Njit's Unofficial Guide To Ece For Newcomers V1 (for Ees And Coes, Undergrad And Grad Students)

The unofficial guide to NJIT for newcomers to the ECE undergraduate and graduate programs aka "The easiest way to graduate with a B.S. and an M.S. in EE/CoE at NJIT"

by the 'Concerned students of NJIT' organization. [email protected]

Disclaimer: The purpose of this guide may be satirical in nature at times and is in no way promoting violations of any existing code of conduct. If you see this laying around on your seat or desk, take it! It's yours! Free copies can be found at: ( http://sites.google.com/site/concernednjitstudent/ ). Limited Print copies will be produced and randomly distributed, so feel free to download and share the links to the PDFs. Even better, print out as many copies as you can and give it to your friends. Don't forget to save some trees and print double-sided if you can.

Page 1 of 19 The Unofficial guide to NJIT for newcomers to the ECE undergraduate and graduate program First Edition, completed on 9/18/2009 First Edition Notes: This first edition was a bit rushed (expect spelling/grammar mistakes), in hopes to get this out before most of your first exams. Despite the high levels of satire and humor, this guide isn't as satiristic as we had hoped it to be. We also would have liked to add more rants about our school's obsession with Division I sports, the Greek Village, and the NCE's stupefying decline, but that would have delayed the release date and increased the amount of paper required. We want this to be a guide, not a novel. The CoE Guide for years 3 and 4 are not complete yet, but some aspects can still be useful (ECE 395, senior project, tracks, etc). There are no plans for a PhD guide but the M.S. guide and the 'teacher recommendation' section should still suffice for most PhD students. A more comprehensive B.S.CoE and M.S.CoE guide is in the works, so stay tuned. The word is still out on the new ECE degrees (Internet Engineering / Telecom / Bioelectronics / Power ) because these are brand new majors. However, these mostly require the same ECE classes to obtain said degrees. Therefore, for the time being, the M.S.E.E. guide should be sufficient. -------------------------Quick organization FAQ for those who are curious:--------------------What is the 'concerned students of NJIT' organization? We are a group of students wanting to help our fellow students avoid the bureaucracy that is the ECE department and try to maximize their potential to be a better engineer by recommending the best teachers while pointing out the cracks in the system so hopefully NJIT will take action to remedy these loopholes. In addition to this our primary focus was and still is the growing problem of cheating in academia. What is your purpose? We exist simply to let the ECE department and, to an extent, NJIT know about how bad the anti cheating measures are. Once this is accomplished we shall leave as quickly as we came into being. How did you start? One day we got pissed, and started posting flyers, in regards to how bad the cheating is in this department. We had hoped that the ECE Dept was simply oblivious, and that they would take measures to prevent the cheating. They didn't. To their credit they did see that we have brought enough attention to the cheating issue that they needed to look like they were taking some sort of action, but practically little will have changed due to the lack of willingness of teachers to turn in a cheater. If they did, this guide would not exist today. See 'Introduction' for more info. Can I contribute? Can I help the cause? Feel free to e-mail [email protected] for any course loop holes and with professor information that might be relevant to the guide. Also, by passing the word around about this guide, you'd be doing us a huge favor. We are not a “club”, you don’t need to be an official member to help. If you see a problem, take action yourself! Post flyers, get the word out there. We don’t want to be the “go to” guys, but an inspiration for others to do the same! Contacts? Send all correspondence, testimonials, and love/hate mail to: [email protected] Who are you? Why don't you reveal your identities?

Anonymity is our strength. No face means no target. Which means no reprisal attacks from a disgruntled corrupt organization like NJIT. We are merely a representation of an ideal and seek no credit. Our reward is just knowing that a concept like honor and integrity may finally mean something once again. Now we aren’t saying cheating will be eliminated, just hoping that the ones that are caught are shown no leniency. Past members and contributors have long graduated with B.S., M.S., and PhDs while new ones get recruited to replace them. This ensures up to date information as well as a presence on campus to continuously remind the department and, to an extent, NJIT on how corrupt this department and school is. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." —Margaret Mead

Page 2 of 19 Table of Contents Appendix / organization info

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Introduction To all the readers, students, teachers, and faculty

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B.S.E.E. Guide Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering B.S.E.E. and B.S.CoE (year 1) and basic NJIT Info for all majors ------------------No ECE classes this semester, which means real work. Sorry guys...

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Sections: First Year Intro, Money ( Scholarships, sports, books), Newark / police / safety, Remedial Courses, Chemistry, Phys/Calc, Comp Sci, Humanities GURs, and Freshman Seminar/ECE 101 B.S.E.E and B.S. CoE (year 2) ----------------------------------------------------------------Hard parts over, ECE heaven begins.

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Sections: Intro, Choose your character (to cheat or not to cheat), ECE: 231/232,ECE 251/252, ECE 271, ECE 291, Year 2 Math/Physics, Year 2 Humanities B.S.E.E. (year 3) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 Get a co-op or internship quick, cause you won't know what to do will all this free time on easy street. Sections: Intro, ECE: 321,333,361/362,372,373/374,392/395, Mech 320, 3rd Yr Humanities B.S.E.E. (year 4) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 Home stretch, things get a bit easier from here. There is the senior project that everyone seems to be stressing about but in reality it's just a big presentation-fest. If you have moderate presentation skills then you have nothing to worry. Just take your B.E.S.T. test, pay your bullshit graduation fee and be ready to smell the freedom. Sections: ECE Specialties, ECE Electives, Senior Project I and II, PHIL/MGMT/Capstone B.S.E.E. Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Time to end the show

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4 year course guideline --------------------------------------------------------------------Follow our semester guide to success

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M.S.E.E. Guide International School ----------------------------------------------------------------------------We've got more race flavors than Neapolitan ice cream Sections: Cliques, Loopholes

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Course Structure ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 You need to know your environment before you decide to conquer it..... Sections: Bridge Courses, Core Courses, Tracks, Electives, Online Classes, Class rehashing, M.S.E.E. Conclusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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2 year course guideline ----------------------------------------------------------------------For the working M.S.E.E. student

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Teacher recommendations (For B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E.) ------------------------------18 Knowing is half the battle. The other half is finding our which professor will destroy your grade and decimate your GPA.

Facilitators --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Last Effort Plea to the NJIT -----------------------------------------------------------------Save the cheerleader. Save the world.

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Page 3 of 19 Introduction This guide is intended for new students of the ECE undergraduate and graduate program. However, a lot of this material can also be relevant to all the students at NJIT. NJIT-specific information can be found in the 'B.S. Year 1' section of this guide. Previous attempts have been made by 'Concerned Students of NJIT' to make the department aware on the problems of cheating and the ramifications this can have on the reputation of the school and the students' ability to obtain jobs. Despite the sincerity of the attempt and despite successfully getting the department's attention, this did not change much. The XF penalty was recently enacted by the Student Senate, but in reality what did this change? This penalty, which was enacted ONLY after us 'concerned NJIT students' make an uproar about it, has done nothing significant to stop ECE cheatings. Even after implementation of this new system we have seen first-hand cheating in which the professor decided to do nothing, either out of laziness or compassion. Spare the rod my friends, spare the rod. This is why we felt it best to make a guide for new ECE students, just to show how easily absurd it is to obtain a degree from the ECE department, even with minimal skills. At best case, NJIT and the ECE department will see their errors and then attempt to correct them. At worst case they will do nothing, and continue spiraling towards becoming nothing more than a paper mill for diplomas. Either way, this is still a good guide for new students to sift through the bullshit spout out by both ECE and NJIT administrators and to make your NJIT trip as headache-free as possible. We hope you have as much fun reading this guide as we had creating it.

