Electrical and Computer Engineering

Honors Program

HONORS RESEARCH POLICY

Before enrolling in ECE 499, an honor student first determines an honors research advisor in the Mike Wiegers Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The student and advisor agree on a research project and the number of credit hours (3-4) that the student will earn with successful completion of the project. The coordinator for ECE 499 will assist students in matching up with faculty members who have projects of interest in their specialty area. After the research advisor and the project are identified, the student enrolls in an appropriate number of ECE 499 credits. The project may be completed in one or more semesters; however, there must be a project plan signed by the student, research advisor and honors coordinator which provides the following information:
  • a title for the project
  • the number of ECE 499 credits
  • the semesters during which it is expected the work will be done
  • a brief description of the project
A signed copy of the project plan must be placed in the student’s academic file.
At the conclusion of the project, the student prepares a formal report and gives a presentation to the ECE 499 class. In the event of course scheduling conflicts, the presentation can be given for the honors coordinator, the research advisor and other interested parties at a mutually agreed upon time. If the project is suitable for an Open House project, the students presentation at Open House can be substituted for the presentation to ECE 499.
Copies of the formal report must be given to the research advisor and the honors coordinator.
The research advisor is responsible for giving the grade in ECE 499. The research advisor may require a report at the end of each semester, if desired. The report (if required) and the work completed will be used to determine the student’s grade in ECE 499. Only students receiving grades of A or B in ECE 499 will be allowed to receive the “Honors” designation on their diplomas. The research advisor may elect one of two plans for assigning grades:
  • A letter grade may be given each semester of enrollment.
  • Grades of I (incomplete) may be given each semester until the project has been completed to the satisfaction of the research advisor and the final report has been presented, at which time the research advisor changes the incomplete(s) to letter grades.
The method used for assigning grades must be indicated on the project plan.