programming with C++
SW 499 Algorithms in C#
SW 506 VisualBasic.Net for Programmers II
Special Topics
Special topics courses are offered as student need and
interest arise. These courses can be used to fulfill a
portion of the 24 credit non-studio coursework. Students
may take special topics courses with permission from
their advisor and the course instructor. Special topics
courses may have prerequisites and students should
make sure that they have covered all prerequisites
before taking these courses.
a. Specialization in Flnterprise Systems
and Web Architecture
This specialization allows professionals to gain a greater
understanding of the leading technologies for building
software systems.
Student work includes the software engineering studio in
which the student works with a team from the system
architecture point of view on the various phases of the
software development life cycle. This includes require-
ments gathering and analysis, design and prototyping of
systems, implementation of complex systems, testing of
software, and software maintenance.
Coursework outside of the studio focuses upon topics
important to the system architect such as programming
languages, web development, graphical user interfaces,
databases, information security, enterprise systems,
operating systems, and engineering software such as
image processing and graphics. The tools used by the
student are the most up to date tools available such as
JBoss, Rational Rose, Visual Studio.net, Eclipse,
WebSphere, Internet Information Server, etc.
Students working in this specialization are expected to
have mastered two or more programming languages by
the time they graduate.
Courses in this area are:
SW 406 Web Development I
SW 41 0 Enterprise Java
SW 505 Advanced Database Concepts
SW 508 Data Warehouse Systems
SW 518 Data Mining and Business Intelligence
SW 511 Voice and Signal Processing
SW 512 Web Development II with ASP.Net
SW 513 Image Processing
SW 516 High Performance Database Web
Applications with ASPNET
28
The Master of Science in Software Engineering (!\/ISSE)
b. Specialization in Enterprise Systems Database
Architecture
This specialization allows professionals to gain a
greater understanding of database architecture and
design.
Student work includes the software engineering studio
in which the student works with a team stressing the
database architecture point of view. This includes
requirements gathering and analysis, design and
prototyping of systems, implementation of complex
databases, importing of existing data into a new data-
base, testing of the database with associated software,
and database maintenance.
Coursework outside of the studio focuses upon topics in
database architecture such as database performance
issues, database clusters, distributed databases, data
warehousing, data mining, object relational mapping,
information security, and web based databases.
Students working in this specialization are expected to
have mastered two or more programming languages by
the time that they graduate.
Courses in this area are:
SW402 Database Concepts
SW 505 Advanced Database Concepts
SW 508 Data Warehouse Systems
SW 516 High Performance Database Web
Applications with ASP.NET
c. Specialization in Software Development
Management
Student work includes the software engineering studio
in which the student works with a team from the project
management point of view. This includes managing the
phases of requirements gathering and analysis, design
and prototyping of systems, implementation of complex
systems, testing of software, and software mainte-
nance.
Courses can be selected from the MSMOT curriculum.
Students gain knowledge and skills related to the
evaluation, selection, and management of new informa-
tion technologies that are significant to the long-term
viability of an organization.
Students working in this specialization are expected to
have mastered one or more programming languages by
the time they graduate.
Courses in this area are:
SW 520 Project Management
SW 420 Technology Management
SW 430 Strategic Management with Information
Technology
SW 460 Leadership in Technical Enterprise
SW 502 Software Engineering Practices
SW 598 Computer and Network Capacity
Management
d. Specialization in Information Security
Coursework and lab work in this specialization offer
an analysis of potential secunty violations and counter-
measures, guide the student through encryption
schemes of transmission in web based technologies,
and examines social engineering methods in informa-
tion security.
Students working in this specialization are expected to
have mastered two or more programming languages by
the time they graduate.
Courses in this area are:
SW 530 Information Security and Social Engineering
Practices
SW 531 Applications and Data Security
SW 535 Internet Technologies and Data
Transactions
SW 599 Information Security Measures and
Countermeasures
e. Specialization in Network Technology
Students work in networking laboratories and in class-
room settings to get hands-on experience with network
operating systems, routers and switches, local and wide
area network topologies, and to develop the skills to
perform network capacity planning and performance
monitoring. This course of study combines vendor
independent concepts and analytical skills development
with work utilizing state of the art equipment from
Cisco and Microsoft and other important vendors in the
networking industry.
This coursework provides students with all the course
materials needed to prepare for the well-respected
Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) creden-
tial. Students completing SW 404, SW 596, and
SW 597 are eligible to take the Cisco Certification
Exams and are provided the opportunity for a voucher
to cover the cost of that certification test.
Students working in this specialization are expected to
have mastered one or more programming languages by
the time they graduate.
Courses in this area are:
SW 404 Network Concepts
SW 596 Network Routing and Switching
SW 597 LAN/WAN Engineering
SW 598 Computer and Network Capacity
Management
The Master of Science in Software Engineering (t\/ISSE)
29
Elective Courses
Graduate students can take as additional electives the
following courses from the junior and senior level under-
graduate curriculum with the addition of a major project
implemented under the supervision of the course
instructor. Permission of the graduate advisor and the
course instructor is required.
CS 331 Operating Systems
CS 342 Theory of Computation
CS 353 Principles of Compiler Design
CS 354 Theory of Programming Languages
CS 355 Artificial Intelligence
CS 391 Cognitive Science Seminar
Elective courses offered jointly through the School of
Engineering MSMOT program and the Dolan School of
Business MBA program can help students attain their
career objectives. These include:
Design Skills
SW 582 Creative Design and Development of
Technology
SW 585 Human Resources Strategies
SW 583 Supply Chain Management Concepts
SW 584 Supply Chain Validation
Engineering Management Skills
SW 581 Planning for Lean Manufacturing
SW 590 Accounting and Decision-Making
SW 592 Legal and Ethical Environment of Business
SW 594 Leadership in Technological Enterprise
Graduate Certificate Programs
The following certificates of advanced study programs
are also available. To earn a certificate, students must
complete all listed courses for the specified certificate.
Web Applications Development Certificate
SW 403 VisualBasic.Net for Programmers I
OR
SW 406 Web Development I
SW 506 Visual Basic. Net for Programmers II
SW 512 Web Development II with ASPNet
SW 516 High Performance Database Web
Applications with ASPNET
Information Security Certificate
SW 530 Information Security and Social Engineering
Practices
SW 531 Applications and Data Security
SW 535 Internet Technologies and Data
Transactions
SW 599 Information Security Measures and
Countermeasures
Network Technology Certificate
SW 404 Network Concepts
SW 596 Network Routing and Switching
SW 597 UN/WAN Engineering
SW 598 Computer and Network Capacity
Management
Students completing SW 404 and SW 596 are eligible
to take the Cisco Certification Exams and are provided
the opportunity for a voucher to cover the cost of that
certification test.
30
The Master of Science In Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE)
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER
ENGINEERING (MSECE)
Introduction
Electrical and computer engineering at Fairfield
University combines the study of software and hard-
ware. Common tasks are writing embedded software for
real-time microcontrollers, designing VLSI chips, work-
ing with analog sensors, designing mixed signal circuit
boards, and designing computer-based systems.
An ECE student can focus on topics that include digital
logic systems, radio frequency or power electronics or
on the interaction between software programs and the
underlying hardware architecture.
The MSECE program takes advantage of the School of
Engineering's master's degree programs in software
engineering and management of technology. As a result,
students gain a sense of the economic and business val-
ues needed to employ technology to serve society's
needs.
Program Overview
The MSECE program provides students with the know-
ledge and skills to innovate and lead in their discipline in
the framework of research and development in academ-
ic institutions, the industrial workplace, research labora-
tories, or service organizations.. The basic objectives of
the MSECE program include the following;
1.
2.
Students receive the tools they need to take the lead
in creating next generation technologies using fun-
damental design disciplines. Sequences of elec-
tives, as well as a master's thesis, provide depth in
their learning experiences.
Students gain exposure to the high-tech areas of
electrical and computer engineering, including sys-
tem and product engineering, hardware and soft-
ware design, embedded systems, communications,
control systems, computer architecture, and visuali-
zation and multimedia systems. Students have the
opportunity to become skilled in creating unique
object-oriented designs. State of the art facilities
available in the School of Engineering, and close
interactions with industry, assist in those tasks.
The MSECE program provides undergraduate stu-
dents with the opportunity to pursue a graduate
degree program that would allow them broader
career paths, ultimately leading to leadership roles.
Students
Electrical and computer engineering embodies the sci-
ence and technology of design, implementation, and
maintenance of software and hardware components of
modern electrical, electronics, and computing systems.
This discipline has emerged from the traditional fields of
electrical engineering and computer science. Hence,
the student population for the proposed program has
several origins. Typical examples include the following:
1. Engineers and scientists who, responding to the
specific needs of their industry across the spectrum
of electrical and computer engineering domains,
need to acquire skills to effectively guide the devel-
opment technologies that will enhance product qual-
ity and business opportunities.
2. Engineers and scientists who wish to fulfill their
needs for personal and professional growth and
achieve entrepreneurship in the IT domains.
3. Engineers who aspire to academic careers and wish
to eventually continue their studies toward a Ph.D.
in electrical or computer engineering.
4. Engineers aspiring to a career change.
5. Undergraduate engineering students and alumni
with B.S. degrees, who seek an opportunity to con-
tinue their studies for an advanced engineering
degree at Fairfield University.
In addition to mathematics and science, MSECE gradu-
ates have a solid foundation in electronics, logic design,
micro-devices, computer organization and architecture,
and networking, as well as an understanding of soft-
ware design, data structures, algorithms, and operating
systems.
Graduates are employed in several industries, including
the computer, aerospace, telecommunications, power,
manufacturing, defense, and electronics industries.
They can expect to design high-tech devices ranging
from tiny microelectronic integrated-circuit chips to
powerful systems that use those chips and efficient
telecommunication systems that interconnect those
systems. Applications include consumer electronics;
advanced microprocessors; peripheral equipment;
and systems for portable, desktop, and client/server
computing; communications devices; distributed com-
puting environments such as local and wide area
networks, wireless networks. Internets, Intranets;
embedded computer systems; and a wide array of com-
plex technological systems such as power generation
and distribution systems and modern computer-
controlled processing and manufacturing plants.
The Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE)
The MSECE Curriculum
Students in the MSECE program must complete either
34 credits, including a thesis, or a non-thesis option
comprising 37 credits. Four required courses build a
foundation; students then choose a core area among
nine domains of knowledge and skills to provide depth
and specialization in a functional area of electrical and
computer engineering. Upon admission, students meet
with an advisor to prepare a plan of study that will lead
to a master's degree in electrical and computer engi-
neering in the most time-effective manner.
Required courses - 18 to 21 credits with thesis
• SW408 Java I
• SW409 Java II (For CE students only)
• ECE 415 Engineering Applications of Numerical
Methods
• ECE 420 Readings in Electrical and Computer
Engineering
31
Thesis Option
ECE 550, ECE 551, and ECE 552 if necessary
Students may choose the thesis option provided they
earn an A- or better in the Readings class, ME 420, and
secure the approval of the program director.
In the event that a student in the thesis track wishes to
switch to the non-thesis option, the thesis courses that
were already taken will not count toward fulfilling the
graduation requirement.
Required courses - 18 credits, no thesis
Core Courses and Electives
Nine domains of knowledge and skills, shown below,
specify available tracks and electives in the MSECE
program. This portion of the program provides students
with areas of study that are at the core of their major
interest and career objectives. One domain from the list
below is required.
The courses in the nine domains are as follows:
1. Electronic product design. The courses in this
domain cover the nature and properties of materials
used in electronic devices and, in particular, manage-
ment of the thermal environment for the safe operation
of the devices. Seven credits.
ECE 405 Electronic Materials
ECE 425 Thermal Management of Micro-devices
ECE510L Product Design Lab
2. The architecture of microelectronics. The courses
in this domain consider the design of analog, digital,
and mixed-mode integrated circuits, along with the
methods of fabricating high density interconnection
structures for manufacturing microelectronic assem-
blies: thick films, thin films, and printed circuit boards.
Seven credits.
