CA.SFU.FAS.UCC/Papers:1999-8A

2000/2001 Calendar Changes: Engineering Science

Kamal Gupta, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Chair, Engineering Science

Revision A - September 22, 1999

This document describes Engineering Science calendar changes for the year 2000/2001 calendar as approved by the School of Engineering Science on September 22, 1999. The contents are summarized below.

  1. Changes to Industry Experience Section (Co-Op)
  2. Changes to the List of ENSC Electives for Each Option
  3. Correction to Directed Studies/Special Project Lab Courses
  4. Deletion of ENSC 370-4
  5. Prerequisite/Corequisite Changes

1. Changes to Industry Experience Section (Co-Op):

Two changes are proposed to the industry experience section of the Engineering Science co-op program: (a) the change from P/W to P/W/F grading for job practicum courses and (b) the introduction of ENSC 194-0, an optional early job practicum.

The P/W/F grading scheme is introduced by the following change to the calendar description of ENSC 195-0. Note that all other job practicum courses inherit this change by virtue to their reference to the grading scheme of ENSC 195. (Reference: 1999-2000 calendar, page 227, column 1).
Current Proposed
Credit is given as pass/withdraw (P/W) only, based on the employer's and the coordinator's evaluation of the student's work during the semester and of the work report submitted at the end of the work session.
Credit for work terms is given as pass/withdraw/fail (P/W/F) based on the employer's and the coordinator's evaluation of the student's work during the semester and on the evaluation of the work report submitted and the oral presentation at the end of the work session.

ENSC 194-0 is created as a new optional job practicum with the following calendar description.

ENSC 194-0 Optional Job Practicum
This is an optional semester of work experience in the co-operative education program available to first year engineering science students. This course will not be counted towards the three required co-operative education semesters; however, it will be recorded on the students' transcripts. Credit is awarded as in ENSC 195.

In the main Engineering Science calendar entry, the Industry Experience subsection is revised as follows. (reference: 1999-2000 calendar, page 100, column 1).
Current Proposed
Every student must complete a co-operative education program of three work semesters and a thesis project.
Every student must complete a co-operative education program of at least three work semesters (not including ENSC 194-0) and a thesis project.

Rationale

The change to P/W/F grading will formalize the current policy. Indeed, some students have failed ENSC 195-396 due to work performance and/or work report problems.

The introduction of ENSC 194-0 will clarify the current confusion re the present optional co-op term in the first summer semester. The goal is to make it clear that students must do the three mandatory work terms, even if they have done the optional term. Under the present system, the optional work term is offered on an informal basis (no course number is assigned). The intent is that it not be counted for credit towards the three work-term requirement, because it is largely non-technical in nature (even though it is considered to be valuable experience for the student). However, there has been confusion on this point and an expectation that the optional work term should be reflected on the transcript.

2. Changes to the List of ENSC Electives for Each Option

The elective lists in the Engineering Science Options are updated as follows.
  1. Changes to Electronics Engineering Option (reference 1999-2000 calendar, page 101, column 1).
    Current Proposed
    chosen from ENSC 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 481, 483, 488, 489, 495
    chosen from ENSC 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 450, 481, 483, 488, 489, 495

    Rationale

    ENSC 450 was somehow missing from the list.

  2. Changes to Systems Option (reference 1999-2000 calendar, page 102, column 1).
    Current Proposed
    chosen from ENSC 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 481, 483, 488, 489, 495.
    chosen from ENSC 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 450, 481, 495.

    Rationale

    ENSC 450 was somehow missing from the list. ENSC 483, 488 and 489 are required courses, and should not be in the electives list.

  3. Changes to Engineering Physics (Electronics) Option (reference 1999-2000 calendar, page 101, column 2).
    Current Proposed
    chosen from ENSC 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 481, 483, 488, 489, 495
    chosen from ENSC 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 450, 481, 483, 488, 489, 495

    Rationale

    ENSC 450 was somehow missing from the list.

3. Correction to Directed Studies/Special Project Lab Courses

The calendar descriptions of the seven directed studies/special project lab courses are each changed by deletion of the following text from the course description. (ENSC 400-4, 401-4, 402-4, 491-1, 492-2, 493-3, 494-4)

Typically, no more than a total of two directed studies and special project lab courses will be approved as engineering science electives.

Rationale

The stated policy is not correct. The correct policy, that the students are allowed to replace one of their ENSC technical electives by either a Directed Studies or a Special Project Lab course, is already stated under each option (page 101, 102; footnote 2). The change in the individual course descriptions was inadvertantly omitted in the last year's changes. However, since there is no need to repeat this under every Directed Studies/Special Project Lab course, we can just delete this sentence in each case.

4. Deletion of ENSC 370-4

ENSC 370-4 Transducers and Embedded Systems is deleted. The last offering was in 1999-1.

5. Prerequisite/Corequisite Changes

The prerequisite/corequisite statements for several courses are changed as follows.
CourseCurrent Proposed
ENSC 100
Corequisite: ENSC 101.
deleted
ENSC 102
Corequisite: ENSC 151 and PHYS 131.
Corequisite: PHYS 131.
ENSC 220
Prerequisite: ENSC 151, PHYS 121 and 131. Corequisite: MATH 232 and 310. Students with credit for ENSC 125 cannot take this course for further credit.
Prerequisite: PHYS 121 and 131, MATH 232 and 310. MATH 232 and/or 310 may be taken concurrently. Students with credit for ENSC 125 cannot take this course for further credit.
ENSC 250
Prerequisite: CMPT 150 or ENSC 150 or CMPT 290 or 105 with permission of instructor. This course is identical to CMPT 250 and students cannot take both courses for credit. Students who have taken CMPT 390 may not take CMPT 250 for further credit.
Prerequisite: CMPT 150 or ENSC 150. This course is identical to CMPT 250 and students cannot take both courses for credit. Students who have taken CMPT 390 may not take ENSC 250 for further credit.
ENSC 305
Corequisite: ENSC 340 or 370, of an alternative approved project course.
Corequisite: ENSC 340 or an alternative approved project course.
ENSC 483
Prerequisite: ENSC 381 or 382 or 383.
Prerequisite: ENSC 383.
ENSC 488
Prerequisite: ENSC 381 or 382 or 383.
Prerequisite: ENSC 383. ENSC 230 is strongly recommended for Systems Option students.

Rationale

Although ENSC 101 uses ENSC 100, non-Engineering students are free to take ENSC 100 without ENSC 101.

Assignments from ENSC 151 are no longer used in ENSC 102.

The ENSC 151 prerequisite to ENSC 220 was intended to ensure exposure to the Lab environment. While students in ENSC 151 have exposure to oscilloscopes and simple circuit elements, this exposure is rather limited and it greatly depends on the individual team's choice of the ENSC 151 final lab project (feedback from faculty who recently taught 220). From a curriculum perspective, ENSC 151 is a microprocessor (HC12 and FPGA/ALTERA) lab oriented class that deals with microprocessor architecture and assembly and VHDL programming.

Although MATH 232 and 310 are normally taken at the same time as ENSC 220, they are not true corequisites (that must be taken at the same time); rather they are possibly concurrent prerequisites (i.e., that may be taken at the same time).

The ENSC 250 description is simplified to remove the obsolete prerequisites CMPT 105 and CMPT 290.

ENSC 370 is no longer available to be taken with ENSC 305.

ENSC 381 and ENSC 382 are no longer offered and are now obsolete as prerequisites to ENSC 483 and ENSC 488.

ENSC 230 covers material that would be useful for Systems Option students taking ENSC 488.