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Combined Plan Initial Course Selection FAQ

COMPUTER ENGINEERING
What is the standard fall course schedule for Combined Plan Computer
Engineering majors?
Number
ELEN E3801
ELEN E3084
ELEN E3201
ELEN E3081
COMS W3134
IEOR E3658

Credits
3.50
1.00
3.50
1.00
3.00
3.00

Title
SIGNALS & SYSTEMS
SIGNALS & SYSTEMS LAB
CIRCUIT ANALYSIS
CIRCUIT ANALYSIS LAB
DATA STRUCTURES IN JAVA
PROBABILITY

Can I take different courses than the ones shown here?


Yes. While this is considered a standard schedule, many incoming students have reasons to take
something slightly different. Almost all take ELEN E3801 & ELEN E3084 because those courses are only
offered in the fall and are foundational required courses. Similarly, those with the expected circuit
background take ELEN E3201 & ELEN E3081 because those courses are only offered in the fall and are
prerequisites for later courses. Some students without enough circuits background take ELEN E1201
INTRO TO Electrical Engineering first (see later question). COMS W3134 is also a foundational course,
but some students have already taken an equivalent course so they can jump ahead to a course such as
COMS W3157 ADVANCED PROGRAMMING. IEOR E3658 PROBABILITY is recommended for the first
semester because many students find it is useful preparation for later electives, but there are other
probability & statistics courses that can fill this requirement (see later question). Another required
course that is sometimes taken first semester is CSEE W3827 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTERS.

Can I change my registration later?


Certainly. There will be opportunities to ask a faculty advisor questions and speak with other students
right before classes start, and courses can be changed then. Some elective courses are difficult to get
into due to enrollment caps, and knowing demand can help departments with planning so it is good to
register early for a tentative set of courses if possible. Note that it is not necessary to be registered for a
course to show up at the first class and see what it is like.

Are the above courses a reasonable load for the fall semester?
Yes. Combined Plan students must take 60 credits (or more) at Columbia, an average of just 15 per
semester. And in most cases the Computer Engineering requirements can be completed within the 60,
so there is no need to go much beyond that. Some Columbia students do take loads as high as 18 or 19
in some semesters, but the first semester in a new place may not be the best time to try a heavy load.
It is important to focus on the core required courses to build a solid foundation for later electives. Note
that students who try taking an extra course but find that it is taking too much time can drop it without
penalty well into the semester.

Where can I find more information about courses and requirements?


There are rules and sample course sequences in the Computer Engineering section of the school
bulletin. Combined Plan students should focus on the late-starting plan for the final two years.
Formal descriptions of all the courses can be found in the department sections of the bulletin, e.g., EE &
CS. A handy course requirement checklist and other information is also posted on the Computer
Engineering website. In addition, meetings with major advisors and other faculty can help answer
questions along the way. Note that both the EE and CS Departments post their course offerings each
semester on their websites and leave them there for many years, and this history can be used to learn
typical patterns.

How is advising conducted in the Computer Engineering Department?


Every Computer Engineering student is assigned a major faculty advisor on arrival and a list of advisors
can be found in the undergraduate section of the Computer Engineering website . There is no
requirement to talk with an advisor each semester but it is recommended, at least to discuss things such
as career planning. There are also orientation sessions, upon arrival and during the registration period
each semester, attended by faculty who are particularly familiar with the curriculum and who can
answer general questions about the program. These sessions are also very useful for course planning
because many students who attend exchange experience and ideas. And a free lunch (usually pizza) is
provided! All students at Columbia also have CSA advisors who can help with issues outside the major,
such as questions about general requirements or advice about housing, health, etc. Note that Elsa
Sanchez; elsa@ee.columbia.edu, 212-854-3104 and Stella Tan-Torres; st2995@columbia.edu, 212-8549108 in the EE office, 1300 Mudd Bldg., can help Computer Engineering students with administrative
matters pertaining to their major, e.g., forms and approvals.

What if I already took a required Computer Engineering course elsewhere?


There is a course equivalence form that needs to be filled out to apply for placing out of a required
course. If you are confident that it will be approved, you can simply plan your course schedule assuming
that it will. Dont forget to take care of the paperwork during the semester, though. Elsa Sanchez and
Stella Tan-Torres in the EE office can help you navigate the approval process. Note that placing out of a
course does not affect the requirement for a minimum of 60 credits at Columbia. So for most students,
any bypassed requirements will need to be replaced by additional electives.

Am I ready for ELEN E3201 without having taken ELEN E1201?


ELEN E1201 INTRODUCTION TO EE is a preparatory course taken by 4-year Columbia students early on
and it is a prerequisite for ELEN E3201. It is highly recommended that Combined Plan students take a
similar course before arriving at Columbia, but some cannot. In that case there are a few other options:
1) Students with some circuits background can take the course E1201 in their first semester in parallel
with the follow-on course E3201 (either in addition to or instead of a course like IEOR E3658
PROBABILITY). Some have found this option workable.
2) Students with little background in circuits may need to take E1201 in their first semester and
postpone E3201 to the following year. This requires more careful planning of all 4 semesters, and limits

choices for technical electives in the circuits area due to prerequisite constraints.
3) Students who feel ready can jump straight to E3201 without having taken E1201 or an equivalent. The
EE Department often offers an informal, condensed version of E1201 in August to provide help with this
option for those who can arrive early. E3201 covers most of the necessary material from E1201 but goes
quite fast assuming it is just a review.

Is ELEN E1201 a graduation requirement for Computer Engineering?


No. Combined Plan students in Computer Engineering do not need formal course equivalence to skip
E1201. The first required course in circuits is ELEN E3201. Some do find it helpful to take E1201 first,
however, depending on their background.

Do I need to take each 1-credit lab course with its corresponding lecture course?
No, but it is typical to take E3081 and E3084 along with E3201 and E3801, respectively. They are offered
in the same semester and designed to be taken concurrently. In rare cases students are only in one
because they have transfer credit or course equivalence for the other, or need to postpone a lab for a
year due to an unusual scheduling constraint. Note that students who take CSEE W3827 in the fall need
to wait until the spring to take its corresponding lab, ELEN E3082, because while W3827 is offered both
semesters, E3082 is only offered in the spring.

Are there other options for filling the Probability requirement?


This Computer Engineering requirement can be satisfied by taking IEOR E3658, SIEO W3600, STAT
W4105, or SIEO W4150. Not all are offered every semester. One factor to consider when selecting is
that the courses without statistics may offer better preparation for some EE electives that require
probability. But statistics can be useful in some specialties.

Which version of Data Structures should I take?


The Computer Science Dept. offers an honors version of COMS W3134, COMS W3137, which is a fine
alternative for those with sufficient background. Most Computer Engineering majors take W3134,
which is recommended to get a solid foundation unless it is clear that W3137 is more appropriate. Note
there is another Data Structures course, COMS W3136 DATA STRUCTURES WITH C/C++, which is taken
by many EE majors but is not intended for Computer Engineering majors. Also note that the CS Dept.
offers one-credit courses (under COMS W3101) in various languages for students who are familiar with
programming but would like to learn an additional language.

Are prerequisites enforced in Computer Engineering?


Not for most courses, but students who have not taken the prerequisites or equivalent courses should
be very cautious about ignoring them. There are many resources for learning more about the expected
background for courses: course descriptions, textbooks, other students who have taken them, course
websites if available, lectures, instructors, advisors, etc.

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