ECE 435 High Density Interconnection Structures
ECE 445 Integrated Circuit Design
ECE515L Microelectronics Lab
3. Systems Design. This domain includes studies of
the fundamentals of the analysis of linear and nonlinear
electric circuits. Seven credits.
ECE 455 Sensor Design and Applications
ECE 465 Nonlinear Control Systems
ECE 520L System Design Lab
4. Communications Systems. This domain considers
the generation and transmission of electromagnetic
waves. Structures used in microwave propagation,
including transmission lines, waveguides, resonators,
and antennas are also considered. 10 credits.
ECE 475 Microwave Structures
ECE 480 Wireless Systems
ECE 485 Digital Communications
ECE 525L Communications Lab
5. Power and Power Electronics. The courses in this
domain consider the design and application of electron-
ic circuits related to power generation, conversion and
distribution. Seven credits.
ECE 495 Power Generation and Distribution
ECE 505 Advanced Power Electronics
ECE 530L Power Electronics Lab
32
Course Descriptions
6. Signal Processing. The courses in this domain cover
one-dimensional digital signal processing such as audio
processing (CD players, electronic music synthesizers,
personal computer sound cards) and two-dimensional
processing such as image processing (image and video
processing in consumer equipment, machine inspection,
robotics, automation, remote sensing, security, and
medical imaging). Six credits.
ECE 410 Voice and Signal Processing
ECE 430 Image Processing
7. Scientific Visualization. This domain examines the
process of converting scientific data into a visual form to
improve understanding of the data implications.
Applications include the visualization of fluid flow in fluid
dynamics, the communication of ecological data, data in
computational biology (blood clotting, chemical kinetics,
electrical waves in muscles and the brain), and compu-
tational physics in such areas as high-energy astro-
physics, cosmology, and high energy physics. Students
learn to use the power of graphics boards for interactive
visualization and rendering techniques. Six credits.
ECE 440 Computer Graphics
ECE 450 Computer Animation
8. Embedded Systems. The embedded systems
domain is critical to the creation and deployment of
smart systems, which are today embedded in networks
that use microchips and computers. Understanding the
process by which software and hardware mechanisms
allow computations and communications with networks
of computers is crucial to this domain. Six credits.
ECE 460 Network Programming
ECE 470 Network Embedded Systems
9. Enterprise Computing. The enterprise computing
domain addresses the needs of companies based on
information technology for their successful operations
by providing expertise in server-side application devel-
opment. This is the enabling technology for deploying
business services on the Web; it is further in accord with
the new model of Internet services where Web content
is replicated in different geographic locations on the
Internet for faster accessibility by Web users and Web-
based technologies. Six credits.
SW 402 Database Management
SW410 Enterprise Java
Course Descriptions
MSMOT
Students in the MSMOT Program are required to com-
plete 12 courses (36 credits). This includes six required
courses, three core courses, two semesters of the
Capstone course and one elective. Upon earning twen-
ty-seven credits, students are qualified to take the first
of the two Capstone courses. The three core courses
are selected from the areas of concentration which are
(a) Management of Information Technologies, (b)
Management of Design and Manufacturing, and (c)
Strategic Management of Resources. The 12 courses
should be taken within a five-year period to obtain the
degree.
Bridge Courses
Students without prior formal knowledge and experi-
ence in probability and statistics, computer program-
ming, and accounting, are required to complete
courses BR 1, BR 2 and BR 3 as early as possible.
BR 1 - Probability and Statistics
This bridge requirement may be satisfied by an under-
graduate level course in statistics and probability given
by any accredited institution of higher learning. A course
at Fairfield University recommended for this bridge is
MA 217. (See undergraduate catalog or SOE website
for a description.)
BR 2 - Computer Programming
This bridge requirement may be satisfied by an under-
graduate level course in a programming language given
by any accredited institution of higher teaming. A course
at Fairfield University recommended for this bridge is
CS 131 Computer Programming I. (See undergraduate
catalog or SOE website for a description.)
BR 3 - Financial Accounting
This bridge requirement may be satisfied by an under-
graduate-level course in financial accounting given by
an accredited institution of higher learning. At Fairfield
University, AC 400, Financial Accounting is recom-
mended. (See the graduate catalog, Dolan School of
Business, or SOE website for a description.)
Required Courses
AC 500 Accounting for Decision-Making
This course emphasizes the use of accounting informa-
tion by managers for decision-making. It is designed to
provide managers with the skills necessary to interpret
analytical information supplied by the financial and man-
agerial accounting systems. The financial accounting
focus is on understanding the role of profitability,
liquidity, solvency and capital structure in the manage-
ment of the company. The managerial accounting focus
is on the evaluation of organizational performance of
cost, profit and investment centers. (Prerequisite:
Course Descriptions
33
AC 400 or an equivalent course in financial accounting.)
Three credits.
CP 551 Capstone I - Project Definition and
Planning
In this first semester of the capstone course, students
form project groups, conceive technical approaches to
problem solutions, and develop detailed plans and a
schedule for project activities. Students execute the
planning process using appropriate professional soft-
ware such as Microsoft Project. The course includes
software refresher lectures early in the semester.
Students in each team produce a detailed project plan
defining the work to be done (task descriptions), the
task/subtask organizational structure, task responsibili-
ties (assigning who does what), the task execution
schedule (using PERT and Gantt charts as managing
tools), areas of risk and risk abatement concepts, and
provide an explanation of the value of the work to be
performed to fulfill the objectives. Three credits.
CP 552 Capstone II - Project Execution and
Results
The second semester of the capstone course concerns
implementation of the project plan developed in the
prior semester. This typically includes hardware fabrica-
tion, software development supporting analytical work,
detailed design, experimental studies, system integra-
tion, and validation testing, all of which serve as proof of
meeting project objectives in data and functional
demonstrations. Project teams submit a final report for
grading and make a formal presentation to faculty, men-
tors, and interested personnel from associated indus-
tries. Three credits.
DM 460 Project Management
This course focuses on the general methodology of
managing a technology project from conception to com-
pletion, with an emphasis on the functions, roles, and
responsibilities of the project manager. Students learn
principles and techniques related to controlling
resources (people, materials, equipment, contractors,
and cash flow) in the context of completing a technolo-
gy project on time, within budget, and within the pro-
ject's stated technical requirements. Through group and
individual activities, including case study review and
project simulation, students apply project management
tools and techniques, and assume the roles of project
managers who must address typical problems that
occur during the life cycle of a project. Three credits.
RD 460 Leadership in Technical Enterprise
This course introduces major leadership theories and
explores the issues and challenges associated with
leadership of technical organizations. The course inte-
grates readings, experiential exercises, and contempo-
rary leadership research theory. Participants investigate
factors that influence effective organizational leadership
as well as methods of enhancing their own leadership
development. The course prepares executives, supervi-
sors, and managers to master the complex interperson-
al, social, political, and ethical dynamics required for
leading modern organizations. Three credits.
GK415 Information Systems
This course offers insights into the capabilities of mod-
ern software and computing systems, allowing prospec-
tive technology managers to discriminate between
effective and ineffective applications of software and
network systems - considerations essential to manag-
ing businesses that depend upon efficient data and
information processing. The course covers inputs,
outputs, storage, transmission media and information
processing, and networking. Three credits.
MG 508 Strategic Management of Technology
and Innovation: The Entrepreneurial Firm
This course begins by presenting cutting-edge concepts
and applications so that students understand the
dynamics of innovation, the construction of a well-craft-
ed innovation strategy, and the development of well-
designed processes for implementing the innovation
strategy. It then focuses on the building of an entrepre-
neurial organization as a critical core competency in the
innovation process. Concurrent with this, it focuses
on the development and support of the internal entre-
preneur or intrapreneur as part of the process of
developing organizational core competencies that build
competitive comparative advantages that, in turn, allow
the firm to strategically and tactically compete in the
global marketplace. Topics explored include technology
brokering, lead users, disruptive technologies and the
use of chaos and complexity theory in the strategic
planning process. Three credits.
MG 584 Global Competitive Strategy
This course considers the formulation of effective policy
and accompanying strategy actions, and the manage-
ment of such policies and actions. It examines the role
of the general manager in this process and presents the
diversified issues and problems the management of a
business firm may be required to consider and solve in
strategic planning. This course also examines the prob-
lems and tasks of strategy implementation and the
general manager's function of achieving expected
objectives and establishing new ones to assure the
continuity of the business organization. Students are
required to prepare a business plan as part of this
course. Three credits.
The following section presents descriptions of
courses that may be used to fulfill core require-
ments or serve as electives.
DM 405 Supply Chain Design
This course deals with the optimization of process
arrays in a supply chain by means of modeling. The
term "supply chain" refers to all the resources required
in moving material through a network of manufacturing
processes, quality assurance measures, maintenance,
and customer interfacing to produce, deliver, and main-
tain a product. These are modeled by instructed tech-
niques to create a simulation of this chain, permitting an
analyst to design the supply chain and to predict its
performance - a process accomplished prior to com-
34
Course Descriptions
mitting investments in procurement and fabrication,
thereby permitting valid estimations of the quality of
critical functions. Such a system offers three general
benefits: a) it may be used to achieve an optimized
design; b) it may be used in solving production expan-
sion needs; and c) it can be used to locate and correct
problems in an existing manufacturing system. Three
credits.
DM 407 Planning for Lean Manufacturing
In this course, students will learn the significance and
ramifications of the idiomatic term "Lean Manufacturing"
and what advantages it provides to a manufacturing
company. They will learn how to perceive the cross
functional processes within such a company, in terms of
"who does what" and to understand the process as to
how general objectives, defined by corporate man-
agers, are translated into specific actions involving facil-
ities, equipment, new skills and process improvements
that must be achieved. Other issues, specifically cov-
ered in lecture include; (1) statistical segmentation of
demand, (2) production and inventory considerations of
facility and product design needed in achieving a true
lean manufacturing condition, (3) use of statistical seg-
mentation for make-to-stock, make-to-order, and make-
to-plan conditions, (4) introduction to replenishment
techniques including; level loading, rhythm cycles and
considerations for safety and cycle stock, and (5) use of
postponement strategies in optimizing inventory control.
Three credits.
DM 420 Design for Economy and Reliability
Considerations of reliability permit a product to achieve
a desired performance throughout its service life, there-
by satisfying those who have purchased it. Careful
thought and design produce reliability and economy of
manufacture. This course instructs the prospective
technology manager in the considerations leading to
creation of cost-effective products of quality and
presents; (1) the Total Design method, (2) concurrent
engineering and the effective use of design reviews,
(3) quality function deployment, (4) cost structures
and models, (5) materials selection and economics,
(6) robust design validation techniques and the Taguchi
method, and (7) the Fault Tree and its use as a diag-
nostic aid in design validation. Three credits.
DM 430 Management of Design for Automation
This course addresses the need for inherent flexibility in
modern manufacturing systems that must accommo-
date changing product lines through the application of
robotics and other forms of programmable automation,
and the need to provide rapid, accurate communica-
tions between business managers, design engineers,
and product managers. Effective product design
requires a basic understanding of the manufacturing
system being used in production including; mechanical
design of all material manipulators and material han-
dling equipment, design compatibility between all parts
and the automation equipment considered for use.
Coursework dealing with these issues includes; 1) the
organization and scheduling of manufacturing process-
es, 2) the principles of programmable automation, 3)
the theory and application of Boothroyd's design for
assembly methodology, 4) process cost estimation
techniques, 5) methods for judging the soundness of
investments in manufacturing equipment that a specific
design may require, 6) market implications and the
effect of design features on sales revenue and product
market life, and 7) social impacts. Three credits.
RD 485 Management of Intellectual Property
Intellectual property may exist in many forms and often
goes unrecognized as a part of the wealth of corpora-
tions when actually it can represent the most valuable
property that a corporation holds. This course instructs
students in how to recognize the different types of intel-
lectual property and the different forms of protection that
may be used to protect its loss to competitive agencies.
