Courses
All students must complete the following course:
ECE 592 - Special Topics In Electrical Engineering
Units: 1 - 6
Two-semester sequence to develop new courses and to allow qualified students to explore areas of special interest.
Offered in Fall and Spring
Students must then choose three 5G-related courses, taking at least two courses from a single track:
Circuits Track Courses
ECE 511 - Analog Electronics
Units: 3
Analog integrated circuits and analog integrated circuit design techniques. Review of basic device and technology issues Comprehensive coverage of MOS and Bipolar operational amplifiers. Brief coverage of analog-to-digital conversion techniques and switched-capacitor filters. Strong emphasis on use of computer modeling and simulation as design tool. Students required to complete an independent design project.
Offered in Fall Only
ECE 712 - Integrated Circuit Design for Wireless Communications
Units: 3
Analysis, simulation, and design of the key building blocks of an integrated radio: amplifiers, mixers, and oscillators. Topics include detailed noise optimization and linearity performance of high frequency integrated circuits for receivers and transmitters. Introduction to several important topics of radio design such as phase-locked loops, filters and large-signal amplifiers. Use of advanced RF integrated circuit simulation tools such as SpectreRF or ADS for class assignments.
Offered in Spring Only
ECE 792 - Special Topics In Electrical Engineering
Units: 1 - 6
Two-semester sequence to develop new courses and to allow qualified students to explore areas of special interest.
Offered in Fall and Spring
Microwave Systems and Applied EM Track Courses
ECE 524 - Radio System Design
Units: 3
Introduction to communication theory and radio system design. Design and analysis of radio systems, such as heterodyne transceivers, and effects of noise and nonlinearity. Design and analysis of radio circuits: amplifiers, filters, mixers, baluns and other transmission line and discrete circuits.
Offered in Spring Only
ECE 549 - RF Design for Wireless
Units: 3
Design of the hardware aspects of wireless systems with principle emphasis on design of radio frequency [RF] and microwave circuitry. Introduction of system concepts then functional block design of a wireless system. RF and microwave transistors, noise, power ampliefiers, CAE, linearization and antennas.
Offered in Fall Only
ECE 592 - Special Topics In Electrical Engineering
Units: 1 - 6
Two-semester sequence to develop new courses and to allow qualified students to explore areas of special interest.
Offered in Fall and Spring
Communications Track Courses
ECE 570 - Computer Networks
Units: 3
General introduction to computer networks. Discussion of protocol principles, local area and wide area networking, OSI stack, TCP/IP and quality of service principles. Detailed discussion of topics in medium access control, error control coding, and flow control mechanisms. Introduction to networking simulation, security, wireless and optical networking.
Offered in Fall Spring Summer
ECE 575 - Introduction to Wireless Networking
Units: 3
Introduction to cellular communications, wireless local area networks, ad-hoc and IP infrastructures. Topics include: cellular networks, mobility mannagement, connection admission control algorithms, mobility models, wireless IP networks, ad-hoc routing, sensor networks, quality of service, and wireless security.
Offered in Spring Only
ECE 766 - Signal Processing for Communications & Networking
Units: 3
This course deals with the signal processing principles underlying recent advances in communications and networking. Topics include: smart-antenna and multi-input multi-output [MIMO] techniques; multiuser communication techniques [multiple access, power control, multiuser detection, and interference managment]; signal processing in current and emerging network applications such as cognitive radio and social networks. Knowledge of linear alegbra and stochastic analysis is required.
Offered in Fall Only
YEAR: Offered Alternate Even Years
ECE 767 - Error-Control Coding
Units: 3
An introduction to the theory and practice of codes for detecting and correcting errors in digital data communication and storage systems. Topics include linear block codes, cyclic codes, cyclic redundancy checksums, BCH and Reed-Solomon codes, convolutional codes, trellis-coded modulation, LDPC and turbo codes, Viterbi and sequential decoding, and encoder and decoder architecture. Applications include the design of computer memories, local-area networks, compact disc digital audio, NASA's deepspace network, high-speed modems, communication satellites, and cellular telephony.
Academic Performance Requirements
- The 5G GCP requires a total of 12 credit hours.
- To receive a Graduate Certificate, a student must maintain a minimum 3.00 grade point average (GPA) on Graduate Certificate coursework taken at NC State University. All grades on courses taken towards the GCP in courses numbered 500 and above are included in the GPA. Any courses taken at the 400 level and below are not eligible for certificate credit.
- All courses taken for certificate credit must be completed with a grade of “B-” or better.
- All courses at the 500-level or 700-level taken for certificate credit must be letter-graded. Credit only courses cannot be used for certificate credit.
- Transfer credit from other institutions is not allowed for the GCP. All coursework must be registered through NC State University.
- Up to three (3) credit hours of NDS coursework, if not already used in another graduate program, may be transferred into the GCP. All transfer credit must carry a grade of B or better.
- Graduate Certificate courses taken by students who are also enrolled in a degree program may be double-counted towards that degree (1) to the extent that the courses unique to the degree remain at 18 hours for a Masters degree or 30 hours for a PhD degree and (2) subject to the course requirements of that degree.
- All GCP requirements must be completed within four (4) calendar years, beginning with the date the student commences courses applicable to the GCP. In addition, students must maintain continuous enrollment every semester until all coursework is completed. A one semester leave of absence may be granted if the student is unable to enroll in a course due to extenuating circumstances. The leave of absence must be approved in writing by the ECE DGP before the start of the semester.