Page 4 of 19 Bachelors of Science in the ECE Department First Year: Welcome newcomers! This section's purpose is to prepare you mentally for all the bullshit that's about to come your way for the next four years. In some aspects, this info might even help save your life (in regards to the 'safety/police' section). This will most likely be your hardest year, simply because you will have almost zero ECE classes. The ECE classes are unbelievably easy to beat if you know what you are doing. But right now we'll just give you tips on how to survive the 1st year. By now you may have already heard that more than half of the freshmen engineering students will not make it to senior year in the same major. While this is true, let us give you a bit of advice to save you time and money. If you are not proficient at math, CHOOSE A DIFFERENT MAJOR NOW! The math does not stop at calculus. If you think you just have to struggle through a couple of math courses and then it is smooth sailing you are mistaken and will lose valuable time and money. Advisement As of 2009, the advisers for ECE students are: Ms. Shivon Boodhoo: Undergrad year 1 and 2 advisor. NJIT Alumni (class of 2004 and 2006) with a B.S. Industrial Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering Mgmt. Apparently she's not very good at either, since she's not managing any professional engineers and she's not even advising for the IE department. She has no engineering responsibilities whatsoever at NJIT. Not even a simple lab class! Either through desperation, indifference, or obliviousness would this department hire a non-EE/CoE to advice EE/CoE students about EE/CoE courses. It's sad to say, but at the present time, this guide should provide you with far more truthful insight in this department than she can. Professor Hou: Undergrad year 3 and 4 advisor. CoE professor who advises on the side. He's a straight forward guy, and is usually very busy so if you know what classes you want to take, just go in, be like “im taking this this and this” and get out. He may actually prefer it that way. Use this guide to help select your courses, then just walk in and walk out. Money Where does the tuition money go? No one knows for sure, but what is guaranteed each year are tuition hikes. Here, we will post some easy tips on how to keep your tuition money down (minus the use of loans). 1.) NJIT Scholarships. As long as you have a 3.0+ GPA, you’re good to go. If you start off with < 3.0 GPA, then slowly get your GPA to above that, contact the registrar immediately to get your free money. Trust me, if you don't push it, you won't get shit. This can cut off about 20-30% of your tuition bill. If you obtain higher than a 3.4 GPA, you can an get additional 60-70% off. 2.) Sports. We feel that Division I sports at a technology college such as NJIT shouldn’t be anywhere nearly as emphasized as it is now (especially when our own ECE department is woefully underfunded), but fuck it all. If you can’t beat em, join em. If you’re halfway decent at a sport during high school, you can probably make it onto the team no problem. Trust me, competition is low. However, this can give you some serious time constraints on your ECE studies. Plus you’re going to be feeling most of the pain of athletes at more renowned universities (Rutgers, Duke, etc) without most of the benefits (automatic class passing, girls, a shot at being a Round 1, 2, or 3 pick, etc). Consider this option only as a last resort. 3.) Books. The bookstore will rip you a new one, so try to avoid that at much as possible (for buying and selling books). Amazon.com has books for almost 50% cheaper than offered at the book store. Half.com and EBAY has international stores/sellers (no biddings, just a 'buy now' option) that will sell you the same book for 70% off. The only difference is that it's a soft cover book, but the same material is inside. Why students still give that bookstore business is beyond me. Don’t over pay for something if you don’t have to! Last, but not least, plenty of PDF versions of your book exist for free online and on the DC++ network in the NJIT dorms. If you don't mind reading on a computer screen, this would be the best option. For the price that NJIT charges you for tuition, feel free to hit up the printers at the library and print out the PDFs. Safety: Ok guys, it's time to ignore all the NJIT propaganda on this one. This. School. Is. Located. In. Newark. Yes, Newark. Brick City. Therefore, despite the NJIT polices' assurances, it will be in your best interest to take your safety very seriously. This isn't NYU. There's very little reason to be walking around at night outside of campus. There are an uncomfortable amount of robberies, muggings, shootings, and stabbings around the NJIT area that

Page 5 of 19 warrant our claims. After a week or two you may already be getting public safety alerts about a mugging and then a recommendation to “be careful” and “walk with a friend” as if muggers can’t assault multiple targets. To make matters worse, the NJIT police very rarely patrol the buildings/compound. There is almost no security check for random strangers to enter the buildings. On top of that, it is insanely easy for one to enter the dorms without ID check, especially if you know the student door attendant working that day. No ID? No problem! Here are some suggestions: 1.) Use the NJIT shuttle if you need to get to Penn Station. The Warren Street Newark Subway Station has been a recent avenue for muggings. They promised to have a police car/officer stationed at the entrance, but only at specific times and days. Sometimes there's just an empty cop car on the street with no cop in sight. Good job NJIT. 2.) Until things improve drastically, don't walk around outside of NJIT/U. Heights campuses. This includes the parking lots outside of Lot 16 and Parking Deck. 3.) Did we mention not to walk around outside of campus? Seriously, our campus is at the edge of university heights and is situated near some pretty bad areas. I bet you didn't hear about that in the brochure 4.) If you must conduct business outside of campus, try not to do so after sunset. FED 101 This may be considered your first lab. You will learn some basics of components and build a couple circuits to get familiar with the basic concepts. Should not be hard at all. If it is, let this be an indicator for things to come. Remedial courses: Yeah yeah, you bombed the entrance exam. We know, it sucks. But try to look at this from a positive point of view. These classes will, by far, be the easiest ones you'll take at NJIT. Use this as an opportunity to boost your GPA. If you play your cards right, you might be able to get a straight 4.0 your first semester, therefore giving you some sweet opportunities for internships and scholarships early on, as well as give you some room in case you get some Cs, Ds, or (hopefully not) Fs. Chemistry (EE/CoE specific): This might come as a bit late for most of you if you are reading this, but feel free to postpone the 'chemistry' requirement until you finish your Calc and Physics classes. Calc and Physics are prerequisites to most of your other classes throughout the year, however, Chem 125 is NOT. Some students even take Chem 125 their last semester as a senior! Do not be fooled into splitting Chem 125 into Chem 121 and Chem 122 if you don't have to. It is a waste of time and they may try to sell it to you by saying it is better to take your time and do good than take it at once and do bad. I’m sure they really care about your future over the prospect of double revenue. For most of us, taking Calc, Physics, and Chem in the 1st semester while having to deal with the common exams is a recipe for disaster, and only serves to reduce your GPA. If you're in chem right now and your grades aren't that great, feel free to replace it with an elective and take it later. Don't forget to do the online homework in a timely matter before they creep up on you. Physics/Calc: Do all of the problems in the chapter. Go beyond the assigned homework problems. Especially for the Math Commons. The Math department has a sadistic way of making their exams much more harder than the assigned homework problems . However, if you complete all of the problems in each assigned chapter (without looking at notes/solutions of course), you should have little to worry about. Calc common dates are also very closely scheduled to physics commons, so make sure to prepare for it well in advance. Computer Science: CoEs need 2 semesters of introductory comp sci, EE's only need one. The importance of this class is emphasized more for CoEs, so if you're a CoE and you hate this class, perhaps a new major is needed. EE's and CoEs need CS 113 done by the beginning of your third semester, because this is a prerequisite for ECE 231. Take it in the summer if you're strapped for time. Humanities: An extremely easy B, or a fairly easy A. Get these classes done in a timely manner. Remember, these classes are not a prerequisite for any ECE, Math, or Physics courses, so feel free to take these classes in the summer at another university closer to home if you live far away. Or save yourself some money and take these classes at a county college for 50%-75% off. Freshmen Seminar / ECE 101: Trivial zero-credit classes. Take these classes as serious (or as unserious) as you like.