In addition to enlightenment as to what form it may take,
the students are instructed in how to determine its mon-
etary value and how to use it to advance important com-
pany objectives such as increasing sales volume and
how to eto establish policies and methods to protect it
from theft by competitive firms. Throughout the course
the students will learn how to address the legal issues
surrounding the rights of ownership and the existence
of infringements. The students will also learn how to
recognize the specific issues that distinguish an inven-
tion (or any other form of intellectual property) from its
competition, causing it to obtain an edge in the market
place. Three credits.
RD 450 Planning, Research, and Development
This course examines the question; How can the
wealth-generating potential of a new concept - one
that is in its early developmental stages and about
which there remain unknowns and uncertainties - be
quantified? The course first looks at the mechanics and
assumptions of a commonly used approach, such
as discounted cash flow and net present value, and
examines the limitation of this approach in evaluating
breakthrough innovations. It then examines modern
tools for quantitatively evaluating proposals to commer-
cialize new product concepts with high levels of uncer-
tainty due to a lack of experience in manufacturing. The
course considers the "option structures" concepts to
determine value creation potential, and illustrates how
this option approach builds communication between the
engineer and financial analyst. Students concerned with
investment justifications and funding advanced devel-
opment of new products find this course particularly
valuable. Three credits.
RD 430 Strategic Management with Information
Technology
This course is an examination of the major trends in
information technology and their impact on organiza-
tional structures and business strategies of companies.
Specific technologies discussed are; the Internet, elec-
tronic commerce, enterprise systems, and the conflu-
ence of telecommunications media. Opportunities and
risks are discussed, associated with implementing the
new technologies, adopting new ways to do business,
Course Descriptions
35
and revising organizational structures to optimize the
use of new technology. Examples are discussed which
are driven by the Internet as well as interesting new
internal business models which have been enabled by
new technologies. In this course the students learn how
to construct a long term business plan incorporating the
issues noted above. Three credits.
IM 400 Database Concepts
This course discusses the principles of database sys-
tems as well as data independence and rational data
models, and reviews data structures including arrays,
stacks, lists, trees, and graphical forms. Additional
topics include language considerations and the archi-
tecture of distributed database systems; efficient data
distribution, query processing and optimization, and
distributed synchronization; and back-end database
processors and servers for local area networks. The
Oracle system provides an example of the schema
objects of a typical relational database management
system. Demonstrations include the application of SQL
and PUSQL (Oracle's procedural enhancement to
conventional programming) to establish connections to
Oracle and understand and apply the basics of data-
base administration. Three credits.
IM 410 Software Engineering Practices
This course focuses on the formal software develop-
ment process and the application of engineering man-
agement concepts to software development. Topics
include concepts of business process engineering,
application of concurrent engineering techniques, and
integration of quality and maintainability principles in the
software development process. Other engineering man-
agement techniques include project planning and con-
trol, risk identification and management, customer/client
communication and requirements gathering, software
quality assurance techniques, measurement and met-
rics, people and team skills, and managing change.
This course helps MOT students perform the quality
control function and value analysis for software pro-
duced either in-house or subcontracted to another com-
pany. Three credits.
IIVI415 Software Engineering Method
This course presents the concepts, skills, methodolo-
gies, techniques, tools, and perspectives needed by the
system analyst to successfully determine a systems
requirement. In order to ensure good organization and
planning skills for successful execution, project man-
agement skills in terms of information systems are
examined. Depending upon project size and complexi-
ties, different development life cycles are compared.
This course helps MOT students perform the quality
control function and value analysis for software pro-
duced either in-house or subcontracted to another com-
pany. Three credits.
IM 425 Software Design Methods
Object oriented analysis and design is the principal
industry-proven method for developing reliable, modu-
lar testing programs and systems. Consistent use of
00 techniques leads to shorter development life cycles,
increased productivity and reduced system mainte-
nance costs. The course is designed to introduce devel-
opers to the fundamental concepts of object orientation.
Students learn the essentials of classes, objects, inher-
itance, and polymorphism. Students also learn to model
problems in the object-oriented fashion. Through the
use of case studies and project work, which has the
student gradually building a large design specification,
students achieve an understanding of how object ori-
ented applications are designed and built. This course
helps MOT students perform the quality control function
and value analysis for software produced in-house or
subcontracted to another company. Three credits.
IM 430 Network Concepts
This course covers network components, network archi-
tecture, and operating systems, including cabling,
wiring hubs, file servers, bridges, routers, and network
interface cards. It discusses network software and
hardware configurations and demonstrates network
concepts such as configuring protocol stacks and con-
necting a personal computer to a network. The course
examines the seven-layer OSI-model and relates it to
the current industry standard, TCP/IP, identifies sources
of network overhead, introduces WAN architecture, with
its implications for the developer and network security,
discusses basic operating system architecture and its
integration with the network, including operating system
basic functions such as resource management and
interfaces, and network-related functions such as multi-
tasking, security, and authorization. Lab included. Three
credits.
OM 400 Integrated Business Processes
Process management is concerned with the design and
control of processes that transform inputs (such as
labor and capital) into finished goods and services.
Course topics include process mapping, quality man-
agement and control, capacity planning, supply chain
management, and operations strategies. The course
uses case studies to show how concepts and models
presented in lectures in lectures and readings apply to
real-world business situations. Three credits.
MG 500 Managing People for Competitive
Advantage
This course focuses on effectively managing people in
organizations by emphasizing the critical links between
strategy, leadership, organizational change, and human
resource management. The course assists students
from every concentration including finance, marketing,
information systems, and accounting to become leaders
who can motivate and mobilize their people to focus on
strategic goals. Topics include the strategic importance
of people leading organizational change, corporate
social responsibility, implementing successful mergers
and acquisitions, and fundamentals of human resource
practices. Discussions interweave management theory
and real world practice. Class sessions are a combina-
tion of case discussions, experiential exercises, and
lectures. Three credits.
36
Course Descriptions
MG 505 Human Resource Strategies
This course conceptualizes "human resource strate-
gies" in the broadest sense. The central goal of this
course is to assist students in becoming better man-
agers of people: better bosses, better leaders, better
motivators, and more effective employee-agents.
Students learn the basic and best practices in several
functional areas of employee management (including
staffing, performance evaluation, training and develop-
ment compensation, work design, and labor relations),
their nexus to organizational performance and their
interconnections. On the micro-level, it encourages stu-
dents to develop and refine strategies that will strength-
en their personal model of employee management.
(Prerequisite: MG 500.) Three credits.
MK 400 Marketing IVIanagement
This course examines analytical and managerial tech-
niques that apply to marketing functions with an empha-
sis on the development of a conceptual framework nec-
essary to plan, organize, direct, and control the product
and strategies needed for promotion, distribution and
pricing of a firm's products. The course also considers
the relationship of marketing to other units within a firm.
Three credits.
MG 503 Legal and Ethical Environments of
Business
This course helps students become more responsible
and effective managers when involved in the gray areas
that call for insightful judgment and action. Students
develop skills in logical reasoning, argument and incor-
poration of legal, social, and ethical considerations into
decision-making. The course teaches the importance of
legal and ethical business issues and enables students
to make a difference in their organizations by engaging
in reasoned consideration of the normative actions of
the firm. Using the case study method, the course pro-
vides an overview of current topics, including the legal
process, corporate governance, employee rights and
responsibilities, intellectual property and technology,
and the social responsibility of business to its various
stakeholders. Three credits.
Tlie following courses may be used for electives:
IM 420 Visual Basic.Net
This course provides an introduction to visual program-
ming using Visual Basic.Net. Students learn to create
applications using Windows forms and Web forms, and
learn about Microsoft. Net, Visual Studio. Net, classes
and objects, Windows forms, exception handling,
debugging, interoperability with COM components, and
basic data access using ADO. Net. Students complete
this course under-standing how Visual Basic.Net inter-
acts with the Net framework and will be able to build
forms, add and manipulate controls, write procedures
and functions, and put forms and code together to build
Windows applications. In addition, students learn to
access data via data bound controls and ADO.net. This
course is intended to instruct in the developing of sys-
tems for the Windows environment. Three credits.
MG 400 Organizational Behavior
This course examines the micro-level organizational
behavior theories as applied to actual organizational
settings. Topics include: motivation, leadership, job
design, interpersonal relations, group dynamics, com-
munication processes, organizational politics, career
development, and strategies for change at the individual
and group levels. The course uses an experimental for-
mat to provide students with a simulated practical
understanding of these processes in their respective
organizations. Three credits.
Course Descriptions
MSSE
SW 400 Software Engineering Methods
This course covers the concepts, skills, methodologies,
techniques, tools, and perspectives needed by the sys-
tem analyst to successfully determine systems require-
ments. To ensure good organizational and planning
skills for successful execution, project management
skills in terms of information systems are examined.
Depending on project size and complexity, different
development life cycles are compared. Three credits.
SW 401 Software Design Methods
Object-oriented analysis and design is the principal
industry-proven method for developing reliable, modu-
lar, testable programs and systems. Consistent use of
GO techniques leads to shorter development life cycles,
increased productivity and reduced system mainte-
nance costs. This course is designed to introduce
developers to the fundamental concepts of object orien-
tation. Students learn the essentials of classes, objects,
inheritance, and polymorphism. Students also learn to
model problems in an object-oriented fashion. Through
the use of case studies and project work that has the
student gradually building a large design specification,
students will achieve an understanding of how object-
oriented applications are designed and built. Three
credits.
SW 402 Database Concepts
This course focuses on the steps required to build and
maintain the database infrastructure for client/server
applications. It covers physical design and implementa-
tion of the database; the use of the database to meet
the informational needs of a client/server system; and
the installation, operation and maintenance of the
RDBMS software. Specific topics include Structured
Query Language, utilities provided by the vendor, the
use of an RDBMS, backup and recovery of data, and
security and controls. Students perform a number of
hands-on exercises using an RDBMS running on
Windows 2000. Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle is the
software vehicle for lectures and lab exercises. The
course is intended for application programmers and
database designers in a client/server environment. Lab
included. Three credits.
Course Descriptions
37
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SW 403 Visual Basic. Net for Programmers I
This course provides an introduction to visual program-
ming using Visual Basic. Net. Students learn to create
applications using Windows forms and learn about
Microsoft.Net, Visual Studio. Net, classes and objects,
exception handling, debugging, XML data files, and
basic data access using ADO. Net. Students complete
this course understanding how Visual Basic. Net inter-
acts with the .Net framework and will be able to build
forms, add and manipulate controls, write procedures
and functions, and put forms and code together to build
Windows applications. In addition, students learn to
access data via data bound controls and ADO. Net. The
course is intended for designers and programmers who
are developing systems in the Windows environment.
Lab included. Three credits.
SW 404 Network Concepts
This course covers network components, network archi-
tecture, and operating systems, including cabling,
wiring hubs, file servers, bridges, routers, and network
interface cards. It discusses network software and
hardware configurations and demonstrates network
concepts such as configuring protocol stacks and con-
necting a personal computer to a network. The course
examines the seven-layer OSI-model and relates it to
the current industry standard, TCP/IP, identifies sources
of network overhead, introduces WAN architecture, with
its implications for the developer and network security,
discusses basic operating system architecture and its
integration with the network, including operating system
basic functions such as resource management and
interfaces, and network-related functions such as multi-
tasking, security, and authorization. Note: Students who
have completed the Cisco Academy CCNA Course of
study. Part I, will have been exposed to all topics to
prepare for the exam toward their Cisco Certified
Network Associate certification (CCNA). Students seek-
ing to complete the Cisco Academy CCNA series may
do so by completing SW 404, SW 596 Network Routing
and Switching and SW 597 LAN/WAN Engineering. Lab
included. Three credits.
SW 406 Web Development I
This course introduces the student to developing appli-
cations for use on the World Wide Web. Students learn
basic n-tier concepts for designing distributed applica-
tions and gain hands-on experience through the
construction of web page based applications. The
course covers concepts that allow communication over
the web. This includes designing and authoring web
pages, markup languages, the client side document
object model, making web pages dynamic on the client
side, client communication with a web sen/er, server
software, server side programming, distributing server
side functionality, sen/er side connections to databases,
and web services. Three credits.
