1. Is Rowan ECE / EET the right program for me?

Both of the Rowan ECE and EET programs are very heavily project-based with most classes having integrated lab components. Furthermore, all engineering programs at Rowan include an innovative curricular component, called Engineering Clinics, which are design courses that are distributed over four years. In particular, Junior and Senior Engineering / Technology Clinics feature projects that require you to tackle unsolved real-world problems that are typically brought to us and sponsored by our industrial partners or government research agencies. These projects have real milestones, real deliverables, and real consequences (and many lead to internships or job offers).

To determine whether Rowan ECE/EET is the right program for you, we recommend that you first explore our programs through these web pages, paying particular attention to ECE Undergraduate Program and Curriculum or EET Undergraduate Program and Curriculum. Then, come and visit us so that you can see our labs, meet existing students and ask any questions you may have.

2. Do I meet the required criteria for transfer admission into ECE/EET?

We expect transfer applicants to Rowan ECE to have completed (or be in progress of) the following courses (or their equivalent) at their institution(s) at the time of application:

• COMP 01.111 College Composition I
• MATH 01.130 Calculus I
• MATH 01.131 Calculus II
• PHYS 00.220 Introductory Mechanics (also called Physics I, must be Calculus-based)
• PHYS 00.222 Intro to Electricity and Magnetism (also called Physics II, must be Calculus-based)
• CS 04.103 Computer Science and Programming (CS&P) or CS 04.113 Intro to Obj. Oriented Programming (IOOP)

For Rowan EET program, you should have the following: 

• COMP 01.111 College Composition I
• MATH 01.122 Precalculus
• MATH 01.130 Calculus I
• PHYS 00.210 Physics I (non-calculus based) or PHYS 00.220 Introductory Mechanics (Calculus based)
• PHYS 00.221 Physisc II (non-calculus based) or PHYS 00.222 Intro to Electricity and Magnetism (Calculus-based)
• CS 04.103 Computer Science and Programming (CS&P) or CS 04.113 Intro to Obj. Oriented Programming (IOOP)

 

If you hold a GPA of 3.3 or higher cumulatively as well as in the above-listed required courses, your admission into Rowan ECE/EET is automatic. A minimum GPA of 3.0 (for ECE) or 2.9 (for EET) is required for consideration, and acceptances will be based on level of academic performance as well as seat availability. Students who are missing a course or two may be accepted with condition of completing those courses, if there are seats available. All courses to be transferred must be approved as equivalent to Rowan University courses. Pass/Fail grades are not acceptable for transfer. Students transferring courses from other NJ two‐year or four‐year institutions may refer to the NJ Transfer website (http://www.njtransfer.org) to compare course equivalencies.

If you are transferring from another program at Rowan, then all courses appearing on your Rowan transcript - whether earned at Rowan or successfully transferred to Rowan from another institution - are, of course, Rowan courses and hence eligible for transferring them into your ECE/EET program of study. 

If you are transferring from a community college, you may apply as soon as you meet the above course and GPA requirements, or during the semester, at the end of which you anticipate completing these requirements. Completing an associate's degree is not required to apply.

Any exceptions to these requirements are handled on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the Dean's Office.

3. How do I apply?

 OK, I am convinced, this is the right program for me, and I have (or will have) all the prerequisites. How do I apply?

If you are an external candidate wishing to transfer into Rowan ECE/EET from another institution, please check the information at Transfer Guidelines for External Applicants, and then visit the Transfer Applications main page, where you will find all the information needed to submit your application. Note again, if you are transferring from a community college, you may apply as soon as you meet - or during the semester in which you expect to complete - the course and GPA requirements listed in Step 2. Completing an AS or AA degree is not required to transfer into Rowan ECE/EET.

The transfer application deadline for external candidates is November 1 for students who wish to start in the Spring semester, and April 1 for those who wish to start in the Fall semester. The website Application Calendar and Fees provides detailed information for all relevant deadlines and fees associated with applying to our programs.

If you are an internal candidate wishing to transfer into ECE from another program at Rowan, you are, in fact, changing your major. Please read the Change of Major Guidelines for Internal Applicants to learn more about the process.

After reading the guidelines, please fill out the Change of Major Form to submit your application. Note that the deadlines for change of major applications are November 1 for Spring admission and April 1 for Fall admission. Applications for changing majors are not accepted after these deadlines.

4. I am admitted, now what? How do I get on track with the curriculum?

Congratulations! If you are admitted, you now know which classes you have previously taken have transferred to Rowan. Note that not all courses or credits that might have transferred into Rowan necessarily count towards ECE degree requirements. To determine which ones do, and to plan your program of study, you should contact an advisor. The transfer advisor for ECE is Prof. Russell Trafford, who can be contacted at traffo17@rowan.edu. The transfer advisor for the EET Program is Dr. Michael Mauk, mauk@rowan.edu. 

