Courses

Cornell ECE Open Courseware (OCW) provides access to the education material used in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University for students and faculty in all educational institutions as well as for general public free of charge for personal use. This Open Courseware site consists of self-paced courses based on those previously taught at Cornell University.

Courses by Level and Number

1-Level Courses

  • ECE 1820: Nanoengineering for the Future of Bits and Bytes (currently not available)

2-Level Courses

  • ECE 2100: Introduction to Circuits
    This course is an introduction to electronic circuits. We start with the basic quantities used to characterize circuit operation (like current, voltage, and power) and then enforce several physical laws to form the basis of our approach to circuit analysis. 
  • ECE 2200: Signals and Information
    This course introduces students to signals and the techniques used for processing signals. The course covers both discrete-time and continuous time signals.
  • ECE 2300: Digital Logic and Computer Organization
    This course provides an introduction to the design and implementation of digital circuits and microprocessors.

3-Level Courses

  • ECE 3030: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
    This is a comprehensive introductory undergraduate level course on electromagnetism.
  • ECE 3100: Introduction to Probability and Inference for Random Signals and Systems
    This is a comprehensive course in probabilistic techniques for modeling random phenomena and making estimates, inferences, predictions, and engineering decisions in the presence of chance and uncertainty. 
  • ECE 3140: Embedded Systems
    An introduction to the design of embedded systems, with an emphasis on understanding the interaction between hardware, software, and the physical world.
  • ECE 3150: Microelectronics
    This is a comprehensive introductory undergraduate level course on microelectronics.
  • ECE 3250: Mathematics of Signal and System Analysis 
    This course aims to deepen students’ working knowledge of mathematical tools relevant to Electrical and Computer Engineering applications. While the course emphasizes fundamentals, it also provides an Engineering context for the topics it covers.
  • ECE 3400: ECE Practice and Design
    This is a multi-faceted course that covers several aspects of engineering practice in addition to theoretical and laboratory work, such as leadership, teamwork, engineering design methodologies, and engineering ethics. These skills are gained through a course project involving a maze mapping robot.

4-Level Courses

  • ECE 4070: Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures
    This course covers fundamentals of solid state physics relevant to semiconductors, electronic and photonic devices, and nanostructures.
  • ECE 4110: Random Signals in Communications and Signal Processing (currently not available)
  • ECE 4130: Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering (currently not available)
  • ECE 4250: Digital Signal and Image Processing (currently not available)
  • ECE 4300: Lasers and Optoelectronics (currently not available)
  • ECE 4320: MicroElectro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (currently not available)
  • ECE 4740: Digital VLSI Design
    This course provides an introduction to digital very large-scale integration (VLSI) design.
  • ECE 4750: Computer Architecture
    This course provides a strong foundation in modern computer system architecture by drawing together concepts from across the electrical and computer engineering curriculum including digital logic design, computer organization, system-level software techniques, and engineering design.
  • ECE 4760: Designing with Microcontrollers
    This is a course on designing complex electronic systems using microcontrollers for embedded control.
  • ECE 4880: Radio Frequency Systems
    This course addresses the design of radio-frequency links in the component view to enable eventual full-duplex, multi-access wireless network. 
  • ECE 4920: Technical Writing Seminar
    In this class you will rewrite your ECE 4760 final project report to meet the style of a magazine or journal of your choice, then submit it for publication.
  • ECE 4960: Computational and Software Engineering
    This course will introduce the mathematics, design, maintenance and testing practices to computing for interface and simulation of the physical real world.

5-Level Courses

  • ECE 5310: Quantum Optics for Photonics
    This is a graduate level course on quantum optics.
  • ECE 5330: Semiconductor Optoelectronics
    This is a comprehensive graduate level course on semiconductor optoelectronics.
  • ECE 5470: Computer Vision
    This course is concerned with the computer acquisition and analysis of image data. Computer vision is the construction of explicit meaningful descriptions of physical objects or other observable phenomena from images.
  • ECE 5760: Advanced Microcontroller Design and System-On-Chip
    This course deals with system-on-chip and embedded control in electronic design.
  • ECE 5780: Computer Analysis of Biomedical Images
    A variety of powerful imaging modalities with attending computer image processing methods are available for the evaluation of health and the detection of disease. This course will focus on the quantitative analysis of these images and Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD); that is, the automatic identification and classification of abnormalities by the computer from image data.
  • ECE 5990: RFID Systems
    This course is aimed to give an overview of the radio-frequency identification (RFID) system, including the component technology, network protocols and main applications.