SW 408 Java for Programmers I
This programming course introduces Java fundamen-
tals to experienced programmers. Topics include the
Java elements: objects, classes, variables, methods,
syntax, reserved words, data types, operators, control
structures, and container data structures. The course
views object-oriented programming as integral, teach-
ing it throughout. Accordingly, it includes the concepts of
encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, packages,
interfaces, and inner classes. The course teaches
screen design using classes and graphics from Sun's
Application Programming Interface and includes data
handling concepts such as input from the keyboard, out-
put to the screen, input from files and output to files. The
course also introduces the concept of multi-threading in
preparation for follow-up studies. Lab included.
(Prerequisite: significant programming experience or
CS 132 or CS 134.) Typically offered fall term annually.
Three credits.
SW 409 Java for Programmers II
This advanced topic Java programming course covers
advanced threading, nested references, design pat-
terns, introspection, I/O, persistence, and advanced API
topics such as swing, reflection, graphics, JDBC, etc.,
as time permits. Lab included. (Prerequisite: SW 408 or
permission of the instructor.) Elective. Typically offered
spring term annually. Three credits.
SW410 Enterprise Java
This course explores new Java technologies in a struc-
tured manner. Students present their findings and make
substantial contributions to the set of examples
avaihable for these new technologies. Coverage
includes state-of-the-art explorations into server-side
technologies such as JDBC, Sen/lets, JSP, XML,
Bean's, EJB's, etc., as time permits. Students work
independently, explore new Java technologies, and
present their results in a professional manner. Lab
included. (Prerequisite: SW 409 or permission of the
instructor.) Elective. Typically offered fall term annually.
Three credits.
SW 420 Technology Management
See GK 420 under MSMOT.
SW 427 Object-Oriented Programming with C++
This introduction to object-oriented methodology and
abstract data types includes discussions in
polymor-iphism and data encapsulation. Participants
study examples using object-oriented programs in situ-
ations, as well as large system integration by object-ori-
ented methodology. Three credits.
38
Course Descriptions
SW 430 Strategic Management with Information
Technology
See RD 430 under MSMOT.
SW 460 Leadership in Technical Enterprise
See RD 460 under MSMOT.
SW 499 Algorithms in C# (C Sharp)
Development and evaluation of algorithms using the
C# programming language. This class will briefly
review programming fundamentals, continue with object
oriented programming principles, classic algorithms,
algorithm analysis, searching, sorting and parsing tech-
niques, stacks, queues, linked lists, and trees. Algorithm
efficiency and performance will be a focus as the
student gains experiences through problems and
programming projects. Prerequisite: prior programming
language study or permission of the department. Three
credits.
SW 502 Software Engineering Practices
This course focuses on the formal software develop-
ment process and application of engineering manage-
ment concepts to software development. Topics include
concepts of business process engineering, application
of concurrent engineering techniques, and integration of
quality and maintainability principles in the software
development process. Other engineering management
techniques include project planning and control, risk
identification and management, customer/client com-
munication and requirements gathering, software quali-
ty assurance techniques, measurement and metrics,
people and team skills, and managing change. Three
credits.
SW 505 Advanced Database Concepts
This course covers topics in database implementation
designed to provide software engineers with a wide
variety of server-side problem solving techniques.
Topics include cursors, query and index optimization,
implementations of common data structures and algo-
rithms in SQL, distributed databases, object-oriented
databases, XML metadata, and direct Web publishing.
While Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server are both used
for demonstration, the topics covered are applicable to
any database platform. Format consists of lecture and
lab. The syllabus of this advanced course assumes the
student is well versed in relational databases, SQL,
client-server or multi-tiered applications, data struc-
tures, and algorithms. Topic List:
• Advanced Query Performance (indexing techniques,
use of statistics, use of optimizer hints)
Using Temporary Tables
Use of Server Side Cursors
Subset Queries (TOP n, every nth item)
Table-valued functions
Representing Data Structures in a Relational
Database (arrays, graphs, trees)
Publishing data to HTML
Publishing data to XML, using XPath/XDR
Using ERWin (possible licensing problems?)
Distribution, Publisher/Subscriber Replication,
Transactional Replication, Snapshot and Merge
Replication.
• Database Trust Relationships and Cross-Server
Quehes
• Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
• Object-oriented databases
(Prerequisites: SW 402 plus SW 403 or SW 408, or
instructor approval.) Three credits.
SW 506 Visual Basic.Net for Programmers II
This course teaches application developers the more
advanced elements of visual programming with Visual
Basic.Net. Students learn object oriented programming
using classes, objects and inheritance, and cover topics
such as XML Web services, advanced data access with
ADO. Net, threading, and more. At the completion of this
course, students will be able to produce complete
Windows and console based applications with Visual
Basic.Net. Lab included. (Prerequisite: SW 403.) Three
credits.
SW 508 Data Warehouse Systems
This course examines the business role, architecture,
database management structure, and use of mapping,
data-mining, and query tools associated with a data
warehouse. The course explores design strategies and
construction tools, as well as techniques for capacity
planning and network analysis. Three credits.
SW511 Voice and Signal Processing
This course provides an overview of digital audio and its
applications, including the current state of streaming
audio on the Internet and digital audio processing fun-
damentals. The course applies transform concepts and
applied multimedia object-oriented programming.
Students apply the theories of sampling, spectra, Fast
Fourier Transform class, convolution and frequency
space processing, and compression and one-dimen-
sional streaming by creating programs that read,
process, and write audio streams. Students experience
the elements of multimedia network delivery of data and
learn about a wide class of FFT algorithms and ele-
mentary sound synthesis. The course emphasizes good
software engineering practices and requires substantial
programming effort. Lab included. (Prerequisite:
SW 409.) Elective. Three credits.
SW 512 Web Development II with ASP. Net
This course teaches site developers how to create
robust, scalable, data-driven ASP.Net Web applications
using the Visual Basic.Net language. Students learn
how to create ASP.Net applications using a text editor
such as Notepad or ASP.Net Web Matrix and the com-
mand-line tools, as well as using Visual Studio. Topics
include the .Net framework. Visual Basic.Net Quick
Start, Web forms, validation controls, data binding,
ADO. Net, XML, Web services, Web service clients,
Visual Studio, ASP.Net Web Matrix, component devel-
opment, user controls, custom sen/er controls, and best
practices, etc. At the end of the course, students are
able to describe the issues involved in creating an
enterprise Web site, creating and publishing a simple
Course Descriptions
39
Web site, creating interactive content for a Web site,
adding server scripting to a Web page using ASP.Net,
implementing security in a Web site, and reading and
writing information to a database from ASP.Net.
(Prerequisites: SW 403, SW 506.) Three credits.
SW 513 Image Processing
This course introduces image processing involving
image algebra, arithmetic operations. Boolean opera-
tions, matrix operations, achromatic and colored light,
selected intensities, gamma correction, chromatic color,
color models, color space conversion, and low level
pattern recognition. Additional topics include the theory
of two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transforms, two-
dimensional convolution and frequency space process-
ing, compression and two-dimensional streaming, and a
wide class of transforms. This course emphasizes good
software engineering practices and requires substantial
programming effort. Students write image-processing
applications. (Prerequisite: SW 511.) Three credits.
SW 516 High Performance Database Web
Applications with ASP.NET
This course builds upon course SW512 and focuses on
developing high performance database backed web
applications with ASP.Net using the Visual Basic. Net
language and Microsoft SQL Server. MS SQL Server is
a relational database management system designed for
high-performance, scalable data warehousing, online
transaction processing and e-commerce applications.
This course covers accessing and optimizing data
access to SQL server using ADO. Net and includes con-
cepts of caching, session state management and web
farm scenarios. Topics include: Working with ADO. Net,
connecting to SQL Server and other data sources,
working with ADO. Net's DataSet, DataCommand,
DataReader and DataTable objects, using ADO. Net to
read/write XML, caching, session state management,
performance optimization for large web applications,
utilizing XML web services, using the DataGrid
effec->tively in Web applications, deployment and con-
figura-ition of web applications and web services. At the
con->clusion of the course, students are able to design
and implement scalable data-driven web applications.
(Prerequisites: SW 506 and SW 512.) Elective. Three
credits.
SW 518 Data IVIining and Business Intelligence
In this course, students examine business intelligence
concepts, methods and processes used to improve
data-centric business decision support solutions with a
particular focus on data mining techniques. We will first
examine the principals and practices of gathering
and retrieving large volumes of data for analysis and
synthesis. The major focus of the course will be the
examination analytical techniques for extracting infor-
mation from large data sets to provide the students with
a broad background in the design and use of data min-
ing algorithms, exposure to software tools, and the
application of these ideas to real-life situations. Data
mining techniques such as classification, estimation,
prediction, and clustering will be examined. The final
portion of the course will focus on the presentation and
cataloging of information extracted from these large
data sets. Students will also be provided with case stud-
ies to review in order to obtain an understanding of how
data mining algorithms have been applied in a diverse
set of enterprises. Three credits.
SW 520 Project IVIanagement
See DM 460 under MSMOT
This course focuses on the general methodology of
managing a technology project from its conception to its
completion. Emphasis is on the functions, roles, and
responsibilities of the project manager. Students leam
the principles and techniques related to controlling
resources (i.e., people, materials, equipment, contrac-
tors, and cash flow). This is applied in context with com-
pleting a technology project on time and within budget
while meeting the stated technical requirements of
the project. Through group and individual activities,
including case study review and project simulation,
students learn to apply project management tools and
techniques. In this, they assume the roles of project
managers who must address typical problems that
occur during the life cycle of a project. Three credits.
SW 530 Information Security -
Social Engineering Practices
This course gives students a fundamental understand-
ing of current Social Engineering methods in the
Information Security arena. Deception and human
behavior is exploited to gain valuable information, which
is very relevant to today's growing security concerns.
This course is another key class in the Information
Security track in the MSSE program and builds upon
the weaknesses in the human factor. Areas of discus-
sion will be methods, current trends, and most of all
coun-termeasures. The pedigree will be lecture and dis-
cussions assignment, which involves analyzing current
work places and social gatherings coupled with scenar-
ios of exploitation. Three credits.
SW 531 Information Security -
Application and Data Security
This course is structured around Application and Data
security in current enterprises. This is another key class
in the Information Security track of the MSSE program.
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) components
coupled with Database security are emphasized.
Common countermeasure and best business practices
that help ensure a solid security understanding are the
objective of the course. Three credits.
SW 535 Information Security -
Internet Technologies & Data
Transactions
This course is structured around Internet transactions
and data associated with these transactions. It encom-
passes encryption schemes of transmission to
execu-ition of code and complete flight of an execution.
Web based technologies are the main focus, along with
general understanding of underlying web infrastructure
and discussing common exploits. Common counter-
measure and best business practices that help ensure
40
Course Descriptions
a solid security understanding are the objective of the
course. Three credits.
SW550
and
SW 551 Capstone Professional Project I and II
In these capstone courses, students form teams,
perform a technical study, and design an information
technology system based on either their employers'
requirements or an area that is of general interest, or
develop a software management or development tool.
The results of these projects provide a library of case
studies, designs, and software development tools and
techniques that are of general interest to local informa-
tion technology professionals. A capstone prospectus,
approved by your advisor, must be submitted to and
accepted by the director of the program prior to starting
the capstone sequence. Six credits for the two-course
sequence.
SW 581 Planning for Lean Manufacturing
See DM407 under MSMOT
SW 582 Creative Design and Development of
Technology
See DM410 under MSMOT
SW 583 Supply Chain Management Concepts
This course presents the processes of managing the
material and product flow from source to user. The
course considers the total material flow from acquisition
of raw materials to delivery of finished goods and the
related information counterflows that control and record
material movement. It includes activities such as sourc-
ing and purchasing, conversion (manufacturing), includ-
ing capacity planning, technology solutions, operations
management, production scheduling, materials plan-
ning (MRP II), distribution planning, managing industry
warehousing operations, inventory management,
inbound and outbound transportation, and the linkage
with customer service, sales, sales promotion, and mar-
keting activities. Elective. Three credits.