Page 6 of 19 Bachelors of Science Second Year Hopefully by now you've survived the rough 1st year at NJIT. But no worries, it gets much MUCH easier now that the ECE classes have kicked in. At this point in your college career, you will start to see your classmates split into one of three types of students: true engineer, indifferent, and cheater. Choose your character. Choose your character (to cheat, or not to cheat) The 'true engineer' student is the type of student who really loves this stuff and is really good at it. He/she has the mathematical skills and the thirst for knowledge that will pull him through to his 4th year and beyond! Most students of these types usually go for their M.S. and, in some cases, PhDs. The 'indifferent' student is the type who is mathematically capable of solving the engineering problems required to obtain his EE or CoE degree, but who does not have that drive to learn absolutely everything about the subject. Simply put, they want to get their degree and then get the hell out. However, most students are not willing to take the (perceived) risk of cheating on their ECE exams, simply because they have enough knowledge to work it out to some degree. Most students fall under this category. Even some true engineers be eventually fall into this category just due to the nonsense classes the school puts them through. After years of the same old shit, who wouldn’t want to get done and get out? The 'cheater' student is the type who is usually not mathematically capable of solving the engineering problems NOR are they in any way interested in learning the material. They only want to get that degree for the engineering title and the alleged prestige that comes with it (not to mention salary). They are the ones who scoff at the system and will do what they can to pass the course with upmost contempt for the integrity of the profession. This creates a pool of incompetent engineers who will likely create a bad image of NJIT engineers and make it harder for the real engineers to get a job. The only way they can make it to their 4th year of college is to cheat. Sadly (or thankfully, depending on your perspective) the ECE department makes it absurdly easy to cheat on their exams. Just remember, 99% of ECE classes don't have proctors. At all. This does not hold true for other departments outside of the NCE, so don't try to pull the same stunts in your other non-ECE classes. In general there are two groups of this cheater breed. The first type of 'cheater' needs a 'true engineer' type to survive. Just like a leech needs a host. This usually involves one type joining the group of another with one person doing all the work. They may be hard to spot at first but eventually a pattern becomes apparent when a certain member fails to pull their weight and is always falling behind and needing to “copy your work” to make up for not having done the weekly homework. These kind of cheaters would probably end up suffering a bit on the exams but are still able to squeak by. The second group of cheaters is the more dangerous of the bunch. These are the cheaters that work in packs. They get their hands on old homework/exams and just copy and memorize. Now we have all worked in groups and have copied here and there after working as a group to come to an answer for a problem, but this is not the case. These guys flat out copy the homework with minimal work into understanding the material. Now homework alone doesn’t make you pass the class so surely they get weeded out in the exam process right? Wrong. These groups are so well organized it’s silly. They would get old exams and just start memorizing. Then when exam time comes they sit around each other in class and flat out cheat when the teacher is not looking. I’m talking old school note passing, whispering, and even some more ingenious tricks like getting a diversion to ask the teacher a question so the ‘group’ can cheat a bit more freely as the proctor’s attention is diverted. All these examples are not hearsay or rumors. We have PERSONALLY witnessed these acts taking place and we are sick of it. We will give advice to all 3 of these student types for the rest of the 'bachelors of science' guide. If the 3 types aren't specifically mentioned, then assume the following: 'true engineer' and 'indifferent' types: Just do what you do best, stay on top of the homework, and you'll be fine. 'Cheater' types, always go for the night sections whenever possible and tend to work in numbers, whether it be a single partner or a whole network of intricate deception. There's a higher probability of succeeding your devilish plans at night rather than during the day class. The same cheating techniques should work the same for all ECE classes. Modify your strategies accordingly depending on the teacher/class.

Page 7 of 19 ECE 231/232 (Circuits I and II) The foundations of circuit theory, and a required course for CoEs and EEs. Difficulty in these courses may be an indicator to either try harder if you have the drive or possibly a change in your major. All types of students should avoid taking Glaser, for not only are his exams hard and unpredictable, he is one of the worst teachers in the department. Expect to learn almost nothing in class and everything on your own. "True Engineer" types should take Franks and Levkov (231/232) if you want excellent teachers that will help you grasp the material. 'Indifferent' types, choose whatever fits your schedule best, but AVOID Glaser. If you are a 'cheater' student, it is a must to enroll in the night time sections of 231 (Pietrucha ) and 232 (Levkov). If you are lucky, Pietrucha will be teaching nights at NJIT for 231. He doesn't change his exams AND he allows you to bring a set # of equation sheets with no restrictions on content. Feel free to make some friends with the upperclassmen and find some older exams. Levkov is not an easy teacher to cheat with, but his exams DO NOT change. There is no mystery on what will be on the exam. The ironic part is with the amount of work you would have to do and remember just to cheat his exam you might as well learn the material because the exam is that straight forward. He also does not allow equation sheets, so either sneak one in or improve your photographic memory. His final exam is basically comprised of 4 sections: problems from the first 3 exams, with a problem or 2 from the new material afterwards. He usually gives you an opportunity to replace one of your 3 exam grades with how well you perform each 'section'. ECE 251/252 (Digital Design / Microprocessors) The foundation of digital design (251) and microprocessor theory (252). The importance of these classes is emphasized more for CoEs, so if you're a CoE and you hate these classes, perhaps a new major is needed. ECE 251 is a synch while ECE 252 is a bit harder for most people. Nothing noteworthy to add for the specific types, just stay on top of the homework and you'll be fine. As for teachers, they are usually random, so check out the 'teacher recommendation' section for who to choose. ECE 271 (Electric Circuits I) The foundation for semiconductor theory. This is the class that most people drop and the reason that a substantial number of people switch majors. Required for EEs and CoEs. This class is usually dominated by Professor Cornely (Fall and Spring) and usually by an adjunct in the summer. The one thing that you must remember for this course is that the grade is solely based on your FINAL EXAM GRADE. Although 3 exams are given before the final, your grade is based on what you get on the final. Get an F on the first three, but an A on the final? Guess what...you aced the class. But watch out, because it works both ways. If you ace the first 3 exams, and then fail the final, you fail the course. It is this lack of understanding of his grading system that causes most people to drop out prematurely, just because they failed the first exam. 'True engineer' and 'indifferent' students, just do the examples in the notes that he gives out. His notes are almost impossible to read. Female engineering students, you can relax. You'll probably get a good grade, cause Cornely loves da ladies. The level of bias and leeway he gives towards females is enormous, so use it to your advantage. For all student types, when he gives out old exam you need to memorize the word problems and learn the technique for the circuit problems that are given. The percentage requirement to get an A is pretty steep, so if that's your goal then good luck. For the 'cheater' student type, there's not much luck here. However, he usually has a very generous scale for C and D grades. Memorization of the word problems should hold you down enough but you might have to actually do some work in this class. This is where most cheaters have the hardest time. Good luck! ECE 291 (your first ECE Lab) ECE labs are where the theory learned in class is applied, tested, and verified. However, most of the $$$ is going to fly/bus NJITs sports teams as well as pay for their room/board/food/training. As a result, the ECE labs are woefully underfunded. Some of the parts might be as old as you are. The equipments are very rarely calibrated, and a lot of them are analog in nature. As a result of the gracefully aged components you will be using in class, expect to run into many trouble shooting issues during the experimentation process. You may have good parts, you may not, and exchanging for new parts will not help much because you will likely get a part just as old as your initial faulty equipment. You may have the entire circuit set up perfectly but nothing will go right. It’s quite the game of chance. NOTE: If you are taking a night section, the stock room guys go on break for dinner at around 7.30 to 8.30. The parts room will be empty, so watch out or else you won't be able to leave until they return.