Courses by Topic

Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • Nanoengineering for the Future of Bits and Bytes (currently not available)

Analog Circuits and RF Systems

  • Introduction to Circuits (ECE 2100)
    This course is an introduction to electronic circuits. We start with the basic quantities used to characterize circuit operation (like current, voltage, and power) and then enforce several physical laws to form the basis of our approach to circuit analysis. 
  • Microelectronics (ECE 3150)
    This is a comprehensive introductory undergraduate level course on microelectronics.
  • ECE Practice and Design (ECE 3400)
    This is a multi-faceted course that covers several aspects of engineering practice in addition to theoretical and laboratory work, such as leadership, teamwork, engineering design methodologies, and engineering ethics. These skills are gained through a course project involving a maze mapping robot.
  • Radio Frequency Systems (ECE 4880)
    This course addresses the design of radio-frequency links in the component view to enable eventual full-duplex, multi-access wireless network.
  • RFID Systems (ECE 5990)
    This course is aimed to give an overview of the radio-frequency identification (RFID) system, including the component technology, network protocols and main applications.

Electronic, Photonic, and MEMs Devices

  • Microelectronics (ECE 3150)
    This is a comprehensive introductory undergraduate level course on microelectronics.
  • Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures (ECE 4070)
    This course covers fundamentals of solid state physics relevant to semiconductors, electronic and photonic devices, and nanostructures.
  • MicroElectro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (currently not available)
  • Semiconductor Optoelectronics (ECE 5330)
    This is a comprehensive graduate level course on semiconductor optoelectronics.

Electromagnetics and Photonics

  • Electromagnetic Fields and Waves (ECE 3030)
    This is a comprehensive introductory undergraduate level course on electromagnetism.
  • Lasers and Optoelectronics (currently not available)
  • Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering (currently not available)
  • Quantum Optics for Photonics (ECE 5310)
    This is a graduate level course on quantum optics.
  • Semiconductor Optoelectronics (ECE 5330)
    This is a comprehensive graduate level course on semiconductor optoelectronics.

Digital Circuits and Computer Systems

  • Digital Logic and Computer Organization (ECE 2300)
    This course provides an introduction to the design and implementation of digital circuits and microprocessors.
  • Embedded Systems (ECE 3140)
    An introduction to the design of embedded systems, with an emphasis on understanding the interaction between hardware, software, and the physical world.
  • ECE Practice and Design (ECE 3400)
    This is a multi-faceted course that covers several aspects of engineering practice in addition to theoretical and laboratory work, such as leadership, teamwork, engineering design methodologies, and engineering ethics. These skills are gained through a course project involving a maze mapping robot.
  • Digital VLSI Design (ECE 4740)
    This course provides an introduction to digital very large-scale integration (VLSI) design.
  • Computer Architecture (ECE 4750)
    This course provides a strong foundation in modern computer system architecture by drawing together concepts from across the electrical and computer engineering curriculum including digital logic design, computer organization, system-level software techniques, and engineering design.
  • Computational and Software Engineering (ECE 4960)
    This course will introduce the mathematics, design, maintenance and testing practices to computing for interface and simulation of the physical real world.
  • Designing with Microcontrollers (ECE 4760)
    This is a course on designing complex electronic systems using microcontrollers for embedded control.
  • Advanced Microcontroller Design and System-On-Chip (ECE 5760)
    This course deals with system-on-chip and embedded control in electronic design.

Signals, Systems and Information

  • Signals and Information (ECE 2200)
    This course introduces students to signals and the techniques used for processing signals. The course covers both discrete-time and continuous time signals.
  • Introduction to Probability and Inference for Random Signals and Systems (ECE 3100)
    This is a comprehensive course in probabilistic techniques for modeling random phenomena and making estimates, inferences, predictions, and engineering decisions in the presence of chance and uncertainty.
  • Mathematics of Signal and System Analysis (ECE 3250)
    This course aims to deepen students’ working knowledge of mathematical tools relevant to Electrical and Computer Engineering applications. While the course emphasizes fundamentals, it also provides an Engineering context for the topics it covers.
  • Random Signals in Communications and Signal Processing (currently not available)
  • Digital Signal and Image Processing (currently not available)
  • Computer Vision (ECE 5470)
    This course is concerned with the computer acquisition and analysis of image data. Computer vision is the construction of explicit meaningful descriptions of physical objects or other observable phenomena from images.
  • Computer Analysis of Biomedical Images (ECE 5780)
    A variety of powerful imaging modalities with attending computer image processing methods are available for the evaluation of health and the detection of disease. This course will focus on the quantitative analysis of these images and Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD); that is, the automatic identification and classification of abnormalities by the computer from image data.

Technical Writing

  • Technical Writing Seminar
    In this class you will rewrite your ECE 4760 final project report to meet the style of a magazine or journal of your choice, then submit it for publication.