SW 584 Supply Chain Validation
This course covers the use of simulation techniques in
analyzing the various flows within a process chain -
materials, information, and financial. The course mod-
els typical processes and supply chain policies for order
fulfillment, inventory replenishment, production plan-
ning, and transportation, and provides an introduction to
simulation and principles of simulation design, supple-
mented with simulation exercises, based on statistical
distribution characteristics. Specific application in con-
text includes process redesign and impacts on cycle
time, asset utilization, process variability, and customer
service levels. The course also includes continuous and
discrete processes; popular methodologies such as
Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing; requirements for
planning and executing a simulation project - data
requirements, sensitivity analysis, and statistical tools.
Students gain practical experience through lab exercis-
es, case studies, and a project and presentation. Lab
included. Three credits.
SW 585 Human Resources Strategies
See MG 505 under MSMOT
SW 590 Accounting and Decision Making
See AC 500 under MSMOT
SW 592 Legal and Ethical Environment of
Business
See MG 503 under MSMOT
SW 594 Leadership in Technical Enterprises
See RD 460 under MSMOT
SW 596 Network Routing and Switching
This course combines the second and third semesters
of the Cisco academy courses into one routing and
switching class. The course presents concepts and
develops skills needed in designing, implementing, and
troubleshooting local and wide-area networks. It also
provides numerous lab opportunities to configure and
troubleshoot networks with Cisco routers and switches
(Prerequisite: SW 404.) Elective. Three credits.
SW 597 LAN/WAN Engineering
This course builds on the knowledge acquired and skills
developed In SW404, Network Concepts and SW 596,
Routing and Switching. Class presents knowledge and
skills necessary to use advanced IP addressing and
routing in implementing scalability for routers connected
to LANs and WANs. Lectures include Advanced IP
Addressing, Routing Principles, Configuring the EIGRP
protocol. Configuring the Open Shortest Path First
Protocol, Configuring IS-IS, and Manipulating Routing
Updates. In addition there is discussion of wireless
net-iworks and protocols. Students complete laboratory
exercises using Cisco routers and switches. Students
develop skills to list the key information routers needs to
route data; describe classful and classless routing pro-
tocols; describe link-state router protocol operation;
compare classful and classless routing protocols; com-
pare distance vector and link state routing protocols;
describe concepts relating to extending IP addresses
and the use of VLSMs to extend IP addresses; describe
the features and operation of EIGRP; describe the fea-
tures and operation of single area OSPF; describe the
features and operation of multi-area OSPF; explain
basic OSI terminology and network layer protocols used
in OS; identify similarities and differences between
Integrated IS-IS and OSPF; list the types of IS-IS
routers and their role in IS-IS area design; describe the
hierarchical structure of IS-IS areas; describe the con-
cept of establishing adjacencies; and understand the
basic wireless protocols and their uses. (Prerequisites:
SW 404, SW 596.) Three credits.
SW 598 Network and Computer Capacity
Management
This course is an in-depth review of all aspects of
Capacity Management: the need to understand busi-
ness requirements (the required IT service delivery), the
organization's operation (the current IT service deliv-
ery), and the IT infrastructure (the means of IT service
delivery). The course will concentrate on ensuring that
the capacity of the IT infrastructure matches the evolv-
Course Descriptions
41
ing demands of the business, both now and in the
future, in the most cost-effective and timely manner.
The processes to achieve these goals encompass:
• The monitoring of performance and throughput of IT
services and the supporting infrastructure
• Undertaking turning activities to make the most
efficient use of existing resources
• Understanding the demands currently being made
for IT resources and producing forecasts for future
requirements
• Influencing the demand for resources in conjunction
with financial management
• Production of a capacity plan which enables the IT
service provider to provide services of the quality
defined in the Service Level Agreements (SLA)
The course focuses on the QoS attributes of an IT sys-
tem: response time, throughput, availability, reliability,
maintainability, scalability and security. (Prerequisite:
MA 126 or equivalent.) Elective. Three credits.
SW 599 Information Security Practices and
Countermeasures
This course covers current information security prac-
tices and countermeasures put in place to safeguard
against security breaches. The course reviews Internet
infrastructures such as firewalls, IDS systems, and
honey pots. Additional areas include risk analysis, com-
puter-use policies, physical security, internet/intranet
security, Malware, firewall infrastructure, and current
information security issues. (Prerequisite: SW 404 or
SW 507.) Elective. Three credits.
Course Descriptions
MSECE
Bridge Courses
Required to complete one's preparation for the master's
program is strong aptitude in the area of electric circuits
and electronic circuits and devices. Students with defi-
ciencies in those areas should take EE 21 3 and EE 231 .
(See undergraduate catalog or visit the SOE website for
a description.)
ECE 405 Electronic Materials
This course describes the properties and applications of
certain materials used in the design and manufacture of
electronic assemblies. Ceramics are often used as insu-
lators, heat sinks, and substrates for interconnection
structures. The course presents electrical, mechanical,
and thermal properties of vanous ceramics, along with
methods of fabricating and machining ceramic struc-
tures. Adhesives used to mount components and to
replace mechanical fasteners such as screws and rivets
provide connections that are stronger and take up less
space. The course examines properties of adhesives
such as epoxies, silicones, and cyanoacrylates under
conditions of high temperature storage and humidity,
along with methods of applications. Solders used to
interconnect electronic components and assemblies are
selected for temperature compatibility, mechanical
properties, and reliability. The course emphasizes the
new lead-free solder materials and presents the proper-
ties of plastic materials and the methods of forming
plastic structures. Three credits.
ECE 410 Voice and Signal Processing
This course supports the signal processing and com-
puter systems domain. It provides an overview of digital
audio and its application, and discusses the current
state of streaming audio on the Internet and digital
audio processing fundamentals. Students apply these
theories by creating programs that synthesize and
process music and voice.. The course exposes stu-
dents to the elements of multimedia network delivery
ofaudio content. (Prerequisite: SW 409). Three credits.
ECE 415 Engineering Applications of Numerical
Methods
This course provides students with the theoretical basis
to proceed in future studies. Topics include root-finding,
interpolation, linear algebraic systems, numerical inte-
gration, numerical solution of ordinary and partial differ-
ential equations, modeling, simulation, initial boundary
value problems, and two point boundary value prob-
lems. (Prerequisite: SW 408 or equivalent demonstrat-
ed programming language skills). Three credits.
ECE 420 Readings in Electrical and Computer
Engineering
This course helps students formulate a thesis proposal,
perform literature surveys, and learn the finer points of
technical writing at the graduate level. The course
requires a meta-paper written about the literature in the
field. It emphasizes the basics of technical writing and
research, and is organized to emphasize methods of
the writing and the research process. Students learn to
state a problem, the techniques of analysis, methods of
investigation, and functional organization. (Prerequisite:
completion of one domain.) Three credits.
ECE 425 Thermal Management of Microdevices
This course considers the generation and removal of
heat in electronic assemblies. The course describes the
sources of heat in an electronic assembly, such as the
contribution of the switching speed and the "ON" resist-
ance of field effect transistors at the device level, covers
42
Course Descriptions
the effects of heat on system reliability analytically, and
describes the resulting failure mechanisms in detail. It
presents methods of removing heat from electronic cir-
cuits, including heat pipes, Peltier effect devices (ther-
moelectric coolers), and convection, using both gases
and fluids to transfer heat, and describes methods of
measuring heat, including contact and non-contact
methods. Three credits.
ECE 430 Image Processing
This first course in image processing covers image
algebra, arithmetic operations, Boolean operations,
matrix operations, achromatic and colored light, select-
ing intensities. Gamma correction, chromatic color, psy-
chophysics, color models, color space conversion, low-
level pattern recognition, as well as video processing,
compression and two-dimensional streaming, and
multi-resolution multimedia network streaming. This
course requires substantial programming effort and
emphasis is placed on good software engineering prac-
tices. Students write image-processing applications.
(Prerequisite: ECE 410.) Three credits.
ECE 435 High Density Interconnection Structures
This course considers the methods of interconnecting
electronic components at very high circuit densities and
describes methods of designing and fabricating multi-
layer printed circuit boards, co-fired multilayer ceramic
substrates, and multilayer thin film substrates in detail.
It discusses the methods of depositing thick and thin
film materials, along with their properties, and analyzes
these structures and compares them for thermal man-
agement, high frequency capability, characteristic
impedance, cross-coupling of signals, and cost. The
course also includes techniques for mounting compo-
nents to these boards, including wire bonding, flip chip,
and tape automated bonding. Three credits.
ECE 440 Computer Graphics
This course supports the visualization and computer
systems domain and is a unified introductory treatment
to two-dimensional and three-dimensional computer
graphics concepts. Topics include human-computer
interfaces using the AWT: applied geometry: homoge-
neous coordinate transforms: high-performance
rendering (using Java3D) and interactive games.
(Prerequisite: SW 409.) Three credits.
ECE 445 Integrated Circuit Design
This course considers the design of analog, digital, and
mixed-mode integrated circuits. It presents the fabrica-
tion, structure, and properties of MOS and bipolar
devices in detail along with the structure of basic build-
ing blocks, such as flip-flops and operational amplifiers,
and covers circuit design techniques, such as the use of
resistor ratios in analog design and how they relate to
the ultimate design of the integrated circuit. The course
also discusses custom integrated circuit specification
and design techniques, along with economics. Three
credits.
ECE 446 Microprocessor Hardware
This course covers the architecture of microprocessors,
including how they are constructed internally and how
they interface with external circuitry. Applications for
microprocessors in both complex and simple equipment
are discussed. Students learn how to apply and how to
select a microprocessor for a given application. An
accompanying laboratory course covers the program-
ming of microprocessors to do a specific task.
(Prerequisite: CR 245 or equivalent.) Three credits.
ECE 446L Microprocessor Laboratory
This laboratory covers the basic operation and applica-
tions of a microprocessor. Students learn to program a
microprocessor to control applications such as motor
speed by the use of an emulator connected to a PC.
They design a circuit using a microprocessor for a
specific application and write a program to control the
circuit. On completion of the program, they use the
emulator to program an actual microprocessor for use in
their circuit. (Co-requisite: ECE 446.) One credit.
ECE 448 Embedded Microcontrollers
This course covers the programming and application of
the PIC microcontroller. The structure of the microcon-
troller is discussed along with assembly language pro-
gramming. Students are able to develop programming
skills using software tools such as MPLAB IDE and
MultiSim MCU. These tools are used to develop soft-
ware code for practical applications such as motor
speed control and voltage regulation for power supplies.
(Prerequisite: CR 245 or equivalent.) Three credits.
ECE 450 Computer Animation
This overview of computer animation techniques
includes traditional principles of animation, physical
simulation, procedural methods, and motion-capture-
based animation. The course discusses computer
science aspects of animation, with lessons ranging
from kinematic and dynamic modeling techniques to
an exploration of current research topics — motion
re-targeting, learning movements and behaviors, and
video-based modeling and animation. Class projects
offer hands-on animation expehence. (Prerequisite:
ECE 440.) Three credits.
ECE 455 Sensor Design and Application
This course covers the design, fabrication, and proper-
ties of sensors intended to measure a variety of param-
eters, such as stress, temperature, differential pressure,
and acceleration. Sensors of different types are used in
a wide range of equipment, especially automated equip-
ment, to detect changes in state and to provide the sig-
nals necessary to control various functions. Sensors are
generally connected to electronics systems that
process and disthbute the signals. The support elec-
tronics must identify the signal, separate it from noise
and other interference, and direct it to the appropriate
point. These support electronics are a critical part of the
sensor technology; students discuss their design and
packaging in detail. Three credits.
Course Descriptions
43
ECE 460 Network Programming
This course covers principles of networking and net-
work programming. Topics include OSI layers, elemen-
tary queuing theory, protocol analysis, multi-threading,
command-line interpreters, and monitors. Students
write a distributed computing system and check
their performance predictions with experiments.
(Prerequisite: ECE 409.) Three credits.
ECE 465 Nonlinear Control Systems
Control systems are used in many industrial applica-
tions to control processes or operations and in many
non-industrial applications as well. Nonlinear control
systems are frequently used in applications where the
control variables have a wide dynamic range. Unlike lin-
ear systems, the analysis of nonlinear systems rarely
results in a closed-form mathematical expression.