Page 8 of 19 Labs are usually easy As and Bs for the ECE department, simply because they (either through obliviousness, laziness or lack of funds) refuse to update the labs. Even the laziest of students should be able to find 6 different versions of each lab report. For 'true engineer' and 'indifferent' types, try to ask the proctor for help whenever possible. This is a good chance to go over and master learned concepts from earlier classes in preparation for your 3rd and 4th year at NJIT. 'Cheater' types, find several old versions of your lab report(s) and feel free to copy and paste a little bit from each one so that it looks original. Filler words and redrawing of the same image are critical to prevent getting caught. In other words, don't make it so obvious. Do yourself a favor and group with up competent lab partners. There are a lot of leeches out there and if you are unfortunate enough to get stuck with them, do not hesitate to kick them to the curb and remove their name(s) from the lab report. You will be doing society a favor and I’m sure you don’t want that bum getting the same A you worked your butt off for. As for teachers, they are usually random, so check out the 'teacher recommendation' section for who to choose. ECE Lab guy Unless he gets fired beforehand, you will undoubtedly run into the infamous lab parts guy. He’s an italian chubby fellow with glasses who seems to always be missing when he is needed most. He is rude, obnoxious, and on occasion, racist. Do not take his crap, don’t play his game. Just demand your parts and get out of there. He likes to give people a hard time but just be steadfast and don’t indulge him. How he has a job in the department is just a reflection of the integrity of the interviewing process. Heck, if he offends you just flat out report him. Math / Physics (calc III / diffeq / physics III) Same techniques that applied for the 1st year math/physics classes apply here as well. However, CoEs don't have to take physics 3. Physics 3 is usually taught by a man named Professor Russo. His exams are based off of the homework problems. They are not the same, but if you do the homework and go over the assignments with him every week, you should pass with no problems. I say 'pass' and not B/B+/A because his scale is extremely high. Most students get a C or D in his class. Also, find old exams to use as a guide on how difficult the exams/final exam may be. 'Cheater' types will find no easy path in this class. Just suck it up, do the work, and pray for a D. EEs wishing to do the 'solid state' track senior year would do themselves a huge favor by paying attention to this class to save themselves many headaches in the future. 2nd Year Humanities Whatever applied to the 1st year humanities section applies here as well. Just get it done and enjoy your extremely easy B/B+/A.

Page 9 of 19 Bachelors of Science Third Year This is the point where the CoEs and EEs branch off into their own degree-specific tracks. Although most students start their ECE tracks towards the end of their third year here, we shall discuss this in full in the next section (year 4). We also recommend you do the following 2 things by the end of your third year: 1.) Contact career services to find a co-op/internship; 2.) Apply for the B.S./M.S. program if you plan on doing your masters at NJIT or elsewhere. These 2 things can have an impact on the amount of ECE electives you need to take. ECE 321 Introduction to probability and statistics, as applied to electrical engineering. Teachers are usually chosen randomly to teach this course, so check out the 'teacher recommendation' section for whom to choose. The better the teacher, the easier the course. It can get quite abstract, so attempt to stay on top of the work and you should be fine. ECE 333 (Signals and Systems) The basic principles of frequency-domain analysis and an introduction to the z-transform. 99% of the time this course is taught by Professor Friedland, one of the pioneers for modern day control theory. In other words, he knows his shit. However, he can be extremely hard to follow. If night class is taken, expect to dose off quite a few times. He doesn't take attendance, so impromptu absences won't impact your grade. The first half of the class is just a rehash of ECE 232 and Fourier analysis, so if you did ok in that course, then you should be fine. The second half dives into ztransforms, which isn't so hard as long as you stay on top of the work. Attending facilitator sections are highly recommended. Often times he will derive EVERYTHING and (attempt) to use Matlab to aid him in his derivations. However, none of these derivations ever make it to his exam. He does change up his exams from year to year, but he will supply you with old exams. Use that to gauge how much or how little you are prepared for the exam. Very little partial credit is given, so don't make foolish mistakes. ECE 341 (Energy Conversion) Its ironic that a major called 'Electrical Engineering' only requires students to take 1 basic course on how power is generated! If you do not intend to go into the power track then this may be one of the most boring classes you will take with nothing really useful to take out of it. Just get it done, that’s all. If you do intend on going the power route then by all means, enjoy! The course is usually taught by the department's Power guru, Professor Hubbi. Often times, it will be taught by adjuncts as well. His exams are hard, few examples are given, and he can be a bit hard to follow during class. If you're lucky, a adjunct will have a section alongside this one. ECE 361/ ECE 362 (Electromagnetic Fields I and II) Introduction to Electromagnetic fields. ECE 361 will basically teach you about electromagnetic field theory and its relationship to circuit theory (231/232). ECE 362 dives a bit into Dynamic fields and microwave and transmission theory. This class is taught by either Professor Niver (hard to learn from, but easy to pass) or Professor Whitman (much easier to learn from, but extremely hard to pass). Don't get us wrong, both professors know their material inside and out, it's just that Whitman will not curve the grades and has no qualms in failing 1/2 the class if need be. 'Indifferent' and 'cheater' types, take Professor Niver. 'True engineer' types, take Whitman or Niver; they are both qualified. If your calc III skills are weak (C or lower grade in the courses), then we suggest you take both courses in the summer. The class can be so hard that it will also drag down the grades of your other classes during the fall/spring semester. Not only will this allow you to avoid Whitman completely, but also quickly finish both courses in 3 months rather than spend 8-9 months on material that you don't care for. Niver usually teaches the class in the summer, which is an obvious plus. ECE 372 (Electric Circuits II) Cornely, part deuce. This class further expands on ECE 271 and goes more in depth on semiconductors and amplifiers. Same rules apply for this class, so see the ECE 271 section for more info.

Page 10 of 19 ECE 373 OR ECE 374 (Electric Circuits III / Electronic Device I) The department gives you a choice on whether to take ECE 373 or ECE 374. If you have an interest in solid state physics (e.g., your Physics III grade was B or better) we suggest you take ECE 374. If your circuit theory skills are greater, then take ECE 373. If you choose to take both, then one of the classes can count as your ECE elective (see B.S. E.E., 4th year). ECE 373 goes into the application of operational amplifiers (OP-AMPS) while ECE 374 goes into the quantum physics of semiconductors as well as explain why the semiconductor technologies taught to use in ECE 271/372 work the way they do. ECE 373 has random professors, while ECE 374 is usually taught by Professor Tsybeskov. Professor Tsybeskov is really good with quantum physics, which isn't surprising seeing as he has a PhD in Applied Physics. He teaches the class with the assumption that you still have physics III fresh in your heads. For most students, they took physics III 1-2 years prior, so the class might be extremely rough. However, the scale is extremely low. Think of him as the 'Niver' of solid state physics. He usually allows the retake of in-class quizzes and he even allows an extra-credit project, which can add up to 50 points on your midterm or final. Very hard material, but not a hard class to pass. Also, it's not worth cheating in his class...chances are 99% of the people will have just as much if not less of a clue than you do. ECE 392 / ECE 395 (EE Lab II / Microprocessor lab) Info for ECE Lab II is the same as for ECE 291, so see B.S.E.E. year 2 for more info. The microprocessor lab is the applied lab for ECE 352. This class is more CoE in nature, so most of the assignments require computer programming. There are a few assignments that require a few AND/OR chips and LEDs, but for the most part the assembly code is the base of the lab. They also require you to buy a microprocessor board, which can easily go up to $200 new. We suggest you find a used board from an old friend or associate. It doesn't take a genius to quickly see the huge loophole for the 'cheater' types. If the labs consist of most assembly code, then one can just find pre-written code, therefore eliminating 90% of the work in this lab. As stated before, the department has a habit of giving the same labs semester after semester. For those who care ('true engineer' and possibly 'indifferent' types), attempt to write compile the code yourself. This stuff will definitely come in handy if you do low-level bit-wise engineering in the future. If your ECE 252 skills were halfway decent (C or better), you should be fine. MECH 320 A rehash of Physics I. If you got this far in your NJIT career, then this class shouldn't be hard at all, even for the 'cheater' types. Enjoy the easy A/B+ no matter whom you take. There is no excuse for not knowing basic physics at this point, which is exactly what this class is. Track Electives See B.S.E.E. year 4. 3rd Year Humanities (EPS 202 / OPEN GUR elective / ECON elective) Whatever applied to the 1st year humanities section applies here as well. Just get it done and enjoy your extremely easy B/B+/A. For your OPEN GUR elective, we recommend you take the online version of ENG 352 with Professor Johnson. The course is very easy, yet informative. Very hard not to get an A, assuming you stay on top of the easy homework.