Before you do so, it would be most beneficial to carefully study the ECE Undergraduate Program and Curriculum or the EET Undergraduate Program and Curriculum one more time. In particular, look at the semester-by-semester list of courses at the curriculum tables and flowcharts which show the prerequisite relationship of various courses. Note that not all courses are offered every semester. Typically, the courses listed for the Fall semester are offered in Fall, and those listed for the Spring semester are offered in Spring.

In order to help transfer students get on track as soon as possible, we do offer most of our first year and sophomore level required in-major ECE courses (see table below) during summer sessions as online classes. 

Table 1.ECE major courses during the first two years

Course Number	Course Name	Prerequisite(s)	Normally Taught During	Also Taught During
ECE 09.101	ECE: Solving Tomorrow's Problems	None	Fall	Summer
ECE 09.241	Introduction to Digital Systems	ECE 09.101ECE: Solving Tomorrow's Problems	Spring	Summer
ECE 09.203	Principles of Electric Circuit Analysis	MATH 01.131 Calculus II; PHYS 02.222 Intro toElecc. & Magnetism (Min C); ECE 09.101ECE: Solving Tomorrow's Problems	Fall	Summer
ECE 09.243	Computer Architecture	ECE 09.241 Introduction to Digital Systems	Fall	Summer
ECE 09.311	Electronics I	ECE 09.203 Principles of Electric Circuit Analysis	Spring	Summer
ECE 09.342	Embedded Systems	ECE 09.311 Electronics I (taken concurrently)	Spring

You may want to consider taking these classes during the summers before you start at Rowan (or even earlier, if you wish, as soon as you have the prerequisites listed above in the table). 

Since the EET program is new, we do not have those courses offered in summer yet. 

 

Engineering Clinics

In addition to the four courses listed above, there are four Engineering Clinics: First-year Engineering Clinic I and II FEC I/II), Sophomore Engineering Clinic I and II (SEC I/II) that are also required and are only offered at Rowan University and Rowan Colleges (Rowan College South Jersey or Rowan College at Burlington County). If you are not coming from one of the Rowan Colleges and/or if you have not taken these courses, you will need to complete them. However, we offer considerable flexibility for these courses.

If you have not taken FEC I/II, you may take a review & equivalency exam for each of the two courses. To do so, we provide you with access to a web-based e-book for you to read and review. The equivalency test is essentially the end-of chapter exercises of the e-books, which are automatically graded. Most students complete each of these in about a week or so. Depending on your score, you will i) be exempt from that class (but still need to make up for the credits); ii) be allowed to take FEC and SEC at the same time; or iii) need to take FEC before you can take SEC. To request the FEC I and FEC II  equivalency exams, please contact the ECE Department Head, Dr.Polikar.

Sophomore Engineering Clinics integrate College Composition II (in SEC I) and Public Speaking (in SEC II), plus an engineering design component. If you have taken those two communication classes, you can take a bridge class that covers the engineering design portion of SEC I and SEC II. The bridge class is also commonly taught in summer sessions. Please ask your advisor.

5. How long will it take to complete the program?

How long will it take to complete the program? Can I graduate in two years if I transfer with an AS or AAS degree?

The duration it will take to complete your Rowan ECE/EET degree depends on how much of the overall required program of study you have already completed at the time of transfer, as well as your successful completion of the remaining courses at Rowan. This is why it is so critical that you carefully read the   the semester-by-semester list of courses at the Curriculum Table, as well as the Curriculum Flowcharts, so that you understand the program requirements.

A common misconception among transfer students is that only two more years are needed at Rowan to complete your BS in ECE/EET degree after transferring with an associate degree. 

Completing the BS in ECE/EET degree program in two years is only possible if you arrive at Rowan ECE/EET having completed (or have transfer credit for) all of the courses that are taught during the first two years of our program, including all of the four first and second-year engineering clinics, and all the ECE / EET major courses that are normally taught during the first two years of our program. 

Since not all community colleges offer these courses, your best option may be to take them at Rowan during the summers (when available) before transferring. Therefore, it is essential to begin planning early, ideally during your first year at the community college or other school you intend to transfer from. Make sure to visit your advisors at your community college and contact us as early as possible for planning and guidance.

You should also visit the Advising section of our webpage, where you will find additional information, including ECE Frequently Asked Questions. You will also find guidelines for general education requirements, as well as other services and resources available to you.