This course considers the analysis and applications of
nonlinear control systems by numerical and graphical
techniques and considers means of implementing the
solutions. Three credits.
ECE 470 Network Embedded Systems
This course covers distributed development — connect-
ing peripherals to networks via Java. Plug-and-play par-
adigm is used to add services on the fly. Students learn
about the following topics: multicast and unicast proto-
cols, service leasing, lookup services, remote events,
sharing data between distributed processes, and dis-
tributed transactions. The course also covers interfacing
hardware (sensors, robotics, etc.) to the Web.
(Prerequisite: SW 409.) Three credits.
ECE 475 Microwave Structures I
This course considers the analysis and design of struc-
tures used in microwave transmission and reception.
The course covers distributed parameters in detail,
leading to a discussion of the properties of transmission
lines. It presents the utilization of distributed parameter
structures to design filters, couplers, and mixers, along
with methods of implementation. Also included are strip
line and microstrip transmission lines and filters. The
course discusses microwave devices, both Si and
GaAs, including low-power and high-power devices and
laser diodes. (Prerequisite EE 321 or equivalent.) Three
credits.
ECE 476 Microwave Structures II
This course is a continuation of ECE 475 and covers the
design and analysis of microwave amplifiers, oscillators
and mixers, frequency multipliers, and antennas. The
course begins by presenting electrical models of RF
components and relating those models to design meth-
ods. The effects of internal and external noise are con-
sidered in the models. Practical applications and design
are emphasized. (Prerequisite ECE 475.) Three credits.
ECE 480 Wireless Communication
The applications of wireless communication are
expanding rapidly - from cellular phones to wireless
internet to household appliances — and involve many
disciplines other than microwave transmission. This
course covers several aspects of wireless communica-
tion, including antenna design, FCC regulations, and
multi-channel transmission protocols. In addition, it dis-
cusses modern design approaches such as Bluetooth.
Students learn how analog and digital signals are
coded. The course also discusses transmission during
interference and EMI/RFI as well as fiber optics com-
munication. Three credits.
ECE 485 Digital Communications
This course considers the fundamentals of digital
communications. It includes discrete time signals and
systems, Z-transforms, discrete Fourier transforms, fast
Fourier transforms, digital filter design, and random
signals. It discusses methods of modulating digital
signals, including coding theory, transmission over
bandwidth constrained channels, and signal detection
and extraction. Communication between computers is
also covered. The lecture material is illustrated with
practical examples. Three credits.
ECE 495 Power Generation and Distribution
This course considers the generation and distribution of
electrical power to large areas. Three-phase networks
are described in detail, including both generators and
loads. Methods of modeling distribution systems by
per-unit parameters are covered, along with power fac-
tor correction methods. Fault detection and lightning
protection methods are also described. Some econom-
ic aspects of power generation and distribution are
presented. Three credits.
ECE 505 Advanced Power Electronics
This course considers the design and application of
electronic circuits related to power generation and
conversion including inverters, power supplies, and
motor controls. Topics include AC-DC, DC-DC, DC-AC,
AC-AC converters, resonant converters; and the design
of magnetic components. Models of electric motors and
generators are presented to facilitate the design of con-
trols for these structures. Three credits.
ECE 510L Product Design Laboratory
This laboratory course provides hands-on experience in
measuring and analyzing the electrical and mechanical
properties of materials used in the design of electronic
products. It also covers thermal analysis and methods
of removing the heat from electronic circuits.
Experiential learning includes measurement of temper-
ature coefficient of expansion, measurement of thermal
resistance, measurement of tensile strength, measure-
ment of material hardness, temperature measurement
of electronic components, Peltier effect (thermoelectric
coolers), heat pipes, convection cooling (fins and air
flow), and heat flow across a bonding interface such as
solder or epoxy. One credit.
ECE 515L Microelectronics Laboratory
This laboratory provides students with an understand-
ing of the processes used to fabricate thick and thin film
circuits. As part of their experiential learning, students
sputter several materials onto a ceramic substrate and
investigate the properties of the sputtered film, such as
resistivity and adhesion. Students screen print thick film
44
Course Descriptions
materials, including conductors, resistors, and insula-
tors onto a ceramic substrate and fire them at an
elevated temperature, and investigate the properties of
the fired film, plot the distribution of resistor values, and
apply statistical methods to determine design curves.
Students solder components to the substrates to com-
plete a circuit and analyze the properties of the finished
circuit. One credit.
ECE 520L System Design Laboratory
This laboratory provides students with an understand-
ing of sensors and non-linear control systems.
Experiments include temperature sensors such as ther-
mocouples, thermistors, and infrared, motion sensors,
strain gauges, nonlinear servos, and computer analysis
of nonlinear systems. One credit.
ECE 525L Communications Systems Laboratory
In this laboratory, students acquire hands-on experi-
ence with waveguides, transmission lines, and anten-
nas. They learn how to characterize these structures at
microwave frequencies and examine how they affect
transmission. They set up prototype wireless transmis-
sion systems and transmit and receive analog and dig-
ital systems. They analyze the data for integrity and
accuracy of transmission. Experiential learning includes
measurement of characteristic impedance of transmis-
sion lines, simple antenna design (students construct
simple antennas and determine the effect of the design
on directionality and other parameters), and wireless
concepts (students build a wireless communications
system and send data back and forth, one-way and two-
way; this can be a capstone project involving teams to
design and analyze various aspects). One credit.
ECE 530L Power Electronics Laboratory
This laboratory provides hands-on experience in ana-
lyzing and designing power electronics circuits and in
analyzing and modeling power generation and distribu-
tion systems. Students design and construct voltage
regulators, switching power supplies, and motor con-
trollers. Students also develop circuit models for AC and
DC motors and power transformers. Experiential learn-
ing includes developing circuit models for power distri-
bution systems, measuring parameters of motors and
transformers and using the data to develop electrical
circuit models of these devices, and analyzing the prop-
erties of power distribution systems and developing
computer models for them. One credit.
ECE 550, ECE 551, ECE 552 Thesis I, II, III
The master's thesis tests students' abilities to formulate
a problem, solve it, and communicate the results. The
thesis is supen/ised on an individual basis. A thesis
involves the ability to gather information, examine it crit-
ically, think creatively, organize effectively, and write
convincingly; it is a project that permits students to
demonstrate skills that are basic to academic and
industry work. The student must also submit a paper for
possible inclusion in a refereed journal appropriate to
the topic. (Prerequisite: ECE 420.) Six to nine credits.
Course Descriptions
MSME
MC 400 Feedback and Control Systems
This course emphasizes analysis and synthesis of
closed loop control systems using both classical and
state-space approaches with an emphasis on electro-
mechanical systems. The mathematical requirements
include the Laplace transform methods of solving differ-
ential equations, matrix algebra and basic complex vari-
ables. The discussion of classical control system design
includes the modeling of dynamic systems, block dia-
gram representation, time and frequency domain
methods, transient and steady state response, stability
criteria, controller action [Proportional (P), proportional
and integral (PI), Proportional, integral and derivative
(PID) and pseudo-derivatives feedback], root locus
methods, the methods of Nyquist and Bode and
dynamics compensation techniques. The discussion of
state-space methods includes formulation and solution
(analytical and computer-based) of the state equations
and pole-placement design. The course integrates the
use of computer-aided analysis and design tools (MAT-
LAB) so as to ensure relevance to the design of real
world controlled electro-mechanical systems using case
studies and applications to electrical and mechanical
systems. Includes lab (hardware based) exercises.
(Prerequisites: fvIA 321 and ME 203, or equivalent.)
Three credits.
ME 410 Vibration Analysis
This course covers fundamental laws of mechanics,
free and forced vibration of discrete single and multi-
degree- of-freedom systems, periodic and harmonic
motion, viscous damping, and measures of energy dis-
sipation. Modal analysis for linear systems, computa-
tional methods in vibration analysis, natural frequencies
and mode shapes, analytical dynamics and Lagrange's
equation, longitudinal, torsional, and flexural vibration of
continuous elastic systems (strings, rods, beams) are
discussed. Students learn energy methods, approxi-
mate methods for distributed parameter systems, and
dynamic response by direct numerical integration meth-
ods. (Prerequisites: ME 203, MC 290, or equivalent.)
Three credits.
ME 411 Advanced Kinematics
Topics included in kinematics are spatial mechanisms,
classification of mechanisms, basic concepts and defi-
nitions, mobility criterion, number synthesis of mecha-
nisms, kinematic analysis of mechanisms: Raven's
method, Hartenberg and Denavit's method, Chace's
vector method, general transformation matrix method,
Dual number quaternion algebra method, method of
generated surfaces, method of constant distance equa-
tions, and method of train components. Class covers
existence criteria and gross-motion analysis of mecha-
nisms, kinematic synthesis of mechanisms, function
generation synthesis, rigid-body guidance synthesis,
and path generation synthesis, coupler curves and cog-
Course Descriptions
45
nates, and Robert's cognates and spatial coupler
curves. Three credits.
ME 412 Advanced Dynamics
The topics in the area of Dynamics include degrees of
freedom, generalized coordinates, constraints, principle
of virtual work and D'Alembert's principle. Energy and
momentum, frames of reference, orbital motion,
Lagrange's equation, moments and products of inertia,
and dynamics of rigid bodies are also discussed, as well
as variational principles: stationary value of a function,
Hamilton's principle, principle of least action, Hamilton's
equation, and phase space. (Prerequisites: ME 203,
MC 290, or equivalent.) Three credits.
ME 413 Road Vehicle Dynamics
This course covers the dynamics of road vehicle sys-
tems from a perspective that unifies the treatment of the
causes of physical events with a treatment of the rea-
sons for physical functions. Practical approaches
involving pragmatic considerations of reason and cause
are treated for each of the traditional vehicle dynamics
areas — ride, handling (steering), braking, and acceler-
ating behavior. In the topics related to handling, braking,
and accelerating, the individual control inputs are
viewed as a means of communication between the driv-
er, or an automatic control system, and the basic vehi-
cle. Topics include an introduction, analysis of dynamic
systems, vehicle forces and tire mechanics, ride
dynamics, roll dynamics, handling and steering, brak-
ing, accelerating, total vehicle dynamics, and accident
reconstruction. (Prerequisites: ME 411, ME 412, or
equivalent.) Three credits.
ME 420 Readings in ME
A course designed to help the student formulate a the-
sis proposal, perform literature surveys and learn the
finer points of technical writing at the graduate level.
Students write a meta-paper about the literature in the
field. The basics of technical writing and research are
emphasized. The instruction has been organized to
emphasize methods of the writing and research
process. Emphasis is on the processes the writer must
consider. The student learns how to state a problem, the
techniques of analysis, methods of investigation, and
functional organization. (Prerequisite: 15 credit hours at
the graduate level.) Three credits.
ME 425 Engineering Applications of Numerical
Methods
This course covers root-finding, interpolation, linear
algebraic systems, numerical integration, and numerical
solution of ordinary and partial differential equations.
Substantial programming projects required. The theo-
retical basis is provided for the students to proceed in
modeling, simulation, initial boundary value problems,
two point boundary value problems, controls. Three
credits.
ME 441 Advanced Material Science
This course covers electronic principles and concepts
applied to the structure and properties of solid materi-
als, as well as the relationships of these principles to the
properties and to applications in structures and devices.
Students discuss macroscopic phenomenological and
electronic molecular approaches, metals and alloys,
semiconductors, and dielectrics. Electronic structures,
band theory, thermal properties, electrical conductivity,
magnetic, dielectric, and optical properties are covered.
(Prerequisite: MF 207, or equivalent.) Three credits.
ME 442 Advanced Mechanics Materials
This course covers both traditional and modern topics
such as piezoelectricity, fracture mechanics, and vis-
coelasticity. Topics covered include stress and equilibri-
um equations, displacement and strain, energy con-
cepts, beams, two and three dimensional solid mechan-
ics, plates, buckling and vibration, and introduction to
fracture mechanics. (Prerequisite: ME 306, or equiva-
lent.) Three credits.