Page 11 of 19 Bachelors of Science Forth Year ECE Specialties At this point of your engineering career at NJIT, you will be tasked to choose your EE field of study, commonly known as 'tracks'. These courses usually require 2 'core' classes along with a 'core lab' relating to the materials you learned in your track. For EEs, these tracks (as of 2009) are: bio-electronic systems, comm networks, computer systems, controls, power, RF, solid state, and telecom. See ece.njit.edu for the B.S.E.E. course guide and for specifics on each track. Each track has their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your student type AND by your plans after your Bachelors. 'True Engineer' Do whatever field you are interested in. Most students of this type aim for the RF / fields track or Solid-state track. If you have a passion to take a masters class as one of your electives or are planning to do your masters at NJIT, then do yourself a favor and enroll in the B.S./M.S. program. This department is notorious for implement what we like to call 'class rehashing' (see M.S. section for more detailed info). Your senior level track classes might end up being 'co-registered' with the masters class, meaning you will be attending a masters class, but receive undergrad credit for it. If you do not enroll in the B.S./M.S. program , you will essentially have to retake the same class over again at the masters level, even if you received an A in the course! 'Indifferent' Assuming your ECE 232/333 skills are sufficient enough (B or better), the controls track might be the best option, simply because this track has the least amount of theory that you haven't already experienced. This track can be considered 'applied 232/333', because it simply builds up on these concepts further. 'Cheater' The controls track would be your best bet assuming you have halfway decent skills in 231/232/333. However, if your EE skills are extremely low then the Communication networks track is your only choice. Don’t get us wrong, just because controls is easy doesn’t mean it’s not important. If you intend on delving more into controls then the graduate courses are nothing to scoff at. It is generally the most popular track because it helps ferment the basic fundamentals that all electrical engineers should know, which is relatively easy by this point. ECE electives (3 required) The department will ask you to take three ECE 4xx, ECE 6xx , or ECE 7xx classes of your choice to count as electives. If one is not in the B.S./M.S. program, then the ECE 6xx and 7xx classes will be charged at the graduate rate. They will also only count towards your bachelors, and cannot be transferred to any graduate institution, NJIT or otherwise. Certain ECE 3xx and non ECE classes can also count as electives as well under special circumstances, so double check with your advisor to verify. If you are planning to do your masters at NJIT (or elsewhere), then do yourself a favor and enroll in the B.S./M.S. program. This will allow you to take 2 masters classes (at undergrad tuition prices) and allow it to count as an elective. This can save headaches in the future because a lot of the senior level classes are exactly the same as the masters classes. Basically, they are ECE 6xx classes renumbered as an ECE 4xx class. See M.S.E.E/class reshashing. section for more info. If one is not planning on doing a Masters, then we suggest you take ECE 373/374, 421, and 422. If you happen to have pulled off a co-op / internship job while at NJIT, you can use your work experience as one of your electives, therefore saving you from having to take another class. However, we do not suggest you try this during the summer, since they will still charge you 3 credits for this privilege. We suggest doing it during the fall/spring while full time, to avoid the charges.

Page 12 of 19 Senior Project I and II (ECE 414/416 or 417) In theory, senior project is where you use the knowledge accumulated during your 3 years of study at NJIT and create something new and innovative. In practice, this is far from the truth. ECE 414 can be aggravating, or extremely easy, depending on whom your professor is. This professor is the one who determines the 'viability' of your project. The easy going professors will probably accept whatever you throw at them. The hard going ones often refuse even genuinely original projects solely on the basis that they feel that it isn't hard enough. Around the middle of the semester you will be required to produce a paper dealing with engineering ethics, which should be a synch if you've already taken PHIL 334. ECE 416/417 is simply you trying (or not trying) to make your project work in time for the presentation. Now, it is important to note that the department doesn't really care about what your project is, or even if it works or not. They just want to see a good presentation for the theory behind the project, the results of your work, and why it did or did not work. That's it. They don't even request to see the project to even verify that it exists. ECE 417 is different than ECE 416 because for ECE 417, a professor chooses the project that you do and then designates a meet-up point between the team members and himself/herself. In this instance, you might have to actually show some real results to justify him not failing you. And even then, it still depends on how relaxed your professor is. 'True engineer' types, go all out. Even without this guide, you'd probably try your hardest on your project anyway. 'Indifferent' types, don't stress yourself out. Despite the departments' implications, this project will be far easier than anything you've ever done. If you are super busy this semester (with jobs/coops/etc), feel free to postpone your project till the last 2 weeks. 'Cheater' types, find a halfway decent proposal. During the presentation at the end of ECE 416, report on how you were unable to complete your project due to 'time constraints'. ECE 494 (EE Lab 3) In recent years this class was taught strictly by Professor Rasheck (sp?). In Fall 2007, he apparently let an experiment get out of hand in the 'power' lab, which led to a fire, which then got him fired. Since then the ECE department has hired R. Raj to replace him. Be aware that 90% of the time they refuse to open night time sections for this course. Yup, that means if you're working (which is not uncommon for seniors), you'll need to take a day off to come to class. She is quite passive, and if you're of Indian descent, expect to see blatant favoritism. She is an extremely lenient grader, so you shouldn't have too much trouble in this course. Specific info for ECE Lab III is pretty much the same as for ECE 291, so see B.S.E.E. year 2 for more detailed info. PHIL 334 / MGMT 390 / Capstone GUR For these bullshit NJIT-required classes, we recommend you take the online sections. Just make sure you stay on top of the homework. From experience, these online classes are extremely easy AS LONG AS YOU STAY ON TOP OF THE HOMEWORK. If you decide to take the regular course, most of the capstones are pretty bullshit anyway. No matter who you take you will have to write a paper or two and then call it a semester. Nothing special and certainly nothing that you will remember in your future career. Mgmt 390 is stupid silly. Anyone with any sense of what ‘proper management’ should be will pass this course. If you however feel that the best way to increase productivity is to increase hours and decrease pay, please just stick a fork in an outlet while standing in a puddle of super conductive fluid now. Capstones usually aren't offered online, so we recommend you take whatever subject that tickles your fancy. Popular teachers include Lipuma and Brooks. As an indicator of how easy Brooks is, his class usually fills up within a minute of registration opening. Have fun.

Page 13 of 19 In Conclusion / 4 year course guideline So what is our conclusion? Do we expect the ECE department to change their ways? Not likely. Will students use this guide to their advantage? Hopefully. We have been through the system and we know what works and what doesn’t and we would just want to prevent you poor souls from wasting your time and money with this bull shit. All the while providing a guide for those who truly want to learn an optimized route to take. As much as we despise cheaters we feel that leaving it in this guide would hopefully result in a more stringent enforcement of the honor code. So take from this what you will. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Our 4th year guideline is below. This assumes that you are choosing not to work at a job for super long hours during the summer, and that you are not taking remedial classes or failing every semester. For remedial classes, you might have to add a semester or 2 to your expected graduation date. Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

CALC I / II = 8 creds PHYS I / II + labs = 8 creds HUM 101/102 = 6 creds FED 101/CS 113 = 5 creds FRSH Sem / ECE 101 = 0 creds 2 GYM classes - 2 credits

Calc III = 3 creds Phys 3 -->3 creds ECE 231/232-->6 creds ECE 251/252-->6 creds ECE 271 -->3 creds ECE 291-->1 creds

ECE 333 -->3 creds ECE 372/373(4) -->6 creds ECE 392/395 -->4 creds ECE 341 -->3 creds CHEM I -->3 credits

ECE 414/416(7) (4 credits) ECE Core I/Core II/ Core Lab (8 credits) ECE Electives (6 to 9 credits) ECE Lab 3 (ECE 494) (2 creds)

At this point, your schedule might be looking unbelievably light. The most difficult class (Fields I and II) are completed well ahead of schedule as well as most of your GURs. Take this time to complete any GURs that have yet to be completed, such as any PHIL, HIST, or MGMT courses. This is also a good time to get a co-op job, as suggested in the guide. With all this free time, might as well make some $$$ and gain some experience.

