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Signals and Systems Minor

A student graduating with a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder may also receive a Minor in Signals and Systems offered by the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department. The Minor in Signals and Systems provides training in control systems, digital signal processing, or communications beyond the training usually received by science, mathematics and applied mathematics majors. It can also broaden the training of students majoring in other engineering fields to provide depth in signals and systems. The goal is to teach students the fundamentals of signals and systems and introduce them to laboratory applications. This minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours.

Preparation for the minor
Students who are interested in the Signals and Systems Minor must have PHYS 1120, General Physics 2, and a solid mathematics background in Fourier series, Laplace transforms, transfer functions, and sinusoidal response. Probability is necessary for coursework in ECEN 4242, Communication Theory.

Course NumberCourse TitleCredit Hours
Required courses - 18 credits
ECEN 3300 Linear Systems, includes lab5
PLUS
any combination of senior theory and lab courses
from this list for at least 13 credits:
ECEN 4138 Control Systems Analysis3
ECEN 4638 Control Laboratory2
ECEN 4242 Communication Theory3
ECEN 4652 Communication Laboratory2
ECEN 4632 Introduction to Digital Filtering3
ECEN 4532 DSP Laboratory3
Students may petition to replace three of these credit hours with a 3-credit hour,
5000-level ECEN course in Digital Signal Processing, Communications, or Controls.
OR
ECEN 3300 Linear Systems, includes lab5
ECEN 2120 Computers as Components, includes lab5
PLUS
Any combination from the column above (ECEN 4XXX) totaling
at least 8 credits

Prerequisite/Co-requisite Paths

Each theory course may be taken prior to or as a co-requisite with its corresponding lab course.

*A student enrolled in ECEN 4532, DSP Laboratory, needs ECEN 2120 or permission from the instructor.
**ECEN 3810, APPM 3570, or Math 4510

Minimum Grades
Students admitted to the Electrical Engineering Minor must have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or better. A cumulative GPA of 2.000 or better is required in courses used to satisfy the requirements of this minor. Each individual course that is counted toward this minor must be passed. A passing grade is a D- or better. Note, however, that a C- or better is required in all prerequisite courses.

Application Form
The application form for this program is available in the ECE Undergraduate Advising Office, ECEE 1B20, or may be downloaded as a pdf file here. Completed forms should be turned in to the Undergraduate Advising Office, ECEE 1B20.