ME 443 Designs for Manufacturing
Fundamentals of concurrent engineering, product life
cycle, product specification, standardization, functional
requirements and datum features, selection of materials
and manufacturing processes, cost analysis, case stud-
ies on designing for quality, economy, manufacturability
and productivity. (Prerequisite: MF 207, or equivalent.)
Three credits.
ME 444 Mechanics of Composite Materials
Students discuss structural advantages of composite
materials over conventional materials, high strength-to-
weight ratios, analysis of fiber-reinforced, laminated,
and particle materials, 3-D anisotropic constitutive rela-
tions, classical lamination theory and boundary condi-
tions for composite beams, plates and shells. Class
covers boundary value problems and solutions for stat-
ic loads, buckling and vibrations, higher order theories
incorporating shearing deformation and layer wise the-
ories, inter-laminar stresses and edge effects, response
of composite structures to static and dynamic loads,
and the study of thermal and environmental effects and
failure criteria. (Prerequisite: ME 306, or equivalent.)
Three credits.
ME 446 Advanced Computer Aided System
Design
This course focuses on some hot and popular topics in
industrial design applications including high speed and
automated mechanical system design, fundamentals of
automation, sensing technology, analysis and selection
of different industrial motors, etc. The 3-D CAD system
will be taught and used as the design tool in the class.
The course emphasizes the process of developing cre-
ative solutions through conceptual analysis and synthe-
sis on different design processes. Topics cover the
advanced mechanical system design, automated
machinery design, high speed assembly product line
design, sensing technologies, different motor applica-
tions, 3-D CAD system, etc. Several complicated and
practical projects will help students to gain knowledge in
advanced mechanical system design, automated
machinery design, high speed assembly and production
line design, preparation on industrial design research,
and management of multiple projects in professional
46
Course Descriptions
ways that will benefit them in their careers. Projects will
be presented by students in class. Three credits.
ME 451 Advanced Fluid Dynamics
This course covers stress at a point (tensor of rank two),
equations of conservation of nnass, rate of strain tensor,
Navier-Stokes equation derivation, source-sink flows,
motion due to a doublet, vortex flow in two and three
dimensional irrotational flow due to a moving cylinder
with circulation, and two and three dimensional airfoils.
Students discuss viscous flow, exact and approximate
solutions, and boundary layer theory. Jets, wakes,
rotating systems, compressible boundary layer and
hydrodynamic stability are also covered. (Prerequisite:
ME 347, or equivalent.) Three credits.
ME 452 Advanced Heat Transfer
Review of the basic concepts of conduction, convection,
and radiation, boiling and condensation, thermal
system design and performance (including heat
exchangers), and detailed study of laminar, turbulent,
free and forced convectional flows. Physical and
mathematical modeling of engineering systems for
applications of modern analytical and computational
solution methods is covered. (Prerequisite: ME 349, or
equivalent.) Three credits.
ME 453 Advanced Energy Conversion
This course examines aerodynamic and thermodynam-
ic concepts. Compressors, turbines and jet propulsion,
and single and multi-stage machines are reviewed.
Basic gas turbine combustor design is discussed.
Performance and evaluation of turbo-machines are
studied. (Prerequisites: ME 347, or equivalent.) Three
credits.
ME 470 Advanced Finite Element Analysis
An introduction to advanced concepts in Finite Element
Analysis. Advanced two and three dimensional element
formulation and structural analysis are covered, as well
as the concepts of dynamics as applied to structures.
The Finite Element Analysis is extended to problems in
dynamic systems and control, design and manufactur-
ing, mechanics and materials, and fluids and thermal
systems. Problems in heat transfer including both
steady state and transient analysis, conduction, con-
vection and radiation modes are covered. Students
solve problems both manually and with the use of mod-
ern computer finite element software. (Prerequisite:
ME 318, or equivalent.) Three credits.
ME 490 Advanced Engineering Analysis
Review of vector analysis in three dimensions, linear
algebra, functions of a complex variable, Fourier series,
Laplace transforms, Fourier integrals, partial differential
equations including separation of variables. Green's
functions, approximate techniques, linear and nonlinear
systems: phase-space, chaos; differential algebraic
systems and dynamic systems. (Prerequisite: MA 321,
or equivalent.) Three credits.
ME 491 Computer Aided Analysis of Machine
Elements and Design
Course covers computer aided aspects of mechanical
design, theories of failure, optimization of the design,
static, transient and dynamic analysis methods, finite
element analysis, theoretical background, plane stress
and plane strain analysis, axisymmetric stress analysis,
isoparametric finite element formulations, element
types for finite element analysis, mesh generation,
and FEM software. Cyclic symmetric structures:
advantages of cyclic symmetry, symmetric loading, gen-
eralized loading, free and forced vibration analysis.
Case studies. (Prerequisite: ECE 415 or equivalent.)
Three credits.
ME 495 Independent Study
A well-planned program of individual study under the
supervision of the faculty member. Three credits.
ME 496 Special Projects
An in depth study of selected topics of particular inter-
est to the student and instructor. Three credits.
ME 550, ME 551 THESIS I, II
The master's thesis is intended to be a test of the stu-
dent's ability to formulate a problem, solve it, and com-
municate the results. The thesis is supervised on an
individual basis by a faculty member. A thesis involves
the ability to gather information, examine it critically,
think creatively, organize effectively, and write convinc-
ingly; it is a project that permits the student to demon-
strate skills that are basic to both academic and work in
industry. The student must also submit a paper for pos-
sible inclusion in a refereed journal appropriate to the
topic. Three credits each.
Compliance Statements and Notifications
47
COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS
AND NOTIFICATIONS
Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy
and Campus Crime Statistics Act
Fairfield University complies with the Jeanne Clery
Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus
Crime Statistics Act. This report contains a summary of
the Fairfield University Department of Public Safety poli-
cies and procedures along with crime statistics as
required. A copy of this report may be obtained at the
Department of Public Safety in Loyola Hall, Room 2, by
calling the department at (203) 254-4090, or by visiting
the Fairfield University Public Safety website. The Office
of Public Safety is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year
Fairfield University is a drug-free campus and work-
place.
Catalog
This catalog pertains only to the graduate programs
offered through the School of Engineering. It is useful as
a source of continuing reference and should be saved
by the student. The provisions of this bulletin are not an
irrevocable contract between Fairfield University and
the student. The University reserves the right to change
any provision or any requirement at any time.
Non-Discrimination Statement
Fairfield University admits students of any sex, race,
color, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, age,
national origin or ancestry, disability or handicap to all
the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally
accorded or made available to students of the
University. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex,
race, color, marital status, sexual orientation, religion,
age, national origin or ancestry, disability or handicap in
administration of its educational policies, admissions
policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan pro-
grams, athletic programs, or other University-adminis-
tered programs. Inquiries about Fairfield's non-discrimi-
nation policies may be directed to the Dean of Students,
(203)254-4000, ext. 4211.
Notification of Rights Under FERPA
Fairfield University complies with the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1 974 (also known
as the Buckley Amendment), which defines the rights
and protects the privacy of students with regard to their
educational records. A listing of records maintained,
their location, and the means of reviewing them is avail-
able in the Office of the Dean of Students.
The rights afforded to students with respect to their edu-
cation records under FERPA are:
1 . The right to inspect and review the student's educa-
tion records within 45 days of the day the University
receives a request for access. Students should sub-
mit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic
department, or other appropriate official, written
requests that identify the record(s) they wish to
inspect. The University official will make arrange-
ments for access and notify the student of the time
and place where the records may be inspected. If
the records are not maintained by the University offi-
cial to whom the request was submitted, that official
shall advise the student of the correct official to
whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student's
education records that the student believes are
inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the
University to amend a record that they believe is
inaccurate or misleading. They should write to the
University official responsible for the record, clearly
identify the part of the record they want changed,
and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the
University decides not to amend the record as
requested by the student, the University will notify
the student of the decision and advise the student of
his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for
amendment. Additional information regarding the
hearing procedures will be provided to the student
when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally
identifiable information contained in the student's
education records, except to the extent that FERPA
authorizes disclosure without consent. One excep-
tion that permits disclosure without consent is dis-
closure to school officials with legitimate education-
al interests. A school official is a person employed
by the University in an administrative, supervisory,
academic or research, or support staff position
(including law enforcement unit personnel and
health staff); a person or company with whom the
University has contracted (such as an attorney,
auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the
Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official
committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance com-
mittee, or assisting another school official in per-
forming his or her tasks. A school official has a legit-
imate educational interest if the official needs to
review an education record in order to fulfill his or
her professional responsibility.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S.
Department of Education concerning alleged fail-
ures by Fairfield University to comply with the
requirements of FERPA. The name and address of
the Office that administers FERPA are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605
Title II Report
The Title II Higher Education Reauthorization Act
Report is available online at
www.fairfield.edu/academic/graedu/acadinfo.htm.
48
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
TUITION, FEES, AND
FINANCIAL AID
The schedule of tuition and fees for the acadennic year
2006-07 is:
Application for matriculation
(not refundable) $55
Registration per semester $25
MSMOT tuition per credit hour $600
MSSE tuition per credit hour $475
MSECE tuition per credit hour $475
MSME tuition per credit hour $455
Change of course $10
Change of major $25
Commencement fee
(required of all degree recipients) $150
Transcript $4
Promissory note fee $25
Returned check fee $30
The University's Trustees reserve the right to change
tuition rates and the fee schedule and to make addi-
tional changes whenever they believe it necessary. Full
payment of tuition and fees, and/or authorization for
billing a company must accompany registration.
Payments may be made in the form of cash (in person
only), check, money order, credit card (MasterCard,
VISA, or American Express), or online payment at
vi^ww.fairfield.edu/tuition. All checks are payable to
Fairfield University. Degrees will not be conferred and
transcripts will not be issued until students have met all
financial obligations to the University.
Deferred Payment
During the fall and spring semesters, eligible students
may defer payment on tuition as follows:
1. For students taking fewer than six credits: At regis-
tration, the student pays one-half of the total tuition
due plus all fees and signs a promissory note for the
remaining tuition balance. The promissory note pay-
ment due date varies according to each semester
2. For students taking six credits or more: At registra-
tion, the student pays one-fourth of the total tuition
due plus all fees and signs a promissory note to pay
the remaining balance in three consecutive monthly
installments. The promissory note payment due
dates vary according to the semester.
Failure to honor the terms of the promissory note will
prevent future deferred payments and affect future reg-
istrations.
Reimbursement by Employer
Many corporations pay their employees' tuition.
Students should check with their employers. If they are
eligible for company reimbursement, students must
submit, at in-person registration, a letter on company
letterhead acknowledging approval of the course regis-
tration and explaining the terms of payment. The terms
of this letter, upon approval of the Bursar, will be accept-
ed as a reason for deferring that portion of tuition cov-
ered by the reimbursement. Even if covered by reim-
bursement, all fees (registration, processing, lab, or
material) are payable at the time of registration.
Students will be required to sign a promissory note,
which requires a $25 processing fee, acknowledging
that any outstanding balance must be paid in full prior to
registration for future semesters. A guarantee that pay-
ment will be made must be secured at the time of reg-
istration with a MasterCard, VISA, or American Express
credit card. If the company offers less than 100-percent
unconditional reimbursement, the student must pay the
difference at the time of registration and sign a promis-
sory note for the balance. Letters can only be accepted
on a per-semester basis. Failure to pay before the next
registration period will prevent future deferred payments
and affect future registration.
Refund of Tuition
All requests for tuition refunds must be submitted to the
appropriate dean's office immediately after withdrawal
from class. Fees are not refundable. The request must
be in writing and all refunds will be made based on the
date notice is received or, if mailed, on the postmarked
date according to the following schedule. Refunds of
tuition charged on a MasterCard, VISA, or American
Express must be applied as a credit to your charge card
account.
Percent Refunded
Before first scheduled class 100 percent
Before second scheduled class 90 percent
Before third scheduled class 80 percent
Before fourth scheduled class 60 percent
Before fifth scheduled class 40 percent
Before sixth scheduled class 20 percent
After sixth scheduled class No refund
Refunds take two to three weeks to process.