Senior Capstone: 3 credits

Probably your hardest semester at NJIT, solely because of the amount of work the calc/phys classes demand of you. As previously stated, postpone CHEM far into the future, it will only drag down the rest of y our grades.

If you follow our suggestions and do the HIST GURs in the summer of year 1, then you should have enough space in your schedule to take MECH 320 and/or EPS 202.

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Year 2 summer: Assuming you didn't fail any of the above classes, take Fields I and II during the summer. If you failed/dropped a few classes a few semester's ago, now is a good time to complete them. Remember, feel free to take the GURs at community colleges at home.

Year 1 summer: If you head back to your parents during the summertime, you are allowed to complete your history GURs at most community colleges in the NJ. For out of state colleges, check with the registrar. This can save you 75% of the costs per credit if you do so, and the grades don't count towards your GPA. As long as you get a C or better, the class is accepted by NJIT.

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Year 3 summer: Optional. Either take a break or complete some of the year 4 classes to make your last semester a breeze.

As stated previously, senior project isn't as hard as you might expect. If you postponed a few GURs from the previous years, kick them out now. ------Year 4 summer: OMG, still here? Finish whatever obscure class that you forgot to do and then GTFO.

Page 14 of 19 Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering Ah yes, 4 years of B.S.E.E. are finally over. But the bullshit has just begun. Trust us, as bad as you think the cheating was for B.S.E.E., its 10 times worse in the M.S.E.E. Regardless, we hope that guide can aide you on your quest to obtain your masters. Be sure to refer to the Table of Contents as well as the B.S.E.E. section for more info that might be useful to your needs. International School Due to NJIT's heavy marking of its M.S. program oversees (as well as word of mouth on how damn easy it is to obtain an M.S. E.E. here), there are a substantial amount of non-us national attending class alongside of you. By experience, most classes have 90% foreign nationals with about 10% US nationals. Out of these foreign nationals, about 70% come from India/Pakistan, 20% coming from China/Taiwan/Hong Kong and 10% from other nations). Most of the foreign nationals create cliques or join already existing ones from masters/PhD students who came the year(s) before. For your convenience, we'll describe each 'clique' that exists within the general M.S.E.E and PhD E.E. population. Cliques AZN : China/Taiwan/Hong Kong and (to some extent) Japanese nationals. Most of these are sent over from their country of origin (by parent and/or government sponsorship ) to get their full PhD's. As a result, most of these students can be seen TA-ing for undergraduate and graduate courses. Which means they grade the homework. And Exams. And Projects. Yup, I'm sure you can see the cheating potential for these guys. Desi: Indian, Pakistan, and Bangladesh Nationals. Most of these students come here strictly for their M.S.E.E. degrees. A majority of them go back to their country of origin, while a few find work visas and stick around. They have a distinct body odor that most students in the USA might consider unpleasant, however, they themselves don't seem to mind it at all. Very little is known about this mysterious group. We've been trying to infiltrate this clique for many semesters now, but they keep talking behind our backs in an unknown language. Only true Desis and US nationals of Desi descent are usually allowed into the Desi group. USA: American, born and raised. Most USA Nationals come to NJIT solely for their M.S.E.E. Degree. A majority of the students in this group came straight from B.S.E.E. at NJIT. If you are a USA national, you might find it extremely hard to communicate with your fellow M.S.E.E. students. With the majority of M.S.E.E. students being foreign nationals, there will no doubt be language and cultural barriers that need to be overcome. Therefore we recommend you get somewhat close to the other U.S. national students in your class(es) and attempt to take the same classes at the same times. This should give you a guaranteed study partner for most of your classes as well as a guaranteed group partner for projects and such. One might ask themselves, only 3 nations study at the ECE for graduate degrees? Of course not. The other nations generally don't have enough numbers to compete with the other cliques, so they tend to join one of the three above. Those of E. Asia descent usually head towards the AZN clique, while those from more English-prominent nations outside of South and East Asia tend more towards the US Nationals crowd. Those who don't fit in with either (Eskimos, Pygmies, Non English/Desi/AZN parts of Europe/S. America, etc) will have serious problems until they do. Loopholes The same loopholes that were present at the B.S.E.E. level apply here as well: repetition of exams and complete lack of exam proctors. See the B.S.E.E. guide for more info. Due to the cliques mentioned in the previous paragraphs, mounds of old exam/lab data can be acquired as well as teacher recommendations. If you are a US national as well as a 'cheater' type, you're going to have problems unless you can get yourself into one of those cliques. Also, the same student categories apply: 'True Engineer', 'Indifferent', and 'cheater' (see B.S.E.E., year 2). We're not going to lie to you, most foreign nationals either lie in the 'true engineer' (mostly PhDs) or the 'cheater' category (mostly M.S. students). Within the Desi group, they have numbers on their side, which means more access to critical teacher information, including old exams, and lookouts for possible proctor formations. With the AZN group, they have 'political power' on their side. They are the TA's for most of the classes. Why risk cheating during the exam when you can just get your friend to grade your exam in your favor? USA nationals are mostly in the 'indifferent' category; very few US cheaters can survive due to their inability to join other cliques and get valuable insider information. Anyhow, on to the course structure.

Page 15 of 19 Course structure The department either lets you do 9 classes with 1 M.S.E.E. thesis / project, 8 classes with 1 M.S.E.E thesis and 1 M.S.E.E. project, or just simply 10 M.S.E.E. classes. Most students opt for taking 10 classes straight, with 8 classes/1 project coming in second. If one has no PhD ambitions, then there is no real reason to do a thesis, other than for your own self satisfaction, drive, or curiosity. So if you really want to do one for the hell of it, then go ahead. Bridge Courses If your Bachelors GPA is a bit low (lower than 2.8), then the ECE department would most likely make you retake a few undergraduate courses before they let you take the graduate ones (see table on right). As stated on the NJIT catalog website: "Bridge Program: Students who have earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (B.S.E.T.) degree, or who lack an appropriate background may be admitted and be required to take selected courses such as the ones listed below in addition to the degree requirements in order to make up deficiencies. They must attain a grade of B or better in each course. At the discretion of the department, students who have taken courses equivalent to these may have their bridge programs reduced accordingly. "

BRIDGE COURSES ECE 321

Random Signals

ECE 232

Circuits and Systems II

ECE 333

Signals and Systems

1. These classes do not count towards your masters GPA 2. You must pay the GRADUATE TUITION PRICE for these undergraduate courses.

ECE 361

Electromagnetic Fields I

Yup, that's right. If you take a bridge course, NJIT will charge you the graduate rate 750 per credit (as of 2009, not including fees, etc) for an undergraduate course (normally 400 per credit). We have not heard any justification for this ripoff, so it's safe to assume that this is just another one of NJIT's money schemes to milk you out of your $$$.