Financial Aid
The School of Engineering reserves a modest amount
of financial aid for graduate students. Interested stu-
dents should complete a Financial Aid application and
submit it to the Engineering Office along with supporting
materials.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
49
Scholarships
The School of Engineering provides modest scholar-
ships to select students on the basis of need and merit.
Federal Stafford Loans
Under this program, graduate students may apply for up
to $18,500 per academic year, depending on their edu-
cational costs. Students demonstrating need (based on
federal guidelines) may receive up to $8,500 of their
annual Stafford Loan on a subsidized basis. Any
amount of the first $8,500 for which the student has not
demonstrated need (as well as the remaining $10,000
should they borrow the maximum loan), would be bor-
rowed on an unsubsidized basis.
When a loan is subsidized, the federal government pays
the interest for the borrower as long as he or she
remains enrolled on at least a half-time basis and for a
six-month grace period following graduation or with-
drawal. When a loan is unsubsidized, the student is
responsible for the interest and may pay the interest on
a monthly basis or opt to have the interest capitalized
and added to the principal.
How to Apply
To apply for a Federal Stafford loan, apply online at:
www.opennet.salliemae.com
Click on "Loan Applicant" " and follow the instructions
on how to set up your account online and apply for a
Federal Stafford online with Sallie Mae.
After successfully applying for your Federal Stafford
loan online, you can electronically sign (E-sign) the loan
online. However, if you do not want to use E-Sign, you
can still print out the MPN, sign it, and mail it directly to
Sallie Mae at the address they list on the MPN.
'Stafford Loan Borrowers must have a current FAFSA
form on file and have completed Entrance Counseling
via www.mapping-your-future.org before your loan
can disburse. To apply online for the FAFSA go to;
www.fafsa.ed.gov (Fairfield's school code is 001385).
If you have any questions, please call the Financial Aid
Office at (203) 254-4125.
Approved loans will be disbursed in two installments.
Students borrowing from Sallie Mae lenders will have
their funds electronically disbursed to their University
accounts. Students who borrow from other lenders will
need to sign their loan checks in the Bursar's Office
before the funds can be applied to their accounts.
Receipt of financial aid requires full matnculation in a
degree program.
Sallie Mae Signature Loan Program
These loans help graduate and professional students
pay the cost of attending the University. Repayment
begins approximately six months after you leave school
with interest rates ranging from Prime -0.5% to Prime
-I- 2.0% depending on credit worthiness and having/
not having a co-borrower. Students may borrow from
$500 to the Cost of Attendance less financial aid.
For information contact Signature Customer Service at
(800) 695-3317 or www.salliemae.com/signature.
Tax Deductions
Treasury regulation (1.162.5) permits an income tax
deduction for educational expenses (registration fees
and the cost of travel, meals, and lodging) undertaken
to: maintain or improve skills required in one's employ-
ment or other trade or business; or meet express
requirements of an employer or a law imposed as a
condition to retention of employment job status or rate
of compensation.
Veterans
Veterans may apply educational benefits to degree
studies pursued at Fairfield University. Veterans should
submit their file numbers at the time of registration. The
University Registrar's office will complete and submit
the certification form.
50
Engineering Administration and Faculty
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
ADMINISTRATION
FACULTY
Evangelos Hadjimichael, Ph.D.
Dean
Harry W. (Bill) Taylor, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
Jay Hoffman, Ph.D.
Director, Management of Technology
Donald Joy, Ph.D.
Director, Software Engineering
Jerry Sergent, Ph.D., and Douglas Lyon, Ph.D.
Co-Directors Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rao Dukkipati, Ph.D.
Director, Mectianical Engineering
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
Douglas Lyon, Ph.D.
Computer Engineering
Jerry Sergent, Ph.D.
Electrical Engineering
Rao Dukkipati, Ph.D.
Mechanical Engineering
Donald Joy, Ph.D.
Software Engineering
Clement Anekwe
Adjunct Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., West Virginia University
Raymond Angelo
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Networks
M.S., University of Hartford
Paul Botosani
Adjunct Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Pfi.D., Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest
Bruce Bradford
Associate Professor, Accounting
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Zbigniew Bzymek
Visiting Professor, Management of Technology
Ph.D., University of Warsaw
Joseph Carvaiko
Adjunct Associate Professor
J.D. Quinnipiac University
Joseph Corcoran
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Software Engineering
M.A., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
James Curry
Adjunct Associate Professor, Software Engineering
M.S., Baruch College
James DeCarIi
Adjunct Associate Professor, Software Engineering
M.S., University of New Haven
Jeffrey Denenberg
Adjunct Professor, Electrical Engineering
Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology
William Dornfeld
Adjunct Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Rao Dukkipati
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., Oklahoma State University
Birgitte Elbek
Adjunct Senior Instructor, Software Engineering
M.S., Sacred Heart University
Thomas Eldredge
Visiting Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., University of Tennessee
Shahrokh Etemad
Adjunct Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., University of Washington
Engineering Administration and Faculty
51
Thomas Galasso
Adjunct Senior Instructor, Database Management
M.S., Polytechnic University
Kostas Georgakopoulos
Adjunct Senior Instructor, Software Engineering
M.S., Tufts University
William Guelakis
Adjunct Associate Professor, Software Engineering
M.S., University of New Haven
Evangelos Hadjimichael
Dean, Professor of Ptiysics
Pfi.D., University of California, Berkeley
James He
Associate Professor, Information Systems and Operations
Management
Cfiarles F. Dolan School of Business
Pfi.D., Pennsylvania State University
Harvey Hoffman
Adjunct Professor, Management of Tectinology
Ed.D., Fordfiam University
Jay Hoffman
Director, MSMOT Program
Pfi.D., University of Connecticut
Donald Joy
Associate Professor Software Engineering
Pti.D., University of Massacfiusetts, Amfierst
Larry Kamhi
Adjunct Senior Instructor, Software Engineering
M.S., Fairfield University
Lucy Katz
Professor, Business Law
Cf)arles F. Dolan Scf)ool of Business
J.D., New York University
Mark LeClair
Associate Professor, Economics
College of Arts and Sciences
Pfi.D., Rutgers University
Patrick Lee
Associate Professor, Operations Management
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Pfi.D., Carnegie Mellon University
Douglas Lyon
Associate Professor, Computer Engineering
Pfi.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Maynard Marquis
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Software Engineering
M.S., Yale University
Rosalie McDevitt
Professor, Accounting
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Sc.D. University of New Haven
Frederick Mis
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Software Engineering
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Michael O'Rourke
Adjunct Senior Instructor, Software Engineering
M.S., Fairfield University
Rino Nori
Adjunct Associate Professor, Software Engineering
M.S., Fordham University
Milo Peck Jr.
Assistant Professor, Accounting
Charles F Dolan School of Business
J.D., Suffolk University
Rama Ramachandran
Adjunct Associate Professor, Internet Programming
M.S., University of Central Oklahoma
Raymond Rzasa
Adjunct Instructor, Software Engineehng
M.S., Fairfield University
Ronald Salafia
Professor, Neuroscience
Ph.D., Rutgers University
Carl Scheraga
Associate Professor, Business Strategy and Technology
Management
Charles F Dolan School of Business
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Jerry Sergent
Associate Professor and Chair, Electrical Engineering
Ph.D., University of Cincinnati
Harry W. (Bill) Taylor
Associate Dean and Professor, Electrical Engineering
Ph.D. University of California, Davis
Sheila Tortorici
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Computer Science
M.S., Pace University
Cheryl Tromley
Associate Professor, Management
Charles F Dolan School of Business
Ph.D., Yale University
Henri Van Bemmelen
Adjunct Senior Instructor, Management of Technology
M.S., Polytechnic University of New York
Kevin Violette
Adjunct Senior Instructor, Management of Technology
M.S., Fairfield University
William Watson
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., Lehigh University
Carl Weiman
Adjunct Associate Professor, Software Engineering
Ph.D., The Ohio State University
52
Fairfield University Administration
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
ADMINISTRATION
2006-07
Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., Ph.D.
President
CharlesH. Allen, S.J.,M.A.
Executive Assistant to the President
Michael J. Doody, S.J.
Director of Campus Ministry
James M. Bowler, S.J., M.A.
Facilitator of Jesuit and Catholic Mission
and Identity
Orin L. Grossman, Ph.D.
Academic Vice President
Mary Frances A.H. Malone, Ph.D.
Associate Academic Vice President
Judith Dobai, M.A.
Associate Vice President for Enrollment
Management
Georgia F. Day, Ph.D.
Assistant Academic Vice President,
TRIO Programs
Timothy L. Snyder, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Norman A. Solomon, Ph.D.
Dean, Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Susan Douglas Franzosa, Ph.D.
Dean, Graduate School of Education
and Allied Professions
Edna F. Wilson, Ed.D.
Dean, University College
Evangelos Hadjimichael, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Engineering
Jeanne M. Novotny, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Nursing
Debnam Chappell, Ph.D.
Dean of Freshmen
Robert C. Russo, M.A.
University Registrar
William J. Lucas, MBA
Vice President for Finance and Administration and
Treasurer
Michael S. Maccarone, M.S.
Associate Vice President for Finance
Richard I. Taylor, B.S., C.E.
Associate Vice President for Campus
Planning and Operations
Mark J. Guglielmoni, M.A.
Director of Human Resources
Kenneth R. Fontaine, MBA
Controller
James A. Estrada, M.A., M.L.I.S.
Vice President for Information Sen/ices and
University Librarian
Mark C. Reed '96, MBA, M.Ed.
Vice President for Student Affairs
Thomas C. Pellegrino '90, Ph.D., J.D.
Dean of Students
Eugene P. Doris, M.A.T.
Director of Athletics
Fredric C. Wheeler, M.PA
Acting Vice President for University Advancement
Martha Milcarek, B.S.
Assistant Vice President for
Public Relations
Administrators Emeriti
Aloysius P Kelley, S.J., Ph.D.
1979-2004
President Emeritus
John A. Barone, Ph.D.
1950-1992
Professor of Chemistry and Provost, Emeritus
Barbara D. Bryan, M.S.
1965-1996
University Librarian, Emerita
Henry J. Murphy, S.J.
1959-1997
Dean of Freshmen, Emeritus
Phyllis E. Porter, MSN
1970-1989
Associate Professor of Nursing, Emerita
Dean, School of Nursing, Emerita
Fairfield University Board of Trustees
53
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Nancy A. Altobello '80
Rev. John F. Baldovin, S.J.
Rev. Terrence A. Baum, S.J.
Joseph F. Berardino 72
Ronald F. Carapezzi '81
Kevin M. Conlisk '66
E. Gerald Corrigan, Ph.D., '63
Sheila K. Davidson '83
Joseph A. DiMenna Jr. '80
Charles F Dolan, P'86,'85
William R Egan '67, P'99
Thomas A. Franko '69
Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J.
Rev. Edward Glynn, S.J.
Rev. Otto H. Hentz, S.J.
Brian R Hull '80
Paul J. Huston '82 (Chairman of the Board)
Patricia Hutton '85
John R. Joyce
Rev. James F. Keenan, S.J.
Jack L. Kelly '67, P'96
Ned 0. Lautenbach
Stephen M. Lessing '76
Clinton A. Lewis Jr. '88
Thomas P. Loughlin '80
Roger M. Lynch '63, P'95
Michele Macauda '78
William A. Malloy '80
Michael E. McGuinness '82
John C. Meditz '70
EInerL. Morrell'81, P'03
Most. Rev. George V. Murry, S.J.
Christopher C. Quick '79
Lawrence C. Rafferty '64
Rosellen Schnurr '74, P'04
Sandi Simon, P'01
Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.
William R Weil '68
Trustees Emeriti
Alphonsus J. Donahue
Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J.
Francis J. McNamara Jr.
54
Notes
Notes
55
56
Notes
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Egan Chapel of St^ Ignatii
Loyola and Pedro Arrupe,
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Pedro Arrupe Hall
Fr. Brisetle Athletic Cente
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Fairfield
UNIVERSITY
Jesuit. Personal. Powerful.
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Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
Phone: (203) 254-4184
Toll-free: (888) 488-6840
Fax: (203) 254-4073
email: gradadmis@mail.fairfield.edu
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