ECE 362

Electromagnetic Fields II

ECE 372

Electronic Circuits II

ECE 373

Electronic Circuits III

However, is it very important to note the following:

Core courses All tracks must complete ECE 601 and one of these courses: 620/673. If you choose to take all 3 classes, one will count as an elective. ECE601 ECE 601 is just a rehash of ECE 231/232/333, which will be extremely painful to complete if you've just completed your B.S.E.E. degree. The most popular section of this class is taught by an adjunct named 'Professor Richman'. No attendance taken, and his exams are straight from the homework. With classes approaching up to 50-60 students with ZERO proctors, one doesn't have to a genius to figure out how much cheating goes on here. An extremely easy class for all student types. If you fail this course, do yourself a favor and drop out. Now.

Other required courses, ECE XXX as determined by your advisor

ECE 673 The first half of ECE 673 is a rehash of ECE 320 with the second half expanding on ECE 320 basics. This class is taught by a variety of professors, but its most notable and consistent professor is Professor Abdi. He's a pretty laid back guide who usually teaches word-for-word from the book, so if you miss a class don't worry about it too much. If the class pushes the issue, he'll revoke the need for a final exam. Which means your grade will strictly be determined by homework and your midterm. Sweet deal, eh? ECE 620 And finally, ECE 620 is a rehash of ECE 361/362 with a chapter or 2 dedicated to the basics of transmission line and antennae theory (if there's time). If one has zero interest in RF / fields, then stay away from ECE 620. It is usually taught by Whitman, whom was mentioned before in the B.S.E.E. section and the teacher recommendation section. Tracks The M.S.E.E. tracks are as follows: Communications ,Signal Processing, Microwaves, Computer Networking, Computer architecture, Solid State / VLSI, and Intelligent Systems / Controls. For specific course descriptions, see the M.S.E.E. course/track guide at ece.njit.edu. 'True Engineer' types, feel free to take any track that you have an interest in. For the sadistic engineer, go for the solid state or microwaves track. 'Indifferent' types can take any track they choose EXCEPT for Solid State/VLSI and Microwaves. These courses go well beyond the B.S.E.E. curriculum and are mostly attended by aspiring PhD students.

Page 16 of 19 'Cheater' types, we recommend you take the Communications or the Networking track. Networking is more related to CoE-communications (TCP/IP, Internet protocols, etc) while Communications is more EE-communications related (AM/FM transmission, etc). Recommended Electives With only 2 classes comprising your ECE track (as well as 2 required core classes), that leaves about 6 electives in which you can choose from. Over the years, certain classes have gained the reputation of being much easier than others, so we will list them here. ECE 644 | ECE 645 | ECE 642, with Klapper | ECE 664 with Chang | ECE 660 | Anything with Personick | CS 652 | CS 656 Any lenient professor mentioned in the 'Teacher recommendations' section should also be a great teacher to take a class with, even if the class is super hard to begin with. Keep on the lookout at http://www.njit.edu/registrar/schedules/index.php. If one is coming straight from the NJIT B.S.E.E. program to the M.S.E.E. program AND opted to take the ECE 417 option for their senior project, then we recommend you continue your senior research project at the master's level. This can easily kick out one of your 6 required electives . Lack of Online and summer class This department is notorious for having almost zero summer class offering, and almost no online class offerings. However, you are allowed to take 2 classes outside of the ECE department. We recommend the online CS classes CS 652 and CS 656. These classes are especially useful for those who are working while doing their masters and for those who wish not to commute from work to school, due to time and distance restraints. CS 656 is co-registered with ECE 637 (Internet and Higher-Layer Protocols) while CS 652 is co-registered with ECE 683 (Computer Network Design and Analysis). But REMEMBER, if you take ECE 637, you get no credit for CS 656, and vice versa. Same goes for CS 652/ECE 683. Class rehashing This department is also known for 'class rehashing'. This can come in two flavors: regular and EXTREME! For those who did their B.S.E.E. outside of NJIT, this section won't be of much use. For those who did do their bachelors here, read on. Regular class rehashing is when an M.S.E.E. class contains mostly undergraduate information. It's basically rebranded old material that you went over 2 years ago. Examples of this are: ECE 601/673/664/642/etc. Instead of simply asking the student to take the undergraduate equivalent, they'll make a brand new course for it and charge 2x the price. EXTREME class rehashing is when an undergraduate course is 'co registered' with another graduate course within the same department. This basically means that if one wishes to take, for example, ECE 475, you will be attending the class with masters students from ECE 658. Undergrad students studying the exact same material as graduate students. Same tests. Same homework. Everything. Except the master's students get master's credit for it, and you don't. If you wish to expand your knowledge in that field and enroll in the M.S.E.E. program, you will have to take that exact same program. Even if you get an A! Your undergraduate ECE 475 course, despite being identical in every way to the ECE 658 course, does not count for masters credit and cannot transfer to any masters program anywhere in the US. We have a short equivalency chart as a heads up for current and aspiring M.S.E.E. students. Regular class rehashing ECE 601 = ECE231/232/333

ECE 620 = ECE 361/362

ECE 673 = ECE 321

ECE 664 = ECE 432

ECE 630 = ECE 461

ECE 644 = ECE 425

ECE 642 / 742 = ECE 481/482

ECE 660 = ECE 431

Extreme! class rehashing We don't know if this is temporary or permanent, but in the Spring 2009 semester, Professor Personick and the ECE dept. actually had the balls to teach the same exact same course material for ECE 642 (Comm I) and ECE 742 (Comm II). This basically means that if you were absent for your 642 class, you can sit in the 742 to get an identical lecture. Confirmed: ECE 658 = ECE 475 (http://web.njit.edu/~dmisra/courses/ee658/ee658.html) | ECE 630 = ECE 461 Most ECE 4xx level solid state, vlsi, and RF classes are usually 'Extreme' class rehashed. Other tracks do this from time to time, so be on the lookout. Check on the registrar to see if a professor is teaching a different class at the SAME time as yours. That's a huge giveaway for Extreme rehashing. If you find your class being extreme rehashed, join the B.S./M.S. program immediately and take the graduate equivalent.

Page 17 of 19 Conclusion (M.S.E.E.) In conclusion the M.S. program is just like an extension of the B.S. program but at two times the price. For those who want to learn there is a way to do it. If you just want to take your ten courses and get out asap, there is a path for you to take as well. Now if you happen to be those looking for an easy Masters and plan on cheating your way through, that’s also possible and I hope you experience a u(-t-to) in automotive velocity. If you have gotten this far and are doing a Master’s you probably already know the ins and outs of NJIT. So good luck to you.

2 year course guideline We assume that no bridge courses are required, that you are taking the Communications track, and that the B.S./M.S. program was not utilized. If bridge courses are required, we recommend that you refer to the B.S.E.E. guide for undergraduate class info. For different tracks, substitute accordingly. Feel free to change the order around, depending on your specific needs. Course prerequisites are usually not enforced in this department. We will also assume that one is working while going to school, so we'll suggest no more than 2 classes a semester (except the last semester).

Semester 1

Semester2

ECE 601 ECE 673

ECE 664 ECE 644

SUMMER COURSE: CS 652 (online course) Semester 3

Semester 4

ECE 642 (or another track course) ECE 645

ECE 742 (or another track course) CS 656 (online course) xxxxx (any elective of your choosing)

Page 18 of 19 Teacher recommendations: We will try to compile a comprehensive list of teachers to take and teachers to avoid(if possible). Unlike the RATEMYPROFESSOR.com website (which can be used as a supplemental teachers guide), we try to go into in depth specifics for the main teachers. If we leave something out (or get something horribly wrong), shoot us an e-mail. Certain teachers have monopolies over certain courses (e.g., Cornely: ECE 271), which will be mentioned in the description. Abdi: NJIT's wireless master. See M.S.E.E.'s section on ECE 673 for more info. Teaches: He is guaranteed to teach ECE 673 every semester. He can sometimes be seen teaching a few undergrad and graduate wireless classes. Akansu: NJIT's (former?) DSP master. Mainly teaches DSP I and II, but he can also be found doing ECE lab classes. Extremely knowledgeable in his field. Knows so much math, he could teach M.S. Math Courses. Derives everything. Exams are a lot easier then you might think, possibly due to all the work you'll be doing in his class. Rumor has it that he's moved on to NYU's Math department, possibly as a result of NJIT's horrible cheating policy. Or he could just be taking temporary leave from the school. No one really knows... Carpinelli: Not a shabby teacher. He tries his best to teach and goes that little extra mile in requesting feedback to improve his teaching ability. Not bad at all. Usually teaches ECE 353 and possibly a few ECE 417 sections,. Chang: Great teacher, uses real life examples to explain concepts and overall very clear teaching style. Tends to give out candy to wake people up and does class exercises to keep the material fresh. Used to teach 431, but it appears he has tasked this class to his TA, Mr. Cheng. Teaches: Controls-related courses (ECE 431, 664, etc). Due to the new ECE track bio-controls, he spearheads these courses as well. He is also known to teach 'ST' Masters courses every other semester. Cornely: Has been in the dept for 20+ years, and has only been known to teach ECE 271 and 372. Occasionally teaches labs every so often. Not known to teach any master's courses for several years now. Has been known to be super duper lenient to 'da ladies'. If you are a female engineer taking him, then consider yourself lucky. An excessive lover of NJIT's sports teams, especially the female volleyball teams. See B.S.E.E. year 2 for more info. Dhawan: Former Chair of the ECE Dept. Left his position for reasons unknown. He usually teaches anything Biomedial-related, as well as the ECE 101 course. A pretty average teacher, just make sure you stay on top of your work. Feknous: Very clear, goes on rants often. Knows his material very well although he may not have the opportunity to convey them due to the rants. Exams are not a surprise as he always gives a good review of the topics covered. Very fair professor. Teaches: Has been known to each all courses, from Fields to Microprocessors to ECE Labs. You'll most likely see him proctoring a lab class. Frank: Has been known to teach ECE 231 ONLY. Recommended only for 'true engineers'. Friedland: One of the main founders of modern control theory. Yes, that was several decades ago. Yes, he is that old. See B.S.E.E. Year 3 for more info. Teaches: Has been known to be the sole teacher of ECE 333, 665 and 666. Has not been known to teach non-controls courses. Ge: A Professor at NJIT since 95', usually teaches 'signal' courses (Advanced DSP, ECE 321, etc). She has also been known to teach a wide range of courses as well when required. Usually sticks to teaches advanced 7xx courses. She has a reputation on being a 'bad' teacher with a strong accent, so try to avoid taking her whenever possible. If you are forced to, expect to learn everything on your own. Glaser: Avoid at all costs. That is all. Teaches: Like Feknous, he has been known to teach a variety of courses as well as teach ECE 232 every semester. Haddad: Another NJIT veteran professor with extensive knowledge in all fields. He has been seen teaching a variety of graduate courses as well as a handful of 400 level and lab classes. Analogous to Whitman...you'll work your butt off, but you'll learn your stuff. Hubbi: The ECE department's power-track master. He is the main teacher for all power-related courses ( ECE 341, 610, etc). See B.S.E.E. Year three for more info. Klapper: NJIT's communications expert. Quite possibly the oldest teacher in the department. Doesn't teach much, but the exams can be a bit tough. Expect to learn most of the material on your own. Levkov: Amazing teacher, explains the material at a good pace. You will have to put the work into the course but you will definitely be doing your inner engineer a favor by taking him. Arguably one of the best teachers in the ECE department. If you are not a fan of working hard though you may not like him. Teaches: Most notable for 232 (and 231 in the summer), but also has been known to teach 231, 321, and 666. Ludden: Adjunct professor from BAE. Has been known to teach ECE 432 ONLY. Extremely hard to listen to, or stay awake with If you're taking him, that means that you're in the controls track, which means you don't have much of a choice, so just work with the practice exams and you should be ok.

Page 19 of 19 Misra: NJIT's VLSI master. Despite being of Indian descent, he appears to be extremely prejudice towards them. He is a very hard teacher, so try to avoid whenever possible. Teaches: All VLSI courses: ECE 475, ECE 658, ECE 758 Niver: By now you may have heard the rumors so let me either dispel them or re-affirm them. He is probably be one of the hardest professors you will have at NJIT but he is extremely fair in his grading. He knows the material like the back of his hand and if you asks questions he will help. He does a lot of examples in class and his exams only cover the topics he has gone over. Doesn’t sound too bad right? Here is the kicker. There is a LOT of material. His exams force you to think and think hard. It will truly test your understanding of the material. It's not as simple as ‘here is the equation, give me the answer.’ It’s more like ‘given your understanding of this problem, FIND me the equation, then assuming you have the right equation, find me the answer.’ His curve is so huge most people drop the class not knowing they probably have a B+. if you get around 25-30% on his exams don’t worry, that will likely be the average. Personick: A relatively new professor in the ECE roster. Very intelligent man who definitely knows his stuff. Being a new professor, its hard to gauge how he's going to act in the future, but so far he has had open book / open note exams. There's no real excuse to fail his course. So far, he strictly teaches ECE 6xx and 7xx courses. Richman: Adjunct teacher, teaches ECE 601. See M.S.E.E. 'core' courses for more info. Savir: CoE Comp Architecture Master. Not much of a problem for us EEs, unless you take the 'computers' track, or ECE 251. Is known to be extremely hard to listen to and work with. Expect a rough time. Take an alternative professor whenever possible. Shi: NJIT's Digital Image Processing Mater. Teaches ECE 643 and 789, along with anything else 'digital communications' related. Past students have noted that his accent is a bit hard to understand and that he teaches straight off of the slides. Expect to learn most of the information on your own. Sohn: Has been known to teach mostly lab classes and graduate seminar. Rarely teaches any actual lecture course. Very fair lab professor, will help out as much as he can. Sosnowski: The FED 101 and ECE 414/416/417 master. He occasionally teaches (solar) power-related courses as well. Definitely the most popular ECE 414 professor to have. Tsybeskov: ECE's top notch quantum physics dude. A lover of all things solid-state. See B.S.E.E. Year 3 for more info about him Teaches: Has been known to teach 374, 476, 657, and anything else quantum-related. Whitman: It’s a love hate relationship. If you are a true engineer this is the man for you. You will work your ass off, and you may only come out with a B, but man you will be so much better off than an A with any other professor. If you want an easy grade this is not the guy for you, but if you want to learn and work hard, look no further. See B.S.E.E. Year 3 Whitman/Niver switcheroo: Due to their field (no pun intended) of study, Whitman and Niver have been known to swap courses so you may or may not be able to completely avoid one or the other. However, if taken in the summer, the professors are usually consistent for both classes. Facilitators (Bachelors level only) They are your friends! If you are having problems in a class that offers facilitation, take full advantage of them! They are usually taught by students who have done very well in the course and can often help you understand the material on a student level instead of a PhD level. Going to the facilitators will definitely increase your odds of a better understanding of the material. All student types are encouraged to attend. Last ditch effort plea to the NJIT

For the love of Newton, enforce the honor code! We have witnessed firsthand countless accounts of cheating, some even caught by the teacher and they decide to look the other way. The gross injustice of these incidents, no scratch that, these blatant violations of the honor code is a shame, but overlooking them out of some form of pity is an injustice . Our worst enemy is not the cheating, it is the apathy. As long as this mentality continues, the reputation of NJIT will continue to spiral into oblivion as each new generation of students who share our views pass along this dishonorable word of mouth to friends and family and ultimately, industry. This is not a future hypothetical, it is already happening, numerous students have been denied jobs based on the incompetence of previous NJIT graduates. We can let this wound bleed out or we can patch it up and make cheating a zero tolerance issue once again.